I won’t lie I have actually been, that is until I ever heard about these horror stories Now I can’t even think about some of the dives I myself have done 😅 weird right
The Shaft is on our family property, it was our great grandfather that found this hole when he was ploughing the paddock with his horse, not taking them to get water. The horses hoof went through and found the hole. The rock pile was also put in there when he attempted to fill in the hole not realising how big it actually was 👍
This hole would fascinate me to obsession and absolutely give me nightmares. I love that your gg grandfather created the rock pile. I think I would keep adding to it.
the number of times i have drowned getting lost in underwater caves in games has been a pretty clear indicator for me that i should never go in real life.
Subnautica awakened the fear in me. Those caves get so disorientating. Then your oxygen is running out and It's been ages since you last saved, frantically trying to remember which way is out, swimming into multiple dead ends and loops. Should have worked on getting the little lights that mark a path. I saved a lot more often after I lost over an hour of progress.
I agree it's depressing, but none of them were cave dive certified, because they should've put out a line to follow to prevent them from getting lost and disoriented. That's one of the first things you do in a technical dive.
The fact that they found the two divers hugging each other is so sad that it made me want to cry and also the fact that the brother leapt back in for his siblings and friends knowing he might not find them and could get trapped too broke my heart.
I knew Christine, Stephen and Glenn. Stephen was my dive instructor at their SCUBA shop in Sydney in December 1972. I remember this so well. Christine and Stephen were typical young teenagers of the early 70's - full of life. As a 14-year-old, I thought they were so cool. It hit me really hard when the news broke. My father came to my room when he heard it on the news the next morning to tell me what had happened, he was crying. My dad came to all my dives and enjoyed just being around everyone. Although I was much younger at 14, Stephen and Christine never treated me any different. RIP to all of them.
Ralath Aka Defiant There was no lead instructor. Both Steve and Glenn were instructors. This was a dive by friends not an organised instructional dive.
I had the worst illness, I went to the doctor and he diagnosed me with being a fan of the strange dark and mysterious delivered in story format and prescribed your channel to me and now I'm recovered. Thank.you
Dam the part when the two people embraced themselves knowing they’re about to die hit my heart pretty hard. All because of a single mistake that could’ve EASILY been avoided if they followed a simple rule… listen people, there are rules for a reason and when your doing something dangerous as cave diving you should just follow them and hold your curiosity at bay.
I don’t get those people. Like it was clear they hadn’t had nitrogen narcosis so they were very much aware what they were doing. And they were told that they are not allowed to go down there because it can cause them to die and yet they did exactly that. That’s jus plain stupidity.
@@Manie230 No it was not clear that they hadn't had nitrogen narcosis. That's just a blatant lie assuming they were completely fine. Sounds like they shouldn't have gone further into the dive and after several critical mistakes they perished.
@@Noah-gk7rn it was clear because the dude tagt survived hadn’t had it and if he hadn’t had it it’s almost certainly the case that the others were fine too. Also the other dude that swam down with them said that they all said beforehand that they wanted to take a dip into level 3 whilst they knew that they were not allowed. It was plain stupidity that caused the deaths of those people.
As he said they already made the fatal mistake when they chose the air they used, the nitrogen narcosis made them make those other mistakes because they weren't thinking soundly.
The fact the Glenn was unaware of the group’s plan to go further down then they were allowed shows, in my opinion, that if he knew then he would have put a stop to it.
I've never found it, or even looked for the secret, bc the stories are too captivating and amazing to listen to. But I think the few, who're finding it, completely ignore the story at first - knowing they can listen to it later and as often as they want - and study their large screens instead; people also said in the comments repeatedly, there's no chance to find it on a regular cellphone (screen = way too small). For me this takes away to even look for it, when I know, I'd need at least a 15 inch television screen to find that stupid thing, tbh.
@@Hash710x That's sad. Scuba diving is awesome and very safe, if you don't push your limits and only go as far as you're certified. There are special courses for everything. These young people didn't had a cave diving course but went cave diving anyway.
Go watch the video of the dude who died on the Nutty Putty tunnel, or watch people spelunking the Birth Canal I guarantee you will have 15 or 16 in the scale of Anxiety.
I just imagined myself at the moment the guy saw the others in the dead-end and his flashlight just went awol... Jesus Christ, I'd rather fight Jason Voorhees than live that!
The next time my daughter tells me she's going mountain climbing, instead of being sick with worry I'm going to try to be grateful that at least she's not cave diving.
@@milktoast8875 How many drunk people (not just buzzed) have you seen make rational choices? I see them sleeping on the roads and breaking bones with over confidence. Now imagine those people teleporting down 400 feet in a dark cave of water with special suits with special gases and protocols to follow. Exactly lol
@@milktoast8875 Uhm, no. It goes in the direction of air. It'll just look like mist everywhere. Low light conditions. You're not in a clear pool. Your backdrop is shadows and rock.
The suicidal arrogance, stupidity, whatever you want to call it, that leads to these deaths is just crazy. The phrase, "stay in your lane," has accrued a patina of cynicism over the years, but in life-and-death diving is it literally the dividing line between life and death.
@@viceb7 In my opinion, cave diving in water is simply stupid. I think all of these people that take such foolish risk for so little in return secretly have a Deathwish. However, they want their death to be sensational.
It's human curiosity that allows human consciousness to expand. These people are part of the reason we know so much about our world. And we're all going to die; suicidal or not. Reserve your judgment, perhaps?
@@lindisamathabela3192 I'm not criticizing risk taking. I'm criticizing irrational risk taking, arrogant risk taking, risk taking that's stupid, unprepared, and which ignores the mistakes of others. There is a certain lemming-like character to these deaths. I take your point, aand agree with it, but I think your point is misapplied in this particular instance. I have been in caves not as a diver but as an amateur spelunker, and although I have been in some tight squeezes, I also have backed away from some spots that just gave me the wrong feeling, a feeling of imminent danger. There is a difference and it's wise to listen to one's gut in those matters.
I was caught in a cave collapse when I was 20. Me and 5 friends were trapped for 3 days. It changed my life . We all made it out fine thankfully. But I will never go into a cave tunnel or anything underground ever again.
Just curious ... how did you get out of that cave where you & 5 friends were trapped? Glad you made it out though! Did you guys burrow your way or were you rescued? What happened?
@@benjamin5909 how did you survive without food or water?? Also props to you for being that smart to let ppl know your location at five years old Please do a reddit ama
Sinkholes are scary. That's why I love in Arizona where the land is mostly solid rock underneath. But who knows when the mega quake hits California if I'll be safe
just found this channel via google and reddit cause i was searching for another tragic event and i randomly got a suggestion for ur subreddit . just wanted to say that youre such an enticing and great storyteller and i love how much respect you have for victims ! will be supporting and watching daily from this point on
Just imagine walking in the middle of a grassy field relaxing and stuff... and then suddenly out of nowhere you plunge into a massive 300 meters deep cave full of ice cold water.. and nobody even knows you're there.. the guy was lucky the horse found the hole and it wasn't him who stepped onto it
That's why you should always let a friend or family member know you are going for a gentle stroll in a flat grassy inland field and what time you intend to return, and always provide them with a resource sheet for contacting cave rescue teams
man thats messed up, i guess the only good thing is that since is so narrow its a very low chance that you would just fall through it, in those pictures you can see they are basically getting as narrow as they can to get through it.
I'm getting creeped out just watching, and I'm not easily affected. I'm sure it's beautiful down there, but it's not something I would ever want to do. I don't understand how Mr B. can narrate this so dispassionately.
I can only imagine the moment regret set in for those divers who risked it all at the expense of losing their lives. What tragedy for Glen to witness first hand his siblings not coming home with him & even worst to explain to his parents
I barely outrun a flash flood in an underground drain no taller than me. In that moment i truly regretted every single life decision that led me to that point, felt so much despair knowing I could not get a final message to friends and family. A total dread filled clarity.
What I love about Mr. Ballen telling us these stories is he tells them as if he were actually there. He does extensive research before telling them, and he talks about the victims and their families with dignity. He's the best at telling these often terrible tragic stories. That's why I subscribed to him.
The fact they were found embracing each-other was so sad, knowing they couldn’t escape and all that was left was themselves so they just decided to go down together
@@HighSpeedNoDrag true you haven’t felt true love until you’ve drowned in a cave with your loved one. Dating experts recommend trying this with your partner, 10/10
@@kcsdaddy335 Never said I was a sensible person. I would go back for them because I’m morally driven, a sensible person would not go back for them, they’d be focusing on trying to get themselves out as soon as possible so they can alert proper authorities
I’m born and bred in Australia and been all over the country through most outback towns and can’t recall ever hearing of this. The effort you put into your research blows me away
Hi there! South Australian here! I actually live in the Limestone coast! Most sinkholes are rarely talked about after ya know. People dying and because they happened recently we try to avoid blasting it about. However, there are some safer areas to explore such as the Little Blue Lake sinkhole or Kilsby Sinkhole. You can find the other's just driving about but most aren't heavily regulated and you are RISKING YOURSELF if you decide to dive.
This one is a good one, love this channel so much! Another cave video that freaked me out was this: ua-cam.com/video/jWwPg8ruxfI/v-deo.html absolutely a nightmare situation.
There's a very thin line between a Cave Diver and a Cadaver! Water can be the most beautiful temptress, and the most deadly banshee. Those with a love affair with the oceans and seas know what can happen yet their passion is often overwhelming to the point of insanity. Most all that is beautiful in our eyes is deadly to our lives.
@@Hollylivengood Aye! I think they'd be insane to let people do it freely, it is def one of the most deadly sports/hobbies or how ever it's classified. I think though that is what gets ahold of my heart every time I see these. More often then not the person or persons are experienced divers that have heard and know we'll the dangers of cave diving in particular yet they still go no matter who tells them it's to dangerous or how many no diving without instructor signs. The part I think that gets me is the thought of those last few mins when these experienced divers realize the inevitable and have to face it. In so many ways we strive to touch the limits of euphoria. Whether it's feelings, beautiful sights, or love itself, we all often walk to close to the edge of the line.
@@tornamore5421 You really do need to consider writing. That was beautiful. You know you can publish on Amazon for pretty cheap, and your work gets out there and you get something for it. I don't write myself, can't even spell, but I love scrolling through the Amazon published books of poetry. Anyway, would love to see yours in there one day.
I am a certified scuba diver but I never ever find myself diving in underwater caves. It's just not worth it. You are a very good story teller, keep up the good work.
