A woman's attempt at viral TikTok fame took a murky and ill-advised turn when she plunged into the San Antonio River Walk to retrieve her dropped mobile, ignoring clear health and safety warnings.
A Desperate Search in Murky Waters
The incident, captured in a now-viral video shared by the TikTok account @doskogirl, shows the unidentified woman declaring, "I'm gonna be famous on TikTok," before her phone tumbled into the water. Deciding to feel around with her feet, she carefully removed her shoes, rolled up her white sweatpants, and climbed down the cement wall into the river's murky green water.
As she began her slow, deliberate search, passengers from passing boats tried to direct her, while a crowd gathered on the walkway to watch the spectacle. The onlookers erupted in cheers when she eventually fished out a flat, square object, only for the woman to frustratingly scream, "It's just a frickin' brick!"
Local Reaction and Health Warnings
The TikToker confirmed the woman searched for over eight minutes, finding only a brick and two rocks before giving up, her phone lost to the water. The video quickly drew shocked and disgusted reactions from locals in the comment section.
One San Antonio resident wrote, "I live in San Antonio, I hope she saw a doctor afterwards." Another commented, "I would rather be phoneless than even breathe next to the SATX River walk. That is absolutely disgusting." Others pointed out the futility of the search, with one stating, "I live in San Antonio, she’s not finding a damn thing in that water. It’s gone."
This widespread local concern is firmly rooted in official health data. The San Antonio River Authority gave the city's rivers a D+ grade for swimming in 2022, with E. coli contamination cited as the primary reason.
The Dangers of E. coli and City Bylaws
E. coli is a bacterium that originates from the fecal matter of warm-blooded animals. Levels in the river typically rise after rainfall, when stormwater runoff carries the contaminant into the waterway. Humans can be infected by coming into contact with contaminated water, leading to potential health issues including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and sepsis.
Furthermore, the woman's actions were in direct violation of city law. San Antonio explicitly prohibits swimming or wading in its parks and on city-owned public property, including rivers, except in designated swimming areas. This regulation is in place specifically to protect public health and safety.
This ill-fated search for a phone serves as a stark reminder of the very real dangers lurking in seemingly placid urban waterways, proving that some bids for internet fame are simply not worth the risk.
