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

A man 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 "delight ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the gorgeous waters we get to name dwelling," 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 passed them and expressed our disagreement, we have been 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 stated Wednesday night that they arrested one man and handed out 9 civil citations.

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

“As a group, we share the responsibility to guard our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez said in a press release. "I'm extremely proud of our Unlawful Dumping Unit, for their 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 necessary it's to protect our surroundings," he said.

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

"Our balloon vendor adorned the boat and left. We embellished the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we at all times do. We're by no means in command of removing balloon decorations," the assertion read partly.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, that is our bay, this is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I was here when they have been setting them up after which initially I did not actually think much of it but I suppose as the day was executed 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 wedding proposal. Bruna mentioned he confronted the people.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys severe, is that this one thing you are going to do right now?' [They] sort of simply 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 these balloons into the water."

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

Balloon releases have been unlawful in Florida since 1989.