On April 25, thousands went to the boat dealer and grabbed their boats and friends and took off to Lake Boca for the annual Boca Bash, following the event’s cancellation last year due to COVID-19.
Despite the overwhelming support from fans of the event, not everyone was thrilled over the lack of apparent safety that comes with the Boca Bash. If you have booked a boat charter rental, make sure to inquire about the boat’s safety features before you start sailing.
“This is not a city sponsored event,” says Andrea Levine O’Rourke, city councilwoman for Boca Raton. “We do not support this event, but it does tax our services quite a bit.”
Councilwoman O’Rourke notes that at the event there are always boats from the Police Department, Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department and the Coast Guard.
“All of these entities come together to make this as safe as possible, but this is not an event we like to be frank,” concludes Councilwoman O’Rourke.
The event was cancelled last year due to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enacting a one-day anchor dropping ban on the day the event was to be held per Boca Raton’s request to prevent a super-spreader event.
But, despite the preventive measures from last year, this year the event was as big as ever with thousands of attendees and multiple arrests. About 5.83 million Floridians have been vaccinated as of April 26, but this event still failed to meet social distancing and face mask measures.
“It’s just a big cluster,” Dr. Ira Wenzel, a resident living along the Intracoastal, said to The Sun Sentinel. “It’s just too crowded. It’s getting bigger and bigger each year. It’s one big party. It’s insane, I’ll tell you that.”
Both Councilwoman O’Rourke and Yvette Drucker noted an increased police presence occurred at the 2021 event, yet the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Boca Raton Police will not announce the final arrests until Monday.
“We have reached out to several agencies [to prepare for the event],” noted Drucker. There were 53 officers in attendance among 15 boats and 1 “fixed wing aircraft” says Councilwoman Drucker.
“It’s all about getting out there and having a good time,” Dr. Wenzel said to The Sun Sentinel. “Especially with COVID, a lot of people are letting off steam. Later today, you’re going to see a lot of DUIs out there.”
The Boca Raton Tribune attempted to reach out to the event’s organizer and Facebook page to pose questions about the safety of this event, but all declined to comment.