Talk about some sick individuals.
According to Oregon Live, federal authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for any information on finding the Columbia River boat captain who was caught on video driving straight through a group of sea lions near Hayden Island in early April.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement says they will pay for information that leads to a “civil penalty or criminal conviction,” as California sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits animal harassment.
As you can see in the footage, a bystander captured the gut-wrenching video of the boater trying to target a group of resting sea lions.
Authorities say the boat is approximately 19-to 20-foot aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Runner with a dark blue stripe on it. It has a soft top with an aluminum Barewest Fish & Wake Tower and a Yamaha outboard motor.
I mean seriously? Who wakes up in the morning and has the sick idea:
“Hey, I think I’m gonna try and run over some sea lions on the water today.”
Just mind your own business as those creatures were minding theirs. It’s that easy, but unfortunately we have a ton of morons out there.
It’s obviously not an accident, as you can visibly see the boat steered right in line with the sea lions.
I hope the authorities are able to locate the culprit, and throw a harsh penalty on top of it.
