ANALYSIS:
A pair of teens were purportedly caught on video throwing trash cans full of debris while riding a boat exiting Boca Raton Inlet in Florida. They have since turned themselves in.
Video depicting multiple garbage cans being emptied into the water prompted an investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The two boys are alleged to have committed the act.
Charles Ruth, 15, and Michael Kirby, 16, each face a third-degree felony charge of causing pollution so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant or aquatic life, the commission confirmed to Miami Fox affiliate WSVN-TV Friday.
If convicted, the two could be fined up to $50,000 and jailed for as many as five years.
They were out on the water Sunday for Boca Bash, a yearly gathering on the lake that is not officially sanctioned, according to the FWC.
“The illegal dumping of trash in our marine environment is a serious crime. … Callous disregard for Florida’s environment will not be tolerated,” FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement to BocaNewsNow.com.
The Ruth family said in a statement to multiple outlets that it takes “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. We want to extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who has been impacted and rightfully upset by what occurred.”
The organizers of Boca Bash also denounced the dumping.
“We cannot be more angered and disturbed by these actions. … By no means do we believe this is a representation of the gathering. We implore and expect boaters to keep the waterways clean, uphold proper boating etiquette, and follow state laws while on the water,” Boca Bash said in a Facebook post.