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Guests nearby continued filming because they didn\u2019t realize she was actually struggling<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
By the end of Shelby and Corey Crawford\u2019s wedding night, the newlyweds were sweaty, exhausted and looking for one last fun moment before the celebration ended. Jumping into the pool in their wedding clothes felt spontaneous, playful and completely harmless.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was something I had seen people do before and thought it would be a fun way to end the night,\u201d Shelby Crawford, 30, tells PEOPLE exclusively.<\/p>\n
The Chattanooga bride says she had casually mentioned the idea earlier in the day, but the plan didn\u2019t become real until late that night when the summer heat and wedding adrenaline fully kicked in. Standing beside the pool with her husband, Corey, 35, the decision suddenly felt easy.<\/p>\n\n\nShelby and Corey Crawford
\u201cBy the end of the night, we were just kind of like, yeah, let’s go do it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Before jumping in, Crawford thought she would be able to keep control of the dress underwater by holding the fabric down at her sides. But the second she leaped into the pool, she forgot completely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I went to actually jump in, the adrenaline just got to me, and I didn’t do that,\u201d she recalls. \u201cSo the dress just went over my head after I jumped in.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she surfaced, Crawford says the heavy layers immediately clung to her face. Even though she wasn\u2019t underwater anymore, she still couldn\u2019t properly breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn’t being held underwater, but I still couldn’t really catch a breath,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, guests nearby continued filming what they believed was a carefree wedding-night moment. Crawford says nobody realized she was struggling because she never screamed or splashed around.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really couldn’t tell anything was wrong,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey said I appeared so calm and quiet during all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luckily, Corey was already beside her in the pool and quickly helped pull the dress away from her face. Even then, Crawford says the reality of what happened didn\u2019t fully hit everyone until afterward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were shocked,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The couple later posted the video on TikTok<\/a>, writing in the text overlay, “The saxophones getting louder as everyone films me drowning in my wedding dress. They never expected millions of people to watch the frightening moment unfold online, though it now has 2.2 million views. Crawford says she almost didn\u2019t upload it at all.<\/p>\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for <\/strong>PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div>
\nCorey and Shelby Crawford
\u201cIt’s funny to us that it went viral in the first place because we were just doing it for fun,\u201d she says. \u201cI almost didn’t even post the video.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, the couple mostly laughs about the moment, even though Crawford admits the memory will probably stick with them forever. She says the incident has already become one of those stories they know they\u2019ll never stop hearing about.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d she says when asked whether the moment will follow them through marriage. \u201cWe are never ever going to live this one down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n