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

A person 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 group who says they "delight ourselves on defending and spreading consciousness on the beautiful waters we get to name dwelling," was shot just after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Touchdown 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 boat popping balloons into the ocean. NBC 6's Jamie Guirola studies

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 setting.

“As a group, we share the duty to guard the environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez stated in an announcement. "I am extremely pleased with our Illegal 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 tales, saying he was not chargeable for the balloon popping.

"First off, I wish to put my heart out and say how necessary it's to protect our surroundings," he stated.

Cloud Nine, an event planning company, also deflected accountability in a statement on Instagram.

"Our balloon vendor decorated the boat and left. We decorated the pier, finished the proposal, and cleaned up like we always do. We're by no means answerable for eradicating balloon decorations," the statement read partly.

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 said. "I used to be here when they had been setting them up and then initially I didn't really suppose much of it however I assume as the day was executed and so they started 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 marriage proposal. Bruna stated he confronted the folks.

"I mentioned to them,' are you guys critical, is that this one thing you're going to do right now?' [They] sort of just blew me off, ignored me," Bruna said. "It was horrifying to see what they were 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 stated balloons might be mistaken for meals by sea turtles and different marine animals, and if eaten, can result in inner injury, starvation, and loss of life.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.