A bride has issued a warning about the trend of couples jumping into a pool at their wedding reception after she nearly drowned. Shelby Crawford, from Tennessee, posted a TikTok video showing how the ‘trash the dress’ tradition went wrong on her big day.
The clip shows Shelby and her husband, Corey Crawford, leaping into a swimming pool together. While Corey quickly resurfaces, Shelby is engulfed by the enormous train of her wedding dress. She can be seen struggling until Corey lifts the dress so her head can surface.
“The saxophones getting louder as everyone films me drowning in my wedding dress,” she wrote. In the caption, she added: “In their defense, they said I was so quiet they didn’t think anything was wrong… to which I replied, ‘Yeah, drowning is typically silent.’”
The video has amassed more than 3 million views, with many expressing concern. One commenter wrote: “That’s terrifying.” Another said: “Did Ronnie & Roxy teach us nothing?” – referring to two EastEnders characters who drowned in a swimming pool.
Shelby told People magazine: “The adrenaline of the day just got to us. We were excited and not thinking clearly.” She urged couples to take precautions: “Do an outfit change before. No viral moment is worth losing someone you love.” She noted that people have died from the same stunt, including a 2012 incident in Canada.
