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 gaggle who says they "pleasure ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the attractive 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 handed them and expressed our disagreement, we have been ignored they usually 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 people on a ship popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola experiences

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

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

“As a community, we share the accountability to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in an announcement. "I'm extraordinarily proud of 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 stories, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I want to put my coronary heart out and say how necessary it's to guard our environment," he mentioned.

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

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We embellished the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we always do. We're by no means in charge of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion learn partially.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I was right here after they have been setting them up after which initially I didn't really suppose much of it however I assume because the day was accomplished and so they started popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys severe, is that this something you are going to do proper now?' [They] kind of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "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 Commission stated balloons could be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal damage, hunger, and death.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.