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 close to a Coconut Grove marina on Tuesday.

The video posted by MMG Outboard Division, a bunch who says they "delight ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the attractive waters we get to name home," was shot simply 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 had been ignored and so 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 people on a ship popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola experiences

Miami-Dade Police mentioned Wednesday evening 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 surroundings.

“As a group, we share the accountability to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a press release. "I'm extraordinarily proud of 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 may propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not liable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I need to put my heart out and say how important it's to guard the environment," he mentioned.

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

"Our balloon vendor adorned 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 command of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion read partially.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I was here once they have been setting them up and then initially I did not really assume a lot of it however I suppose because the day was carried out they usually began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is that this one thing you're going to do right now?' [They] type of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "It was horrifying to see what they were 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 Fee said balloons may be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inner harm, starvation, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.