# Florida: 5 Teens Mock, Don't Help Drowning Man **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811 "2017-07-21T17:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/41 "2017-07-21T22:18:13Z")
Well, if most governments can force people to act in certain ways by, say, penalizing them for playing ‘Chicken’ across a crowded motorway, then coercing people into calling for help to assist people drowning doesn’t seem _that_ much of an overreach of tyrannical power. Failure to provide assistance is a legal crime in Germany. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/42 "2017-07-21T22:23:27Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Well, if most governments can force people to act in certain ways by, say, penalizing them for playing ‘Chicken’ across a crowded motorway, then coercing people into calling for help to assist people drowning doesn’t seem _that_ much of an overreach of tyrannical power. > **Failure to provide assistance is a legal crime in Germany**. What are the quantifications for this law? I’m not dashing into a burning building to save people inside when it’s clear I may die as a result, for instance. I would certainly call 911, and I would go inside said building before such a fire became a raging inferno, but there’s got to be limitations on such a law. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/43 "2017-07-21T22:31:29Z")
Yeah I can understand not necessarily being willing to get in the water to save a drowning person, I’d be worried about them pulling me down with them and both of us drowning. So I wouldn’t support a law requiring someone to risk their own life and limb. But yeah that was some pretty sociopathic behavior, they could have at least called the police. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/44 "2017-07-21T22:32:22Z")
I must be getting old and soft, because not only do I have no desire whatsoever to watch that, just reading about the incident makes me want to grab the nearest bottle of strong stuff and watch cute kitten videos until I black out. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/45 "2017-07-21T22:40:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What would the proof be? The victim could be saying he saw you there and you did nothing when you didn’t even know. Do you really want to have to prove you didn’t know something? I’m not arguing anyone would be morally right not to assist in any way they could, I’m just against making a law requiring it. Well, proof could be a youtube video… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/46 "2017-07-21T22:42:01Z")
[Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6DW4i-mfbA) you go. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/47 "2017-07-21T23:07:42Z")
It looks like now the teens may face charges. Pretty unique use of a law, I must say. > **[Chief to recommend charges against Florida teens who recorded drowning | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/21/us/florida-teens-drowning-man/index.html)** > > A Florida police chief said he will recommend criminal charges be filed against five teenagers who who taunted a drowning man while filming his death from afar. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/48 "2017-07-21T23:08:46Z")
“Cocoa Police Chief Michael Cantaloupe”? Really? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/49 "2017-07-21T23:16:08Z")
That is one of the most disturbing pieces of video that I have ever seen. I worked in TV news for many years and I saw plenty of disturbing things–both in person and over satellite links. I was just watching the ESPN documentary “O.J.: Made in America” last night. There were uncensored crime scene photographs of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Some were close-ups of their slashed necks. in one case you could see Nicole’s severed windpipe through the horrible gash in her neck. I had never seen these before and they were gruesome. I looked at them several times and then thought to myself, “Am I awful for viewing these?” But this video of horrible, evil, monsters laughing at and making fun of a man as he is drowning is beyond the pale. It is incomprehensible to me that humans could behave like that unless _maybe_ they were WWII extermination camp internees watching one of their monstrous SS prison guards drowning, and even then it’d be a little chilling. I can imagine legitimate (if not disconcerting) reasons why they might not have personally gone in the water to try to save the man. That can be dangerous. But the idea that they didn’t call for help, didn’t try to comfort or reassure him, and most of all, actively ridiculed him is… I haven’t the words. May they rot in hell. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/50 "2017-07-21T23:24:00Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > What are the quantifications for this law? I’m not dashing into a burning building to save people inside when it’s clear I may die as a result, for instance. I would certainly call 911, and I would go inside said building before such a fire became a raging inferno, but there’s got to be limitations on such a law. **Germany** \*\*In Germany, unterlassene Hilfeleistung (failure to provide assistance) is a crime under section 323(c)[35] of the German Criminal Code: any citizen is obligated to provide assistance in case of an accident or general danger if necessary, and is normally immune from prosecution if assistance given in good faith and following the reasonable man’s (aka ordinary prudent man’s) understanding of required measures turns out to be harmful.[36][37] Also, the rescuer or responder may not be held liable if the action he should take in order to help is unacceptable for him and he is unable to act (for example when unable to act at the sight of blood). In Germany, knowledge of basic emergency measures and first aid and CPR certification is a prerequisite for the granting of a driving license. \*\* **[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_to_rescue)** Duty To Rescue ( all nations ] \*\*Germany \*\* \*In Germany, failure to provide first aid to a person in need is punishable under § 323c of its criminal penal code. However, any help one provides cannot and will not be prosecuted even if it made the situation worse or did not fulfill specific first aid criteria. People are thus encouraged to help in any way possible, even if the attempt is not successful. Moreover, people providing first aid are covered by the German Statutory Accident Insurance in case they suffer injury, losses, or damages. \* **[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law)** — Good Samaritan Law ( all nations ) None of these require self-endangerment; but deliberately failing to seek help for someone, or laughing and pointing at them, would make the police cross. OK, they’re not gonna shoot you as in some places, but they will be unsympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/51 "2017-07-21T23:57:47Z")
