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

A person has been arrested after cellphone video captured what appeared 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 bunch who says they "pleasure ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the gorgeous waters we get to call dwelling," was shot just 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 have been ignored and 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 people on a boat popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola reports

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

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

“As a community, we share the responsibility to guard the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in an announcement. "I am extremely 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 may suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not responsible for the balloon popping.

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

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

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are never in charge of removing balloon decorations," the assertion learn partially.

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

"I was pretty upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I was here once they had been setting them up after which initially I did not really think much of it however I assume as the day was completed and they began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is this something you are going to do proper now?' [They] kind 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 just dumping all of those balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee mentioned balloons can be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal harm, starvation, and death.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.