On May 2, 2025, 17-year-old Charlotte Fosgate, known online as @burntfishie, posted a chilling pair of tweets that would soon be revealed as her final public words. The first included a photo from a high bridge, captioned: “it’s a pretty view.” Minutes later, she followed with: “long way down.”
At the time of this writing, Charlotte’s tweet has been viewed more than 3.7 million times. But instead of compassion or grief, much of the internet responded with mockery, memes, and transphobic glee.
Charlotte had been missing for nearly 24 hours prior to her final posts. According to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, she was last seen the night of Friday, May 1, in Oak Grove, Oregon, along SE Arista Drive. Authorities reported her as a missing and endangered minor, known for her severe mental health issues and lack of medication. Authorities noted that she had a transit pass and may have used public transportation to travel to Portland.
As the public call to help locate Charlotte spread through local news outlets, her online persona, @burntfishie, quietly shared her goodbye. And the internet, particularly Twitter, showed its worst face.
Responses flooded in under her final post. “One less freak,” wrote one user. Another mocked, “Gravity did what the hormones couldn’t.” Others created and shared memes from the photo she took just before jumping. Some overlaid her final words with sarcastic audio. TikTok videos soon followed.
Instead of mourning a teenager in crisis, many chose to turn her death into a viral joke.
Not only did her environment fail Charlotte, a transgender teen, but it also mocked her as she left. Social media platforms, particularly X under Elon Musk’s ownership, have become havens for anti-trans sentiment. Hate speech is rampant, moderation is ineffective, and once-banned users now dominate public discourse with bigotry and misinformation. Trans lives are not just under attack in legislation but in timelines.
Still, not everyone was cruel. In the avalanche of hate, some users reached out in grief and solidarity.
One wrote, “The replies under this post are horrifying. She was just a kid. This world didn’t deserve her.” Another pleaded, “If you’re trans and hurting, please don’t disappear like this. Call someone. Call me. Call Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860.”
The internet failed Charlotte twice. First, by not helping when she went missing. Secondly, the internet turned her final plea into content.
According to the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey, more than 40% of trans people have attempted suicide, largely due to social rejection, discrimination, and lack of support. What happened to Charlotte wasn’t inevitable; it was preventable. And it should never happen again.
If you are struggling, know this: You are not alone. You are not a joke. You are not a meme.
Call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860. Help exists. You are loved. You are real. You matter.
