FACT FOCUS: A story about a deadly TikTok boat-jumping challenge went viral. Then it fell apart

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Because the July 4 vacation approached, an area information report in Alabama warned of a lethal TikTok problem that concerned leaping from a rushing boat.

“Final six months we’ve got had 4 drownings that have been simply avoidable,” Jim Dennis, captain of the Childersburg Rescue Crew, informed the native ABC affiliate station in Birmingham, Alabama, in a narrative that aired July 3. “They have been doing a TikTok problem.”

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Nationwide and worldwide information shops snapped up the report, cautioning in regards to the development. However Alabama’s major public security company says whereas there have been boating fatalities this 12 months, no such deaths have been reported. A spokesperson for TikTok additionally says no boat leaping problem is trending on its platform.

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Right here’s a better have a look at the information.

CLAIM: 4 individuals trying a viral TikTok problem have died leaping from shifting boats in Alabama just lately.

THE FACTS: The Alabama Legislation Enforcement Company, which oversees the state’s public security businesses, tweeted on Monday to dispel the viral rumors.

The company mentioned its Marine Patrol Division had “no information of cruising or marine-related deaths that may very well be straight linked to TikTok or a development on TikTok.”

It famous that one individual was fatally injured after leaping from a shifting boat in 2020 and the same case occurred in 2021, however that neither demise was linked to TikTok.

In a comply with up e-mail to The Related Press, the company supplied particulars about six water-related deaths marine patrol investigated thus far this 12 months. Not one of the incident studies mentions TikTok or any such problem.

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On July 8, for instance, a 79-year-old man drowned after falling off his boat with out a life vest whereas fishing in a single day on a river. A day earlier, a 65-year-old man drowned after he acquired off a pontoon boat to assist a canine in a lake.

The opposite fatalities included a 19-year-old who crashed his jet ski right into a tree in Might and a person who apparently drowned in January after the vessel he was on struck a bridge and capsized.

Folks journal, the New York Put up and plenty of different main shops that originally reported on the TikTok problem deaths have since up to date their tales to incorporate the state’s response.

However social media customers, in English and in Spanish, are nonetheless sharing the claims as correct. Some even embody movies purporting to indicate the victims.

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“Police say not less than 4 individuals have died doing the TikTok boat leaping problem,” wrote one Twitter person in a broadly shared publish that included varied video clips of individuals diving off shifting boats. “Once they jumped out of the boat, they actually broke their neck … prompt demise.”

In the meantime Dennis, the native first responder quoted within the unique story, walked again his feedback after state officers weighed on this week.

He informed AL.com, one other native information outlet in Alabama, that his remarks throughout an interview about boating security have been taken out of context, however he maintained that his group has responded to studies of people that jumped off boats this 12 months.

“It acquired blown approach out of proportion,” mentioned Dennis, who didn’t reply to requests for added remark this week.

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The ABC affiliate in Birmingham additionally declined to remark, however in a narrative Monday in regards to the state’s response, the station included Dennis’ full, unedited interview.

Ben Rathe, a spokesperson for TikTok, careworn “boat leaping” has by no means trended on platform, echoing a press release the corporate’s workplace in Mexico Metropolis beforehand supplied in Spanish.

TikTok additionally mentioned it doesn’t touch upon issues which can be “not half (of the platform) / are usually not trending on the platform.”

Like different social media firms, TikTok has seen any variety of “challenges” go viral through the years, from the potentiallyhazardous and harmful to the outright prison and lethal.

Elizabeth Losh, an American Research professor at William & Mary, a college in Williamsburg, Virginia, who has studied TikTok developments, confirmed some posts that includes individuals leaping off boats are seen on the positioning — together with one from 2019 with the hashtag #boatjumpchallenge — however don’t seem like notably viral or widespread.

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She additionally famous TikTok has positioned warning labels over a few of the posts.

The social community’s neighborhood pointers prohibit customers from exhibiting or selling ” harmful actions and challenges,” which incorporates “dares, video games, methods, inappropriate use of harmful instruments, consuming substances which can be dangerous to 1’s well being, or related actions which will result in vital bodily hurt.”

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Ramirez reported from Mexico Metropolis. Related Press reporter Karena Phan in Los Angeles additionally contributed to this story.

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That is a part of AP’s effort to deal with broadly shared misinformation, together with work with outdoors firms and organizations so as to add factual context to deceptive content material that’s circulating on-line. Be taught extra about fact-checking at AP.

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