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BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – A boat flipped over in the Gulf on Wednesday afternoon after Lake Powell was cut open for drainage.

With all the rain in the area over the past few days, officials said that Lake Powell needed to be drained so it doesn’t overflow.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said that everyone should avoid launching any watercraft into Lake Powell at this time.

“The cut is open going into the Gulf Of Mexico. It is pulling boats from the lake into the Gulf and flipping them,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement. “We have had several children sucked into the Gulf as well. It is a very dangerous situation at this time. Please avoid.”

We’ll have more information as this story develops.

VIDEO CREDIT: J.R. Hott