During my college years I took a PDIC SCUBA course and got certified. The course was taught by a salty old airborne ranger who became a salvage diver after his time in the military. I've always been fascinated by accounts of divers, wreck salvage, submarine rescues, and so forth, but I don't think I'd ever try to go much beyond ~120 feet or so. I've read so many accounts of people going listless and suicidal under the influence of nitrogen narcosis and just drifting away into the deeps around the 300 foot mark, where things get pretty dicey. In one case, a diver took out his mouthpiece, waved goodbye to his dive partner, and intentionally swam deeper, never to be seen again. In a situation like that, there's nothing that can be done to help. Panic can cause people to flail around and mess up YOUR gear or try to grab YOUR air supply, and then you just have two bodies instead of one.
I've never had the desire to go cave diving but this one sounds like it might be beautiful until the rock pile. After that, no thank you. I don't understand the appeal of cave diving - it's walls and silt. I dove in an old military ship that was sunk intentionally and that was enough for me. The appeal of diving to me is being out in the open vastness of the ocean, not cooped up in a small space. He is a great story teller. So much so that I almost turned this one off - I was feeling claustrophobic at the description of the lower caves and the false tunnel.
i disagree if you have actual training everything is fine its always these dumbasses with open water training thinking they can cave dive without experience
This is the video that started it all for me. I randomly discovered this story on FB and dove down a rabbit hole of Mr. Ballen across a whole weekend. Best storyteller on YT!
Scuba diver here… just wanted to add a few things. While cave diving seems nuts, it’s actually relatively low risk if you’re properly trained by an accredited organization and follow the rules. Rules such as redundant lights, redundant regulators, running/following a guideline, rule of 3rds (gas planning), etc. Cave diving requires lots of careful planning and sticking to the plan to prevent accidents. Basically, they have a plan in place for anything that can go wrong. That’s why training is important. While accidents still happen to the experienced, many of the cave diving deaths over the years have unfortunately been untrained divers who had no business venturing into caves. Diving to extreme depths adds a new level of complication to the mix. Narcosis usually isn’t an issue for people diving to 200+ feet, as they are typically using a gas called trimix which replaces some of the nitrogen with helium. However, at a certain depth the oxygen at normal air levels can become toxic and cause seizures, so the diver has to switch to a trimix gas with a lower percentage of oxygen during the dive to avoid this. Diving to deep depths also requires planned decompression stops to avoid getting decompression sickness (aka the bends), which can take hours when you’re talking about a >300ft dive. Like cave diving, deep technical diving requires training by an accredited organization and a lot of planning. Add deep diving and cave diving together and you have one complicated dive lol.
@@B.r.i.B.e.a.r I did too. But I agree. Most people aren't interested in facts and knowledge like we are. Always good to be the one eyed mouse in the land of blind mice.
Dives into the unknown should not be allowed without a safety line. Ideally, the safety line should be independently illuminated (clip on lights which grip) so it can be seen in the pitch black. A dive into the unknown is absolute stupidity without the dive being properly risk assessed at the surface, long before the dive begins.
I've heard of similiar situations. What usually is the common cause is the divers oxygen mixture being wrong or running low, and they don't think properly like they're heavily drunk, leading to bad decisions.
@@onecubedb163 Yes but that doesn't mean they can't just bring a safety line, as stated above. Its all the more important for the first to explore to take extra precautions.
Nah but... what if they got to the end np. 😎 And evolved into mermaids. These factors, they're worth exploring. 🐴💭 one day I'll kill all of you lousy ppl
The strange dark and mysterious is often terrifying, however, when told by Mr. Ballen, it comforts me. I don’t know what it is about this guys story telling, but it’s hella soothing. Thanks Mr. Ballen, for your service and your stories,your literally the only you tuber I’ve ever subscribed to.
Not sure why you find it soothing. Has to be his calmness with relating the story. I find these stories incredibly disturbing. Reckless, often stupid, decision making that usually ends in the death of the persons involved.
@@Moonlightxlovee I agree! It's not the content itself, but it's his matter-of-fact delivery, and the obvious empathy he has for the people in the stories.
You know i had a situation at work that most peopke are not that calm! I can't tell what it was! Anyway the whole time for hour's i was very relaxed listening to his stories the whole time! His great vivid stories & his calm demeaner helped me through something that some who panick end up at the hospital! Just because of what panicking causes! I love this guy hes awesome! 💖💖💖💖💖💖
I'm an advanced certified diver (no cave diving experience though) so the thought of not checking your air gauge before descending further is horrifying to me, particularly when you're so far down
I would assume they were confused and it was only supposed to be a recreational dive. They did not have the experience to be carrying out such an expedition. Planning and prep of the site could have enabled them to have a much more controlled expedition.
They were experienced divers but that leads me to believe that good old overconfidence was with them that day. Forgetting the nitrogen mix was one thing, not sticking to the dive plan was where things went off the rails.
It is literally nothing but human error and that 99 percent of the time what causes things like this to happen this was so preventable if you don't have the proper equipment you don't dive simple as that especially with how dangerous diving already is if they didn't have nitrox tanks you don't dive or you dive no deeper than stage 1 no matter how good you are and its not even not checking the tanks bc during your pre plan with your other divers that should of be done 10 times over on top of that normally tanks and nitrox tanks are labeled all over to let you know either in big bold letters or a different colored tank that's not just something you forget they didn't have nitrox and went anyway
@@jamiefisher5523 I don't cave dive, but as for human error? All of them must have had the same relatively low air lvl's before jumping off the ledge. Really don't understand 😕
@@stuartburns8657 that's human error you don't go somewhere you haven't prepared no matter what Eben just for a peak your taught that right off that bat bc I've even seen it in person I've seen a person drop like a rock never to be seen again all because they got too cocky or the just for a sec I'm not kidding when that literally all it takes you respect shat you are doing you are safe it's as simple as that thd moment you forget it you or someone else dies and that's why people fear diving so much especially in caves but like I said you respect what you are doing and you'll be fine I've been diving for 12 years and I've followed that to the letter narcosis is no joke you will see the best divers make the dumbest decisions under panic or narcosis and all it take is one decisions I've seen people deflate their BCDs for no reason and then no even remember doing it and another rule that's why you never ever ever dive alone literally ever
Every time it’s a cave diving story, I think to myself: “Someone is about to A) get nitrogen drunk, B) get turned around and lost, and/or C) get sucked down by a current into a ridiculously deep part of the cave.”
It was haunting and almost poetic when Ballen said they jumped off into the abyss, like it was just too tempting not to jump into. I wished they had just stayed at level two. 😭 So sad. Rest in peace brave adventurers 🤍
All this really makes me want to hear about a case where something went wrong and they were able to survive due to experience or just a dive where things went the good way.
I have been teaching diving for 40 years. I have dove in cenotes, caverns and water environments that do not permit direct vertical access, and only, and these were the few times that I did go, I went with someone who was experienced in the area. I tell my students, ‘You are smarter than water, but water is stronger than you.’ Youth is daring and pushes limits, its living past youth that teaches us our limits.
Truth!! I’m petrified to scuba dive period..let alone cave diving anywhere!! I’m a wuss because I like breathing. Experience or not we are human an at times make mistakes. In those situations the mistakes cost your life. I just can’t do it. Not knocking those who do I just personally can’t.
@@destinyneal1904 Scuba diving is fun. I was diving in the Philippines once and some guys were fishing with dynamite. Man that explosion travels underwater.
@@jacoblamberson2709 nah I mean like I can tell people’s vibes , and i can tell when someone also puts a fake persona for UA-cam, and mr ballet seems pretty legit.
"They were confident divers, but they were a "little bit" naive." Mr Ballen, you are too generous. Thanks for helping the world to not make stupid choices. This channel will most probably save lives.
@@LeeBo318 Well said, Corey ! These people must have a death wish ! What really angers me is that they often endanger other people's lives - e.g. other divers and/or SAR teams etc. - who have to go after them, or their dead bodies. There are simpler - and less horrifying - ways to commit suicide.
When a cave has already claimed the lives of a dozen people, you think you would have your tank air right and maybe drag a string or something. I am no diver but it seems like most of these people haven’t heard enough horror stories.
It's often surprising how many people who should really know better do the most stupid things in these kinds of stories. Kinda lends credibility to horror films and how dumb the characters there act, doesn't it?
@@quizzabella I think most of the people who do this kind of mistakes are just so amazed of the cave and to curious that they decide that going just a little further is okay. But as we saw those little desicions are the ones who lead to these sad outcomes....
I'm starting to think that having cave diving as a hobby (or job) is a really bad idea. I don't see the allure if it either. What is there to see in a pitch black cave that is worth risking your life?
@@samantha4238 No you need a light, and the only colors down there are blues and deep violets. Also to dive that deep you need a special air mixture. I'm not certified to go to 500f only 100f. I want to get certified as a master diver so I can go that deep one day. If I can.
We had friends who were cave divers. They are all dead, only one at home from "natural causes" the rest from cave diving. Two of them were cave-diving instructors.
I cannot believe there are people actually willing to dive into a body of water in an unknown cave. Like I cannot imagine doing anything that terrifying
I agree 100%. I cant even comprehend the line of thought that led to the conclusion this whole thing was a good idea. It's like playing russian roullete. You need to be absolutely batshit insane to do that.
I caved with a spelologist (cave scientist) in Krka, Croatia. In Croatia, there's many natural springs and such that have made caves and fresh water still runs through them. We of course ran into an underwater stream while walking in the cave. As a diver myself, I thought I'd ask him if he'd ever tried cave diving and he very seriously told me, "No. You cannot TRY cave diving. Either you are a cave diver- or you are dead."
Sound advice really. My cousin who does deep dive repairs for oil rigs, and other deep ocean platforms, says something similar. "there are no amateur Deep Divers. There are Deep Divers, and Dead Divers."
So how does one become a cave diver? How do you cave dive for the first time? Or is it implied that it's hit and miss - either you're born a cave diver, and will survive at least your first time of cave diving, or you're not, and will die immediately? What are the odds of being a natural cave diver vs. not being one?
This kind of story is so upsetting. This outcome was so unnecessary. Some people just have to push things past the edge. I feel for the families and friends of those who died.
