A couple popular on social media is facing worldwide criticism for riding on a jetski with a baby that didn’t have a life vest on.
Media influencers Ria Ricis and Teuku Ryan from Indonesia posted a video to Instagram that showed their controversial actions. In the video both on Instagram and YouTube, the couple takes their baby on a jet ski ride.
“Moana (rides) the Jet Ski for the first time,” says the video caption on YouTube. Ricis has more than 30 million followers. The baby is carried out into the ocean and onto a jet ski driven by Ryan. Ricis sits behind him, holding Moana, while the couple films their ride in selfie mode.
There is another scene in which Ryan holds the baby not wearing a vest at the same time he is steering the jet ski with one hand. Ricis is filming from behind. And another scene shows Ricis holding the baby while filming the ride with a selfie stick.
There were all kinds of comments lashing out at the controversial couple.
“This is very dangerous,” wrote one Instagram viewer.
“Shame on you, Ricis…” wrote another.
“Is there a dislike button?” another person wrote.
Someone referred to the baby as a “victim,” and another pointed out that the parents were life vests.
According to Jim Spiers, the president of Stop Drowning Now, a water safety resource, taking babies onto jet skis raises serious safety issues.
“Any child in or around water who is unable to swim should wear a Coast Guard-approved life vest. If a child falls off the vehicle, the impact of hitting water could potentially injure or kill them,” he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “More children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. For children ages 5–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.”
Spiers said, ”It only takes about 10 to 20 seconds for infants to drown.”
