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

A man has been arrested after cellphone video captured what seemed to be a number of 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 gaggle who says they "pride ourselves on protecting and spreading awareness on the attractive waters we get to call home," was shot just after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing 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 and they continued popping away with no care on this planet," the group posted in their message.

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

Miami-Dade Police said Wednesday night 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 surroundings.

“As a group, we share the accountability to protect our surroundings," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a statement. "I am extraordinarily proud of 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 may propose to his girlfriend, responded to the criticisms on his Instagram stories, saying he was not responsible for the balloon popping.

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

Cloud 9, an occasion planning company, also deflected responsibility in an announcement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor embellished the boat and left. We adorned the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we always do. We're by no means in control of eradicating balloon decorations," the assertion learn partly.

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

"I used to be fairly upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna stated. "I was right here when they had been setting them up after which initially I did not really assume a lot of it however I suppose as the day was carried out they usually started popping away and letting all of them go into the water I used to be shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys severe, is that this something you are going to do right now?' [They] kind of simply blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "It was horrifying to see what they were 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 Commission stated balloons may be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner damage, starvation, and demise.

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.