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

A person has been arrested after cellphone video captured what gave the impression 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 group who says they "pride ourselves on defending and spreading awareness on the gorgeous waters we get to name house," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing 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 had been ignored and they continued popping away with no care on this planet," 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 mentioned 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 atmosphere.

“As a neighborhood, we share the duty to guard the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a statement. "I'm 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 may suggest to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, saying he was not accountable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I want to put my coronary heart out and say how vital it's to guard our environment," he stated.

Cloud Nine, an event planning firm, also deflected responsibility in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor adorned the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We are by no means accountable for removing balloon decorations," the statement read in part.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I used to be right here after they were setting them up and then initially I didn't actually suppose much of it however I suppose because the day was accomplished and so they started popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys serious, is this something you are going to do proper now?' [They] sort of just 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 may be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can lead to internal damage, starvation, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.