"Pay Your Own Bills": Fans Bash TikToker Caleb Coffee's Family for GoFundMe to Pay for Hiking Injuries

The gist:

• TikToker Caleb Coffee was involved in a scary accident where he slipped and fell 60 to 80 feet while hiking in Hawaii on Aug. 16, 2023.
• He posted a video from his hospital bed to share that he found out his neck ws not broken. However, he's been dealing with injuries such as a "broken femur, elbow, wrist, and multiple gouges and burns throughout his entire body."
• Fans are mad that his TikTok-famous family is asking for GoFundMe donations after not insuring their son.

A TikTok star with 11 million followers, Caleb Coffee, suffered injuries from a scary accident in Hawaii on Aug. 16.

Here's what happened to Caleb — and why fans are not happy with the way his family have handled the situation.

In a video posted Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, Caleb shared the caption, "It's a miracle that I'm alive today. Praise God. Thank you for this third chance at life! And also, thank you to anyone who is supporting me today. You will never know how much that truly means to me and my family."

"Thank you for all of the prayers, kind words, and donations. I am overwhelmed with gratitude," the 18-year-old added.

Caleb — who shared the TikTok from a hospital bed, clearly banged up, and with staples in his head, and bruises and scrapes over much of his face — updated fans in the short clip that he'd just found out his neck wasn't broken.

In a GoFundMe update shared previously by his sister Peyton, it had been speculated Caleb might have a spinal fracture after slipping and falling while hiking with friends.

Peyton also shared in the GoFund Me that "unfortunately Caleb did not have medical insurance and we can not afford these medical bills." (More on this later.)

Upon sharing his gratitude for the support he'd received both via GoFundMe, online, and through his faith, Caleb then admitted in his TikTok video, "This is not the first time I have almost died in my life."

Caleb told his fans that when he was younger, the social media star suffered from serious seizures and "almost died." Caleb added, "Yesterday I almost died as well."

Caleb shared that he fell 60 to 80 feet, and clearly overcome with emotion said, "I don't even remember. I just woke up and I thought I was going to die. But then I didn't die. Thank you God."

Despite not having fractured his neck, as Peyton shared with her brother's fans, Caleb also suffered from a "broken femur, elbow, wrist, and multiple gouges and burns throughout his entire body."

After Caleb was airlifted to a hospital following the fall from the lava rocks, Peyton said, "The medics and everyone is telling us he’s lucky to be alive and is one of the strongest out there."

Caleb's dad Jason also kept fans updated on his son's condition, sharing harrowing photos and video from Caleb's hospital room.

Fans took to social media to slam Caleb's family — which includes his TikTok-famous dad Jason — for asking for donations when they likely rake in money from their social media jobs.

They also bashed the family for not having their son insured to begin with, and they took issue with Caleb for having been hiking in an illegal area where she shouldn't have been trespassing.

"I'm glad your son is OK," one fan wrote on Jason's Instagram. "However, he shouldn't have been hiking in a NO TRESPASSING area. I hope he learned his lesson."

"You clearly aren't a poor family. Why should we be paying for Caleb's healthcare when you were too irresponsible to insure him?" someone else asked.

"Pay your own bills," a commenter wrote.

"You’re required to insure your children until the age of 26 or until they get married. If he’s not insured, you’re the one who should pay. Not the public. Irresponsible parenting on your part," wrote another commenter.

"You did this to your son…. Then you grift off honest people," said someone else.

"Immediately asking for handouts is incredibly scummy," one person wrote.