A brief video of an African-American man swimming in Montgomery, Alabama, waters to help rescue a dock worker in distress has gone viral as the individual in question was hilariously dubbed Black Aquaman.
The incident that garnered national attention and sparked a plethora of hilarious memes transpired on August 6, 2023, when several people were taken into custody after a fight broke out at Montgomery’s Riverfront Park in Alabama.
The fight started after an African-American dock worker was attacked by several white men after he asked them to move their pontoon so a riverboat can dock. The incident, which was filmed by passengers on the riverboat, showed several men pummeling the dock worker to the ground before other workers and bystanders jumped in to lend assistance to the beaten security guard.
A teen crew worker from the riverboat, who is now being called the Black Aquaman on Twitter, also dived into the water to render aid to the dock worker in distress. The swimmer, identified as 16-year-old, Aaren, is now trending for displaying courage in the face of adversity.
“Blak Aquaman” issues statement over
Montgomery Riverfront swimming video
As the Montgomery Riverfront swimming video went viral, Aaren’s family publicist issued a statement addressing the incident. It was posted on publicist Makina Lashea’s Facebook page, thanking people for their support and said:
“In the face of adversity, Aaren selflessly came to the rescue of a colleague, showcasing courage beyond his years. We are immensely proud of his actions and the values he exemplifies standing as an inspiration to us all.”
While the teen garnered praise on social media, he also sparked hilarious memes after he was dubbed the “Black Aquaman.” A netizen, who succinctly surmised the hilarious reactions to the incident, wrote:
“This Montgomery Alabama boat situation added 5 years extra to my life. I’ve never laughed so much in one day. You had multiple protagonists “Black Aquaman” “Dignified Security Guard” and best of all “Mr ChairMan”. And the commentary was something else.”
Meanwhile, several others posted hilarious memes:
Another social media user expressed their admiration over the swift action and said:
“The gentleman that SWAM MM to assist during the racist altercation in AL is the black AQUAMAN. His senses started tingling . & he jumped in that water in 4.3 seconds.”
Meanwhile, another netizen highlighted the amusing commentary over the video and wrote:
“The commentary!!! Highlights for me were “here comes Black Aquaman” and “here comes Karen in the green dress” and “where are their parents?!” and “That cop knocked Karen on her keister–what are they gonna say about THAT on Fox News?” Howling.”
While Twitteratis had a field day with the viral Montgomery Riverfront incident that sparked several hilarious memes, including the Boston Tea Party reference, the video also helped police obtain at least four active warrants on Sunday. The police also noted that “there’s a possibility more will follow after the review of the additional video.”
In a statement on Sunday, Mayor Steven L. Reed condemned the violence and said:
“Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job. Warrants have been signed and justice will be served. This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community. Those who choose violent actions will be held accountable by our criminal justice system.”
Meanwhile, the police have yet to disclose the suspects’ names in the case.