Syringe and blood-filled vial found found floating in Delaware River

GLOUCESTER TWP., N.J. - A syringe and blood-filled vial were discovered floating in the Delaware River off the coast of New Jersey.

Lou Piscopo has been coming to National Park’s Beach Hill boat launch area for years.  He lives just a few blocks away.

“So I just relax check out the water and watch the boats and the planes and the people fishing and everything else," he told FOX 29's Bruce Gordon.

Piscopo also says he has seen some nasty stuff out there.

 “There’s always syringes and stuff down here⁠—like crazy. People getting stuck on their feet and stuff," he explained.

“Bad” got worse this week when Boe Giansanti was test driving a wave runner near the West Deptford boat ramp just upriver from Beach Hill and discovered a syringe and blood-filled vial floating in the river.

“It’s disgusting," Giansanti said. Giansanti says it’s actually not unusual.

An environmental group formed by a local eighth-grader now plans to get out on these beaches and cleanup the waste that floats in or is dropped here.

“It’s very important to me that the water is clean and it’s all safe," Zoe DeAngelos, who is with Divers Against Marine Pollution, said.

Piscopo was not surprised to hear about this latest medical waste discovery. He claims drug users have taken over Beach Hill, especially on weekends.

"It used to be the most beautiful place and it’s getting worse," he said.