Does The Deadly 'Boat Jumping Challenge' Even Exist Or Is It Another Media Frenzy? Why The Supposed TikTok Trend Is Now Being Called A Hoax

Recently in the news, there's been a lot of buzz surrounding the so-called "Boat Jumping Challenge" in which people were supposedly driving boats very fast and then jumping out of the back of them, with the supposed internet challenge even being accused in the media as the reason why four deaths have occurred in the state of Alabama in recent weeks.

TikTok has since refuted the media reports with a spokesperson stating that it isn't a true trend and nor can it be accurately called a "TikTok challenge." Since the initial headlines, Alabama officials have also walked back their own statements and articles covering it have also curiously changed their tone.

So what is this "jumping off boats trend," how did it even become a thing, and is there any truth behind it? Let's explain.

What Is This Supposed "Boat Jumping Challenge" And What Evidence Exists?

Within the initial news reports, the challenge is referred to as a trend of people jumping out of boats going at high speeds, with various TikToks being flashed across the screen, as well as a scrolling list of a trending section featuring several videos of alleged participants.

However, many of these videos are either from 2020 to 2021 and show people jumping out of stationary boats. Additionally, prior to the news reports from early July 2023, little evidence of anything under related search terms about a "boat jumping challenge" actually appears on TikTok when searching for it.

After sweeping headlines and garnering significant backlash in a media frenzy just days ago, reports are now coming out that it's entirely fake and nothing more than misinformation.

What Makes A "Trend" Or "Challenge," And How Did "Boat Jumping" Get Labeled As Such?

An internet trend, in the traditional sense, is something that you can clearly see a sudden and large influx of videos or discussions without some sort of call to action. Looking at previous trends, such as devious licks, as soon as a few people started doing it, the trend had exponential growth, a central call to action or reason given for the spike other than people wanting to join in on it.

In this case, there is a noticeable "trend" that the videos predictably pick up during the summer, since people tend to go out onto boats and, in the pursuit of fun, do stunts like this — as has been recorded in digital history for over a decade. That being said, there's not much consistency or volume to be found behind the purported "Boat Jumping Challenge."

When it comes to internet challenges, like the Ice Bucket Challenge or the Cinnamon Challenge, the reason for doing the challenge typically comes from trying to overcome something, with a central figure or video that others point to and try to emulate.

This also, however, doesn't apply to the so-called "Boat Jumping Challenge," with the highest engagement being 700,000 views belonging to a video from May 9th, 2022, with all other videos showing the trend not passing 50,000 likes or 450,000 views prior to the news report boosting coverage of the phenomenon and causing engagement to spike.

Further, the most viewed video relating to the trend did not even make it into the initial news report because it featured someone jumping off the side of the boat instead of back towards the wake like in the news segment and other coverage.

So, Why Call It A "Challenge?" What's The Truth Behind This Purported "Trend?"

As can be seen in recent history with the Blue Whale Challenge and Momo Challenge, things that are often loosely connected (or not connected at all) are tied to internet challenges — possibly in an attempt to find reasoning for unreasonable actions.

One thing of note, however, is that after the media focus on the topic, many TikTok videos relating to jumping off boats in the past three years have become bombarded with comments calling those involved "stupid" or "irresponsible," among other things. Additionally, social media users across the web spread the rumors, adding further fuel to the viral hoax.

Police say at least 4 people have died doing the TikTok boat jumping challenge

"When they jumped out of the boat, they literally broke their neck … instant death" pic.twitter.com/OKUPNXlGG0

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) July 9, 2023

As national and international news outlets jumped on the initial story earlier this week alongside reported claims that four people attempting the viral TikTok challenge died while jumping off moving boats in Alabama, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency actually made a tweet on Monday stating the "news outlet was incorrect" and that it had "no records of boating or marine-related deaths that could be directly linked to TikTok or a trend on TikTok."

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.

— Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (@ALEAprotects) July 10, 2023

Meanwhile, Jim Dennis, the captain of the Childersburg Rescue Team who was quoted in the original local ABC news story that aired July 3rd, has also walked back his comments following the statements from Alabama state officials. According to a recent comment on the matter, Ben Rathe (a spokesperson for TikTok) also stressed that “boat jumping” has never trended on the platform.

For more information about Boat Jumping, check out our entry here.