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 several 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 bunch who says they "satisfaction ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the attractive 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 passed them and expressed our disagreement, we have been ignored and so they 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 ship popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola stories

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

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

“As a community, we share the duty to protect our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a press release. "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 stories, saying he was not answerable for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud 9, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected duty in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor adorned the boat and left. We embellished the pier, completed the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are by no means accountable for removing balloon decorations," the assertion read partially.

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

"I was pretty upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be right here once they have been setting them up after which initially I didn't really assume much of it however I guess as the day was accomplished and so they began popping away and letting them all go into the water I was shocked."

One witness said 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 this one thing you are going to do proper now?' [They] kind of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "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."

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee said balloons can be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inside damage, starvation, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.