AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police divers pulled several electric scooters from Lady Bird Lake on Tuesday morning as part of a cleanup effort near the Mopac Bridge.

The Austin Police Department's (APD) lake patrol and dive team began marking and removing scooters around 10:30 a.m., with seven divers and two boats assisting in the operation.

Sgt. Issa Kafena said the submerged scooters create environmental risks and safety hazards.

“It is extremely hazardous to the environment and for anybody who might be using the water,” Kafena said. “Having all those obstacles underwater makes our already dangerous job even more dangerous.”

Police said the Bird scooter company is helping locate the equipment using GPS data. If successful, the recovery effort may expand to other parts of the lake.

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