Horribly sad about the poor people that drowned there. The two people that died embracing each other is such a sad thing to visualize. But you know at least they had each other for some comfort even if its not much. 😢
It’s Actually Very Comforting To Die WITH Someone. That’s What Most Soldiers Feel When Fighting Together. For Most It’s Easier To Be Brave When You’re Not Alone. But For Those Alone, They’re Truly Brave. ΑΩ
Frankly. I am not sad. They foolishly risked their lives and the lives of rescue divers, by going with too little training and ill-equipped. I am also not sad for people jumping of a 100 m cliff saying "What's the worst that can happen?". They did the same and received the same. They threw away their lives for nothing.
My dad was a SEAL & passed away a few years ago. He was an incredible story teller just like you! Thank you for bringing me joy with your videos; my dad would have loved them too 🥰 xo
I don’t remember ever being tempted to “cave dive”, I know for sure now that it will never happen in the future. They need to someway making it possible to watch one of Mr Ballen’s cave diving videos at the opening to each dangerous cave. I bet that would work better than all the caution signs in existence
5 years from now you'll find yourself , at the very end of the third section, slightly high on nitrogen, Holding the gold amulet left 10,000 years ago... And you'll realize right then and there: 🐴💭 ... " Gotcha ß!#(#...."
Cannot believe the decision to jump into the third section by the divers...it just is very illogically life risking in such a situation. My condolences.
They were probably suffering from that nitrogen psychosis he mentioned and weren't thinking straight. That's the only thing I can think of for why they'd enter an off limits area like that.
@@xzonia1 What makes that tough is a massive mistake on their part for not thinking of the gas mixture needed to prevent that. While Its possible that is why they went into the third zone it was all caused by not planning carefully in advance.
don’t get me wrong, i’m someone who loves to do thrilling stuff but i will NEVER go cave diving and even exploring caves at all. there are so many deadly stories and i refuse to risk my life for a little bit of fun. like idk dude eat a spicy pepper or go on a roller coaster.
This one case does not put me off, they ignored all the advice and on a whim made a costly mistake. Other lives have been saved hearing this story I am sure. There's a real lesson in this. I know I have made mistakes on a whim too, thankfully I lived. I am older and usually a lot wiser now. Need these stories to keep me that way.
As a diver, I would love to do stage 1, as it is basically open water diving, since you could just swim up to the surface with no obstacles in your way like the tunnels. But knowing that several people have died nearby, it probably would be too unsettling 😅
As someone who used to explore caves, it's not worth it for just the thrills. When you get stuck and claustrophobia sets in, the terror will override all the fun memories you ever had
If you’re properly trained by a credible organization and follow the rules, then you have a very low chance of dying or getting lost. It’s the same as any other thrill seeking job it’s terrifying for anybody who isn’t properly trained.
This story brought back memories of a serious near miss dive I went on years ago. Back in 2000 I was in Thailand, I was open water advance qualified and was keen to try overhead environment dives in in gin clear, warm water. I dove a wreck in around 15m of water which was fantastic, it had only recently sunk so was in great shape. I then went on a cave dive. As the boat head out, I started chatting to the other divers on the boat and it became apparent that one of the group had just passed their basic open water a day or two before and should not have been on a cave dive but was insistent on going and the guides said they would stay in hand contact with him and assured everyone that there was a rope from the entrance all the way in. It was choppy in the water making getting in and out of the water challenging as well. When we descended to the entrance at around 15m the water was clear with around 20m visibility, but the rope was broken awith just the stub still in place. Despite this, the guides indicated that we should proceed into the cave. Around 15m into the cave there was a fresh water stream feeding into the cave that we were not told about, this meant that where it mixed with seawater, everything went fuzzy, a bit like someone who needs glasses not having them, made everything out of focus. It was quite dark by this point as well as the cave had curved away from the entrance. The beginner diver at this point was struggling to achieve neutral buoyancy and kept hitting the ceiling then the sand which started kicking up silt reducing visibility further. Still the group pushed on and we started to string out as we went through the caves. When we were in almost complete darkness, only being able to see by torch, the guides were suddenly nowhere to be seen and at that point, I decided it was time to end the dive and get out of the cave, I indicated to my buddy that I was heading back and started swimming. Suddenly the floor, walls and roof disappeared and I was having to push panic out of my mind as I had not passed anything like this, in my confusion I turned several times losing my sense of direction. I had swam into a large cavern and could only see around 1m in every direction with my torch beam just vanishing into darkness, no walls, ceiling or floor were visible. As I started swimming again, in the direction I thought was to the exit, my buddy started grabbing at my fins, he was indicating that we needed to go the opposite way. I really thought I had been going the right way but through gestures he persuaded me to go the other way. Panic was not far away at this point and after much hand signals we decided to head the way he wanted to go. After around 15 terrifying metres, a little light started to appear up ahead, it had been the right way, I had become disorientated and would have swam deeper into the cave network had my buddy not persuaded me to go his way. The relief when we started seeing daylight ahead cannot be described, we exited the cave and made our way up to the boat. When we got to the boat it was chaos, there was only one other pair of divers who had come out ahead of us and they had explained what had been happening to the people on the boat. The beginner divers wife was beside herself with worry and getting seriously frantic. A guide had got kitted up and jumped in to go and try and see anyone and it took another 20 minutes before the rest of the group started appearing. Luckily everyone got out that day, but it could have so easily been a different story. If you ever go diving and it doesn't feel right or the dive isn't what has been described to you, turn around and get back in the boat. Everyone wants that great holiday experience and doesn't want to have wasted a day of their holiday, but damn, that could have been it for a good number of us on a seriously difficult dive that none of us were prepared for.
When Mrballen said that they were found embracing each other I got chills the thoughts and feeling that were in their head must have been so intense. I've had near death experiences so I know just how real that can be. Thanks Mrballen, very good one.
I panic just thinking of the nitrogen poisoning. Thinking of being so delirious you swim further down thinking you’re going to safety when you’re just swimming drunkenly to your demise.
At least in that situation your mind might be so altered that you’re most likely not even going to be aware, where as the other two just had to consciously and coherently accept it was happening and just held each other. Terrifying
Tbh, I think it sounds a little peaceful. You'd probably chill out a bit from the drunken effects, and as oxygen decreases you would just lose consciousness. You might not even realize you're running out. It's not so much gasping for breath as it is you become disoriented and fall asleep. All in all, perhaps one of the better ways to die. Considering this guy tells stories about some other really horrific deaths, like being boiled alive or crushed, I'd choose this way any day.
I've been in dry caves that are huge and have small tight areas. Even these caves were scary cause you could get lost, there could be animals, or if there is an earthquake you could get trapped. There's no way i would go in a cave filled with water!
When I was in 6th grade, our teachers took us spelunking. This was in the 70s, and all we needed was a parental permission slip and some old clothes. We loaded up into 2 cars and went to 2 different caves that hardly anyone knew about. One teacher got stuck partway down, we descended on a rope. He was freed, and we continued. It was scary, very dark, and we had to go on our bellies in puddles from one room to the next. There were some bats too. I remember getting a bit claustrophobic, but when we saw the sun at the exit it was a relief. What a great time, and there is no way that would ever happen today, they barely even go on field trips any more.
Same. One cave I visited had a ledge around the perimeter. It looked small until you got over to it and you realized falling down it would be a one way trip.
I was just discussing this with my Dad. His department are in charge of this cave and you need permits to enter it. Apparently the water is so blue and it's beautiful, until the darkness sets in. SAPOL (South Australian Police) specialised divers are the ones who then have to retrieve the bodies. He said it's killed way more people than what is suggested.
They don't advertise it because it's so dangerous. I hadn't heard of it either until I saw this and then spoke to Dad. There are so many accidents and crimes that aren't covered in the media. Could you imagine what would happen if the internet daredevils were to find out the exact locations? They put themselves and others at risk for some adrenaline and video likes, it's not worth it. Yes, all emergency services and their families have access to mental healthcare. Still, any Australian can go to a gp for a mental health plan as they increased the amount of sessions you get. My Dad, uncle and their friends have some really intense stories, there's questions they will never answer. The things they see stay with you for life, just like a soldier that's been to war.
Wow, I really love this particular series of yours. I hope you know just how lucky you are to have such a great team to work with. They do an awesome job on research and writing!
That was so heartbreaking, dude !Hearing they later found the two embracing each other in the false dome for some reason it really hit home for me how tragic their deaths were.
@@urdadshusband781 , it's a blunder that professionals and experienced people make . Complacency. They had a false sense of security in the fact that they were experienced divers
I am horribly claustrophobic, and I could NEVER. I don't know how people do it diving or regular caves, either. I've seen some footage of people going into and through spaces that I would freak smooth out trying to get through. If my life depended on it, I'd probably die. For real. Ugh!😰😰😰
Oh here’s a horrifying tale… mapping the limestone honeycomb of Florida. A team was organized, aboveground and under, the dive team had a satellite pad, and they’d carry that for mapping, while the above team followed, using the satellite pings. They kept losing the signal. The pad could only transmit when it was horizontal. But to actually get it through some spots, the divers needed to flip it vertical. Oh, and they were fighting the tide, being blind, and of course limited air. And backtracking was not an option. They did get out, and one guy’s instant statement was, “Never again. No. I’m not THAT crazy!”
His children & wife are incredibly lucky. Not only does he tell amazing stories but he is so thorough whwn he explains things he makes everything make sense & has an almost calming voice. Greatest story teller ever!!
I can’t get enough of your content. I’m a 39 year old welder and have a lot of hood time and I fill that with listening to all sorts of interesting things. Yours is top quality. Let me know if your hiring. Work is boring. Cheers
I'd love for you to tell stories about the Bolton Strid in the UK. Everyone who has fallen in, has died. No one has survived so far. It's a really fascinating place..innocent looking but treacherous. If you cover it, put up a photo of it because SEEING the innocent look of it makes it more terrifying.
I genuinely don’t understand the draw of places like “Stage 3.” I mean, I get it that there’s an inherent interest in exploring the unknown, but these tunnels you need to squeeze through or parts where you need to remove your gear and push it ahead because a constriction won’t allow you to pass with your gear on? Doesn’t that just sound like a bad idea? How do divers like Glenn and his crew not know that you must use dive-gas beyond a certain depth? What’s the draw?
I know. And it’s dark, dark, dark. What’s to see? There’s no interesting wildlife or plant life. Just Rock formations. Go to Utah. There’s plenty of beautiful rock formations - and you don’t need a flashlight to see them! I just don’t get it either.
People are curious by fault. If I ask 10 people to stick their hand in an unknown box that might have something valuable or might bite you at least three are going to do it it’s in our nature.
