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 gaggle who says they "pleasure ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to name dwelling," 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 passed them and expressed our disagreement, we were ignored and so they 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 experiences

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

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

“As a community, we share the accountability 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 their 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 stories, saying he was not answerable for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud 9, an event planning company, also deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we always do. We are by no means in charge of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion read in part.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I was here when they have been setting them up and then initially I did not really assume much of it however I guess as the day was achieved and they began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys serious, is this one thing you're going to do proper now?' [They] sort of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna stated. "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."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission mentioned balloons may be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal harm, starvation, and death.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.