Man sues best friend of 13 years after he pushed him into shark-infested waters. AITA?
"AITA for suing my best friend of 13 years after he pushed me into shark-infested waters as a prank?"
I 27M have been best friends with M27 for 13 years. We’ve always been super close. Last week, we went on vacation to a beach state, and everything was going great—until this happened.
We were hanging out near a pier, taking pictures. There were hammerhead sharks in the water, clearly visible but far enough away. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he shoves me into the water. I freaked out, screaming, thinking I could die. Thankfully, a lifeguard pulled me out right away, but I was absolutely terrified.
When I got out, I saw my friend laughing and filming the whole thing. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t even say a word—I just went back to the hotel, packed up, and finished the trip on my own. Later that night, he sent me the video, making fun of the whole thing. I felt so humiliated and betrayed. He literally put my life in danger for a joke.
When I got home, I talked to a lawyer and decided to sue him. I used the video as evidence, and he was served papers yesterday. He called me and he’s now furious, saying it was just a joke and that I’m overreacting after 13 years of friendship. AITA?
Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:
blueeyed94 said:
I would choose the sharks over your "friend." NTA.
wanderer866 said:
NTA. If you have a case, it wasn't "just a joke." Jokes don't leave people open to civil liability.
Kittytigris said:
If he cared about his friend, he wouldn’t be trying to kill him in the first place. NTA. I’d tell him that, "I don’t consider someone trying to kill me a joke. Talk to my lawyer."
GaviotaRespaldo said:
13 years of friendship doesn’t mean he gets a free pass to put your life in danger. He messed up big time.
brie_cheeses said:
Dude, what kind of friend pushes you into shark-infested waters?? That’s not a prank; that’s straight-up dangerous.
MsAlexismalone said:
Your life was literally on the line and he’s laughing like it’s a TikTok challenge? Nah, suing him is fair.