Assumtions, maybe. They may have thought that a cave could not go deep enough for "that kind of problem."....? In my proffesions, the words 'complacency' and 'assumtions' are the deadly words. But in this case, everyone is so young, they may have just followed the expertise of the most experienced. So very sad.
11:46 the is somting in the top left cornor i think its the blue man group upside down
Great job!!!
Damn man good eye!
sheeeeesh
Jeez…..
I saw it too, I just couldn't tell what it was :/
Phone screen to small ahhh
The cave diving stories are the best even though they’re always tragic. Who else is never going cave diving?
Oh H@LL no!
I agree the claustrophobia I can feel it as he tells the story
🙋 me! I'm never!
I am going next weekend 👍👍🙌🙌
I won’t lie I have actually been, that is until I ever heard about these horror stories
Now I can’t even think about some of the dives I myself have done 😅 weird right
One of the most frightening ways to go, drowning in the darkness. An actual nightmare.
Yeah not fun
Absolutely not fun 😔
Why are you always here
@@MrBallen keep up the great content. And i concure drowning in darkness is towards the top of my list.
@KrispyKrackers88 I know
"Stage 2 is where it starts to get a bit dicey." Uh . . . for me, standing within 5 feet of the hole is where it starts to get dicey.
20 ft of the hole for me. Im not a risk taker.
Not going anywhere near that thing!! I can only watch these videos in daytime 😂
@@seriouscat2231 🤣🤣🤣🤣. I've been there. My mom was a panicker too.
@@seriouscat2231 Just gotta try and live your life man. Don't try and cave dive as some rebellion thing and you'll be fine.
'Like' number 100!
The Shaft is on our family property, it was our great grandfather that found this hole when he was ploughing the paddock with his horse, not taking them to get water. The horses hoof went through and found the hole. The rock pile was also put in there when he attempted to fill in the hole not realising how big it actually was 👍
how often do people dive down the hole?
This hole would fascinate me to obsession and absolutely give me nightmares. I love that your gg grandfather created the rock pile. I think I would keep adding to it.
I got no reason to believe you
But I do
@@darwaniangovernment SAME lol
Pics or it didn’t happen 🤷🏽♀️ anyone can make these claims on the internet.
the number of times i have drowned getting lost in underwater caves in games has been a pretty clear indicator for me that i should never go in real life.
that mario last gasp before drowning was nintendo's most effective cautionary tale.
Subnautica awakened the fear in me. Those caves get so disorientating. Then your oxygen is running out and It's been ages since you last saved, frantically trying to remember which way is out, swimming into multiple dead ends and loops. Should have worked on getting the little lights that mark a path. I saved a lot more often after I lost over an hour of progress.
You got me in the first half not gonna lie hahaha
I always run into a magma chamber and lose my diamond pickaxe.
Art imitates life bro
“They did not have permission to go to stage 3”
I bet they went to stage 3.
You know me well
@@MrBallen haha we all do, we binge watch all of your vids
You know that’s how they do
Hahaha, that's how all of these deadly stories without common sense are beginning...
🤣🙃🤣
@@MrBallen how could we not, the flannel really sticks out
Something about John slowly swimming to his doom while Larry could only watch is really depressing
I think looking up and being mere inches away from your friends and knowing you cant do anything to help them is more depressing
@@sadderday6316 No, the guy swimming away was feet, I was referring to onces trapped in the ceiling literally inches away.
I agree it's depressing, but none of them were cave dive certified, because they should've put out a line to follow to prevent them from getting lost and disoriented. That's one of the first things you do in a technical dive.
@@brianlanders5306 I think we all agree they were dumb, but that isnt the point
@@zackshere8854 : That's exactly the point. They weren't trained.
The fact that they found the two divers hugging each other is so sad that it made me want to cry and also the fact that the brother leapt back in for his siblings and friends knowing he might not find them and could get trapped too broke my heart.
Ikr? Actually made me cry
No Cave diving disaster has hit me anywhere near as hard as those two dying in each others embrace.. It is simply heart wrenching.
@@berrodude im just happy they found some comfort in their last moments, even if they were filled with dread they felt eachother
is the hole still there??
Wow
I asked my mom what she wanted to watch today and she said “the guy with the tales” this is an everyday thing. We love you!
aww. I love this comment. you have a great relationship with your mom ❤
Yea?!
Similar thing with my mom!!! Love
Lol thats adorable
You mean Goku the super Saiyan
This channel has taught me many life lessons. For example: NEVER GO CAVE DIVING.
For real man! And don’t go to places that no person should go to. 😊
FACT!!! 😂😂😂
Ive been a few times... I find it less stressful than open ocean diving
I hear 👂 that!!
For real
Can't imagine having to turn around, knowing siblings are going to die. That really sucks.
Ye
@First Last I hope this was a joke xD 💀💀
@@arwaj9732 same
@First Last yea they are annoying but if they weren’t there u be sad
@First Last lol
I have difficulty surviving outside of caves. I’m not pushing my luck so I’m a definite no.
Lmaoooo
Oh my goodness Lisa! That is too funny.. 😂
A lot of these stories are filled with people desperate to prove Darwin right it seems
@@itnotmeitu3896 He's already been proved right numerous times.
Same 🙄
I knew Christine, Stephen and Glenn. Stephen was my dive instructor at their SCUBA shop in Sydney in December 1972. I remember this so well. Christine and Stephen were typical young teenagers of the early 70's - full of life. As a 14-year-old, I thought they were so cool. It hit me really hard when the news broke. My father came to my room when he heard it on the news the next morning to tell me what had happened, he was crying. My dad came to all my dives and enjoyed just being around everyone. Although I was much younger at 14, Stephen and Christine never treated me any different. RIP to all of them.
I’m so sorry
The insane part of that story is how preventable it was. The instructor never should of encouraged them and lead them that deep. Was insane.
Oh wow, I'm so very sorry for your loss 😥💔 I cannot imagine what they went through in their last moments, may they forever RIP
Man this is a wild story. Sorry for your loss.
Ralath Aka Defiant There was no lead instructor. Both Steve and Glenn were instructors. This was a dive by friends not an organised instructional dive.
I had the worst illness, I went to the doctor and he diagnosed me with being a fan of the strange dark and mysterious delivered in story format and prescribed your channel to me and now I'm recovered. Thank.you
If you're recoved, are you not a fan of the strange dark and mysterious anymore?
@@Bobby.2000 his videos are the only remedy keeping me alive
you are a very ill person. Only those who suffer from this illness can recognize it in others.
🤣🤣🤣
lol
Dam the part when the two people embraced themselves knowing they’re about to die hit my heart pretty hard. All because of a single mistake that could’ve EASILY been avoided if they followed a simple rule… listen people, there are rules for a reason and when your doing something dangerous as cave diving you should just follow them and hold your curiosity at bay.
I don’t get those people. Like it was clear they hadn’t had nitrogen narcosis so they were very much aware what they were doing. And they were told that they are not allowed to go down there because it can cause them to die and yet they did exactly that. That’s jus plain stupidity.
@@Manie230 No it was not clear that they hadn't had nitrogen narcosis. That's just a blatant lie assuming they were completely fine. Sounds like they shouldn't have gone further into the dive and after several critical mistakes they perished.
@@Noah-gk7rn it was clear because the dude tagt survived hadn’t had it and if he hadn’t had it it’s almost certainly the case that the others were fine too. Also the other dude that swam down with them said that they all said beforehand that they wanted to take a dip into level 3 whilst they knew that they were not allowed. It was plain stupidity that caused the deaths of those people.
As he said they already made the fatal mistake when they chose the air they used, the nitrogen narcosis made them make those other mistakes because they weren't thinking soundly.
@@Manie230 we don't know he didn't have it, he could have just handled it better , or just coz he maybe didn't have it doesn't mean the others didn't.
The fact the Glenn was unaware of the group’s plan to go further down then they were allowed shows, in my opinion, that if he knew then he would have put a stop to it.
He seemed to be the most sensible of the group.
Every time he says "if you found the secret.." I'm like HOW? How does anyone have the time to look around when these stories are so freaking amazing 😁
Same here, never have mindset to look for it when I'm wrapped up in the story.
I can't even find most of them when he posts the winner with the time stamp.
I've never found it, or even looked for the secret, bc the stories are too captivating and amazing to listen to.
But I think the few, who're finding it, completely ignore the story at first - knowing they can listen to it later and as often as they want - and study their large screens instead; people also said in the comments repeatedly, there's no chance to find it on a regular cellphone (screen = way too small).
For me this takes away to even look for it, when I know, I'd need at least a 15 inch television screen to find that stupid thing, tbh.
I have watched all of his videos multiple times and even knowing what the secret is I still don't see them
Look for "misspeak"...such as "the hole the horse made"
I teared up when you described how Christine and Robert embraced each other knowing they were going to die. I am so addicted to your storytelling!
No you didn't.
Yeah this part made me cry as well.
Yes same!! That was so beautiful and sad
It is so sad 😰
Your very lucky, otter.
Anxiety level of this story is a strong 10.
Maaaaan!!!!!
bruh my chest is beating rn im 10 min in im never scuba diving lol
@@Hash710x That's sad. Scuba diving is awesome and very safe, if you don't push your limits and only go as far as you're certified. There are special courses for everything. These young people didn't had a cave diving course but went cave diving anyway.
Go watch the video of the dude who died on the Nutty Putty tunnel, or watch people spelunking the Birth Canal I guarantee you will have 15 or 16 in the scale of Anxiety.
@@raptorduck8785 do you have a link?
There is a small hold… that has claimed the lives of at least 16 people”
“I’m about to tell you what is in that hole”
“16 people”
The man who discovered the hole was extremely lucky, if he himself had fallen in there, I doubt he would've been ever found
ive heard about this stuff happening in hawaii
Somethings are not meant to be found, yet they are... & they have bad endings. Crazy .... Like does everything happen for a reason? Lol
Yeah, I thought his story was going to go south when he decided to go back end start exploring the depth of it.
I was thinking the same thing. I assumed he would be the first casualty of the hole.
There's got to be at least a few people who have vanished off the face of the earth who just fell into an unknown cave.
Your ability to tell a story is incredible.
For real👍
fr
I just imagined myself at the moment the guy saw the others in the dead-end and his flashlight just went awol... Jesus Christ, I'd rather fight Jason Voorhees than live that!
