Florida Teens Seen In Viral Video Throwing Trash From Boat Into Ocean Surrendering Themselves

Two teenagers from Florida seen in a viral video dumping trash into the Atlantic Ocean from a boat turned themselves in to authorities on Friday and face a criminal pollution charge, according to authorities and court records.

The suspects, a 15-year-old from the Gulf Stream and a 16-year-old from Boynton Beach, are charged with one count of causing pollution so as to harm or impair the health or welfare of human, animal, vegetable or aquatic. life or property, according to arrest reports filed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC.

The charge is a third-degree felony and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted, according to the arrest report.

NBC News generally does not name minors accused of crimes.

FWC President Rodney Barreto said Friday in a statement that “callous disregard for Florida’s environment will not be tolerated.”

“This is a teachable moment for everyone involved – Florida’s natural resources are precious and we must all do our part to protect them,” he said.

The incident occurred Sunday in Boca Inlet when boaters were seen on video leaving the annual Boca Bash, the FWC said.

The video, posted by content creator Wavy Boats on YouTube, shows two people each throwing a trash can full of trash into the ocean.

The 15-year-old boat driver threw trash that included plastic water bottles, cans, food bags, plastic cups and other “unidentifiable items” into the ocean, the arrest report said.

“After he emptied the contents of his basket directly into the water. He is seen holding the basket over his head, pumping it up and down, as if he was celebrating dumping the trash into the water,” the arrest report said.

“Throughout the video there is drone footage showing trash (pollutants) spread across the surface of the ocean, with the pollutants being dispersed by strong waves and wind,” according to the arrest report.

The video also shows the 16-year-old dumping the contents of a trash can into the ocean.

According to the arrest report, an FWC investigator went Tuesday to the home of the owner of the registered boat. A man who identified himself as the 15-year-old’s father told the investigator they were in the process of hiring an attorney, the report stated.

“This is not a representation of who we are,” the father told the investigator, according to the arrest report.

On Wednesday, the investigator spoke by phone with the father of the other suspect, who said he was also seeking legal advice.

It was not immediately clear Friday night who the teens may have hired to represent them. A representative for the Palm Beach County State’s Attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.

FWC also spoke to several witnesses on the boat who also identified the suspects, according to the arrest report.

In a statement, the parents of one of the teenagers involved apologized to everyone affected and were “rightly upset about what happened” and said they were cooperating with authorities.

“We take our responsibility to care for our oceans and our community very seriously and are extremely saddened by what occurred last weekend in Boca Bash,” the statement said.

He said the family agrees “that this is a teaching moment for the children involved and that they should certainly participate in community service and ocean conservation efforts to deepen their understanding of the importance of our community and the environment.”

Boca Bash organizers posted on their Facebook page Tuesday that the actions seen in the video were not representative of the event.

“We do not condone this behavior in any way and are shocked that passengers had the audacity to applaud the drone that was filming them dumping their trash,” the statement said. “We hope the repercussions conveyed can be seen publicly as a reminder of how important our waters are to us native Floridians.”

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with