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 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 bunch who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to call house," was shot just after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing Marina.

Two people onboard the boat are seen popping balloons and letting them fall into the water.

"As we passed them and expressed our disagreement, we were 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 individuals on a boat popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola studies

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night 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 surroundings.

“As a neighborhood, we share the responsibility to guard our surroundings," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in an announcement. "I am extraordinarily pleased with 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 may 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 heart out and say how necessary it is to guard the environment," he stated.

Cloud 9, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected duty in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We embellished 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 in part.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I was here after they have been setting them up and then initially I didn't really think much of it but I guess because the day was carried out and they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys severe, is this one thing you are going to do proper now?' [They] sort of simply 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 simply dumping all of those balloons into the water."

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said balloons could be mistaken for food by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inner harm, hunger, and death.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.