Arrest Made in Balloon Littering Investigation at Coconut Grove Marina – NBC 6 South Florida

A person has been arrested after cellphone video captured what seemed to be several boaters popping balloons and letting the trash fall into the water close to a Coconut Grove marina on Tuesday.

The video posted by MMG Outboard Division, a group who says they "delight ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to call home," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown Marina.

Two folks onboard the boat are seen popping balloons and letting them fall into the water.

"As we passed them and expressed our disagreement, we have been ignored and so they continued popping away with no care on this planet," the group posted in their message.

Miami-Dade police have made an arrest after cellphone video surfaced of individuals on a ship popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola reports

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night that they arrested one man and handed out nine civil citations.

The man was recognized as 29-year-old David Torres-Bocanegra. He was charged with reckless disregard for the surroundings.

“As a community, we share the duty to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a statement. "I'm extraordinarily pleased with our Illegal Dumping Unit, for their thorough investigation and swift conclusion to this case."

David Torres-Bocanegra

Tom Rivas, who rented the boat so he could suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not chargeable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I need to put my heart out and say how important it is to protect our environment," he mentioned.

Cloud 9, an occasion planning company, also deflected responsibility in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We are never in command of eradicating balloon decorations," the statement learn in part.

Esteban Bruna, a yacht dealer, shot the cellphone video.

"I was pretty upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I was here after they were setting them up and then initially I didn't actually think a lot of it however I suppose because the day was completed and so they started popping away and letting all of them go into the water I was shocked."

One witness mentioned the balloons might have been part of a marriage proposal. Bruna said he confronted the individuals.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys severe, is that this one thing you're going to do proper now?' [They] type of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna mentioned. "It was horrifying to see what they have been doing to the marine life and the waterways by simply dumping all of these balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee said balloons can be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inside damage, starvation, and demise.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.