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 bunch who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the beautiful waters we get to call 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 had been ignored they usually continued popping away with no care in the world," the group posted in their message.

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

Miami-Dade Police stated Wednesday night that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a community, we share the duty to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a statement. "I'm extraordinarily pleased with our Illegal Dumping Unit, for his or her 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 accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I wish to put my heart out and say how vital it is to protect the environment," he mentioned.

Cloud 9, an event planning firm, also deflected responsibility 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 always do. We're by no means in command of eradicating balloon decorations," the statement learn partly.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be here after they had been setting them up after which initially I did not actually suppose a lot of it but I assume because the day was done and so they began popping away and letting them all go into the water I used to be shocked."

One witness said the balloons may have been a part of a wedding proposal. Bruna stated he confronted the folks.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys serious, is that this one thing you're going to do right 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 just dumping all of these balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee stated balloons can be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inside injury, starvation, and dying.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.