Travel influencers defend infinity pool photo decried as 'dangerous,' 'pointless'

A travel influencer couple is defending one of their recent photos after the image came under fire on social media for being "dangerous."

Americans Kelly Castille and Kody Workman, who run the Instagram account @positravelty, post photos from their adventures around the world – but on April 2, some of their nearly 80,000 followers thought they took one photoshoot a little too far.

"Influencers" are a class of marketers that produce content online, usually on social media, to a large follower base in partnership with brands.

In the image, which promotes a resort in Bali, Indonesia, Castille is seen hanging off the side of a tall infinity pool.

In the comment section, some users dubbed the stunt "dangerous," "pointless" and a lack of "common sense."

But the couple said they felt "very safe" during an interview with Insider Friday.

"What is probably most surprising to any audience is that this photo was actually Kelly's idea," Workman said. "We are both in good shape, we know our bodies, and, in turn, we know our limits. We had faith in each other and trust to pull this off, and so we made the choice as a team to shoot it."

He also explained how Castille was able to keep a tight grip.

"There is a lip, where the ridge of the infinity pool juts out over the wall where Kelly could get a solid grip and place her weight on her forearms. I held her the entire time, and if zoomed, you can actually see my grip on her arm," he explained. "We have both jumped off of waterfalls and bridges much higher than this infinity pool, so the height aspect wasn't a concern for us at all."

A zoomed-out view of the pool on the resort's Instagram shows another pool just below where Castille was hanging.

Risky photos in scenic spots can lead to accidents, however.

In March, an international tourist died after he fell hundreds of feet into the Grand Canyon while trying to take photos. And in September 2018, a California woman slipped and fell to her death while taking selfies at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Michael P. Ghiglieri, author of "Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon," says people often have a disconnect when it comes to danger in locations like the Grand Canyon.

"They have a cognitive disconnect between danger being a great opportunity for a photo, instead of a legitimate threat to their life," he said.

Video:Tourists dangle their legs, snap pics over cliffs that could collapse

Related:Don't take a selfie in these 10 places

Contributing: Bree Burkitt, Arizona Republic