They Wanted Their Baby To Set A World Record, And Now They’re Being Accused Of Child Abuse…
A 6-month-old baby went viral after a video was posted showing his impressive waterskiing skills.
But the couple’s proud moments are facing a wake of online backlash. Now, the parents have since had to come forward to defend the stunt, assuring critics that the little boy was perfectly safe while sailing over the waves.
Parents Casey and Mindi Humpherys decided to take their six-month-old baby Rich water skiing on Lake Powell in Utah, in order to make their son the unofficial world record holder for the youngest person to water ski.
The video was subsequently shared on Instagram where it went viral, with Casey captioning the footage: “Take one look at this kid and tell me he isn’t having the time of his life! Such a little stud!”
The post has been viewed more than 2 million times, with many people clearly very impressed by the little guy’s achievement.
Although many have shared their disbelief and “naawws” over the video, many more have criticized the parents for exploiting the child and putting him in harm’s way.
“So dangerous and stupid,” one person wrote.
“He looks scared and unsure.”
“This is the stupidest shit I’ve ever seen, his knees bending back, because ya know he’s 6 months old.”
“Honestly this shouldn’t even be considered a world record because for one he is not doing it himself. Babies at that age can’t even stand up for that long or know to hold on. Parents are ridiculous to think to even put the child on this.”
Casey and Mindi have since spoken out, explaining that they would never do anything to harm their baby and that his waterskiing feat is something he’s been working on for many many months.
“We love our child and would never put him in harm’s way,” Casey said, “Much more preparation and safety went into what Rich has accomplished than meets the eye.”
Casey made a makeshift baby waterski out of timber and Rich held onto it often at home before hitting the water.
Although they took many precautions prior to the stunt and the boat pulling Rich was reportedly only going 5mph and had a dozen people, including doctors and nurses, onboard, some took issue.
But the Humphreyses didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they saw the criticism as people caring for their child.
“I really feel like the majority of criticism comes from people caring and people just being concerned and wanting the best for our child, so honestly, we appreciate that.”
This isn’t the first time an infant has gone viral for waterskiing. In 2016, a 6-month-old made waves when a video of her waterskiing went viral.
The internet had a similar reaction, and the child’s parents also had a similar response: “It was planned and she was ready for it.”
Watch the video below:
Source: AWM
