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 gaggle who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the attractive waters we get to name dwelling," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing Marina.

Two individuals 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 and so they continued popping away with no care on this planet," the group posted in 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 studies

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night time that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a group, we share the duty to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a statement. "I am extraordinarily proud of 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 might propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not answerable for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud Nine, an event planning company, also deflected responsibility in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We embellished the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We are never accountable for removing balloon decorations," the assertion learn partly.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, this is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I used to be here once they were setting them up after which initially I did not really think a lot of it but I assume as the day was finished and they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is that this something you are going to do right now?' [They] type of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "It was horrifying to see what they had been 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 Fee said balloons can be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner injury, hunger, and dying.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.