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 group who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the gorgeous waters we get to call house," was shot simply 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 had been 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 individuals on a boat popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola reviews

Miami-Dade Police stated Wednesday night 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 neighborhood, we share the accountability to protect our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a statement. "I am extremely 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 might suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not chargeable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I need to put my coronary heart out and say how important it is to protect our surroundings," he stated.

Cloud Nine, an occasion planning company, also deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We adorned the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We're never accountable for removing balloon decorations," the statement read in part.

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

"I used to be pretty upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be here when they had been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually think much of it but I guess as the day was accomplished and so they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys critical, is this one thing you're going to do right 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 just dumping all of those balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said balloons might be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner harm, hunger, and death.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.