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Who is 'Black Aquaman'? Internet hails teenager from viral Alabama brawl for swimming across river to help battered dock guard

'We are immensely proud of his actions and the values he exemplifies, standing as an inspiration to us all,' a representative of Aaren's family said

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: A brawl broke out in a waterfront area of Montgomery, Alabama, during the evening of Saturday, August 5. The viral video of the incident shows a group of White men attacking a Black security guard after he asked them to remove their pontoon boat from the supposed docking place of the city’s riverboat, the Harriot II, as reported by Daily Express.

Soon, those atop the riverboat started singing the 'Move, B***h’ by Ludacris at the group with the pontoon boat. However, when the security guard tried to move the vessel by himself, the members of the group supposedly started physically assaulting him.

While several spectators came to the aid of the security guard, it was the heroics of a 16-year-old, who is hailed as the "Black Aquaman," that impressed many.

Who is 'Black Aquaman'?

The 16-year-old boy, who has been a crew at the riverboat, has only been identified as Aaren (and as Aaren Rudolph by the netizens). The teen jumped off a boat and swam to help a dock worker getting throttled by a group of people during a wild brawl at the Montgomery Riverfront on Saturday.

His courage and prompt reactionary nature earned him the nickname of "Black Aquaman" on the Internet. 

What caused the Montgomery boat brawl?

A wild brawl broke out on August 5, around 7 pm, at the Alabama capital after a Black dock worker, later identified as Damien Pickett, asked them to move their boat parked illegally in the spot reserved for a large tourist riverboat.

The riverboat had been waiting for 45 minutes, with passengers aboard, to dock. According to Vox, Pickett, the riverboat’s first mate and co-captain, disembarked in order to move the pontoon boat himself.

In response, a shirtless man rushed to Pickett and began trading blows, soon at least three others attacked Pickett, punching him in the face, beating and kicking him. A woman circled him and also began pummeling him, claim reports. The brawl was fueled by alcohol and adrenaline, some witnesses also said.

'Black Aquaman' at the epicenter of memes

As videos captured by several bystanders around the dock went viral on social media, people acknowledged "Black Aquaman" Aaren's courage with various memes. He also received a list of other superhero aliases including "Shaquille O’Gills," "JaMichael Phelps," "Tyrone Lochte," "Lil' Namor," and "21 Tilapia."

'Black Aquaman' speaks out

When asked about the incident, Aaren said that he only did "what I was taught to do." He was hailed by netizens for showing courage in the face of adversity when he jumped off the boat to save his colleague working at the dock.

The violence soon subsided when officers reached the scene with four search warrants, according to WSFA. The police said that they received a call at around 7 pm regarding the violence at the waterfront.

'Black Aquaman's family proud of superhero nickname

A person representing Aaren’s family, Makina Lashea, released a statement saying that the 16-year-old is a "cherished young hero" and thanked people for they have "come together to celebrate the remarkable act of bravery and compassion" of Aaren.

They further said that Aaren’s family was indeed proud of the superhero nickname given to him. In a statement, Lashea said, "In the face of adversity, Aaren selflessly came to the rescue of a fellow colleague, showcasing courage beyond his years," as per the New York Post.

"The overwhelming love and support pouring in from all corners of the state and surrounding areas have deeply touched Aaren. We are immensely proud of his actions and the values he exemplifies, standing as an inspiration to us all," added the spokesperson.

The statement further mentioned, "Your messages and gestures of appreciation have not gone unnoticed, and they have left a lasting impact on Aaren and his family. We assure you that he will continue being a force for good in the world."

What is the white folding chair meme?

Besides "Black Aquaman," a white folding chair also managed to steal the spotlight after the shocking Montgomery Riverfront Brawl. People were thrown into the water and a folded chair was used by a Black man to hit over someone's head. The humble folding chair instantly became a symbol of resistance and empowerment on social media.

The police have since urged the man with the chair, identified as Reggie Ray, to come forward as “there’s more interviews to conduct with him.” Footage from inside the larger boat shows Ray swinging the chair down on one of the earlier aggressors.

Social media came out in support of Reggie Ray, hailed as 'The Chair Warrior' and 'Chairmageddon' online, with one writing: "Reggie Gray needs our support & hopefully a GoFundMe gets started for good representation." Another urged people to "leave the chair man alone."

Even the inventor of the folding chair, Nathaniel Alexander, became a trending topic on Twitter. Here are some hilarious memes:

Montgomery Police investigate brawl 

The Montgomery Police said on Sunday, "Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man for doing his job. Warrants have been signed and justice will be served."

They informed about obtaining four warrants in connection with the incident, adding, "There’s a possibility more will follow after the review of additional video."

"This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community. Those who choose violent actions will be held accountable by our criminal justice system," stated the police, as per Mirror.