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‘They Started Popping Away And Letting Them All Go’: Police Make Arrest After Yacht Full Of People Allegedly Dumps Balloons

Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Public-User: WPLG Local 10/@mmgoutboarddivision

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Police arrested one man and issued fines to 10 other individuals after people on board a yacht allegedly popped balloons and dumped them into Biscayne Bay in Florida on Tuesday, Local 10.com reported.

Police arrested David Torres-Bocanegra on Wednesday after the 29-year-old man allegedly disposed of 50 balloons in the water while working on a chartered yacht at the Bayshore Landing Marina in Coconut Grove, Local 10.com reported. Torres-Bocanegra reportedly confessed to disposing of the balloons, according to the outlet. Authorities charged him with reckless disregard for the environment, according to NBC Miami.

In addition, police issued fines for illegal dumping to 10 individuals, including the owner of the yacht, Local 10.com reported. Each fine totaled $2,510.

Tom Rivas, a fitness coach from Miami, chartered the yacht for a marriage proposal, according to Local 10.com. The balloons were reportedly obtained for the proposal through a vendor, according to the outlet. (RELATED: ‘The Poop Piles Up’: Images Show Chinese Ships Putting Human Waste Into South China Sea, Experts Say)

In a statement published to his Instagram story that was obtained by Local 10.com, Rivas reportedly claimed he “had no idea” how the balloons were going to be disposed of and said he would have “certainly objected” if he had known.

“The crew proceeded to remove the balloons from the boat [following the proposal],” Rivas wrote in the statement. “However at the time, we had no idea how they removed them. If I had known that’s the way they were to remove this, I would have certainly objected but we honestly had no idea until we saw the viral videos.”

Esteban Bruna, who shot video of the incident, said the people started “popping away and letting them all go into the water,” according to NBC Miami. Bruna also claimed to have confronted the group about their actions, but they allegedly ignored him.