By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-01 13:25:35 | Updated at 2024-10-02 02:43:13
13 hours ago
An influencer has been labelled dumb after purposefully pulling a dangerous camping stunt during Hurricane Helene which has left over 130 dead.
Mike Smalls, from Tampa, has racked up millions of views after sharing clips of himself attempting to set up a tent in gale-force winds before being knocked to the ground and almost being engulfed by rushing floodwater.
The full-time streamer, 26, took on the Category 4 storm which began ripping through the Florida Golf Coast on Thursday before beginning its trail of destruction through the southeast.
Smalls was at the Bayshore when the extreme weather rolled in on September 26, and filmed himself in a vest top and cap as he pitched a flimsy tent under 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 thrashed around in the wind.
Content creator Mike Smalls, from Tampa, pulled a dangerous camping stunt during Hurricane Helene which has killed over 130 people
In a viral clip, Smalls could be seen getting knocked to the ground by the gale-force winds
Another part of the footage saw the influencer wading through deep floodwaters as viewers warned him of snakes and gators
In another section of the footage, he could be heard repeatedly calling for help as a body of water strikes his tent.
He filmed his surroundings which saw an underground area full of floodwater, as Smalls waded through and laughed at the dangerous situation he found himself in.
As he livestreamed, viewers were quick to leave warnings and comments of their shock and confusion as to why he would willingly venture out into the storm - which has been dubbed one of the worst in US history.
In one clip, that has already racked up 11million views on X, one fan wrote: 'This ain't gonna end well'.
While Smalls made his way through the floodwater, another said: 'Careful with the sharks,' while others warned him to watch for powerlines.
'Careful of snakes and gators,' commented a third.
Another wrote: 'You can get sick from that water'.
'Your life is next to lose,' a fifth concerned fan wrote in the comment section on Smalls' livestream.
But clapping back at those who doubted him, the streamer said: 'I decided to stream myself during the hurricane because I knew that it would be something creative and new [that] the live streaming industry hasn't really seen before.
'Plus, I've always liked storms growing up so the idea of 'storm chasing' really appealed to me.
'The reaction I was expecting was just like how most of my live streaming stunts would go.
'I knew some may find shocking, entertaining, dumb, comical or even off-putting.
Smalls filmed himself sitting outside during the hurricane which tore through Florida on Thursday
As a full-time streamer, he is no stranger to performing stunts but the 26-year-old claims he did 'extensive research' before deciding to attempt to take on the Category 4 storm
The hurricane has torn through the southeast of the United States since Thursday
Houses and roads have been ripped apart due to the extreme weather
'Although I knew that regardless of the reactions I got from the audience, and what people's opinions were, people would still tune in just to see what would happen'.
Smalls claimed he carried out a lot of extensive research before attempting to pull of the wild stunt.
'I knew the hurricane was going to be bad, but not that bad in my area if I timed it perfectly,' he reassured his fans.
'It was just enough to get a highly suspenseful live stream in.'
The streamer admits that things did get hairy at times but he didn't believe he would get injured.
He added: 'There were parts of the stream in which I was a little worried but overall, I'm an entertainer and a very calculated person.
'I would have never did it if I genuinely thought my life would be at risk. [sic]
'I am a relatively small streamer and this was my biggest stream I've ever done.
'Many people gave me props for the creativity and guts to pull something like this off, while others thought this was a cry for attention, very dumb, or something I did 'just for views'.
'So when people say this was 'dumb' that I'm risking my life for views, I understand it may appear that way, but they also didn't see how calculated I was and the research that went into it.
'Hence, why I was able to make it home safe and sound.'
