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 "pleasure ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the attractive waters we get to call house," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown 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 they usually continued popping away with no care on the earth," the group posted of 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 time that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a community, we share the duty to guard the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in an announcement. "I am extremely proud of 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 could propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram tales, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I wish to put my heart out and say how essential it's to guard the environment," he said.

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

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We adorned the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we always do. We're 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 said. "I used to be here when they have been setting them up after which initially I didn't actually assume a lot of it but I guess because the day was finished and they began popping away and letting them all go into the water I used to be shocked."

One witness stated the balloons may have been a part of a marriage proposal. Bruna stated he confronted the people.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is that 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."

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated balloons may be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal injury, starvation, and dying.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.