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

A person 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 close to a Coconut Grove marina on Tuesday.

The video posted by MMG Outboard Division, a gaggle who says they "pride ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the beautiful waters we get to call home," 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 have been ignored they usually 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 experiences

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

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

“As a community, we share the duty to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a statement. "I am extraordinarily pleased with 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 may 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 coronary heart out and say how vital it is to guard the environment," he stated.

Cloud 9, an event planning company, also deflected accountability in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor adorned the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We are by no means in control of removing balloon decorations," the assertion learn partly.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I used to be right here once they had been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually suppose much of it but I guess 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 may have been a part of a wedding proposal. Bruna stated he confronted the folks.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is that this one thing you're going to do proper now?' [They] kind of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "It was horrifying to see what they have been doing to the marine life and the waterways by just dumping all of those balloons into the water."

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said balloons could be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal damage, hunger, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.