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

A man has been arrested after cellphone video captured what appeared 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 "satisfaction ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to call home," was shot just 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 were ignored they usually continued popping away with no care on the planet," 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 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 community, we share the duty to guard our surroundings," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a press release. "I am extraordinarily happy with our Unlawful 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 chargeable for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud Nine, an occasion planning company, 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're never answerable for removing balloon decorations," the assertion read partially.

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

"I used to be pretty upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I was here after they have been setting them up and then initially I did not really think much of it but I guess as the day was completed and so they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys severe, is that this one thing you're going to do right now?' [They] sort of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna mentioned. "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."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said balloons will be mistaken for food by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner injury, hunger, and dying.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.