FLORIDA TEENS SURRENDER AFTER VIDEO OF THEM THROWING BUCKETS FULL OF TRASH INTO OCEAN GOES VIRAL

NEW DELHI: Two teenagers from Florida, US, one aged 15 from Gulf Stream and the other aged 16 from Boynton Beach, surrendered to authorities on Friday in connection with a viral video showing them dumping trash into the Atlantic Ocean from a boat. They now face a felony pollution charge, as reported by officials and court records.

According to arrest reports filed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), each suspect is charged with one count of causing pollution so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant, or aquatic life or property. This charge is a third-degree felony(a crime regarded in the US and many other judicial systems as more serious than a misdemeanour), and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted.

FWC chairman Rodney Barreto issued a statement on Friday emphasizing that Florida's environment must be protected and that the disregard for it displayed in this incident will not be tolerated. He described the event as a teaching moment for everyone involved, stressing the importance of safeguarding Florida's natural resources.

The incident took place on Sunday in the Boca Inlet, captured on video as the boaters were leaving the annual Boca Bash, according to FWC. The footage, shared on YouTube by content creator Wavy Boats, depicts two individuals disposing of a trash bin full of garbage into the ocean.

The boat's driver, the 15-year-old, was observed tossing various items including plastic water bottles, cans, food bags, plastic cups, and other debris into the water. The arrest report noted that after dumping the trash, he was seen lifting the empty basket over his head and pumping it up and down in a celebratory manner.

Drone footage in the video shows the trash scattered across the ocean's surface, with waves and wind dispersing the pollutants, according to the arrest report. The video also captures the 16-year-old dumping the contents of a trash bin into the ocean.

In a statement, the parents of one of the teens expressed apologies to those affected by the incident and stated their cooperation with authorities. They emphasized their commitment to ocean conservation and community service as part of the teens' learning process.

“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,” the statement said.

Organizers of Boca Bash issued a statement on their Facebook page, disassociating the event from the actions depicted in the video and condemning the behavior. "We do not condone this behavior by any means and are appalled that the passengers even had the audacity to clap at the drone that was filming them dumping their garbage," the statement said. "We hope the repercussions handed down can be viewed publicly as a warning of how important our waters are to us native Floridians."