Four people in Alabama were killed after engaging in a risky social media trend involving leaping off moving boats and into the water, according to officials.
This challenge, which has videos circulating on TikTok since 2020, involves jumping from the rear of a moving boat, and into it’s wake. It has recently seen a surge in popularity as more people take to the waterways during the summer.
Sea Tow Foundation’s Executive Director, Gail Kulp, has issued a stern warning regarding this risky endeavor, explaining that “hitting the water from a moving boat is like hitting concrete from jumping multiple stories up.”
Captain Jim Dennis from the Childersburg Rescue Squad shared details of the fatalities, stating that the victims broke their necks upon jumping, which caused instant death. In response to the tragedy, he cautioned about the potential dangers, such as running into a boat propeller or getting hit by another boat.
In light of the rising number of injuries and fatalities linked to these challenges, TikTok, where the trend is prevalent, has added warnings to certain videos. The social media platform emphasized that participating in this activity could result in serious harm. Despite TikTok’s insistence that it’s incorrect to label this a ‘TikTok challenge,’ the platform did acknowledge the inherent dangers and consequences associated with it.
Safety experts have stressed that life jackets are insufficient in preventing serious injuries or fatalities during such stunts. They firmly advise that the safest option is to refrain from partaking in the challenge.
The social media giant TikTok, which is owned by the Beijing-based firm ByteDance Ltd, has over 150 million users in the United States. Despite numerous reports of dangerous activities on its platform, the company maintains a liability clause in its terms of service. It also encourages users to consider the potential risks before engaging in any such risky behavior.
