BOCA RATON, Fla. — Two Florida teens have turned themselves in after a video of them dumping trash cans full of bottles and cans into the Atlantic Ocean went viral.
The video published on Facebook and YouTube by the Wavy Boats channel shows a group of people dumping two full cans of garbage overboard on Sunday out of Boca Inlet in Palm Beach County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the boat was leaving an "unsanctioned, waterborne event known as Boca Bash."
FWC investigators quickly identified the teens and worked with the state attorney's office to determine appropriate charges. The agency did not name which specific charges the teens are facing.
“The illegal dumping of trash in our marine environment is a serious crime," FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said. "Callous disregard for Florida’s environment will not be tolerated. This is a teaching moment for all those involved—Florida’s natural resources are precious, and we should all do our part to protect them."
Florida's litter law states anyone illegally dumping more than 15 pounds of waste into a waterway could face a first-degree misdemeanor, a year in jail, a $1,000 fine and serve a year of probation. According to the Ocean Dumping Act, which was passed in 1972, ocean dumping is not allowed as it puts human health and marine environments at risk.
"The negative impact this type of deliberate pollution has on our beaches, reef system, and estuaries cannot be understated," Major Dustin Bonds, the South Alpha regional commander, said. "This type of criminal activity harms our wildlife and undermines the investment made by the people of Florida to keep our unique ecosystem healthy."
The parents of one of the teens involved issued a statement apologizing for their child's behavior.
“We take the responsibility of caring for our oceans and our community very seriously, and we are extremely saddened by what occurred last weekend at Boca Bash. We want to extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who has been impacted and rightfully upset by what occurred.
Our family and our counsel have remained in touch with FWC since we were first contacted by them and have continued to cooperate with all authorities.
As a family, we agree with FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto that this is a teaching moment for the young kids involved and they should certainly participate in community service and ocean conservation efforts to deepen their understanding of the importance of our community and environment.”
You can report suspected fishing, wildlife or boating violations by calling FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC or by visiting MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.
10 Tampa Bay's Bryce Johnson contributed to this report.
