On Sept. 3, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) filed charges with the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office against three Seminole County juveniles involved in an Aug. 30 boating incident on Lake Brantley. The operator of the vessel was charged with knowingly giving a false report to law enforcement, and two of the occupants were charged with giving false official statements to law enforcement.
On the date of the incident, FWC officers responded after the vessel operator’s father reported that his son and three passengers had been struck by another boat that had fled the scene. According to the initial account, all four occupants were ejected into the water, sustained minor injuries and the damaged vessel was beached after taking on water.
Multiple officers from the FWC and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office dedicated significant time and resources to the investigation. Over the course of several hours, officers conducted interviews, systematically searched the entire lake, covering boat ramps, shoreline access points, and adjoining canals, and deployed boats to canvass the water. In addition, they reviewed security camera footage from nearby properties and businesses in an effort to corroborate the report.
Later that evening, the vessel operator’s father informed officers that his son’s account was false. The crash was not a hit-and-run but rather an allision with a dock. Officers returned to the area, where they found fiberglass debris in the water and significant dock damage.
The occupants were re-interviewed and admitted the vessel had struck the dock. However, the operator continued to provide false information and required a third interview before clarifying the facts.
The dock owner is currently assessing the damage. The investigation remains open pending review by the State Attorney’s Office.
The FWC takes boating safety and boating violations very seriously, the public can report suspected violations by contacting the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or submitting a tip online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert , all tips may be reported anonymously.
For additional FWC Division of Law Enforcement news, visit MyFWC.com/LENews
