4 Killed In Ala. in TikTok Boat Jumping Trend Attempts

At least four people have been killed in recent months while trying a TikTok trend in which people jump or flip off the backs of speeding boats, according to Alabama authorities, the New York Post has reported.

Those who were killed broke their necks on the wake and drowned while attempting the stunt, which has been dubbed boat jumping, according to Captain Jim Dennis of the Childersburg Rescue Squad.

The high rate of speed of the boat, along with the still water, makes for a dangerous landing pad that feels like concrete.

Dennis told WBMA that in 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 kind of lean into the water."

The first such victim was killed in February after jumping off the boat into the Coosa River while his wife and their children watched from inside the boat.

Dennis said that despite the tragic end and subsequent warnings issued to others not to attempt the stunt, three additional people ignored the dangers and were killed in the same way.

A TikTok search for "#boatjumping" or any similar version, brings up a number of thrill-seekers filming the stunt, the New York Post reported.

Dennis told ABC7, "I think people — if they're being filmed on camera — I think they're more likely to do something stupid, because they want to show off in front of their friends for social media."

But a person who did not properly protect the neck and head while performing the stunt could instantly die or become permanently paralyzed.

Dennis is pleading with boaters not to try this latest trend and to urge their loved ones not to attempt it either, saying, "Do not do it. It's not worth your life."

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