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 several 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 group who says they "satisfaction ourselves on protecting and spreading awareness on the gorgeous waters we get to call home," was shot simply 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 on the earth," the group posted in their message.

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

Miami-Dade Police stated 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 setting.

“As a neighborhood, we share the duty to protect the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a press release. "I am extraordinarily happy 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 may propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, saying he was not accountable 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 said.

Cloud 9, an event planning firm, 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 all the time do. We are never answerable for removing balloon decorations," the statement learn in part.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, that is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I was right here once they had been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually assume a lot of it but I assume as the day was achieved they usually began 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 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 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 Fee said balloons will be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to internal damage, hunger, and demise.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.