The fame-hungry influencer who filmed himself jumping into a raging river during Hurricane Milton has responded to critics who attacked him for his bizarre antics.
Mike Smalls Jr., 26, of Tampa, racked up millions of views after sharing clips of himself setting up an air mattress, an umbrella and a package of ramen noodles to brave the storm.
In a bid to win some extra money through a $7,000 prize offered by streamer Adin Ross, Smalls, who said he “barely knew how to swim,” filmed the encounter on Kick, a popular live-streaming platform, while He was sitting next to a flooded river.
He soon vowed that he would jump into the water on his mattress if he reached 100,000 views during the Category 3 storm that left more than 3 million residents without power and an estimated 23 dead.
After streaming for hours and getting over 60,000 views on a now-viral clip, people criticized Smalls for his outrageous decision, but he said that as a content creator, he had to keep things “edgy” and that it was a ” calculated success.” ‘
‘You know, I take security very seriously. “To some extent, I guess you could say it’s irresponsible, but to me, I would say it’s a calculated hit,” he said. BBC.
Mike Smalls Jr., 26, of Tampa, racked up millions of views after sharing clips of himself setting up an air mattress, an umbrella and a package of ramen noodles to brave Hurricane Milton.
He told the BBC that as a content creator he had to keep things “edgy” and that it was a “calculated success.”
“From a content creator’s point of view, people like to see things that are a little bit edgy,” he added.
He told the outlet that he had a plan if the storm affected his ability to continue broadcasting.
The 26-year-old said his plan was to “get some pretty clips and then if things get too wild I can, you know, go on my little five or ten minute walk back home.”
Milton, in fact, recovered when Smalls was seen nearly flying several times on Wednesday.
“The wind started to pick up and I don’t know how to swim… so I had to hold on to the tree,” he recalled.
When asked how he felt about people criticizing him for taking precious resources away from others who might have needed them during the storm, he told the outlet “it’s definitely a complicated situation.”
“At the end of the day I don’t want to, because of my ‘foolish decision’, I don’t want to put other people’s lives at risk, and people try to come save me,” he said, before the journalist told him that the emergency services would try help you if you need it.
‘Don’t save me! I know what I got myself into, don’t save me!’ he shouted in response.
The clip captured Smalls battling the elements as rain lashed at his face, making it difficult to film and keep his camera dry.
As he streamed live, viewers were quick to leave warnings and comments of their shock and confusion as to why he would willingly venture into the horrific storm.
“I’m trying so hard to feel bad for him,” one said.
In a viral clip, Smalls could be seen being knocked to the ground by hurricane-force winds during Hurricane Helene.
“He’s just acting like a human piñata against the storm,” wrote another.
“Right now, just put all the streamers in jail,” someone said.
Another person asked: ‘Is your life worth $70,000?’
This wasn’t the first time Smalls voluntarily went into a hurricane, as he pulled a similar stunt during Hurricane Helene.
The full-time streamer, 26, braved the Category 4 storm while stationed in Bayshore when the extreme weather hit on September 26, filming himself wearing a vest and cap as he pitched a flimsy tent underneath of a bridge
The clip, which has since gone viral, captured Smalls battling the elements as he erected the fabric den and climbed into it as the walls shook in the wind.
In another section of the footage, he can be heard repeatedly calling for help as a body of water hits his tent.
He filmed his surroundings and saw an underground area filled with flood water, while Smalls walked around and laughed at the dangerous situation he found himself in.
Smalls is just one of many streamers and content creators who have been livestreaming their reckless behavior online, and many of them did so during Hurricane Milton.
As a full-time streamer, he’s no stranger to performing stunts, but the 26-year-old says he did “extensive research” before deciding to try taking on the Category 4 storm.
Streamer Adin Ross launched a $70,000 ‘survival challenge’ during the storm – the big prize Smalls was aiming to win.
During his livestream, Ross confirmed that another user had won the grand prize, but Smalls told the BBC that he still managed to win enough money to pay some of his bills thanks to his video.
In the risky challenge, 18-year-old Shaun Sharkey, also known as Shoovy, was arrested on Wednesday after breaking into an apartment building to chase Hurricane Milton for the substantial prize.
Sharkey said he was breaking into his friend’s condo, but on the live stream on his kick channel, he broke into the apartment with a screwdriver. He was later seen holding a knife with the door open.
The creator was restrained by the police when the video was cut.
The 18-year-old was arrested for robbery and resisting an officer; for the second charge he was held on $1,000 bail, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
His Kick channel was deleted that same day.