Man arrested for swimming in Bass Pro Shops fish tank says he was seeking TikTok fame

A man was arrested after video surfaced of him swimming in a giant fish tank at a Bass Pro Shops store in Louisiana. 

According to KSLA, Kevin Wise was charged on June 29 with criminal damage to property after a video emerged on social media showing him swimming in the tank.

Treasure McGraw, the local shopper who captured the now viral footage, told Storyful she was “admiring the fish” when she noticed “a big splash” and then saw a man swimming.

“The guy was shouting and celebrating that he was doing something that everyone always wanted to do,” McGraw said. “He jumped out of the tank, leaving his mask and hat behind, and ran through the store and out of the door. His shoes were squeaking with every step.”

McGraw shared her footage on Facebook on June 25. “In today’s news. This guy decided to go swimming with the fish,” read a caption alongside the clip. The video has since garnered over 269,000 views. 

Just before his dive, Wise posted a video to his TikTok account in which he told followers of his intent to go swimming in the tank, urging his audience to help him “go viral.”

Wise has since posted several videos related to the Bass Pro Shops swimming incident, including one of him claiming to have lost his job because of the prank. 

“TikTok fame is on the way!” Wise exclaimed in the video.