Mysterious debris on Florida beach was beloved part of Gulf Coast culture, locals say

A mystery came out of the Gulf of Mexico and news of its origin has people in mourning in the Florida Panhandle.

“For all the sailors out there, this treasure washed up on our shores today, where our lifeguards quickly investigated,” Panama City Beach Fire Rescue wrote June 5 on Facebook.

“We believe this to be a portion of a vessel that was damaged over the weekend, several miles away.”

The shape of the debris — and its unique pink and lime green paint — led commenters to realize the wreck was a quirky part of the community’s tourist culture: “The Ice Cream Boat.”

Operating much like an ice cream truck, the boat catered to swimmers along crowded beaches. The vessel was “caught in a storm” on June 4 and ended up on its side, video shows. Waves eventually broke it apart, sending the cabin onto the beach — along with its freezer.

Details of what happened to anyone aboard the boat have not been released.

Thousands have reacted to news of the wreck on social media, with most lamenting the loss and some calling for a fundraiser to replace it.

“So all the ice cream bars sank?” Joe Nalley wrote on Facebook.

“Lots of kiddos are sad now,” Sandra McBrayer posted.

“When Jaws wants his Drumstick ... he’s gonna get his Drumstick!” Ricky Juarez said.

Panama City Beach officials report the “potentially harmful” debris was hauled away before causing any injuries.

The fate of the freezer was not revealed, but photos show it was found intact and standing upright in the sand.

“Was there any ice cream left in the freezer,” Dustin Ray Harris asked.

“Of course … ice cream float,” Darrin Vicknair said. “I’ll see myself out.”

Panama City Beach is a tourism hub about 100 miles southeast of Pensacola.

This story was originally published June 6, 2023 at 6:28 AM with the headline "Mysterious debris on Florida beach was beloved part of Gulf Coast culture, locals say."