MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - While hundreds of spring breakers on Miami Beach were having a good time enjoying the music, a man from out of town spent his time cleaning up after everybody.

Nineteen-year-old Joshua Caraway was spotted by 7’s Joel Franco picking up trash on the busy beach, Saturday afternoon.

In total, Franco observed the Atlanta, Georgia resident quickly filling up at least three trash bags.

“We need to keep the beach clean,” said Caraway. “Even though I’m on vacation, I still can help out.”

Caraway came to South Florida with friends, but he said he was unable to convince them to join him in his cleanup mission.

“I asked my friends if they were going to do it with me, and they were like, ‘Clean up the trash? No, I’m not with that,'” he said.

The act of kindness didn’t go unnoticed by Miami Beach Police.

MBPD Major Paul Acosta went over to Joshua to thank him for his efforts.

“He said thank you and wanted to take me to the police station to give me a certificate or something, but I had to leave the next morning,” said Caraway.

Acosta later took to social media to share the good deed.

“So I told Joshua, you’ve been picking up trash for a long time instead of hanging out and listening to music,” Acosta wrote on Twitter.  “I asked why. He says, he loves animals and wants to take care of their home and ours.”

Caraway wasn’t alone that afternoon.

Just a little over an hour later, a small group arrived to pick up trash.

It did not take long for the photos of Caraway to go viral. The original post garnered nearly 3,000 likes and was seen more than 220,000 times.

Over on Instagram, animal specialist Mike Holston a.k.a. “Tarzann” shared the photo with his five million followers – a dream come true for Caraway.

“I was looking at Twitter, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow,'” said Caraway. “I was shocked that it was going somewhere, and I was like, ‘That is so cool.'”

Users on social media responded to the kind act with positive messages, even saying that he is welcome back in the 305 anytime.

Caraway has since returned to Atlanta, but he said he has no intention of hanging up is trash bag.

“I just love the environment and to clean up the earth,” he said.

He said he wants to be an animal specialist when he finishes school and plans to continue working to save the environment.

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