A radio news story that was shared Monday, July 3, regarding “first responders warning against a deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings” in Alabama has evoked a response the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division.

In a statement released Monday, July 10, they state, “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.”

The news story shared by WBMA (abc3340) quoted Captain Jim Dennis with the Childersburg Rescue Squad. He told the news outlet, “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 bot 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”

ALEA disputes these claims stating that only one individual has been fatally injured after jumping from a moving vessel. That death occurred in 2020. A similar fatality occurred in 2021 but neither death can be linked to TikTok.