The family of one of two teen boys facing felonies for dumping drums of trash into the Atlantic Ocean at Florida’s annual Boca Bash issued an apology after their son turned himself in to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Now-viral drone footage shows the teens hefting two trash bins filled with bottles and other plastics over the railing of their fishing vessel as they speed away from the boozy water gathering on April 28.
As the boat of partiers zoomed away into the choppy waters of the Boca Raton inlet, the video pans out to the spread of debris left floating in their wake. Footage from the front of the boat shows the teens waving and laughing.
The two teens, 15 and 16, according to the Miami Herald, turned themselves in to police on Friday and face third-degree felony charges for causing pollution “so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant or aquatic life or property.”
2 TEENS CHARGED FOR DUMPING TRASH INTO FLORIDA SEA IN VIRAL VIDEO
On Monday, one of the boy’s parents issued an emailed statement to The Palm Beach Post through a spokesperson.
“We take responsibility for caring for our oceans and our community very seriously, and we are extremely saddened by what occurred last weekend at Boca Bash,” the family wrote. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”
FWC officials tracked down the two boys by looking up the boat’s registration and visiting the Gulfstream address of the owner, the 15-year-old’s father. The father told investigators that “this is not a representation of who we are” and asked to speak at a later time with an attorney present, WFLA reported.
Before charges were announced for the teens, the FWC reported that although there were no accidents or major incidents stemming from the Boca Bash, they made 20 arrests connected to the gathering, including 17 for boating under the influence.
However, none of those arrested garnered the outrage inspired by YouTuber Wavy Boats’ video capture of the trash dumping incident.
“This has become a worldwide story,” FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said during Wednesday’s commission meeting, according to The Palm Beach Post. “Over the weekend, my phone blew up. Hopefully, it will be a huge teaching moment for all of them.”
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About 6,000 to 10,000 revelers gather in their boats on Lake Boca Raton for the boozy event on the last Sunday of April each year. Pictures and videos on social media show co-ed attendees dancing, jumping from boat to boat in bikinis and chugging beers.
