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

A man has been arrested after cellphone video captured what gave the impression to be several 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 just 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 were ignored and they continued popping away with no care on the earth," the group posted in 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 studies

Miami-Dade Police mentioned Wednesday evening 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 setting.

“As a neighborhood, we share the duty to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in an announcement. "I'm extraordinarily happy 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 may propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I need to put my heart out and say how vital it's to guard the environment," he stated.

Cloud Nine, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We decorated the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We're by no means in charge of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion read 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 were setting them up and then initially I didn't actually assume much of it however I assume as the day was executed they usually began popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys serious, is that this something you are going to do proper now?' [They] kind of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna stated. "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 lead to internal injury, starvation, and demise.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.