According to Alabama officials, at least four people, including a father, have recently passed away as a result of giving in to the latest Deadly TikTok Trend.
According to Cpt. Jim Dennis of the Childersburg Rescue Squad, the thrill-seekers jumped or flipped off the backs of fast boats, only to break their necks on the wake and die off.
“Last six months we have had four drownings that were easily avoidable. They were doing a TikTok challenge. It’s where you get in a boat going at a high rate of speed, you jump off the side of the boat, don’t dive, you’re jumping off feet first and you just kinda lean into the water,” Dennis told WBMA.
The trend — dubbed boat jumping — The trend, known as boat jumping, has been a problem for first responders for the past two years, according to the commander, but has especially picked up since the beginning of the year.
In February, the first victim was found dead after having fallen into the Coosa River while his wife and their children watched from inside the boat.
“Unfortunately, she recorded his death,” Dennis said.
Despite the horrible result, three additional people rejected rescuers’ warnings and met the same fate.
If you search “#boatjumping” or any variation of the two terms on TikTok, you’ll see a steady stream of daredevils recording their potential close calls called “instant death.”
