A heartwarming moment came from a video that went viral two weeks ago , showing a Seminole Gulf Railway police officer breaking the fishing rod of two boys caught trespassing on railroad tracks near Russell Park in Tice.
The video sparked a lot of conversation online, and after seeing it, William Dunn, the owner of the Tampa-based nonprofit Take-A-Kid Fishing, decided to help.
Dunn previously told Gulf Coast News he would donate new fishing gear, and he kept that promise by driving from Tampa to Tice to meet the boys on Sunday.
“I saw the video and knew I had to do something,” he said. He gave them rods, lures, and hats, and loads of equipment. The boys were excited to get back to fishing. “I’m not going to go back to the train tracks. I don’t want my new rod to get broken,” said Sebastian Jimenez, one of the boys.
The video, which has been viewed over 30,000 times, shows the boys being removed from the tracks for trespassing and their fishing rod being broken.
While Dunn doesn’t condone fishing on the tracks, he felt the officer’s actions were unnecessary. “It’s dangerous, but they didn’t deserve to have their gear destroyed,” Dunn said.
Dunn, who grew up fishing, said helping the boys was personal for him. “It touches my heart to see their faces light up,” he shared. The boys were thrilled to try out their new rods. “We’re excited to go fishing again with our new gear,” said Josue Miguel.
The boys also said they learned their lesson and won’t be fishing on railroad tracks again. They plan to head to Tampa soon to use their new gear to fish with Dunn and others from Take-A-Kid Fishing. Dunn says this is a reminder of how simple acts of kindness can make a big difference.
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