An influencer took a note out of the bird handbook and lobbed his son off a cliff. Although he didn’t fly, bringing dishonour to his bloodline, he was unharmed. But those online did not stand for it.
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On July 12, Garrett Gee, the influencer behind The Bucket List family, posted an Instagram video of him throwing his 7-year-old son Cali off a cliff into the ocean. Although he explained his methods in the caption, he received some hefty online backlash for it.
Gee spoke to PEOPLE to explain the video and respond to the backlash. “If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them,” he said.
“‘Oh man, this looks terrible, and this father’s pushing their child too much,’” he reasoned. “But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.”
The Bucket List Family travel the world and goes on all sorts of adventures. Cliff jumping isn’t for everyone, but it’s right up the family’s street.
In the caption of the video, he explained that he threw his son off the cliff to prevent injury. If Cali had hesitated or not jumped far out enough, he could have hit the cliff itself. By throwing him, Gee was able to ensure the jump was as safe as possible.
Garrett Gee Felt Sad When Reading Angry Comments
“A small part of me felt sad when I would read the comments because you could tell how many people out there didn’t have the opportunity to be pushed by their parents to try new things and stayed within their comfort zone,” he said.
“That’s not the best way to live life,” he continued. “When people were very upset or terrified by the video, those were the people whom I thought, ‘I would love to go on an adventure with you and help you try something new.'”
Ultimately, however, the comments didn’t affect him “negatively in any way.”
“I’m very confident in who me and my wife are as parents and our intentions and how careful, cautious and loving we are,” he explained. “It didn’t affect me. I understand the nature of the internet.”
Gee also urged people to “Go on a fun adventure in your own backyard and then something in your own like region and just build from there to make sure it’s what you want to do.” He acknowledges that his family went the extreme route, but it’s not for everyone.