Ikr
What's up checkmark
The next time my daughter tells me she's going mountain climbing, instead of being sick with worry I'm going to try to be grateful that at least she's not cave diving.
what doesnt make sense to me is.. when you breath out the oxygen,,, the bubbles float to the surface.. so.. how does one not know which way is up?
Their drunk but much worse so they can't tell that
@@milktoast8875 nitrogen poisoning can do that to you.
@@milktoast8875 How many drunk people (not just buzzed) have you seen make rational choices? I see them sleeping on the roads and breaking bones with over confidence. Now imagine those people teleporting down 400 feet in a dark cave of water with special suits with special gases and protocols to follow. Exactly lol
@@milktoast8875 Uhm, no. It goes in the direction of air. It'll just look like mist everywhere. Low light conditions. You're not in a clear pool. Your backdrop is shadows and rock.
The suicidal arrogance, stupidity, whatever you want to call it, that leads to these deaths is just crazy. The phrase, "stay in your lane," has accrued a patina of cynicism over the years, but in life-and-death diving is it literally the dividing line between life and death.
Seriously! Cave diving with arrogance is wild to me, the fact that they all bailed on the one guy who had some sense is also so shitty
@@viceb7 I know!
@@viceb7
In my opinion, cave diving in water is simply stupid. I think all of these people that take such foolish risk for so little in return secretly have a Deathwish. However, they want their death to be sensational.
It's human curiosity that allows human consciousness to expand. These people are part of the reason we know so much about our world. And we're all going to die; suicidal or not. Reserve your judgment, perhaps?
@@lindisamathabela3192 I'm not criticizing risk taking. I'm criticizing irrational risk taking, arrogant risk taking, risk taking that's stupid, unprepared, and which ignores the mistakes of others. There is a certain lemming-like character to these deaths. I take your point, aand agree with it, but I think your point is misapplied in this particular instance. I have been in caves not as a diver but as an amateur spelunker, and although I have been in some tight squeezes, I also have backed away from some spots that just gave me the wrong feeling, a feeling of imminent danger. There is a difference and it's wise to listen to one's gut in those matters.
I was caught in a cave collapse when I was 20. Me and 5 friends were trapped for 3 days. It changed my life . We all made it out fine thankfully. But I will never go into a cave tunnel or anything underground ever again.
Just curious ... how did you get out of that cave where you & 5 friends were trapped? Glad you made it out though!
Did you guys burrow your way or were you rescued? What happened?
@@sakura16055464 we were responsible and let friends know where we were going
@@benjamin5909 how did you survive without food or water?? Also props to you for being that smart to let ppl know your location at five years old
Please do a reddit ama
That’s incredibly scary. I don’t blame you for never going underground again!
@@ishaanawasthi416 huh he didnt say they did not have food or water lol.
Also he was 20.
The fact that we are probably not actually walking on solid land way more often than we probably think is terrifying.
Lol that's exactly what I was thinking 🤣🤔
It's all solid. Right up until it's not.
One of my irrational fears that I'll suddenly fall into a hole and it'll take someone a very long time to find me
Yeah terrifying no doubt.
Sinkholes are scary. That's why I love in Arizona where the land is mostly solid rock underneath. But who knows when the mega quake hits California if I'll be safe
People who do this for "fun" are completely insane.
Yeah when I read the title I thought woah terrible but then we learn these crazy people are intentionally going in the hole! Moronic!!! Crazy!!!!
Indeed
Ikr
These type of stories make me more mad than sad. Completely avoidable deaths just annoy me so much.
I think its just another addiction
just found this channel via google and reddit cause i was searching for another tragic event and i randomly got a suggestion for ur subreddit . just wanted to say that youre such an enticing and great storyteller and i love how much respect you have for victims ! will be supporting and watching daily from this point on
He’s so so good at what he does, definitely one of my favourite channels on all of UA-cam!
Just imagine walking in the middle of a grassy field relaxing and stuff... and then suddenly out of nowhere you plunge into a massive 300 meters deep cave full of ice cold water.. and nobody even knows you're there.. the guy was lucky the horse found the hole and it wasn't him who stepped onto it
Don’t worsen my anxiety! Lol
That's why you should always let a friend or family member know you are going for a gentle stroll in a flat grassy inland field and what time you intend to return, and always provide them with a resource sheet for contacting cave rescue teams
man thats messed up, i guess the only good thing is that since is so narrow its a very low chance that you would just fall through it, in those pictures you can see they are basically getting as narrow as they can to get through it.
Minecraft moment
he probably don't weight like a horse for that
Can we all just appreciate that he doesn’t clickbait or spend 10 minutes saying why you should subscribe
Ha what, he has loads click bait, and don’t get started on the cringe like bottom,
who is spending 10 mins saying you should sub? lmao
His thumb nails are straight click bait lmao
@ImExtra an overused insult at an obvious fact, good job 12 year old
@@danglemcbingus4557 i wouldn't say they are, he mainly uses real photos from the stories he tells.
I'm having a panic attack just listening to this. Have never and will never understand people who want to do this.
Yes!! Meee, too!
I could hardly watch it!
I'm getting creeped out just watching, and I'm not easily affected. I'm sure it's beautiful down there, but it's not something I would ever want to do. I don't understand how Mr B. can narrate this so dispassionately.
@@davidlark3408 They were idiots. They broke multiple rules. Idiots shouldn't do dangerous activities.
Without people wanting to do this............ All those Indonesian kids and their teacher, would be dead!
@@computerbob06 And if those Indonesian kids and teacher didn't go there in the first place?
I can only imagine the moment regret set in for those divers who risked it all at the expense of losing their lives.
What tragedy for Glen to witness first hand his siblings not coming home with him & even worst to explain to his parents
I barely outrun a flash flood in an underground drain no taller than me. In that moment i truly regretted every single life decision that led me to that point, felt so much despair knowing I could not get a final message to friends and family. A total dread filled clarity.
What I love about Mr. Ballen telling us these stories is he tells them as if he were actually there. He does extensive research before telling them, and he talks about the victims and their families with dignity. He's the best at telling these often terrible tragic stories. That's why I subscribed to him.
I think that's because this was the most difficult part of his SEAL training. It hits very close to home for Mr. Ballen.
Yessss Mr.Ballen is absolutely the very best! You said everything I was thinking. This is why we all love hearing him tell us stories.
Id love a team up with Rob Gavigan aka Rob Dyke that or a mystery team up with Matt from That Chapter I think would be interesting to give it a go...
The fact they were found embracing each-other was so sad, knowing they couldn’t escape and all that was left was themselves so they just decided to go down together
@@HighSpeedNoDrag true you haven’t felt true love until you’ve drowned in a cave with your loved one. Dating experts recommend trying this with your partner, 10/10
@@HighSpeedNoDrag phone bad drown good
@@HighSpeedNoDrag Phone bad painfully drowning good.
@@GenghisGaming "Dark humor is like food: not everybody gets it." -- Joseph Stalin
@@deepfriedsammich lol your comment is underrated
Glenn was a G he went back down for his siblings, even though he knew he might die. My heart aches for him and his family. Talk about survivers guilt.
Any sensible person would
@@kcsdaddy335 False, a sensible person would accept that they’re gone. A person with morality however would go back, but not a sensible person
@@C4DeadCharge you wouldnt go back to see if maybe they were there?there was still a chance.
@@kcsdaddy335 Never said I was a sensible person. I would go back for them because I’m morally driven, a sensible person would not go back for them, they’d be focusing on trying to get themselves out as soon as possible so they can alert proper authorities
@@C4DeadCharge let me rephrase that, any person who actually cares about their family would go back.
I’m born and bred in Australia and been all over the country through most outback towns and can’t recall ever hearing of this.
The effort you put into your research blows me away
Sames.. this is all news to me.
Looked it up being a south australian. Real story although, those 4 divers were the only people who ever died in there so the title is wrong
Hi there! South Australian here! I actually live in the Limestone coast! Most sinkholes are rarely talked about after ya know. People dying and because they happened recently we try to avoid blasting it about. However, there are some safer areas to explore such as the Little Blue Lake sinkhole or Kilsby Sinkhole. You can find the other's just driving about but most aren't heavily regulated and you are RISKING YOURSELF if you decide to dive.
Aussie here, I knew about this but it wasn't a big story of anything. I think I read about it on Reddit or somewhere
At this point, I'm convinced that the only reason anyone goes cave-diving anymore is to make more MrBallen content.
This one is a good one, love this channel so much! Another cave video that freaked me out was this: ua-cam.com/video/jWwPg8ruxfI/v-deo.html absolutely a nightmare situation.
BEST COMMENT EVER 👌
Lol. Sounds logical
I agree
HAW! I've guaranteed my spot in Hades by doing so, but that comment made me laff like a drain! Cheerz 😁
There's a very thin line between a Cave Diver and a Cadaver! Water can be the most beautiful temptress, and the most deadly banshee. Those with a love affair with the oceans and seas know what can happen yet their passion is often overwhelming to the point of insanity. Most all that is beautiful in our eyes is deadly to our lives.
Bruh, nice.
I have friends who cave dive, here in Tennessee. You have to have a special license for it, because of the danger. But I get the beauty of the oceans.
True and beautifully written. Thank you!
@@Hollylivengood Aye! I think they'd be insane to let people do it freely, it is def one of the most deadly sports/hobbies or how ever it's classified. I think though that is what gets ahold of my heart every time I see these. More often then not the person or persons are experienced divers that have heard and know we'll the dangers of cave diving in particular yet they still go no matter who tells them it's to dangerous or how many no diving without instructor signs. The part I think that gets me is the thought of those last few mins when these experienced divers realize the inevitable and have to face it. In so many ways we strive to touch the limits of euphoria. Whether it's feelings, beautiful sights, or love itself, we all often walk to close to the edge of the line.
@@tornamore5421 You really do need to consider writing. That was beautiful. You know you can publish on Amazon for pretty cheap, and your work gets out there and you get something for it. I don't write myself, can't even spell, but I love scrolling through the Amazon published books of poetry. Anyway, would love to see yours in there one day.
It will never matter how early I catch a video. I get so into John’s storytelling I forget there even is a damn secret. 🤦🏻♀️
When he said the 19 year old and 28 year old just embraced each other instead of looking for the exit I legit almost got teary eyed. Another tragedy😞
Yes this is very sad
I am a certified scuba diver but I never ever find myself diving in underwater caves. It's just not worth it. You are a very good story teller, keep up the good work.
