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Politics

Floatopia May Be Sunk

People float on rafts and drink on Sail Bay in Pacific Beach during a Floatopia event on July 17, 2010. The San Diego City Council has since banned the events. But organizers believe they've found a loophole in the law.
Katie Orr
People float on rafts and drink on Sail Bay in Pacific Beach during a Floatopia event on July 17, 2010. The San Diego City Council has since banned the events. But organizers believe they've found a loophole in the law.
Floatopia May Be Sunk
Floatopia could get deflated Monday. A loophole in San Diego's beach alcohol ban allows people to drink while floating in the water. The City Council will now decide whether to amend the ban to prohibit the parties.

Floatopia could get deflated Monday. A loophole in San Diego's beach alcohol ban allows people to drink while floating in the water.

The City Council will now decide whether to amend the ban to prohibit the parties. The council is considering extending the booze ban into the water for three nautical miles.

Thousands of people have attended several Floatopias over the past year. The events are organized anonymously on social media sites like Facebook.

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Lifeguard Chief Rick Wurtz says the parties are dangerous and taxing on his department. In June, he told the council's Public Safety committee about a rescue that occurred at a Floatopia.

"(There was) a person who had consumed so much alcohol that they actually fell in relatively shallow water, water where they could have stood," he said.

The City Council is considering adopting the change as an emergency ordinance, which means it could take effect immediately if passed.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.