A teenager from Utah nearly lost his life earlier this month due to severe injuries he sustained while trying out the risky TikTok trend called “couchsurfing.”
Levi Thiemant, only 16, ended up with a skull fracture and traumatic brain injury among other serious wounds, which led to him being placed in an induced coma, according to his family.
“This is just so hard for my sweet son to endure,” said his mother, Amy Thiemant.
“I didn’t see him blink or move at all for more than 12 days.”
Couchsurfing involves tying a couch to a vehicle and having someone sit or stand on it while the driver speeds and swerves in the parking lot.
This dangerous trend seems to be gaining traction in Utah.
Levi, who attends Timpview High School, was initially doubtful about the trend but found himself at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City after giving it a try.
He suffered other injuries as well, including a fractured vertebra, broken ribs, and facial fractures from the incident.
“He told me he felt proud that he hadn’t participated in it,” Amy shared.
However, on May 8th, he changed his mind.
“He saw all his friends trying it and getting away with it, which I suppose gave him a sense of safety,” she added.
“The first time he tried it, while sitting on the couch, one of the legs broke off, and the whole thing just went flying. It was a truly awful accident.”
A similar trend, known as “table surfing,” essentially swaps the couch for a table.
TikTok has issued warnings against searching for “table surfing,” cautioning users about the potential dangers. Activities like couchsurfing breach TikTok’s Community Guidelines.
Videos of both trends are easily found on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Levi’s injury isn’t unique. Doctors informed Amy that this incident was not the only couchsurfing injury they had treated this year.
“They mentioned this was the third couchsurfing injury they’ve seen so far at Primary Children’s this year,” she revealed.
Amy hopes to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“I now have one more lesson to impart to my kids because of this tragic event,” she said.
“This trend is incredibly dangerous and just a bad idea all around.”
