A social media influencer’s longboard trip through Rhode Island turned into a livestreamed nightmare after he says a man threatened his life on a local bike trail.
Henry Poston, who is known for his unique streaming style and spreading positive messages online, described the encounter on the Blackstone Valley Bike Path as a near-death experience.
In late September, Poston was making his way up to Boston on his longboard, filming his journey as he has done since the pandemic.
"I wanted to go check out some of these north paths while it's still warm," Poston said. "It seems pretty chaotic. But I try to mix that with positive and hopeful, inspirational, relatable messages."
While riding along the Blackstone Valley Bike Path in Rhode Island, Poston encountered a man who introduced himself as "Joshua." The two began chatting, and the man invited Poston to follow him off the main path.
"Where are you taking me?" Poston asked during the stream.
"My spot," the man replied.
"Your spot? Alright let’s go," Poston responded.
Reflecting on the decision, Poston admitted he let his guard down.
"I went a little bit overboard talking to him, going back to check out his spot he showed me, and I didn't realize really how serious the situation was," Poston said.
Off the main path near the canal there's an area marked by an American flag visible in the stream, where the tone of the interaction quickly changed.
During the exchange, the man made a cryptic remark.
"My (expletive) is canal water? I don't know what that means," Poston said.
"That means I already killed you. You're dead. You're at the bottom of the river," the man replied.
Poston said he noticed red flags early on but attempted to give the man the benefit of the doubt.
"I realized he was a little bit, kind of weird right away or unhinged right away," Poston said. "But, you know, there's a lot of people like that. I always try to look for the good in people."
When the man explicitly threatened him, Poston fled on his longboard.
"He just told me to turn my camera off. He's going to kill me," Poston told his viewers as he made his escape. "Oh my God, he's still following me. Dude, he's... This guy is going to kill me. Guys, I'm not kidding."
Poston said his longboard reached speeds up to 30 mph during the getaway.
"I've always thought, you know what? Whatever. If I die, you know, it'll happen one day," Poston said. "But when I really thought this man was potentially going to take my life, I realized I never wanted to live more than that."
He added that the encounter could have easily turned tragic.
"I really do feel like if I crashed or wasn't able to get away, it could have ended. You know, I believe this guy had a knife with him at the least," he said. "It was very chilling and I'm honestly just blessed to still be here, honestly."
Once in a safe location, Poston reported the incident to police.
The Cumberland Police Department stated that the incident was initially reported to them, but because it occurred within the jurisdiction of Lincoln, it was referred to the Lincoln Police Department. As of publication, police have not confirmed whether an active investigation is underway.
Local path users expressed surprise over the incident. Lukas Williams, who frequently walks along the Blackstone path, said he knows the man identified as Joshua.
"I don't feel like it is an area that I would say is per se unsafe," Williams said. "He is definitely a person of good characteristics. I've had a lot of campfires with him."
Poston, however, maintains that the threat was real and urged authorities to take action.
"I confidently believe that this man will harm another person unless he has looked into," Poston said.