Hundreds of watercraft jammed into Lake Boca on April 30 to participate in Boca Bash, the annual alcohol-fueled bacchanal loosely organized on social media.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrested 18 people for boating under the influence and five calls were received from people needing medical help, said Mark Economou, public information manager for the Boca Raton Police Services Department.
Lake Boca falls under state jurisdiction, and the city does not sponsor or endorse Boca Bash.
An FWC spokeswoman did not have a crowd size estimate as of May 2, but last year’s event drew between 7,000 and 9,000 people.
Prior to this year’s bash, the FWC warned that its officers and Boca Raton’s would conduct heightened enforcement targeting anyone boating under the influence. Twenty percent of fatal boating accidents are related to alcohol or drug use, the agency said.
The city closed Wildflower Park, partially closed Spanish River Park and allowed no pedestrian access to Silver Palm Park during Boca Bash. The closures at Wildflower and Silver Palm were to avoid crowds gathering to try to hitch rides on boats, Economou said. All three parks serve as staging areas for fire rescue and law enforcement.
— Mary Hladky
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