Would they have to prove the lack of inaction is what caused the death? Because if those kids had called 911 I doubt it would have made a difference in time. I’m not watching the video. I want to believe they didn’t truly understand how serious the situation was, and were so high they thought he was just messing around, but it sounds like at least one of them failed to show remorse even after the man’s death was confirmed. Nobody want to believe people like this exist. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/52 "2017-07-22T00:06:46Z")
I don’t know, I’m sure German lawyers have a good idea; however, ethically the result, good or bad, is irrelevant to correct action. One should still do that which is right. In this case, even if I knew on my very best guesswork that calling would be futile, it would still be necessary to call. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/53 "2017-07-22T00:12:02Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Would they have to prove the lack of inaction is what caused the death? > > Because if those kids had called 911 I doubt it would have made a difference in time. > > I’m not watching the video. I want to believe they didn’t truly understand how serious the situation was, and were so high they thought he was just messing around, but it sounds like at least one of them failed to show remorse even after the man’s death was confirmed. Nobody want to believe people like this exist. I watched it, and as I posted, it’s one of the most troubling videos I’ve ever watched. Chances are that first responders wouldn’t have arrived on time to save this man, but for the sake of humanity you need to at least make that phone call. They knew full-well that he was drowning, and didn’t care. None of them showed any remorse or seemed to even care. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/54 "2017-07-22T00:21:06Z")
Apologies: I thought that the drowning victim in this case was a white guy. Not that it matters one iota vis a vis the behavior of the teens. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/55 "2017-07-22T00:35:58Z")
Yeah, I’m not watching the video. And I only read the headline, not the story, on my newsfeed. And I waited quite a while before I could open this thread. I don’t care about the social shaming they’ll be subject to, or the scorn of their community or family, or if they go to jail or go free. They are young and will go their entire lives knowing they did this horrific thing. I don’t think anything anyone can do _to_ them is going to compare to that life sentence. And it won’t be just them either. They all have families, parents, siblings, cousins, schoolmates, who will all feel it too. My heart just breaks that this exists anywhere in the world. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/56 "2017-07-22T00:43:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I watched it, and as I posted, it’s one of the most troubling videos I’ve ever watched. Yes. As I said before, for me it is also one of the most disturbing things I have ever watched. There is only one video that I’ve ever seen that was worse. It was the first available video (to me at a network news outlet, anyway) of an Islamist beheading. It was Nick Berg having his head hacked off by the bastard motherfucker Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. After that I knew never to look at something like that again if I didn’t have to for work. This video of the drowning was nearly as bad, albeit in a different way. What they have in common is in both the audio was far more disturbing to me than the video. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/57 "2017-07-22T00:58:00Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Yes. As I said before, for me it is also one of the most disturbing things I have ever watched. There is only one video that I’ve ever seen that was worse. It was the first available video (to me at a network news outlet, anyway) of an Islamist beheading. It was Nick Berg having his head hacked off by the bastard motherfucker Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. After that I knew never to look at something like that again if I didn’t have to for work. > > This video of the drowning was nearly as bad, albeit in a different way. What they have in common is in both the audio was far more disturbing to me than the video. I saw links to the Berg video, and the Pearl one too, I believe, but there’s no way I could click on them. I don’t know why I watched this, but I wish I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/58 "2017-07-22T01:59:42Z")
Can we at least force them to be the subjects of a Phil Collins song? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/59 "2017-07-22T02:06:01Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Can we at least force them to be the subjects of a Phil Collins song? :D:D:D Good one! ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811/60 "2017-07-22T02:09:19Z")
Leave it to Ann “Woe is Me, a Persecuted White Woman” Cunter to turn a tragedy into a racial issue: > 1. They haven’t been charged with a crime? 2. They might be minors? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-5-teens-mock-dont-help-drowning-man/791811.md?page=4)