A 16-year-old in Utah is in a critical condition after attempting a risky social media challenge.
Levi Teemant spent his birthday in a medically induced coma after he was airlifted to hospital, with reports indicating he was injured while filming a “couch surfing” video.
The trend, which has been gaining traction in parts of Utah, involves teenagers sitting on a couch while it’s towed by a vehicle at speed.
A similar stunt known as “table surfing” has also appeared online, showing people being pulled behind a car while standing on, sitting on, or riding a table.
Levi’s mother, Amy, told KSL that her son had previously said he wouldn’t take part—but after watching friends complete it without incident, he decided to try it himself.
“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,” she told the outlet.
As a result, Levi sustained multiple serious injuries, including broken ribs and fractures to his spine and face.
His family also said he suffered a severe skull fracture and traumatic brain injuries. In the latest update shared, Levi was beginning to regain consciousness.
“It’s so hard to see my sweet, sweet boy like this,” the teen’s mother Amy told KSL. “I didn’t see him blink or move a muscle for more than 12 days.”
A GoFundMe has been created for Levi to help cover mounting medical costs.
Amy is now urging both teens and parents to treat the trend as a serious warning sign, saying doctors told her Levi’s case was the third similar incident they had seen at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Provo Police later confirmed to KSL that a criminal investigation is now underway in connection with the incident.
Clips linked to the challenge have circulated across platforms including TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat.
TikTok has added warning notices to “table surfing” content and told KSL that ‘activities such as couch surfing violate the platform’s community guidelines.’
Officials have raised concerns about other viral teen activities in recent weeks as well. Last month, police issued a “serious warning” about the game “Senior Assassin,” in which teens use toy rifles or water guns to “hunt down” opposing teams—sometimes alarming the public when the items appear realistic.
“We understand games like ‘senior assassin’ have become popular, but this serves as an important reminder: pointing realistic-looking weapons at people or from vehicles is not harmless,” The Cobb County Police Department said in a statement.
“Officers responding to these calls, other drivers, or members of the public have no way of knowing whether what they are seeing is real or fake. A game is not worth someone getting seriously injured or killed.”