‘Couldn’t breathe’: Woman’s dangerous Cyclone act slammed
A woman has been slammed for her reckless act after diving headfirst into sea foam during the cyclone – despite the known health risks.
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A young woman has faced backlash for her “stupidity” after posting a video of herself diving into thick sea foam during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred – with a microbiologist condemning her actions.
South East Queensland and northern NSW are still being battered by rain and flooding caused by the downgraded cyclone, with flood warnings in effect for large parts of the east coast.
Nonetheless, Izabella Bower shared a video of her engaging in the reckless behaviour, and amassed nearly four million views.
In the footage, she wears a waterproof tracksuit as she stands on steps leading down to the beach, with frothy brown sea foam flowing behind her.
She then plunges headfirst into the thick, murky substance and is completely submerged for about eight seconds.
Upon re-emerging, she is entirely covered in sticky sea foam but is smiling, seemingly content with her actions.
“Actually couldn’t breathe,” she wrote in the caption.
Ms Bower told news.com.au that she “didn’t expect it to go viral” and just posted the clip as she thought it was “funny” and wanted her friends to comment on it.
A renowned environmental microbiologist at The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) has cautioned locals about sea foam, calling them “bacteria smoothies” and noting it may contain more harmful pathogens than a sewage treatment plant.
Associate Professor İpek Kurtböke shared her horror after seeing footage of people playing in the sea foam on the Gold Coast.
“People need to stay away from the sea foam completely if they want to avoid sickness,” she told news.com.au.
“If they are playing in the sea foam, they may as well dive into a bacterial smoothie. It’s not just through an open wound that one can be infected but breathing the aerosols is just as risky, so to stay safe, do not swim, play or breathe near it.”
She noted that sea foam harbours dangerous bacteria that can cause infections, especially to the people with immunocompromised conditions including children with leukaemia.
“These foams were proven to contain antibiotic resistant strains of Nocardiae as well, which is a group of bacteria known to cause infections in skin, lungs, brain and the central nervous system in humans and animals (e.g. fish),” she explained.
Viewers quickly informed the woman of the health risks in the comments.
“Sea foam is produced from sewer discharge into the ocean,” one user wrote.
“People will do anything for likes – enjoy being sick,” remarked another.
“Crazy that people don’t know what this foam is,” commented a third.
Sea foam is a bubbly substance that forms on the surface of the ocean and other large bodies of water, primarily due to the agitation of seawater from wind, waves, and currents.
This phenomenon occurs when organic materials, like algae and decomposing matter, interact with saltwater, creating a mixture of proteins, lipids, and other substances that help stabilise the bubbles.
While sea foam can occur naturally, it is also influenced by pollution, and contaminants such as sewage and run-off can cause the growth of harmful microorganisms.
Another viral video from the weekend shows a group of boys swimming and playing catch in a flooded Brisbane street.
“Hey guys!” the filmer shouts after seeing one dive for the ball and go underwater.
“You know there’s sewer water in here, right? Just giving you a heads up!” she added, but the young men seemed unbothered by her warning.
“All fun and games until you find out there’s poo in it,” the woman captioned her post.
Sewage is indeed flowing in Brisbane’s floodwaters, as one of the city’s main wastewater pipes undergoes repairs, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Urban Utilities, which manages retail water supply and wastewater services across South East Queensland, had to release untreated wastewater into the Brisbane River at Morningside, on the city’s south side, due to ongoing works to replace major pipes within the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.
Residents have been advised to steer clear of the Brisbane River, particularly between Vic Lucas Park in Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve in Murarrie.
Professor İpek Kurtböke added: “I am very concerned with people jumping into flood waters to play in the suburbs.
“Those waters bring so many other pollutants – not only microbes but fertilisers, chemicals … and so on.”
Despite this, commenters called the woman a “Karen” for warning the boys.
But some defended her, saying, “This isn’t Karen behaviour – she’s warning, not complaining”.
“She’s a wise woman, not a Karen – she’s clearly educated. People will find any reason to tear a woman down. Good on her. I didn’t know and I’d want to know.”
Originally published as ‘Couldn’t breathe’: Woman’s dangerous Cyclone act slammed
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