Dangerous TikTok trends claim 4 lives in 6 months in Alabama: officialsBy Katherine Donlevy
July 8, 2023
At least four people — including a father — have died in recent months for giving in to a new and deadly TikTok trend, Alabama authorities said.
The thrill-seekers jumped or flipped off the backs of speeding boats, only to break their necks on the wake and drown, according to Cpt. Jim Dennis of the Childersburg Rescue Squad.
“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 — has been an issue for first responders over the last two years, the captain said, but has especially picked up since the beginning of the year.
The first victim died in February after plunging into the Coosa River while his wife and their children watched from inside the boat.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/08/boatjumping-tiktok-trends-claim-4-lives-in-6-months-in-alabama/