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

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

The video posted by MMG Outboard Division, a group who says they "pleasure ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the beautiful waters we get to name dwelling," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown Marina.

Two people 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 they usually continued popping away with no care in the world," the group posted of 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 evening that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a neighborhood, we share the responsibility to guard our surroundings," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez mentioned in a press release. "I'm extraordinarily happy with our Unlawful Dumping Unit, for their thorough investigation and swift conclusion to this case."

David Torres-Bocanegra

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

"First off, I want to put my coronary heart out and say how essential it is to protect our environment," he stated.

Cloud Nine, an occasion planning firm, also deflected duty in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We adorned the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We are by no means in command of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion read in part.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be right here once they had been setting them up and then initially I did not actually suppose a lot of it however I suppose because the day was performed and they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys serious, is that this something you're going to do right now?' [They] type of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna stated. "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 stated balloons might be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inner injury, starvation, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.