Nantuckets south side beaches reopen amid broken wind turbine debris cleanup [Video]

Nantucket’s south side beaches reopened for swimming Wednesday morning, less than a day after they were closed due to fiberglass debris shards washing up on the shore from a broken wind turbine.

The Nantucket Harbormaster announced the reopening around 11:30 a.m., but recommended that swimmers use footwear while on the beach and leave pets at home. The reopened beaches are staffed with lifeguards who have been outfitted with safety gear, the harbormaster said.

Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind development company that owns the turbine, said in a press release that as of Wednesday morning, more than six truckloads of debris have been removed from the beaches as part of the company’s cleanup efforts. Debris removal teams will continue cleaning up the beaches throughout the week until all debris is removed, the company said.