During my college years I took a PDIC SCUBA course and got certified. The course was taught by a salty old airborne ranger who became a salvage diver after his time in the military. I've always been fascinated by accounts of divers, wreck salvage, submarine rescues, and so forth, but I don't think I'd ever try to go much beyond ~120 feet or so. I've read so many accounts of people going listless and suicidal under the influence of nitrogen narcosis and just drifting away into the deeps around the 300 foot mark, where things get pretty dicey. In one case, a diver took out his mouthpiece, waved goodbye to his dive partner, and intentionally swam deeper, never to be seen again. In a situation like that, there's nothing that can be done to help. Panic can cause people to flail around and mess up YOUR gear or try to grab YOUR air supply, and then you just have two bodies instead of one.
Nft owner, sad!
Nft goes so hard feel free to screen shot
I've never had the desire to go cave diving but this one sounds like it might be beautiful until the rock pile. After that, no thank you.
I don't understand the appeal of cave diving - it's walls and silt. I dove in an old military ship that was sunk intentionally and that was enough for me. The appeal of diving to me is being out in the open vastness of the ocean, not cooped up in a small space.
He is a great story teller. So much so that I almost turned this one off - I was feeling claustrophobic at the description of the lower caves and the false tunnel.
That's good because y need to be trained in n cave diving to safely dive caves not just certified scuba diver lol
Why anyone would choose to do cave-diving is beyond me. It doesn't even look fun when things don't go to shit!
Absolute nightmare fuel.
My thoughts exactly 🙇🏼♀️
It seems like a dark hell
They broke multiple rules. They were perfectly fine in stage 2. Idiots should just stay at home.
@@kba your name is weird af
i disagree if you have actual training everything is fine its always these dumbasses with open water training thinking they can cave dive without experience
This is the video that started it all for me. I randomly discovered this story on FB and dove down a rabbit hole of Mr. Ballen across a whole weekend. Best storyteller on YT!
Scuba diver here… just wanted to add a few things. While cave diving seems nuts, it’s actually relatively low risk if you’re properly trained by an accredited organization and follow the rules. Rules such as redundant lights, redundant regulators, running/following a guideline, rule of 3rds (gas planning), etc. Cave diving requires lots of careful planning and sticking to the plan to prevent accidents. Basically, they have a plan in place for anything that can go wrong. That’s why training is important. While accidents still happen to the experienced, many of the cave diving deaths over the years have unfortunately been untrained divers who had no business venturing into caves.
Diving to extreme depths adds a new level of complication to the mix. Narcosis usually isn’t an issue for people diving to 200+ feet, as they are typically using a gas called trimix which replaces some of the nitrogen with helium. However, at a certain depth the oxygen at normal air levels can become toxic and cause seizures, so the diver has to switch to a trimix gas with a lower percentage of oxygen during the dive to avoid this. Diving to deep depths also requires planned decompression stops to avoid getting decompression sickness (aka the bends), which can take hours when you’re talking about a >300ft dive. Like cave diving, deep technical diving requires training by an accredited organization and a lot of planning. Add deep diving and cave diving together and you have one complicated dive lol.
Excellent knowledge share! Thank you, friend!
I can promise not many people actually read all this
@@B.r.i.B.e.a.r i did :)
Lol nice
@@B.r.i.B.e.a.r I did too.
But I agree. Most people aren't interested in facts and knowledge like we are.
Always good to be the one eyed mouse in the land of blind mice.
Dives into the unknown should not be allowed without a safety line. Ideally, the safety line should be independently illuminated (clip on lights which grip) so it can be seen in the pitch black. A dive into the unknown is absolute stupidity without the dive being properly risk assessed at the surface, long before the dive begins.
Agree the have illuminated ropes why would nobody run one down this thing. I think the divers want it to be stupidly dangerous
I've heard of similiar situations.
What usually is the common cause is the divers oxygen mixture being wrong or running low, and they don't think properly like they're heavily drunk, leading to bad decisions.
There will always be 'scouts' going in first. Always.
@@onecubedb163 Yes but that doesn't mean they can't just bring a safety line, as stated above. Its all the more important for the first to explore to take extra precautions.
@@brandens7615 Also, the rope would rub and grind against the cave walls as they navigated, which would cause that fog issue again
As for myself i find the saddest part about stories like these is that so many lives are lost because of sheer stupidity and/or ego.
Pretty much. Nature isn't forgiving, and it will put you in your place quicker and harsher than any human ever could.
I was just listening and thinking exactly the same 🙄🙄🙄🙄
Nah but... what if they got to the end np. 😎
And evolved into mermaids.
These factors, they're worth exploring.
🐴💭 one day I'll kill all of you lousy ppl
@@brieb402 This is so true.
I think we should stay out of the water table that is below ground. If we mess that up and pollute it we are so screwed.
The strange dark and mysterious is often terrifying, however, when told by Mr. Ballen, it comforts me. I don’t know what it is about this guys story telling, but it’s hella soothing. Thanks Mr. Ballen, for your service and your stories,your literally the only you tuber I’ve ever subscribed to.
Not sure why you find it soothing. Has to be his calmness with relating the story. I find these stories incredibly disturbing. Reckless, often stupid, decision making that usually ends in the death of the persons involved.
@@Moonlightxlovee I agree! It's not the content itself, but it's his matter-of-fact delivery, and the obvious empathy he has for the people in the stories.
Totally agree!! ❤️🙏🏼❤️
You know i had a situation at work that most peopke are not that calm! I can't tell what it was! Anyway the whole time for hour's i was very relaxed listening to his stories the whole time! His great vivid stories & his calm demeaner helped me through something that some who panick end up at the hospital! Just because of what panicking causes! I love this guy hes awesome! 💖💖💖💖💖💖
@@Moonlightxlovee That's what I said. The calmness of his voice........
I'm an advanced certified diver (no cave diving experience though) so the thought of not checking your air gauge before descending further is horrifying to me, particularly when you're so far down
I would assume they were confused and it was only supposed to be a recreational dive. They did not have the experience to be carrying out such an expedition.
Planning and prep of the site could have enabled them to have a much more controlled expedition.
They were experienced divers but that leads me to believe that good old overconfidence was with them that day. Forgetting the nitrogen mix was one thing, not sticking to the dive plan was where things went off the rails.
It is literally nothing but human error and that 99 percent of the time what causes things like this to happen this was so preventable if you don't have the proper equipment you don't dive simple as that especially with how dangerous diving already is if they didn't have nitrox tanks you don't dive or you dive no deeper than stage 1 no matter how good you are and its not even not checking the tanks bc during your pre plan with your other divers that should of be done 10 times over on top of that normally tanks and nitrox tanks are labeled all over to let you know either in big bold letters or a different colored tank that's not just something you forget they didn't have nitrox and went anyway
@@jamiefisher5523 I don't cave dive, but as for human error?
All of them must have had the same relatively low air lvl's before jumping off the ledge.
Really don't understand 😕
@@stuartburns8657 that's human error you don't go somewhere you haven't prepared no matter what Eben just for a peak your taught that right off that bat bc I've even seen it in person I've seen a person drop like a rock never to be seen again all because they got too cocky or the just for a sec I'm not kidding when that literally all it takes you respect shat you are doing you are safe it's as simple as that thd moment you forget it you or someone else dies and that's why people fear diving so much especially in caves but like I said you respect what you are doing and you'll be fine I've been diving for 12 years and I've followed that to the letter narcosis is no joke you will see the best divers make the dumbest decisions under panic or narcosis and all it take is one decisions I've seen people deflate their BCDs for no reason and then no even remember doing it and another rule that's why you never ever ever dive alone literally ever
Every time it’s a cave diving story, I think to myself: “Someone is about to A) get nitrogen drunk, B) get turned around and lost, and/or C) get sucked down by a current into a ridiculously deep part of the cave.”
I’m scared of tight small places. In a cave. WITH WATER. I would panic if I got stuck.
Or d) kick up the silt and lose their visibility
Don't forget getting completely wedged into a small gap
Choose your own adventure
Hahahaha 🤣😂
It was haunting and almost poetic when Ballen said they jumped off into the abyss, like it was just too tempting not to jump into.
I wished they had just stayed at level two. 😭 So sad.
Rest in peace brave adventurers 🤍
"they did NOT get permission to dive stage 3"
They're gonna do it anyway, aren't they....
All this really makes me want to hear about a case where something went wrong and they were able to survive due to experience or just a dive where things went the good way.
@@tobiasladdarn1959 yeeees me too !!!
Thier like the people in horror movies
Stupid
Idk how these divers are always so stupid.
I have been teaching diving for 40 years. I have dove in cenotes, caverns and water environments that do not permit direct vertical access, and only, and these were the few times that I did go, I went with someone who was experienced in the area.
I tell my students, ‘You are smarter than water, but water is stronger than you.’
Youth is daring and pushes limits, its living past youth that teaches us our limits.
Mr. Ballen: mentions "Cave Diving..."
Me: preparing myself for decompression stops, nitrogen narcosis, claustrophobia, false exits and most likely everyone dying.
Truth!! I’m petrified to scuba dive period..let alone cave diving anywhere!! I’m a wuss because I like breathing. Experience or not we are human an at times make mistakes. In those situations the mistakes cost your life. I just can’t do it. Not knocking those who do I just personally can’t.
Don’t forget dead bodies, skeletons, creepy cave ghosts...
@@destinyneal1904 Scuba diving is fun. I was diving in the Philippines once and some guys were fishing with dynamite. Man that explosion travels underwater.
@@chrisbrent7487 minecraft has told me alot and that is explosions do nothing underwater (sarcasm)
Exactly! It seems that cave diving is a particularly nasty way of getting yourself killed !!
Thank you for your weekly uploads! ♥️
I feel like this is one of the only youtubers who is actually a legitimate person. Like you seem very respectable and nice.
This is a very strange comment, yet I totally agree!!
@@davidgoulding8608 you get a vibe of "I'm a superstar" from alot of them so I understand what he means.
@@jacoblamberson2709 nah I mean like I can tell people’s vibes , and i can tell when someone also puts a fake persona for UA-cam, and mr ballet seems pretty legit.
@@davidgoulding8608 I sorta felt strange writing it but felt like it needed to be said
"They were confident divers, but they were a "little bit" naive." Mr Ballen, you are too generous. Thanks for helping the world to not make stupid choices. This channel will most probably save lives.
And yet, some idiots won't listen and still decide to be a dare devil unfortunately....
that's easy to say in retrospect
I’m your onehundredth like
@@chasethemaster3440 Thank you!
