Provo teen critically injured after attempting viral trend of 'couch surfing'

PROVO — A Provo teenager suffered life-threatening injuries while attempting to film a social media video involving a dangerous activity known as "couch surfing."

Levi Teemant, a student at Timpview High School, spent his 16th birthday in a medically induced coma at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

"It's so hard to see my sweet, sweet boy like this," Amy Teemant, Levi's mother, said. "He has been in an induced coma and on paralytic drugs to keep him paralyzed. I didn't see him blink or move a muscle for more than 12 days."

Earlier this month, Levi was with friends in a Provo church parking lot when they decided to film themselves "couch surfing," an activity in which a person sits on a couch while it is dragged by a vehicle.

"Apparently, there is a TikTok trend going around that's popular in Utah," Amy Teemant said.

According to her, Levi's friends had attempted the stunt the previous week, but Levi initially resisted.

"He told me he was so proud that he didn't do it," Amy Teemant said, adding that Levi changed his mind the following week, on May 8. "Since he saw all of his friends do it and they walked away safe, he must've thought it was OK."

"The first time he makes that choice, he sits on that couch, and the couch leg breaks, and he goes flying, and it's a horrible, horrible accident," she continued.

Levi suffered critical injuries, including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injuries, spinal fractures, broken ribs, facial fractures and severe wounds.

"He fractured his face… like his orbital bone, his collar bone, ribs, spine fractures, and terrible, terrible flesh, like, open wounds all on his left side. It has just been a nightmare," Amy Teemant said.

Videos promoting "couch surfing" and similar trends, including "table surfing," have circulated on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok. The videos typically show people riding couches or tables while being towed behind moving vehicles and many appear to originate in Utah.

TikTok has placed warning messages on searches related to "table surfing," cautioning users that some online challenges can be dangerous or harmful. The platform also appears to have relatively few videos related to "couch surfing"; KSL identified fewer than a handful. A TikTok spokesperson told KSL that activities like couch surfing violate the platform's community guidelines.

Videos involving both activities are more readily available on Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. KSL reached out to those platforms for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Amy said doctors and nurses at Primary Children's Hospital told her Levi's case was not isolated.

"They told us this is the third case they've seen of couch surfing here at Primary Children's (this year)," she said.

KSL was unable to independently verify how many similar cases the hospital has treated because of patient privacy laws.

Amy said she hopes sharing Levi's story will help prevent similar tragedies.

"This terrible thing happened and it's one more thing to talk to your kids about," she said. "Be aware that this is an awful trend and it's a terrible idea."

Despite the severity of his injuries, Levi has recently shown signs of improvement and is beginning to regain consciousness, according to his mother. The family says they have also been overwhelmed by community support.

A steady stream of friends and loved ones have been at the hospital, offering encouragement and decorating Levi's room.

In one instance, Levi's tennis team visited to dedicate its recent state championship victory to their sophomore varsity teammate. Team members wore custom T-shirts with the phrase "Tribe of Levi" in his honor.

An Instagram account, Loveforlevi1, was also created to provide updates on Levi's condition and has gained more than 1,500 followers. A GoFundMe campaign* to help cover medical expenses has raised more than $47,000.

For Amy — whose husband died of cancer and whose two other children are currently out of the country, one serving a mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the other studying abroad — the support has made "a world of difference."

"We lost Levi's dad, Leo, to cancer when Levi was three years old. As a single mom, this is so difficult to be alone," Amy said. "I have a job where I'm paid on commission. I have not been able to work, but I have friends, community, neighborhood, church community, all rallying around Levi and me, so I don't feel like I am doing it alone."

Provo police confirmed there is an active criminal investigation into the incident. However, because the driver involved is a juvenile, officials said they are limited in what information they can release.

"We can say that it is standard practice for us to gather and investigate all relevant information, which is then referred to the County Attorney's Office for their screening team to review," a police spokesperson said in an email. "We encourage teens and parents to talk openly about physical and legal risk and responsibility, as well as the attendant consequences that can come with participation in dangerous online trends."

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