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 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 "delight ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the attractive waters we get to call house," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing Marina.

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

"As we handed them and expressed our disagreement, we had been ignored and so they continued popping away with no care on the earth," the group posted of their message.

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

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

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

“As a group, we share the accountability to guard the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a press release. "I am 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 might suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I wish to put my heart out and say how necessary it is to guard the environment," he said.

Cloud 9, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected duty in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We embellished the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We are never accountable for eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion learn partly.

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

"I was pretty upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I was here once they have been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually assume a lot of it however I assume as the day was finished and they began popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

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

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission mentioned balloons will be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inside damage, hunger, and demise.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.