The 27-year-old Washington man who jumped into the ocean from an 11th-floor deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship told Inside Edition he doesn't want people thinking his stunt is a joke.
The Washington man who went viral for leaping off the 11th-floor deck of a cruise ship told Inside Edition he "didn't really think it through."
Stomach-churning video posted on Instagram shows the moment Nick Naydev, 27, hurled himself over the edge of the balcony to his 11th-floor room on the Royal Caribbean cruise Symphony of the Seas. He was later banned for life by the cruise line for the dangerous stunt.
"Nothing was really going through my mind. I'm like, 'I gotta do this,' and just two seconds later, I just jumped and didn't really think it through," said Naydev.
Naydev also admitted he was still a little drunk from the night before. "The previous night we were drinking quite a bit, so I was still feeling the effects of the alcohol," he added.
Though the video racked up tons of views on social media and attracted plenty of attention, Naydev is warning others to think twice before risking their lives for viral fame.
"I hope I don't inspire anybody to do this because it is very dangerous," he said. "I mean, don't think this is a joke."
In a statement, Royal Caribbean called Naydev's behavior "stupid and reckless."
“We are exploring legal action," the cruise line added.
For his part, Naydev is just thankful to be alive. "It impacted my tailbone and my neck pretty hard, but luckily it wasn't anything serious," he said.
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