@@LeeBo318
Well said, Corey ! These people must have a death wish ! What really angers me is that they often endanger other people's lives - e.g. other divers and/or SAR teams etc. - who have to go after them, or their dead bodies. There are simpler - and less horrifying - ways to commit suicide.
When a cave has already claimed the lives of a dozen people, you think you would have your tank air right and maybe drag a string or something. I am no diver but it seems like most of these people haven’t heard enough horror stories.
These divers need a mrballen lesson
It's often surprising how many people who should really know better do the most stupid things in these kinds of stories.
Kinda lends credibility to horror films and how dumb the characters there act, doesn't it?
Why on earth anyone would want to go down there is beyond me. "Oh I know lets go down this dark deep watery hole - lets bring the death toll up.
@@quizzabella I think most of the people who do this kind of mistakes are just so amazed of the cave and to curious that they decide that going just a little further is okay. But as we saw those little desicions are the ones who lead to these sad outcomes....
No, by then you'd think they would just seal it off.
I'm starting to think that having cave diving as a hobby (or job) is a really bad idea. I don't see the allure if it either. What is there to see in a pitch black cave that is worth risking your life?
🤦♂️
They do it for the adrenaline rush...
It's adventure and shi
@@q12aw50 No need to be rude, he was just asking a good question
That’s what I’m always thinking. What do you think your gonna see to where it’s worth risking your life ?
I'm a diver, the deepest I've been is 100f. Stories like this is why I will NEVER cave dive.
Like I will gladly dive to 500f in the deepest parts of the ocean of given the chance but NEVER in a cave. Ever.
@@Volgotha Is there visibility at 500ft?
@@samantha4238 No you need a light, and the only colors down there are blues and deep violets. Also to dive that deep you need a special air mixture. I'm not certified to go to 500f only 100f. I want to get certified as a master diver so I can go that deep one day. If I can.
We had friends who were cave divers. They are all dead, only one at home from "natural causes" the rest from cave diving. Two of them were cave-diving instructors.
@@Volgotha angler fish finna pull up on yo ass💀
I cannot believe there are people actually willing to dive into a body of water in an unknown cave. Like I cannot imagine doing anything that terrifying
I agree 100%. I cant even comprehend the line of thought that led to the conclusion this whole thing was a good idea. It's like playing russian roullete. You need to be absolutely batshit insane to do that.
It's not that hard to figure out. Some people are just stupid...that's it. That's as complicated as it gets.
Nature has no patience for the foolish.
Amen sista lol
I caved with a spelologist (cave scientist) in Krka, Croatia. In Croatia, there's many natural springs and such that have made caves and fresh water still runs through them. We of course ran into an underwater stream while walking in the cave. As a diver myself, I thought I'd ask him if he'd ever tried cave diving and he very seriously told me, "No. You cannot TRY cave diving. Either you are a cave diver- or you are dead."
Sound advice really. My cousin who does deep dive repairs for oil rigs, and other deep ocean platforms, says something similar.
"there are no amateur Deep Divers. There are Deep Divers, and Dead Divers."
@@dreamwolf7302 lol
@@dreamwolf7302 damn
He probably saved your life
So how does one become a cave diver? How do you cave dive for the first time? Or is it implied that it's hit and miss - either you're born a cave diver, and will survive at least your first time of cave diving, or you're not, and will die immediately? What are the odds of being a natural cave diver vs. not being one?
This kind of story is so upsetting. This outcome was so unnecessary. Some people just have to push things past the edge. I feel for the families and friends of those who died.
Horribly sad about the poor people that drowned there. The two people that died embracing each other is such a sad thing to visualize. But you know at least they had each other for some comfort even if its not much. 😢
Amen, better than dying alone that for sure
It’s Actually Very Comforting To Die WITH Someone. That’s What Most Soldiers Feel When Fighting Together.
For Most It’s Easier To Be Brave When You’re Not Alone. But For Those Alone, They’re Truly Brave. ΑΩ
All they had to do was just listen, and not go to the third stage, I don't feel sorry at all! A hard head makes a soft azz!
Dying alone gotta be scary asf...
Frankly. I am not sad. They foolishly risked their lives and the lives of rescue divers, by going with too little training and ill-equipped. I am also not sad for people jumping of a 100 m cliff saying "What's the worst that can happen?". They did the same and received the same. They threw away their lives for nothing.
I'm just shaking my head during this whole story, "No... No.... No.... No."
Same 😂
You mean...
during this "HOLE" story .
I have been screaming the entire video so far, probably will be screaming till I finish it
@@cowboykelly6590 I see what you did there. 😁
Yeah I’m not feeling it either. Nothing about this hole sounds cool
It's so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time that those two divers chose to comfort each other on their final moments.
You crazy.
@@blenderbanana what?🤔
@@blenderbanana bish what
Umm 🤔 awkward
Either that or one of them started panicking so badly that they grabbed onto the other.
Bless you for adding meter translations
My dad was a SEAL & passed away a few years ago. He was an incredible story teller just like you! Thank you for bringing me joy with your videos; my dad would have loved them too 🥰 xo
I am so Thankful for your Dad's service.
May he rest in perfect peace.
#Valhalla
I don’t remember ever being tempted to “cave dive”, I know for sure now that it will never happen in the future. They need to someway making it possible to watch one of Mr Ballen’s cave diving videos at the opening to each dangerous cave. I bet that would work better than all the caution signs in existence
You are right
I think you should read this and fix it.
Absolutely.
5 years from now you'll find yourself , at the very end of the third section, slightly high on nitrogen, Holding the gold amulet left 10,000 years ago...
And you'll realize right then and there:
🐴💭 ... " Gotcha ß!#(#...."
The extent of my diving is with a snorkel in a swimming pool.
Because of these stories, I have no shame.
You apparently have never heard of pool sharks.
@@seerofallthatisobvious1316 Are they invisible?
@@Anthonybrother No, but they do have lasers attached to their heads.
I’m with you
Same here
You rock Mrballan... Thank you!
Cannot believe the decision to jump into the third section by the divers...it just is very illogically life risking in such a situation. My condolences.
They were probably suffering from that nitrogen psychosis he mentioned and weren't thinking straight. That's the only thing I can think of for why they'd enter an off limits area like that.
@@xzonia1 What makes that tough is a massive mistake on their part for not thinking of the gas mixture needed to prevent that. While Its possible that is why they went into the third zone it was all caused by not planning carefully in advance.
@@bigbay1159 True, and so tragic.
don’t get me wrong, i’m someone who loves to do thrilling stuff but i will NEVER go cave diving and even exploring caves at all. there are so many deadly stories and i refuse to risk my life for a little bit of fun. like idk dude eat a spicy pepper or go on a roller coaster.
This one case does not put me off, they ignored all the advice and on a whim made a costly mistake. Other lives have been saved hearing this story I am sure. There's a real lesson in this. I know I have made mistakes on a whim too, thankfully I lived. I am older and usually a lot wiser now. Need these stories to keep me that way.
As a diver, I would love to do stage 1, as it is basically open water diving, since you could just swim up to the surface with no obstacles in your way like the tunnels. But knowing that several people have died nearby, it probably would be too unsettling 😅
As someone who used to explore caves, it's not worth it for just the thrills. When you get stuck and claustrophobia sets in, the terror will override all the fun memories you ever had
If you’re properly trained by a credible organization and follow the rules, then you have a very low chance of dying or getting lost. It’s the same as any other thrill seeking job it’s terrifying for anybody who isn’t properly trained.
Roller coaster... Underwater roller coaster in a cave...
This story brought back memories of a serious near miss dive I went on years ago.
Back in 2000 I was in Thailand, I was open water advance qualified and was keen to try overhead environment dives in in gin clear, warm water. I dove a wreck in around 15m of water which was fantastic, it had only recently sunk so was in great shape. I then went on a cave dive. As the boat head out, I started chatting to the other divers on the boat and it became apparent that one of the group had just passed their basic open water a day or two before and should not have been on a cave dive but was insistent on going and the guides said they would stay in hand contact with him and assured everyone that there was a rope from the entrance all the way in. It was choppy in the water making getting in and out of the water challenging as well.
When we descended to the entrance at around 15m the water was clear with around 20m visibility, but the rope was broken awith just the stub still in place. Despite this, the guides indicated that we should proceed into the cave. Around 15m into the cave there was a fresh water stream feeding into the cave that we were not told about, this meant that where it mixed with seawater, everything went fuzzy, a bit like someone who needs glasses not having them, made everything out of focus. It was quite dark by this point as well as the cave had curved away from the entrance.
The beginner diver at this point was struggling to achieve neutral buoyancy and kept hitting the ceiling then the sand which started kicking up silt reducing visibility further. Still the group pushed on and we started to string out as we went through the caves. When we were in almost complete darkness, only being able to see by torch, the guides were suddenly nowhere to be seen and at that point, I decided it was time to end the dive and get out of the cave, I indicated to my buddy that I was heading back and started swimming.
Suddenly the floor, walls and roof disappeared and I was having to push panic out of my mind as I had not passed anything like this, in my confusion I turned several times losing my sense of direction. I had swam into a large cavern and could only see around 1m in every direction with my torch beam just vanishing into darkness, no walls, ceiling or floor were visible. As I started swimming again, in the direction I thought was to the exit, my buddy started grabbing at my fins, he was indicating that we needed to go the opposite way. I really thought I had been going the right way but through gestures he persuaded me to go the other way. Panic was not far away at this point and after much hand signals we decided to head the way he wanted to go.
After around 15 terrifying metres, a little light started to appear up ahead, it had been the right way, I had become disorientated and would have swam deeper into the cave network had my buddy not persuaded me to go his way. The relief when we started seeing daylight ahead cannot be described, we exited the cave and made our way up to the boat. When we got to the boat it was chaos, there was only one other pair of divers who had come out ahead of us and they had explained what had been happening to the people on the boat. The beginner divers wife was beside herself with worry and getting seriously frantic.
A guide had got kitted up and jumped in to go and try and see anyone and it took another 20 minutes before the rest of the group started appearing. Luckily everyone got out that day, but it could have so easily been a different story.
If you ever go diving and it doesn't feel right or the dive isn't what has been described to you, turn around and get back in the boat. Everyone wants that great holiday experience and doesn't want to have wasted a day of their holiday, but damn, that could have been it for a good number of us on a seriously difficult dive that none of us were prepared for.
