A planned gender reveal party in Cancun, Mexico, went horribly wrong after an accident caused the deaths of two people.
The New York Post reports that on March 30, 2021, friends and family of the expectant parents gathered in Mexico to throw a baby shower and gender reveal party. The crowd was there to watch a plane fly ahead. The plane carried a banner revealing the biological sex of the baby.
As onlookers watched, the plane suddenly took a nosedive downward into the sea, killing both the pilot and the copilot.
The plane reportedly performed a few stunts while the onlookers cheered. In video from the accident, one person is heard joking, "It's all good as long as it doesn't end up crashing into us."
All of a sudden, the plane began falling from the sky directly into the sea. At least two and possibly as many as four people were believed to have been on board the plane.
Local news reports that the bodies were "transferred aboard boats, since the accident took place in the area of the lagoon about 300 meters inland." It is believed that one person died at the accident scene, and a second died following injuries sustained during the accident.
Many have called for an end to so-called gender reveals, arguing that while the biological sex of a baby can be determined before birth, the gender cannot. Jenna Myers Karvunidis, the mom credited with beginning the trend online, has repeatedly spoken out against gender reveal parties in subsequent years.
This is also not the first time a gender reveal party has had disastrous and fatal consequences. In 2020, one firefighter died after an explosive used at a California gender reveal party sparked the notorious El Dorado wildfire in the state.
Jenna Myers Karvunidis commented on that event, writing, "The fire that evacuated parts of California is from a GENDER REVEAL PARTY. Stop it. Stop having these stupid parties. For the love of God, stop burning things down to tell everyone about your kid’s penis. No one cares but you."
