Social media influencers criticized for taking infant on a jet ski without a life vest
A pair of social media stars are under fire for riding on a watercraft with a baby.
Recent videos posted to the Instagram accounts of Indonesia-based social media influencers Ria Ricis and Teuku Ryan depict the controversial outing.
In the videos, a longer version of which was posted to Ricis' YouTube channel, the pair takes a baby on a jet ski ride.
“Moana (rides) the Jet Ski for the first time,” reads the video caption on YouTube, where Ricis has more than 30 million followers.
At first, Moana is fitted with a pink and orange vest that appears to serve as a flotation aid. Then she's carried out into the ocean and onto a jet ski driven by Ryan. Ricis sits behind him, holding the baby, while the couple films their ride in selfie mode.
In another scene, Ryan holds the baby — who does not wear the vest — close to his chest while steering the jet ski with one hand and while Ricis films from behind.
The video cuts to another moment where Ricis is again holding the baby, this time without a vest, while filming with a selfie stick.
At one point, Ricis jumps into the water and Ryan hands her the vested baby.
Comments translated into English online criticized Ricis and Ryan.
"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 child as a "victim," and someone pointed out that the parents wore safety vests, unlike the baby at various points.
Ricis and Ryan did not immediately respond to requests for comment by TODAY.com.
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," he tells TODAY.com, noting that safety water rules in other countries may vary.
"If a child falls off the vehicle, the impact of hitting water could potentially injure or kill them," he says.
Spiers adds that drivers need the use of both hands to properly steer the watercraft, including when dismounting water vehicles, either on a dock or on the sand.
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According to the Center 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."
While it’s unclear whether the baby in the video knows how to swim, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that many children don't begin swimming lessons until age 1.
Spiers points out that it's extremely dangerous to hold a baby with one hand while steering a watercraft with the other.
"Would you drive with an infant on your lap while driving a car?" says Spiers. "No."
Spiers also notes that drowning is a silent process.
"It only takes about 10 to 20 seconds for infants to drown," he says.
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This article was originally published on TODAY.com
