A Utah teenager suffered life-threatening injuries after attempting a couch-surfing TikTok trend. Levi Teemant, from Provo, had to be medically induced into a coma after partaking in the stunt which involves a person laying on a couch as it is pulled by a vehicle.
According to his mother Amy, who spoke with KSL, a leg of the couch broke and sent her then 15-year-old son flying on May 8. He suffered a fractured skull, traumatic brain injuries, fractures to his spine, broken ribs, facial fractures and open wounds to his body, according to his mom.
The youngster and his friends were in a church parking lot in the city when they decided to couch surf when Levi was thrown from it. According to Amy, the group of teens had attempted the dangerous stunt the week prior but her son didn't partake - only to have a go the week after.
She told the outlet: 'He told me he was so proud that he didn't do it. Since he saw all of his friends do it and they walked away safe, he must've thought it was OK.' The first time he makes that choice, he sits on that couch, and the couch leg breaks, and he goes flying, and it's a horrible, horrible accident.
Amy told KSL that medical professionals put him in an induced coma and on paralytic drugs to keep him paralyzed. He turned 16 while in a coma. According to Amy, doctors and nurses caring for her son said that what happened to her son was not isolated and they had treated others caught up in the trend.
She added: 'They told us this is the third case they've seen of couch surfing here at Primary Children's this year.' Warning other parents about the dangers of it, she added: 'Be aware that this is an awful trend and it's a terrible idea.'
Despite his horrific injuries, Amy said that her son has shown signs of improvement since the incident. On Thursday she shared footage of him to an Instagram page dedicated to his recovery of him gripping her hand from his hospital bed. She said: 'There are no words to see my sweet boy recognizing me and showing me love like this! It was as if he knew I have been stressed, heartbroken and by his side for 18 days and he wanted to show his love to me and make me smile and laugh again! I’ve been crying tears of joy finally able to see Levi’s personality is still so sweet and is Levi through and through.'
Since the incident a GoFundMe page was launched to help the single mom, who lost her husband to cancer, cover medical bills. It has raised over $53,000. Police in the city told KSL that there is an active criminal investigation into the incident that put Levi in hospital due to the driver of the vehicle being a juvenile.
A statement said: 'We encourage teens and parents to talk openly about physical and legal risk and responsibility, as well as the attendant consequences that can come with participation in dangerous online trends.' The Daily Mail contacted TikTok for comment.
