Police Presence Intensifies at Vibrant Boca Bash Floating Festival

Thousands of party-goers, many clad in bikinis, were met with a heightened presence of law enforcement as they enjoyed the sun and festivities during the infamous Boca Bash weekend.

This lively gathering, held every year on the last Sunday of April, is a no-cost event that takes place on Lake Boca Raton, nestled along Florida’s southeastern coastline.

Attracting a large crowd of spirited attendees, this year’s Boca Bash was marked by a noticeable increase in law enforcement along the shoreline, a response to previous years’ events that resulted in multiple arrests.

“I have to say, this year there’s definitely a strong law enforcement presence,” shared CJ Thomas, a local who frequently attends the event, with WPEC. “They really clamped down on access to boat ramps. All local ramps from Delray to Fort Lauderdale are closed.”

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Another local, Taylor Thomas, also mentioned to the outlet that undercover officers were present at the event.

The City of Boca Raton has no official involvement regarding the sanctioning of the party, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

However, officials work closely with community partners, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), “on public safety, coordination with partner agencies, and providing the appropriate level of enforcement and response to help protect the community,” a city spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

The Boca Raton Police Department confirmed that one individual was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence.

Additionally, preliminary information indicates FWC officers made three arrests over the weekend, two for boating under the influence and one for battery, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. Authorities also responded to six boating collisions that did not result in any serious injuries. 

Revelers gather for the annual Boca Bash on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boca Raton, Fla. Hundreds of party-goers floated on the lakes in boats, kayaks and paddle boards. (Romain Maurice/Fox News Digital)

The move comes after the spring-break-reminiscent event has been marred by tragedy and lawlessness in previous years.

In 2018, 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned while enjoying festivities on the water. 

At the time of his death, his friend, Strogoff Prevot, told WPTV that Roselin had fallen behind when their group swam to a sandbar. Law enforcement and Roselin’s friends frantically searched for the missing swimmer, but rescue attempts by Ocean Rescue and the Coast Guard were unsuccessful. 

Roselin’s body was later discovered by a swimmer at the bottom of the Intracoastal Waterway, with the Boca Raton Police Department determining he died by drowning.

Roselin’s girlfriend, Tamekia Rich, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Boca Raton, alleging officials had acted negligently by failing to provide adequate supervision of the water and failing to control the crowd. 

However, the city rebutted the allegations, saying that Boca Bash was an unsanctioned event and therefore not hosted by officials.

Six years later, in 2024, drone video capturing two teenagers hurling two trash cans filled with bottles and other waste over the side of their fishing boat in footage that went viral, leading to outrage both online and within the community. 

Video showed the two teens, 15 and 16, speeding away from the event as a trail of garbage was left in their wake.

The Boca Bash’s Facebook page condemned the incident, writing they were “angered and disturbed by these actions.” 

WATCH: Boca Bash revelers caught dumping trash in the water

“Once the video was posted, we quickly got to work with the community to discover who the owner of the boat was and who was on the vessel in this particular instance committing an egregious act,” they wrote.

The pair of teens ultimately turned themselves in to police and faced third-degree felony charges for causing pollution “so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant or aquatic life or property,” the Miami Herald reported.

In a statement to the Palm Beach Post, one of the boy’s parents issued a statement through a spokesperson apologizing for their son’s actions.

“We take responsibility for caring for our oceans and our community very seriously, and we are extremely saddened by what occurred last weekend at Boca Bash,” the family wrote. “We want to extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who has been impacted and rightfully upset by what occurred.”