Two teenagers caught throwing trash on a party boat in Florida turned themselves in after authorities showed up at their parents’ home.
They are believed to be part of a group of revelers who were spotted dumping their cans and bottles into the Atlantic Ocean and openly celebrating littering.
An investigation was then opened by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and a 15-year-old from Gulfstream and a 16-year-old from Boynton Beach were identified through the boat’s registration.
They now face third-degree felony charges for causing pollution in such a manner as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant or aquatic life or property, according to the WFLA.
FWC officials met with the 15-year-old’s father who told them, “This is not a representation of who we are.”
Two teenagers caught throwing trash on a party boat in Florida turned themselves in after authorities showed up at their parents’ home.
They are believed to be part of a group of revelers who were spotted dumping their cans and bottles into the Atlantic Ocean and openly celebrating littering.
An investigation was then launched by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC), led by Rodney Barreto (photo), and a 15-year-old from Gulfstream and a 16-year-old from Boynton Beach were identified through the boat’s registration .
Video of the teens allegedly throwing trash into the ocean went viral and the FWC said the boat operator and a second individual were responsible.
They identified them by searching for the owner of the boat and going to his address.
The investigators were greeted by the father of the 15-year-old who asked to organize a meeting in the presence of a lawyer.
“This has become a global story,” FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said at a commission meeting Wednesday.
“Over the weekend my phone blew up. I hope this will be a huge teaching moment for all of them.
Col. Brian Smith, director of the agency’s law enforcement division, previously said, “We need to send the message that Florida does not tolerate this and we want to protect our environment.”
The teens are believed to have participated in Florida’s annual Boca Bash, which was in full swing last weekend.
Around 10,000 revelers took to the seas for a wild party while the alcohol flowed freely.
Authorities arrested nearly 20 partygoers, unrelated to the trash incident, on charges related to boating under the influence and drug offenses.
The large group of people was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail Tuesday morning, according to Boca News.
Videos of the spill were viewed by hundreds of thousands of people around the world on various social media platforms.
Boca Bash representatives say they identified the partygoers and called their behavior “totally unacceptable.”
The incident also upset locals who noted that no one on the boat had discouraged the suspects from littering.
“It really makes you angry to see someone destroying the ocean like that,” said Rodrigo Samsing, a local who often takes his boat into these waters.
“You know, no one else on the boat tried to stop them. Everyone was just partying,” he told WSVN.
What irked Samsing the most was that there was no immediate emergency that would have forced partygoers to throw out the trash.
“I mean, they already had the trash in the trash, they could have just put a bag in, grab a bag, fill it up and throw it away. Instead, they carelessly throw it into the ocean. It’s really sad to see,” he said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection cited federal law to say that boaters cannot dispose of waste “from a boat while in lakes, rivers, bays, sounds and offshore within three miles of the ocean.”
Boca Bash representatives said they identified the partygoers and called their behavior “completely unacceptable.”
Boca Bash added that “it’s irresponsible boaters like this, who don’t care about our oceans, that give this event a bad name.”
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