Large amount of oil hits Johnson Beach

Perdido Key, Florida (WALA) - Most of Johnson Beach was consumed by tar balls an oil patties. Tuesday morning's harsh weather prevented BP crews from cleaning up the mess.

The weather was hardly welcoming on Johnson Beach.

Strong winds, rain and dark clouds left the beach empty. And the crowds were kept away after the Gulf dumped an incredible amount of tarballs on the beach. But in the midst of this empty expanse, two brave runners navigated this oily minefield.

"We started running down the beach, we're gonna run to the end of the key and back," Billy Napier said.

"We're just crazy," James Robbins said.

"We're just gonna dive around the tarballs as we go, it's just part of it," added Napier.

Tarballs and tar patties cover a massive area of Johnson Beach. But the problem also lies beneath the surface. Tarballs are also deeply embedded beneath the sand.

Some areas toward the western side of the beach had small tarballs, but the further east you went, the worse the oil got.

Many BP workers stood nearby but they couldn't work because of the weather. A BP spokesman says the crews will go out to work on a beach by beach basis, depending on the weather conditions.

"They're fighting a losing battle as long as the oil's gushing you feel like you're defeating the purpose getting out here everyday to pick it up and the next day, it's back all over again," Napier said.

"It's amazing that they don't know how to stop it," Robbins said.

But these men won't let anything stop their journey. They say they're going to throw their shoes away, but they're not going to leave this beach behind.

They'll be back to visit again.

A BP spokesman says when there are reports of potential lightning in the area, BP clean-up crews stay off the beach for their safety.