Mermaid Statue Lost and Found… Again

When Hurricane Helene tore across the American Northeast two weeks ago, it brought wind, water, and mayhem with it. In the chaos, two more of the county’s mermaid statues went missing. Fortunately, one has now been found.
On the night the storm made landfall, Nova was torn from her perch at Roger’s Park and rushed down the Weeki Wachee River. Unlike when Kaimana was lifted from her plinth by Hurricane Idalia in 2023, Nova was still completely attached to her base.

It was impressive and terrifying to see the power with which the waves could so neatly rip Kaimana and her bolts from the concrete, but Helene’s effect on Nova was even wilder. The power of the storm surge effortlessly scooped the 85-pound mermaid and her half-ton platform off the ground before plunking her into the backyard of Hernando Beach resident Max Harding.

“This mermaid went from Rogers Park past here a mile-and-a-half, looked at all the property on the way back, and chose this place,” said Harding. “[She] scared the guy that was living here, but this is where she decided to be.”
Fortunately, the other resident on the property not only saw the work of art as it floated by, but he caught it on video as well. John Prout, also known as @Riverdaddy on social media, provided his followers and millions of Americans with a moment of levity during those trying days. The snippet, which can be found on TikTok, has already received 4.2 million views and 528,000 likes as of the writing of this article.

“There goes the mermaid from Roger’s Park!” Prout laughed. It was a humorous sight to behold as the statue stood upright while being carried down the local waterway. After hearing his friend yelling, he hurried outside to snap the video of her floating downstream. When Prout came back out the next morning after water levels had receded, he found her, base-and-all, in the backyard.

John Athanason, the Multimedia Communications Specialist for the local visitors’ bureau, noted that they probably should have drilled holes in the statues somewhere. This is likely so they do not float away so easily next time.
Nova is one of 27 statues created as part of the Mermaid Tale Trail, which is a project designed by Florida’s Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau to celebrate the 75-year history of the Weeki Wachee Mermaids. This mermaid was created by artist Robin Stewart and sponsored by Sarah Hill PA from JT Realty & Associates.

“Nova is from a water planet in a faraway galaxy, surrounded by marine constellations and brightly glowing jellyfish,” Nova description on the trail’s website read. “On the back on the rock is a space portal with dolphins; using this portal, Nova can travel to Weeki Wachee and back to her planet at will.”

Each of the original 27 cost $3,500 to sponsor, and a second wave is on the way. The other lost mermaid, which was torn from her home at the Hernando Beach Motel, is still floating around somewhere, waiting to be found. Athanason noted that there will be a Silver Dolphin gift card for the individual who helps bring her back safe and sound.