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

A person 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 group who says they "satisfaction ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the beautiful 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 handed them and expressed our disagreement, we were ignored and they continued popping away with no care on this planet," the group posted in 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 reports

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night 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 atmosphere.

“As a neighborhood, we share the accountability to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez mentioned in an announcement. "I'm 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 could suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, saying he was not responsible for the balloon popping.

"First off, I wish to put my coronary heart out and say how essential it is to guard our environment," he mentioned.

Cloud Nine, an event planning firm, additionally deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We adorned the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are never answerable for removing balloon decorations," the statement learn in part.

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

"I was pretty upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I was right here after they have been setting them up after which initially I did not actually assume much of it however I assume because the day was performed and so they started popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys serious, is that this one thing you're going to do proper now?' [They] form of just 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 just dumping all of those balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee said balloons will be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to inside harm, hunger, and dying.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.