A Foley family said they became seriously ill after swimming
on the beach in Gulf Shores where tarballs and oily sea shells were washing up Sunday. James Nolan said their bodies were coated in a tacky, brown tar that was nearly impossible to clean off.

“It was all over our arms and our legs,” Nolan said, who was swimming in Laguna Key. “I threw up right after. I never do that. We all feel flu-like symptoms today.”

Nolan collected dozens of tarballs, shells covered in brown tar, and unusual black oyster shells that reek of diesel. Nolan has lived in Gulf Shores his whole life, and says this is most definitely from the BP oil spill and not discharged by a passing boat or barge.

Nolan said it took several bottles of Dawn dishwashing liquid and a pot scrubber four times over to get the tar off their bodies.