FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – An East Flagler Mosquito Control District field technician conducting routine inspections located the all-terrain vehicle stolen last month from the Flagler Turtle Patrol at about 10 a.m. Monday, July 13, and immediately notified the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
John Dunlop, a field technician who joined the District in 2022, came across the ATV in a heavily wooded area near Marineland during his regular inspection route and recognized it as the stolen vehicle. He immediately contacted the Flagler Sheriff’s Office.
The ATV was stolen on June 17 from a shed behind the Turtle Patrol’s facility in Marineland on North Ocean Shore Blvd. The theft, which also included an iPad the volunteers used to record data for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, forced them to patrol the beach on foot at the height of sea turtle nesting season until community donations funded a replacement. The iPad was not recovered with the ATV. FCSO Crime Scene Technicians have collected evidence and are still investigating and following up on any leads.
Field technicians at the East Flagler Mosquito Control District spend a substantial portion of every workday inspecting and treating mosquito breeding sites throughout the District on foot. That work takes them into parts of Flagler that few ever get to see.
A native Floridian, Dunlop spent much of his youth playing in the swamps of the Tomoka River, and he still prefers to be outdoors, spending his free time with his wife and two boys. “We never know what we’ll come upon in the areas we inspect,” Dunlop said. “Usually, it’s something that wants to bite you. This was a nice surprise.”
“This is exactly the outcome that comes from having dedicated people in the field every single day,” Said Mike Martin, Chairman of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners. “Our technicians know this District inch by inch because inspecting and treating mosquito habitats requires them to cover ground that most people don’t even think about. Without hesitation, John saw something and said something; this is the caliber of our entire staff.”
About the East Flagler Mosquito Control District
The East Flagler Mosquito Control District is an independent special taxing district funded by property taxes and formed in 1952. The mission of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District is the suppression of mosquito species that may cause illness or significant discomfort within a specific control area and with minimal environmental impact.
