‘Couldn’t breathe’: Woman’s dangerous ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred stunt slammed
- Replies 1
Extreme weather events often bring out the thrill-seekers—those eager to capture daring stunts despite the obvious risks.
But what happens when a seemingly harmless act turns into a public health warning?
A recent viral video has sparked outrage and concern, with experts weighing in on the potential dangers lurking beneath the surface.
A young woman faced widespread backlash after sharing a video of herself diving into thick sea foam during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with experts condemning the risky act.
Parts of South East Queensland and northern NSW remained under flood warnings as the downgraded cyclone continued to cause heavy rain and dangerous conditions along the coast.
Despite the warnings, Izabella Bower posted a video of herself taking the plunge, drawing nearly four million views and a wave of criticism.
The footage showed her standing on steps leading to the beach, dressed in a waterproof tracksuit, with murky brown sea foam swirling behind her.
She then threw herself headfirst into the dense foam, disappearing beneath it for approximately eight seconds before resurfacing, covered entirely in the frothy substance.
She appeared unbothered, smiling at the camera, despite later admitting in her caption: ‘Actually couldn’t breathe.’
Ms Bower she had not expected the clip to go viral and had shared it simply because she found it amusing and wanted her friends to comment.
An environmental microbiologist from The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) issued a stern warning about the dangers of sea foam, likening it to a ‘bacteria smoothie’ that could contain more harmful pathogens than a sewage treatment plant.
Associate Professor İpek Kurtböke expressed her concern 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 shared.
She added: ‘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 explained that the foam could contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which pose serious health risks, particularly for those with weakened immune systems.
‘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 said.
Many viewers took to the comments to warn Ms Bower about the potential dangers.
‘Sea foam is produced from sewer discharge into the ocean,’ one person wrote.
‘People will do anything for likes—enjoy being sick,’ another remarked.
‘Crazy that people don’t know what this foam is,’ someone else added.
Sea foam forms when organic materials such as algae and decomposing matter mix with seawater, stabilising bubbles created by waves and currents.
While it can occur naturally, pollution and contaminants like sewage and run-off can introduce harmful bacteria into the foam.
Meanwhile, another viral video from the same weekend showed a group of young men swimming and playing in a flooded Brisbane street.
In the clip, a woman filming the scene called out to them after watching one dive underwater.
‘Hey guys! You know there’s sewer water in here, right? Just giving you a heads up!’ she said, though the group seemed unconcerned.
She captioned her post: ‘All fun and games until you find out there’s poo in it.’
Brisbane’s floodwaters were contaminated with sewage, as repairs were underway on a major wastewater pipe.
Urban Utilities, responsible for water and wastewater services in South East Queensland, had to release untreated wastewater into the Brisbane River at Morningside due to ongoing work on the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.
Authorities urged residents to avoid the Brisbane River, particularly between Vic Lucas Park in Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve in Murarrie.
Professor Kurtböke also voiced concerns about people playing in floodwaters.
‘I am very concerned with people jumping into flood waters to play in the suburbs,’ she said.
‘Those waters bring so many other pollutants—not only microbes but fertilisers, chemicals…and so on.’
With people ignoring the risks and diving into contaminated waters, do you think the thrill is worth the potential health consequences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
But what happens when a seemingly harmless act turns into a public health warning?
A recent viral video has sparked outrage and concern, with experts weighing in on the potential dangers lurking beneath the surface.
A young woman faced widespread backlash after sharing a video of herself diving into thick sea foam during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with experts condemning the risky act.
Parts of South East Queensland and northern NSW remained under flood warnings as the downgraded cyclone continued to cause heavy rain and dangerous conditions along the coast.
Despite the warnings, Izabella Bower posted a video of herself taking the plunge, drawing nearly four million views and a wave of criticism.
The footage showed her standing on steps leading to the beach, dressed in a waterproof tracksuit, with murky brown sea foam swirling behind her.
She then threw herself headfirst into the dense foam, disappearing beneath it for approximately eight seconds before resurfacing, covered entirely in the frothy substance.
She appeared unbothered, smiling at the camera, despite later admitting in her caption: ‘Actually couldn’t breathe.’
Ms Bower she had not expected the clip to go viral and had shared it simply because she found it amusing and wanted her friends to comment.
An environmental microbiologist from The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) issued a stern warning about the dangers of sea foam, likening it to a ‘bacteria smoothie’ that could contain more harmful pathogens than a sewage treatment plant.
Associate Professor İpek Kurtböke expressed her concern 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 shared.
She added: ‘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 explained that the foam could contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which pose serious health risks, particularly for those with weakened immune systems.
‘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 said.
Many viewers took to the comments to warn Ms Bower about the potential dangers.
‘Sea foam is produced from sewer discharge into the ocean,’ one person wrote.
‘People will do anything for likes—enjoy being sick,’ another remarked.
‘Crazy that people don’t know what this foam is,’ someone else added.
Sea foam forms when organic materials such as algae and decomposing matter mix with seawater, stabilising bubbles created by waves and currents.
While it can occur naturally, pollution and contaminants like sewage and run-off can introduce harmful bacteria into the foam.
Meanwhile, another viral video from the same weekend showed a group of young men swimming and playing in a flooded Brisbane street.
In the clip, a woman filming the scene called out to them after watching one dive underwater.
‘Hey guys! You know there’s sewer water in here, right? Just giving you a heads up!’ she said, though the group seemed unconcerned.
She captioned her post: ‘All fun and games until you find out there’s poo in it.’
Brisbane’s floodwaters were contaminated with sewage, as repairs were underway on a major wastewater pipe.
Urban Utilities, responsible for water and wastewater services in South East Queensland, had to release untreated wastewater into the Brisbane River at Morningside due to ongoing work on the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.
Authorities urged residents to avoid the Brisbane River, particularly between Vic Lucas Park in Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve in Murarrie.
Professor Kurtböke also voiced concerns about people playing in floodwaters.
‘I am very concerned with people jumping into flood waters to play in the suburbs,’ she said.
‘Those waters bring so many other pollutants—not only microbes but fertilisers, chemicals…and so on.’
With people ignoring the risks and diving into contaminated waters, do you think the thrill is worth the potential health consequences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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