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

A person has been arrested after cellphone video captured what seemed 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 group who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to name house," was shot just after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown 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 had been ignored they usually continued popping away with no care in the world," the group posted of their message.

Miami-Dade police have made an arrest after cellphone video surfaced of individuals on a ship popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola studies

Miami-Dade Police stated Wednesday evening 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 atmosphere.

“As a neighborhood, we share the responsibility to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a press release. "I'm extremely 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 could suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud 9, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected responsibility in a statement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We embellished 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 statement read partially.

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

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

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys serious, is that 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 have been doing to the marine life and the waterways by simply dumping all of these balloons into the water."

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated balloons can be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inside damage, hunger, and dying.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.