NASBLA Roundtable

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  • 1.  SAFETY ALERT: First responders warn against deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings

    Posted 07-05-2023 03:46 PM
    SAFETY ALERT: First responders warn against deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings
    A deadly trend is surfacing across Alabama's waterways and its killing people of all ages. 

    "Over the 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," said Cpt. Jim Dennis with the Childersburg Rescue Squad.

    He said when people hit the water after jumping their necks break. Cpt. Dennis said in all four cases they have responded to, the victims were men, including a father. Cpt. Dennis fears this deadly trend will only grow over the summer.

    Cpt. Dennis said one incident was in February. The victim was a father with his three children, wife, and other loved ones in the boat. The most recent incident involved a middle-aged man in May. He's urging people to not do it and asking loved ones to protect their family and friends from jumping. 



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    Taylor Matsko, Communications & Marketing Director
    NASBLA | (859) 225-9487
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  • 2.  RE: SAFETY ALERT: First responders warn against deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings

    Posted 07-11-2023 07:06 PM
    Agreed that this is a stupid stunt. The fact that a charter company uses them to promote their business is insane. 

    But the good captain appears to  have walked back his statements. See the article in the New York Post. 




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: SAFETY ALERT: First responders warn against deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings

    Posted 07-12-2023 12:20 PM

    Statement sent out to news media from our agency:

    On Monday, July 3, a news story was shared regarding "first responders warning against a deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings" in Alabama. However, please be advised the information released to the news outlet was incorrect. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division does not have any record(s) of boating or marine-related fatalities in Alabama that can be directly linked to TikTok or a trend on TikTok. One individual was fatality injured after jumping from a moving vessel in 2020 and a similar marine-related fatality occurred in 2021, however, both fatalities cannot be linked to TikTok.



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    Matt Brooks
    Deputy Chief
    AL Marine Patrol
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    Original Message