Parents deny viral video of toddler rescuing twin from fallen dresser was staged

A Utah couple is speaking out against skeptics' claims that a viral video of their toddler son saving his twin brother from a fallen dresser was staged for publicity.

>> Utah dad shares video of 2-year-old saving twin brother from fallen dresser

In an interview Wednesday with Fox News, Ricky Shoff, an employee of the company that made the family's nanny cam, balked at allegations that he would intentionally put his children in danger.

"It's obvious there isn't any editing to the video, and to put my sons in a position where the dresser does fall on them on purpose is a horrible thought," he said. "How would you even stage that even if we were professionals with experience in such?"

>> Watch the Fox News interview here

In another interview with CNN, Shoff's wife, Kayli, had a similar response.

"Why would we put our child in harm's way?" she asked.

>> Watch the CNN interview here

The video, which Shoff shared on Facebook over the weekend, has been viewed millions of times on social media. The dramatic clip shows a dresser falling on his 2-year-old son, Brock. The boy's brother, Bowdy, quickly comes to the rescue, pushing the dresser off his twin.

>> Watch the video here

I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible. We are...

Posted by Ricky Shoff on Sunday, January 1, 2017

"I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible," Shoff wrote in the Facebook post. "We are so grateful for the bond that these twin brothers share. We know Bowdy was not alone in moving the dresser off of Brock. And feel blessed that he is OK. Please make sure all your dressers are bolted and secured to the wall. Please share."

The couple told CNN that the reaction to the video has been mostly positive.

"A lot of people have messaged us since, (saying,) 'Hey, we've now got our dressers bolted,'" Shoff said.
But some critics blasted the parents for not watching the children more closely or securing the children's furniture. 

"You can't 100 percent child-proof your home," Kayli told CNN. "I think it's impossible."

Others were suspicious, wondering why the camera was pointed directly at the dresser, which was empty at the time.

"I'm not sure how they would be able to think that it was a stunt after watching the full video," Shoff told Fox News.

Read more here or here.

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