Nearly twenty Boca Bash boaters have been arrested as they appeared in bleary-eyed mugshots after videos showed other unidentified partiers dumping trash in the water.
As of Tuesday morning, 18 people had been taken into custody over the Boca Bash weekend, during which thousands of revelers took to the sea for a wild party where liquor flowed freely and clothes were stripped off.
The revelers face charges related to boating under the influence and drug offenses, with released mugshots showing their haggard, red faces and bleary eyes in the aftermath of the rowdy gathering.
Arrested by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officers, the partygoers have been booked into the Palm Beach County Jail by Tuesday morning, as reported by Boca News.
Several Boca Bash revelers previously sparked fury after they were caught on camera pouring their cans and bottles into the water and openly celebrating the littering as they left the infamous bash on Sunday.
Nearly twenty Boca Bash boaters have been arrested as they appeared in bleary-eyed mugshots after videos showed brazen partiers dumping trash in water. Pictured: Washington Sousa(left) charged with Boating Under the Influence, and McKinna Moore(right) charged with BUI and unlawful operation of a vessel with outstanding civil penalty
The partiers responsible for dumping the garbage have yet to be publicly identified, and it’s unclear if the known arrests are related to the outrageous incident. Pictured: Rafaella Vilela(left), charged with Boating Under the Influence and Mia Ayala(right), charged with Boating Under the Influence
The partiers responsible for dumping the garbage have yet to be publicly identified, and it’s unclear if the known arrests are related to the outrageous incident.
However, representatives for Boca Bash say they’ve identified the party boys and called their behavior ‘completely unacceptable,’ while local police and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating.
‘It just really infuriates you to see someone trash the ocean like that,’ said Rodrigo Samsing, a local who often takes his boat out in those waters.
‘You know, nobody else on the boat tried to stop them. Everybody was just celebrating,’ he told WSVN.
What most angered Samsing is there was no immediate emergency that would’ve caused the partiers to need to dump the trash.
‘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,’ he said.
Representatives for Boca Bash say they’ve identified the party boys and called their behavior ‘completely unacceptable’. Pictured: John Mackey and Michael Unis, both charged with Boating Under the Influence
Pictured: Angelo Barsallo(left), charged with BUI and refusal to submit to a BUI test, and Michael Cueva-Garcia(right), charged with Boating Under the Influence
Pictured: Javier Malagon(left) and Pedro Lacerdaveiga(right),both charged with boating under the influence
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection cited federal law in saying that boaters cannot dispose of any garbage ‘from a boat while in lakes, rivers, bays, sounds and offshore within three miles of the ocean.’
Boca Bash added ‘it is [irresponsible] boaters like this that have zero care for our oceans that give this event a bad reputation.’
Earlier Sunday, people kicked back and raged on top of boats, jet skis, kayaks and paddle boards in Lake Boca Raton.
The event started as a birthday party for Rockey Rossi in 2007, which included a performance by Nickelback. The city asked them to cancel, but the party drew plenty of boats.
In the past few years, about 8,000 boats ventured on to the lake for the party.
The 2018 Boca Bash turned tragic when a 32-year-old man drowned.
The floating party this year lasted all day as people took over the lake, as police and firefighters surveyed the area.
Pictured: Nicholas Billitier(left), charged with boating under the influence and Auberto Green(right), charged with boating under the influence and a second charge of refusing to submit to a DUI test
Pictured: Lorena DaSilva(left), charged with boating under the influence and Edrick Green(right), charged with boating under the influence and refusing to submit to a BUI test.
Pictured: Brandon Ables(left), charged with Boating Under the Influence, and Dmitri Rutenberg(right), charged with possessing a controlled substance without a prescription
Pictured: Zack Chikovsky(left), charged with Boating under the Influence charge, and Joseph LaFleur(right), charged with Boating under the Influence and drug possession
Bikini-clad women were seen all over the water and on top of boats as they seemingly downed loads of alcohol. A man was also seen soaring in the sky attached to a water jetpack with a phone in hand.
‘Locals avoid Boca Bash it’s a s**t show on water and gets crazier with every year,’ one social media account noted.
Trump, Biden and American flags were seen flying high off of boats during the festivities.
An aerial shot from above the party showed the endless amounts of boats that consumed the lake. A group of women in bikinis were seen lounging on their stomachs on top of a long pink float in the crystal blue water.
The scenes of people dressed in bathing suits filled social media from the event.
But, there is little organization into the annual gathering near Boca Raton.
‘There is no real organizer for the event,’ Boca Raton spokesman Mark Economou told the Palm Beach Post. ‘This is just something that happens the last Sunday of April.’
Locals in the area were not as happy for the big party as one took to Facebook and posted a video of rowdy partiers boating across the water near a backyard.
‘This has been going on since 7:30. Boca Bash craziness begins,’ one wrote on Facebook.
‘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,’ one local said
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection cites federal law in saying that baoters cannot dispose of any garbage ‘from a boat while in lakes, rivers, bays, sounds, and offshore within three miles of the ocean.’
Representatives for Boca Bash say they’ve ID’d the party boys and called their behavior ‘completely unacceptable’
Another person posted serene pictures of the lake and said, ‘Leaving Lake Boca after a nice calm visit.’
‘Getting out before Boca Bash starts this afternoon where you can walk from boat to boat, it is so packed,’ she added.
Others took to social media and posted all the fun they had, as one video showed a floating trampoline and large pool floats as loud music played in the background.
Dozens partied in the water and climbed on each other’s shoulders posing for the cameras that filled the area. An array of pool floats were also used in the party, as well as dogs who joined their owners for the gathering.
The all-day party stretched well into the night, but the dark skies did not stop people from carrying on.
A video showed the lake illuminated by neon lights as music continued to play and people kept the night going.
On Monday, one person posted to X and said, ‘Boca Bash won I’m so dead from yesterday.’ Another said, ‘Boca Bash- 1. Neil- 0.’
A group of women in bikinis were seen lounging on their stomachs on top of a long pink float in the crystal blue water
One woman in a bikini was seen on a man’s shoulders as she posed for the camera while a water bottle flung out of her hand
Women in scantily clad bathing suits were seen all over the water and on top of boats as they downed loads of alcohol
Two women in bikinis are seen posing on one of the many boats as one has her hands on the steering wheel and the other hold a red solo cup
Revelers are seen packed on boats in the middle of the lake as they sipped on alcohol and partied all day
In March, thousands of spring breakers cut loose as they hit the Florida sands, then each other, when high-energy spirits boiled over into brawls.
Groups of bikini-clad girls and jeering guys flocked to the packed-out Jacksonville beach where women were seen brawling with each other in front of frat bros in boozed-fueled wrestling matches which sometimes turned violent.
Florida officials announced plans this year to impose some of the toughest restrictions at Miami Beach earlier this month after two deadly shootings broke out last year.
A ramped-up police presence was noticeable along the beach with officers on bicycles, buggies and SUVs seen patrolling the area. Others were seen leading K-9s between sun bathers on the crowded sands.
There was barely a patch of open sand to be had on some stretches of Fort Lauderdale Beach, often dubbed as ‘Spring Break Central.’