BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - Boaters off the South Florida coast were caught on video dumping two garbage cans worth of trash into the ocean, sparking outrage across social media.
The videos posted to social media appear to show the group of people dumping two garbage cans filled with trash into the ocean and then celebrating the move.
The boat was on its way out of the Boca Raton Inlet on Sunday right as the 2024 Boca Bash, the annual boat party on Lake Boca that takes place the last Sunday of April, was wrapping up.
The video, captured by the YouTube account Wavy Boats, went viral across social media and is sparking waves of anger amongst the community.
“There are a lot of good kids out there, but it doesn’t seem like they’re one of them,” said Rodrigo Samsing, an avid boater.
Samsing is a Deerfield Beach resident and a frequent boater on the same waterways that the trash was dumped into.
“It just really infuriates you to see someone trash the ocean like that,” said Samsing. “You know, nobody else on the boat tried to stop them. Everybody was just celebrating.”
Samsing said that the group of people on the boat could’ve found another way to dispose of their trash instead of throwing it into the ocean.
“I mean they already had the trash sitting in the garbage can, they could have just put a bag, grabbed a bag, filled it up and thrown it away. Instead, they just dump it carelessly into the ocean. It’s just really sad to see,” said Samsing.
In a statement, Boca Bash said they’ve identified the group on the boat that dumped the garbage into the ocean and called the actions on the video “egregious” and “completely unacceptable.” They added that “it is irresponsible boaters like this that have zero care for our oceans that give this event a bad reputation.”
Boca Bash did not release the name or identities of the boaters on video who dumped the trash, nor the owner of the vessel.
“To me, it just comes down to everybody doing their part. When you go somewhere, enjoy it. Go fishing, go hiking, do what you do, and then, you know, leave it better than you found it,” said Samsing.
Boca Police said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was notified of an incident involving illegal trash dumping on Sunday at Boca Inlet. This is currently an active investigation, and we will release additional details when available.
FWC
According to Florida’s Litter Law, if someone illegally dumps more than 15 pounds of waste into a waterway, they could be guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and/or one year of probation.
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