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 awareness on the beautiful waters we get to call dwelling," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown Marina.

Two individuals 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 so they continued popping away with no care on this planet," 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 stories

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night time 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 atmosphere.

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

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

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

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We adorned the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are by no means accountable for removing balloon decorations," the assertion learn in part.

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

"I used to be pretty upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be here when they were setting them up and then initially I did not really think much of it but I suppose as the day was done and they began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys serious, is that this one thing you're going to do right now?' [They] type of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna stated. "It was horrifying to see what they were 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 mentioned balloons will be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal harm, hunger, and demise.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.