'Owala saved my life literally': Woman struck by van credits water bottle with protecting her from injury
A woman who was struck by a van while crossing the road is crediting her Owala water bottle with protecting her from serious injury, calling it her "emotional and physical support" in that moment.
Cassandra, 29, said in a TikTok clip that she was heading home from a spin class and crossing the road at a pedestrian, with the traffic lights in her favour, when the van hit her.
Footage captured by a car's dashcam shows Cassandra standing and talking to a man she identified as the driver, while pacing around in the aftermath of the accident. "This was me traumatised af [sic] talking to the driver," she added.
The clip has since garnered more than 51,200 views, 1,487 reactions and 70 comments.
The accident occurred on Dec 5, and Cassandra said she filed a police report that same day at around 2.53pm.
However, it remains unclear exactly where and when the incident took place.
'My Owala cushioned most of the impact'
Owala is a popular brand of insulated stainless steel water bottle, which typically costs between $30 and $80.
Following the incident, Cassandra updated in her post that she had gone to hospital to get checked and confirmed that a police report had been made.
The van struck the side of her body where her Owala bottle was placed in her shoulder bag, and she believes the impact was transferred to the bottle, which protected her from severe harm.
Photos show the bottle in a badly dented state. Cassandra added that it was a Target exclusive Shandy Shore Owala and was grateful that it "saved" her.
Cassandra added that her boyfriend, who was about to board a flight, hurried to be by her side as soon as he heard what happened.
'Owalaoeh': Netizens
"omg [sic] girl glad you are ok!" one user commented.
"Now you got a new design bottle," one user said in jest.
One commenter was amused by how the bottle held up, adding that when they dropped a Stanley it "got a dent worse than this".
Others began to tag Owala in her comments, saying it's "time to sponsor her" with a replacement bottle.
They alluded to an incident where Owala rewarded a man who "fended off the burglars with his bottle," with one commenting: "Your bottle saved her life, now she needs a replacement!"
Stomp has reached out to casserolles for comment.
