A 6-month-old baby recently went viral after a video was posted showing his impressive waterskiing skills. But his parents have since had to come forward to defend the stunt, assuring critics that the little boy was perfectly safe while sailing over the waves.
As Good Morning America reported, Casey and Mindi Humphreys have responded to the backlash their video has received, and want to let all concerned viewers know that their son was not at risk of danger; he was simply having a fun day out on the lake with his parents.
On September 12, Casey shared a series of photos and videos online depicting his infant son, Rich, waterskiing on Lake Powell.
“6 months 4 days,” the proud dad captioned his Instagram post . “Take one look at this kid and tell me he isn’t having the time of his life! Such a little stud.”
Rich appears in the post wearing a life vest and sporting quite the adorable smile while he stands atop small footholds and hangs onto a handlebar.
Not only was it an adventurous feat for a child, but he is now the world’s youngest water skier!
The record was previously held by Zyla St. Onge, who earned the titles in 2016 when she was only six months and 27 days old.
So, clearly, it’s not the first time parents have let their kids participate in these activities at such a young age.
In just a matter of days that post went viral, amassing over 60,000 likes at the time of this writing.
The actual video of the infant waterskiing quickly gained attention after it was shared by the Instagram page Barstool Sports , where it’s since been viewed more than 2.6 million times.
The comment sections for both posts reveal that people online are pretty split over the stunt.
Some users have praised the parents for introducing their son to the water at such an early age.
“You are such great parents teaching your beautiful little boy how awesome adventure is,” one person wrote, while another added, “The joy on little man’s face says it all for me… kid has an awesome dad.”
However, there were also those who slammed Casey and Mindi for allowing their 6-month-old to engage in such a “dangerous” and “reckless” water sport.
“Kid could break his neck,” one person pointed out.
Another chimed in to brand the boy’s waterskiing stunt as “irresponsible.”
“[This] child is far too young to be on the water unattended,” someone wrote, adding that Rich appears to be “in real danger of drowning or letting go and seriously hurting himself.”
Their concerns make sense, given that experts say it’s best to wait until a baby is 12 months old before introducing them to water.
While many places offer swim classes beginning at six months, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends waiting until 12 months before enrolling in lessons.
They write on their website HealthyChildren , “[…] there is currently no evidence that infant swim programs for babies under 1 year old lower their drowning risk.” There is also a greater risk of swallowing water for children under 12 months old.
Mindi and Casey have spoken out to defend themselves against the criticism they’ve received as parents.
As they pointed out to GMA , the boat was only going about 5 MPH, and the stunt was entirely supervised, as Casey was sitting right beside his waterskiing son the entire time, ready to catch him if needed.
“We had a separate boat out there,” the father explained, adding that they also had “10 to 12 people with us, including doctors and nurses.”
The couple also made sure their son would be as safe as possible before ever putting him out on the water.
Rich has been enrolled in infant swim classes, and his parents also practiced his stance on the homemade board on land before switching over to the lake. They even consulted with a medical professional beforehand who assured them their son is “really developed for his age.”
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“He has never fallen off of it before,” Casey said. “When we put him on the board and had him on the top he, he was right at home.”
That custom board? They documented part of the building process in their original Instagram post.
The photos showing the construction really prove that it was built with extreme care and Rich’s stability in mind.
With Rich in the background avidly watching, it was surely built to his standards.
That being said, the parents admitted they can see why some people would be upset over the waterskiing video.
“I really feel like the majority of criticism comes from people caring and people just being concerned and wanting the best for our child,” mom Mindi told GMA . “So honestly we appreciate that.”
Her husband added, “Whether you agree with what we’ve done for Rich and what he accomplished or not, you can understand how exciting it is to see your child accomplish something.”
The family leads quite an adventurous life and this is not the first time that they brought their son in on the excitement.
From rides on boats , to golf carts , to turtles even, Rich has already had quite the eventful life.
So, despite the backlash received, there’s little doubt the Humphreys will continue showing Rich all of life’s most exciting activities. While, of course, aiming to be as safe as possible while doing so.
h/t: Good Morning America
