An Australian woman went viral after sharing a video of herself jumping into completely polluted sea foam during Cyclone Alfred in Australia.
In the footage, which has already accumulated over 4 million views, Izabella Bower is seen wearing a hoodie on the beach before jumping into thick, brown sea foam.
After a few seconds, she emerges from the foam, and the clip ends. In the caption, she mentioned that she “couldn’t breathe.” Soon after, an expert issued a warning regarding Bower’s action.
@bella.bower Actually couldn’t breathe #cyclone #cyclonealfred #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – wunderlandfilms
İpek Kurtböke, a renowned microbiologist from the University of Sunshine Coast, warned that sea foam is like “bacterial smoothies” that may contain more pathogens than sewage water.
“People need to stay completely away from sea foam if they want to avoid diseases,” she told news.com.au after seeing Bower’s video.
“It’s not only through an open wound that someone can get infected, but breathing the aerosols is equally risky. So, to stay safe, don’t swim, play, or breathe near it.”
Photo and video: TikTok @bella.bower. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.