Travel influencer sparks fury after tossing son off a cliff in 'wild' parenting moment on lake trip
Garrett Gee, 35, the patriarch of the well-known influencer family known as 'The Bucket List Family, ' described the moment as part of his 'unique' parenting style.
The video, shared on Instagram on July 12, was filmed during a recent family trip to Lake Powell - a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona. It shows Gee teaching his youngest child, Calihan 'Cali' Gee, how to cliff jump.
The clip opens with an on-screen message warning: 'Most people won't love how we teach our kids how to cliff jump.'
In the video, Cali appears hesitant as he approaches the edge of the rock and reaches for his father's hand.
He then turns away, shielding his eyes in what appears to be fear.
Moments later, Gee lifts his son and throws him off the cliff into the water below as Cali can be heard screaming during the descent.
The video then cuts to the family's two older children, Dorothy and Manilla, jumping from the same cliff together.
Anticipating the controversy, Gee included a disclaimer in the caption: 'This is NOT parental advice. This is NOT something I advise you try. Also, this is NOT something we've done with all of our kids. Each kid is quite different…'
He later defended the decision, saying that throwing Cali was a calculated choice made with safety in mind.
Gee claimed he selected a safe height and wanted to prevent his son from hesitating and potentially injuring himself.
'He wanted to jump but was not feeling confident… I threw him,' Gee explained, comparing the moment to a baby eagle being nudged from the nest.
'Eventually a baby eagle needs to leave the nest... or be tossed out of the nest ;) and learn HE CAN FLY!'
Online critics were quick to respond, with some applauding the family's adventurous lifestyle and praising the father-of-three for teaching courage and trust.
'Coming from someone who grew up in a very fear-based/avoid all forms of struggle environment: you training your children to be courageous and to confront their fears is an absolute GIFT to their future selves,' one supporter wrote.
Others, however, were disturbed by the video and questioned its ethics and safety.
'Honest question, no judgment. Did he know he was going to be thrown?' one commenter asked.
Gee replied, 'YES. He had the choice… He chose to be thrown.'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Garrett Gee (@garrettgee)
The Bucket List Family first gained attention in 2015 after Garrett Gee sold his mobile app, Scan, to Snapchat for a reported $54 million
Despite trying to keep the tone light - even joking that brave kids might one day jump from heights their parents wouldn't dare - the video has sparked a broader debate about parenting in the influencer era.
'Cliff jumping is very very dangerous! Ask an ER doctor or nurse. How do you reconcile that as a parent?' one critic commented.
'This is about the dad, not about the emotional safety and wellbeing of the family,' another added.
'Negligent and irresponsible just for views?!!' a third wrote.
Gee, however, seemed unfazed by the uproar. In response to one commenter about the backlash, he wrote, 'Eh, that's basically everything on the internet these days ;)'
He ended the post with a message that straddled encouragement and caution: 'But warning: teaching your kids to be brave starts to backfire when they become older and begin jumping from heights that you don't even dare!! /// BE SAFE OUT THERE! YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! HAVE FUN!'
The Bucket List Family first gained attention in 2015 after Garrett Gee sold his mobile app, Scan, to Snapchat for a reported $54 million.
A former BYU student and Mormon missionary, Gee chose to invest the money and live simply.
He and his wife, Jessica, 39, sold their belongings and embarked on a global adventure with their children, documenting their experiences as a family travel journal on social media.
Over the past decade, the Gees have visited more than 90 countries and built a brand rooted in 'family, faith, and fearlessness.' Their nomadic lifestyle has earned them millions of followers and partnerships with global brands and tourism boards.
Although they established a home base in Hawaii in 2018, the family continues to travel extensively.
In a 2023 interview with TODAY.com, Jessica reflected on the joys of their unconventional lifestyle:
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