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

A man has been arrested after cellphone video captured what gave the impression 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 "delight ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the beautiful waters we get to call dwelling," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown Marina.

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

"As we handed them and expressed our disagreement, we were ignored and they continued popping away with no care on the 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 reviews

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a neighborhood, we share the accountability to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in an announcement. "I'm extraordinarily happy 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 might propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, 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 our surroundings," he stated.

Cloud 9, an occasion planning company, additionally deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor adorned the boat and left. We embellished the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are never answerable for eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion learn partially.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, this is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I was here when they had been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually suppose much of it but I guess as the day was executed and so they began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys severe, is this one thing you are going to do proper now?' [They] form of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna mentioned. "It was horrifying to see what they have 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 stated balloons may be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inside harm, hunger, and dying.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.