Your story gave me sweaty palms
That is my actual nightmare
You wrote a whole fucking essay
This is how long my teacher wants my essays to be
Yes, don't let people talk you into something, especially if they're going to make money off it
The fact that those two divers were found embracing each other is the saddest thing ever😭
Yes, it is so tragic. :(
At least they had each other; the third person died alone in the darkness.
@@dwrabauke that’s true!
@Justin Ward-Angelucci thank you justin!
Heartbreaking. Incredible storytelling John thanks
“There is a small hole in the ground in Australia”
Me: fuckin Australia is just one big death trap
🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👌. And we love it. ❤️❤️👍
@@bnetolldnataman pp
qq
@@bnetolldnataman 😂😂😂 yes we do! 🇦🇺
I’m a ozzy ur very right
When Mrballen said that they were found embracing each other I got chills the thoughts and feeling that were in their head must have been so intense. I've had near death experiences so I know just how real that can be. Thanks Mrballen, very good one.
The fact they were embracing made me tear up. Just so tragic.
I have asthma and it nearly killed me twice, once at 11 and again at 23, so I have an idea what kind of state they might have had at the end.
Made me think back to Lost when the asian couple drowned under water trapped together and embraced. :(
@@EksaStelmere yeah I've had panic attacks when I forget how to breathe so I identify with not being able to breath it's so terrifying.
I panic just thinking of the nitrogen poisoning.
Thinking of being so delirious you swim further down thinking you’re going to safety when you’re just swimming drunkenly to your demise.
At least in that situation your mind might be so altered that you’re most likely not even going to be aware, where as the other two just had to consciously and coherently accept it was happening and just held each other. Terrifying
I have been drunk often so I hope I would survive lol
Horrifying
Thats why we breath trimix, add helium instead of nitrogen = problem solved
Tbh, I think it sounds a little peaceful. You'd probably chill out a bit from the drunken effects, and as oxygen decreases you would just lose consciousness. You might not even realize you're running out. It's not so much gasping for breath as it is you become disoriented and fall asleep. All in all, perhaps one of the better ways to die. Considering this guy tells stories about some other really horrific deaths, like being boiled alive or crushed, I'd choose this way any day.
Oh god, another cave diving episode… I can’t bear to watch, but I JUST CAN’T STOP!!
I've been in dry caves that are huge and have small tight areas. Even these caves were scary cause you could get lost, there could be animals, or if there is an earthquake you could get trapped. There's no way i would go in a cave filled with water!
When I was in 6th grade, our teachers took us spelunking. This was in the 70s, and all we needed was a parental permission slip and some old clothes. We loaded up into 2 cars and went to 2 different caves that hardly anyone knew about. One teacher got stuck partway down, we descended on a rope. He was freed, and we continued. It was scary, very dark, and we had to go on our bellies in puddles from one room to the next. There were some bats too. I remember getting a bit claustrophobic, but when we saw the sun at the exit it was a relief. What a great time, and there is no way that would ever happen today, they barely even go on field trips any more.
Same. One cave I visited had a ledge around the perimeter. It looked small until you got over to it and you realized falling down it would be a one way trip.
or if it rains you could get trapped or flash flooded, like those kids in Thailand.
I was just discussing this with my Dad. His department are in charge of this cave and you need permits to enter it. Apparently the water is so blue and it's beautiful, until the darkness sets in. SAPOL (South Australian Police) specialised divers are the ones who then have to retrieve the bodies. He said it's killed way more people than what is suggested.
How come the news here in Australia never said anything about it? I’m an Aussie and have never heard anything about the cave. I’m from Darwin NT
What horrifying job. Hope those body retrieving divers get lots of therapy.
@@zeus756 probably to keep people from going there.
They don't advertise it because it's so dangerous. I hadn't heard of it either until I saw this and then spoke to Dad. There are so many accidents and crimes that aren't covered in the media. Could you imagine what would happen if the internet daredevils were to find out the exact locations? They put themselves and others at risk for some adrenaline and video likes, it's not worth it.
Yes, all emergency services and their families have access to mental healthcare. Still, any Australian can go to a gp for a mental health plan as they increased the amount of sessions you get.
My Dad, uncle and their friends have some really intense stories, there's questions they will never answer. The things they see stay with you for life, just like a soldier that's been to war.
@@MsKatieMD holy fok mate
Who else is ready for some more of the strange, dark, and mysterious
Me
@@joshuadorville1908 delivered in story format
@@russellscott3758 3 or 4 times every week
🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ I am😁
@@TheAmazingAva So if that's of interest to you..
Wow, I really love this particular series of yours. I hope you know just how lucky you are to have such a great team to work with. They do an awesome job on research and writing!
That was so heartbreaking, dude !Hearing they later found the two embracing each other in the false dome for some reason it really hit home for me how tragic their deaths were.
Same! I immediately started getting tears in my eyes when he said that
Not going to lie, I thought I was about to shed a few tears.
Tragic, but senseless. They had no place being in that cave. They had no business deviating from their plan. Their deaths are 100% their fault.
What i don't understand is if they were experienced divers they would have known about nitrogen sickness. So why would they take regular air
@@urdadshusband781 , it's a blunder that professionals and experienced people make .
Complacency. They had a false sense of security in the fact that they were experienced divers
Let's just take a minute to acknowledge how good his green screen is
nah hes actually at the cave
yeah ahbdul is right, he has it connected to his basement
Yeah I was looking at that before
Wait that's a green screen? I thought he was at the batcave. BATMAN I KNOW YOUR THERE!!
@@mobkiller9675 yeah right next to his abandoned hospital and random ocean
I'm not claustrophobic, but just looking at those cave diving photos puts me in full on panic mode. I give props to people who are able to do that.
I literally felt as if I could not breath myself a couple times imagining what the divers were thinking or experiencing
props? for what? cave diving is a incredibly retarded hobby. Just to look at rocks!
diving is the best way , to cover up your suicide
I am horribly claustrophobic, and I could NEVER. I don't know how people do it diving or regular caves, either. I've seen some footage of people going into and through spaces that I would freak smooth out trying to get through. If my life depended on it, I'd probably die. For real. Ugh!😰😰😰
Oh here’s a horrifying tale… mapping the limestone honeycomb of Florida. A team was organized, aboveground and under, the dive team had a satellite pad, and they’d carry that for mapping, while the above team followed, using the satellite pings.
They kept losing the signal. The pad could only transmit when it was horizontal. But to actually get it through some spots, the divers needed to flip it vertical. Oh, and they were fighting the tide, being blind, and of course limited air. And backtracking was not an option.
They did get out, and one guy’s instant statement was, “Never again. No. I’m not THAT crazy!”
Your the man MR B... I've loved all your videos an I especially appreciate your advocacy for mental health 🤘
His children & wife are incredibly lucky. Not only does he tell amazing stories but he is so thorough whwn he explains things he makes everything make sense & has an almost calming voice. Greatest story teller ever!!
Greatest story teller ever was actually Paul Harvey.
Only the OGs will remember " 3, 4 even 5 times a week" im not complaining though I still love Mr ballen 😄
I’m not an OG but I came in right before he stopped saying that 😔 I’m still sad about it lol
OG 😂😂😂
Haha I always loved the intro, def miss it! Although, I can understand with kids and covid stuff going on.
I miss those days lol
Or us newbies that binge watch him regularly. 😃
I never understood why people would want to go around crawling in spaces where they barely fit, let alone be able to turn around.
Where is the fun in that. Not even being able to see? What does that get you. Why possibly go into areas that silt out? It is just crazy to me
@@kurt477 adrenaline rush
I can’t get enough of your content.
I’m a 39 year old welder and have a lot of hood time and I fill that with listening to all sorts of interesting things. Yours is top quality.
Let me know if your hiring.
Work is boring.
Cheers
MrBallen: "they'd found an under water cave "
Me: "ah shit, here we go again"
You know it's coming when Mr Ballen is telling the story. Lol
@@debbielove5993 Fr, he needs a few stories that have a happy ending so we can guess if they survive by miracle or not...
@@nolanwunderlich167 he does. Like the missing 411 and strangest places people were found
@@nolanwunderlich167 also the one the girl got thrown into a tornado cloud with lightning and ice and survived
jeremy nolan
This isn’t the first time I’ve been “taken” to a nice restaurant, good one Ballen.
Want a hot pocket?
I'm subscribing simply because I had a similar idea and you beat me to the punch lmao.
@@brendenandangelaleavy7131 oh
Love this 🤣
You alright there buddy? I don't like the abuse you are going through.
Drowning in darkness is absolutely scary and sad
I'd love for you to tell stories about the Bolton Strid in the UK. Everyone who has fallen in, has died. No one has survived so far. It's a really fascinating place..innocent looking but treacherous. If you cover it, put up a photo of it because SEEING the innocent look of it makes it more terrifying.
Yes... I have heard of the River Strid. Dangerous to even get close to it.... Lest one slips and falls in due to the damp moss on the riverbanks.
Does anyone else always feel like they can’t breathe themselves when listening to these underwater cave stories ?
I dont know why anyone would purposely go into something like this.
Same the mere thought of going into a one way destination terrifies me.
Because underwater caves are literally some of the most beautiful places on earth. And you get to go somewhere that almost no one has been.
@@robertharrison4387 Then go where it's safe. It's just stupid to swim down a small tunnel to the unknown.
@@robertharrison4387 "almost no-one has ever been there" that right there would be my reason not to go
RRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I genuinely don’t understand the draw of places like “Stage 3.” I mean, I get it that there’s an inherent interest in exploring the unknown, but these tunnels you need to squeeze through or parts where you need to remove your gear and push it ahead because a constriction won’t allow you to pass with your gear on? Doesn’t that just sound like a bad idea? How do divers like Glenn and his crew not know that you must use dive-gas beyond a certain depth? What’s the draw?
I know. And it’s dark, dark, dark. What’s to see? There’s no interesting wildlife or plant life. Just Rock formations. Go to Utah. There’s plenty of beautiful rock formations - and you don’t need a flashlight to see them! I just don’t get it either.
People are curious by fault. If I ask 10 people to stick their hand in an unknown box that might have something valuable or might bite you at least three are going to do it it’s in our nature.
ignorance
Assumtions, maybe. They may have thought that a cave could not go deep enough for "that kind of problem."....?
In my proffesions, the words 'complacency' and 'assumtions' are the deadly words. But in this case, everyone is so young, they may have just followed the expertise of the most experienced. So very sad.
people who want a big adrenaline rush