Unattended Death and Biohazard Cleanup in Safety Harbor, FL

Safety Harbor is a city on the west shore of Tampa Bay in Pinellas County; it was settled in 1823 and incorporated in 1917.

Safety Harbor is the home of the historic Espiritu Santo Springs, or 'Springs of the Holy Spirit,' a natural mineral spring whose waters were given that name in 1539 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who was said to be searching for the mythical Fountain of Youth.

The area was first homesteaded by Count Odet Philippe, a French nobleman who is credited with introducing the grapefruit to Florida.

Archaeologists named the pre-Columbian 'Safety Harbor culture' of Tampa Bay's Tocobaga people after this area, and the Tocobaga temple mound still stands in the city's Philippe Park, where Philippe's plantation was located.

The name Safety Harbor traces back to the pirate era of the early 1700s, when the harbor's sheltered waters offered ships a safe refuge.

In the 20th century, Espiritu Santo spring water was bottled and sold commercially, and a health spa and hotel were built over the springs, evolving into today's Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.

The Espiritu Santo Springs site was designated a historical landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1964 and later became a Florida Heritage Landmark.

Safety Harbor has grown from just 429 residents in 1920, shortly after incorporation, to 17,072 at the 2020 census.

Safety Harbor bills itself as the 'Home of the Mineral Springs,' and its downtown sits just inland from Old Tampa Bay at the head of the bay's northwestern shore.