Of the teenagers who were caught on board a boat when they were throwing garbage into the water off the Palm Beach County city of Boca Raton, face felony charges of causing pollution.
The incident occurred last Sunday and was recorded by a witness. The video, which caused outrage on social networks, showed 10 people enjoying themselves on a yacht, when suddenly two young men on the deck each begin to empty a boat full of waste and bottles into the ocean.
According to officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), they are two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, who surrendered to the Police on Friday.
Both face charges of third-degree felonies for causing pollution with the purpose of harming or harming human health or well-being, as well as animals and plants in the marine ecosystem, which can be punished with fines of up to $50,000 or up to five years. of prison, according NBC.
It is known that after that action, the group returned to Boca Bash, an unauthorized boating party.
“It was negligent, disrespectful to the coastal environment of Florida and as a person who has dedicated his entire life to the preservation of the environment, it hurts me and that is why he pointed out the negative and harmful nature of these types of actions,” said JP Brooker, director of the Florida Environmental Conservation Program.
Seth Stern, the author of the video, declared to Telemundo 51 who has recorded many videos of questionable behavior, but none so deliberate and intentional.
“They were at the festival and They just went to the cove to throw out the trash. They knew we were recording and even made fun of the camera“he stressed.
For his part, Rodney Barreto, president of the FWC, assured that the illegal dumping of garbage in the marine environment is a serious crime.
“We are working closely with the Palm Beach County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine appropriate charges. Callous disregard for Florida’s environment will not be tolerated. This is a teachable moment for all involved,” he said.
According to arrest reports, The 15-year-old teenager involved is the son of the boat owner.
The family issued a statement in which they apologize to all those legitimately outraged by what happened and assure that they will continue to cooperate with the authorities and the FWC.
They also agree that this will be a learning opportunity for the two young people, who will have to do community work for ocean conservation.
On the other hand, The Boca Bash, the business that organized the party, distanced itself from the event and stated that upon seeing the video they began to work with the community to discover who owned the yacht and who threw the garbage into the sea.
“It is shameful to see local boaters in the surrounding towns have little or no respect for our local wildlife and marine ecosystems. We in no way condone this behavior and are appalled that passengers even had the audacity to applaud the drone that “I was filming them throwing out the trash,” says the text shared on Facebook.
