Two deaf friends have shared the heartwarming moment they tried to communicate “offline” in the water – without the help of cochlear implants or sign language.
Cassandra Mulo filmed the interaction between herself and longtime friend Dylan White at home in her swimming pool.
It shows them playfully talking and gesturing to each other while their implants are switched off.
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The joyous clip has now been viewed over 4.7m times on TikTok alone.
Both Cassandra and Dylan are profoundly deaf and rely on cochlear implants in their day-to-day lives, but are able to communicate with each other in other ways.
Before they jumped into the pool, the pair removed their aids and showed how they were forced to rely solely on lip reading, gestures and their own made-up way of communicating.
“We were simply communicating offline,” Cassandra told What’s The Jam.
“Because we can’t hear our own voices when our implants are off, we recorded ourselves so we could watch it back later once they were back on.
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“For some reason, I also decided to post it – and then it went viral.”
The friends first met in Year 1 at school before losing touch in Year 4 and reconnecting as adults.
“Our friendship has really deepened since the video went viral,” Cassandra said.
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“It wasn’t staged or performative. It was just real – two big kids having fun with our ‘limitations’.”
She explained that, despite being deaf, neither of them regularly use formal sign language.
“We mostly communicate through lip reading, speaking orally and using our hands – not official sign language, more our own version,” she said.
Cassandra and Dylan, based in Queensland, Australia, both work jobs and live full lives with the help of their implants.
And while they don’t often associate with other deaf people, the clip has been widely praised by members of the deaf community for its lighthearted and authentic tone.
One user, named Lochie, said: “As I am profoundly deaf this is so funny. Can totally relate.”
Another user said: “My baby is profoundly deaf too! This video and seeing you having so much fun gives me joy.”
Cassandra said that seeing so many reactions to their video has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s been really emotional in the best way,” Cassandra said.
“What felt like a small, everyday moment to us clearly resonated with a lot of people, which was unexpected, but beautiful.”
The video has also sparked curiosity about how the pair speak so clearly and why they have Australian accents, rather than the nasal tone some people assume deaf speech has.
She hopes the clip encourages others to be more open about how different people connect.
“Communication isn’t limited to speech,” she said.
“Deafness doesn’t mean disconnection. In many ways, it can create deeper awareness and presence when people are willing to meet each other halfway.
“If it encourages even one person to be more curious about how others communicate, then that’s something really special.”
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