Paddleboarding family rescued boy from dangerous river currents, and exposed the chilling behavior of his friends who stood by laughing

A TikTok video has gone viral, seemingly questioning the quality of a kid’s friends. According to DailyDot, a woman claimed she heard kids arguing while paddleboarding with her family. When she got nearer, apparently, a boy was struggling in the water, saying repeatedly that he couldn’t swim, while his friends were laughing and pressuring him. The TikToker, who claimed the current was looking dangerous, rescued the kid.

The original TikTok was posted by @mznewyorkone, who reported that the boy was wearing an unsuitable lifejacket while in the water, and was still being pressured by his friends to swim. The woman and her family got closer to understanding the situation. When they got near, it appeared to them that the boy could not swim, so they maneuvered their boat towards the boy and helped him out. He was saved from the danger of drowning. After that, the boy told the family that his name was Marquis, but he goes by Lamar. 

It appears that Lamar then explained to the family that his friends were forcing him to return to the shore alone, even though he had told them he could not swim. The kid claimed it was his first time there and did not want to come back. The boy could be heard saying “never coming back” with them, and the video ended with him getting back safely.

The TikToker then explained why she could not leave him in the water 

The woman who saved the boy explained why she had to help the boy in another TikTok video. She claimed she had heard the argument, and when she got closer and saw the boy wearing a small jacket, she had to save him. The TikToker also claimed there were strong currents in the water because the weather was windy, suggesting the environment wasn’t ideal for the boy to begin with. When Lamar was struggling in the water, his friends were said to be laughing at him.

With all of that in mind, the woman said, “I knew right then and there that I wasn’t going to leave him to just cross on his own. Hopefully, this is a learning lesson for him and an eye-opener as to who he keeps as company.” Apart from TikTok, this video was also shared on X by a verified user. With over a million views, the comments suggest that viewers were on the woman’s side for saving the boy, and many talked about the kind of friends the boy had. 

A user commented, “The saddest part is you can tell he doesn’t even realize the real danger of his friends.” The next one said, “So glad they turned around…” Another one said, “This is…disturbing. The people who brought him there are not his friends. He seems to know that now.” Similarly, another user wrote, “This is heartbreaking; teaching our kids to stand alone is so real.”

In my opinion, the comments make sense, and fortunately, the kid was rescued. The whole incident was shared by @mznewyorkone and @natalieeeking on TikTok, and it appears that nothing from the kid’s friend’s side made it to the reporting.