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Hypodermic Needle, Vial Of Blood Found In Delaware River, And South Jersey Residents Say It's Not The First Time

WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) -- A boater made a disturbing discovery in the Delaware River on Wednesday morning -- finding a hypodermic needle and a vial of blood. The medical waste was found at National Park in West Deptford.

South Jersey residents are demanding answers after the needle and vial of blood were found. The man who found it says this isn't the first time he's spotted medical waste in the river.

"Needles we see once a week, for the past month," Boe Giansanti said.

delaware river blood vial
Credit: CBS3

Giansanti spots medical waste so often in the Delaware River he described the moment he found the most recent discovery nonchalantly, but the two images have other South Jersey residents up in arms.

"I don't like to see it. As soon as I see it, I get out of the water. It's pretty gross, and it's sad that it's becoming a normal thing to see," Giansanti said.

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The waste was found in West Deptford near the shoreline at River Gate Boat Ramp in National Park.

Giansanti was test riding a wave runner for DHY Motorsports when he came across the biohazard. That's when he reached out to 13-year-old Zoe Deangelos, with Divers Against Marine Pollution.

"It started out as a leadership project, but as we started growing, we made a Facebook page," Zoe said.

delaware river needle
Credit: CBS3

When Zoe shared the photos on the group's Facebook page, residents were taken aback.

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No one knows where the medical waste came from. Zoe is working to get the water cleaned up.

"This is just the beginning of something new," she said.

Eyewitness News reached out to Environmental Health of Gloucester County, who has yet to return our calls.

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