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

A man has been arrested after cellphone video captured what appeared 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 consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to name dwelling," was shot simply after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown Marina.

Two individuals onboard the boat are seen popping balloons and letting them fall into the water.

"As we handed them and expressed our disagreement, we have been ignored they usually continued popping away with no care in the world," the group posted of their message.

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

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

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

“As a group, we share the responsibility to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in a press release. "I am extremely happy with our Illegal Dumping Unit, for their 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 tales, saying he was not chargeable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I want to put my heart out and say how vital it is to protect the environment," he stated.

Cloud 9, an occasion planning firm, additionally deflected responsibility in a press release on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We embellished the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we all the time do. We're by no means in charge of eradicating balloon decorations," the statement read in part.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, this is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna mentioned. "I was right here once they were setting them up after which initially I didn't actually think a lot of it but I suppose because the day was accomplished and they began popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

One witness said the balloons may have been a part of a wedding proposal. Bruna said he confronted the individuals.

"I discussed to them,' are you guys critical, is this one thing you are going to do right 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."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee stated balloons might be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner damage, hunger, and death.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.