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

A person 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 "pride ourselves on protecting and spreading consciousness on the attractive waters we get to call home," was shot just after 4 p.m. at Bayshore Landing Marina.

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

"As we passed them and expressed our disagreement, we had been ignored they usually continued popping away with no care on the earth," the group posted of their message.

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

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 surroundings.

“As a community, we share the responsibility to protect our environment," Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez mentioned in a press release. "I am extraordinarily proud of 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 suggest 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 said.

Cloud Nine, an event planning firm, additionally deflected accountability 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 always do. We are never in control of removing balloon decorations," the assertion read in part.

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

"I was fairly upset about it, this is our bay, that is our livelihood," Bruna said. "I used to be right here after they have been setting them up and then initially I didn't actually think a lot of it but I assume as the day was performed and so they started popping away and letting all of them go into the water I was shocked."

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

"I discussed to them,' are you guys serious, is that this one thing you're going to do proper now?' [They] kind of simply 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 those balloons into the water."

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated balloons could be mistaken for food by sea turtles and other marine animals, and if eaten, can result in internal harm, starvation, and death.

Balloon releases have been illegal in Florida since 1989.