@@jackasnacks as much as we appreciate your work and effort I feel like the more times you climb down by it on those rocks the higher your chance of going in goes up. Best of luck. And maybe find a new topic before you end up being the topic of a video.
Love your stuff Ballen thanks for checking my video out😀 I actually have comments from people saying they came hunting for more information on the strid after watching one of your videos. Glad I can give them some more context on this mysterious place!
@MrBallen Sir I am positive this was recommended to me because of you and I just got done commenting, "Just be careful man, I sincerely don't want you to end up being one of his (MrBallen's) "Top 3 Videos With Disturbing Backstories"... " Thank you for your service, stories and I just got done watching your story on your snowboard trip..... That shit is unreal. And you see that pic on my icon? That is on the backside of San Jacinto, "This trail is a Death Trap" and what's nuts is I hiked that entire trail the summer in between the two incidents, in July there was still snow at the top and even some Coors lights ice cold in said snow... Little did I know, I was probably not too far from that poor guy's body.
Tether yourself AND your equipment. Less chance of incident if you know you can recover it, if you let it go! Its obviously going to be a learning curve, but keep exploring, many of us are keen to see what you discover. So keep safe and keep it coming :)
I sat breathless imaging, "This is what many folks saw seconds before they died and were never seen again." Outstanding! A huge thank you for answering the call of we curious folk.
Yeah when i first watched the clips when i got home that day i sat in silence watching them. I may upload a raw uncut version of all the clips i got so you can all experience the same thing. This video i tried to pick highlights to show you all but the raw footage is just as interesting honestly. There is lots more to show that isn't in this video!
@@TheNapalmFTW I wish I didn’t know this, but I was sinking to my death off the coast of Costa Rica after being pulled out to sea by a massive riptide. I fought for 12mins (eyewitnesses) chocking on sea foam and repeatedly crushed by huge waves before loosing my strength & sinking to what should’ve been my death. It was the most terrifying moments of my life and I’ve been shot at and my life threatened many times. There’s nothing as elongated and terrifying as drowning. From fear, to anger, to disbelief, to crying, to sinking into the pressured dark abyss. No words adequately describe such a depth of continuous anxiety, my friend. (Not being argumentative. Just a reality that changed me forever)
@@BACKpackSouthWest well damn. My grandfather survived drowning and he always told me he felt at peace. My childhood illusions are shattered 🤣. Glad you're still with us.
Hello there, about 15 years ago my family were at the strid just looking and then we saw that a large dog had been swimming ABOVE the strid and was caught in the current. It was unable to escape being carried through the Strid. We all watched in horror and said to each other, the dog will not survive. My wife ran down to the lower side of the Strid and the dog came through unscathed and she grabbed his collar and pulled him out. He was completely OK. Very strange experience!
That is exactly the same as methane pockets being released from the bottom of the ocean under a ship. All the bubbles basically take away all the support or buoyancy and down you go. Truly terrifying. But 60m+ meters deep... just wow. Good job!!
Watched many videos on the Strid. In three videos you done something that no other content creator has managed to do; And that is to give us a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Strid by taking us into the Strid. Probably the best three videos I have watched this month, Super work!!!
Dude thank you so much :) The first time i visted with my sonar ball i honestly felt "this is pointless no one cares" but i couldn't have been more wrong lo!
I think Tom Scotts recent video on The Strid led this video series popping up into my recommendations. His was a great introduction to it, but these videos are so fascinating. I can't wait to see more of it. People there are probably so numb to it, that they don't realize how unique it really is.
Until I saw this video I had no idea that the Strid had such a huge amount of cavitation in the water, no wonder it has a 100% fatality rate. That would be like trying to swim in a glass of soda water, or next to a large sinking ship. With so much empty space in the form of bubbles, you'd literally fall straight through the water.
Exactly, it can't be stated enough how appreciated this all is by the strid followers. Be very careful out there man! Put like 10 life jackets on next time! lol
Your best chance is having a heavy rock with a rope allowing the rock to reach the bottom to set an anchor on the bottom. Have anti snag rods if you care or two lines to the rock so the attachment can be disengaged. Then run a weighted camera down the anchor line. Then you'll find the kings gold and Excalibur. Study your knots.
I had a nasty dose of grog knots but the doc gave me some antibiotics and it cleared up. The smell was awful for a couple of weeks and they were very itchy. edit: sorry I think I misread that
@@MikeyJMJ I've swimmed to bottom and there is something that's far beyond the imagination....pls don't attempt...the treasure isn't worth it...but I did manage to bring one rare artifact up with me....it's priceless
ID bet anything there is gold and swords down there....its the perfect place to make your sacrafice to the Celtic gods without worry of someone coming along and stealing it....it wouldn't do any good at retrieving gold but I bet magnet fishing it would be an interesting endeavor.
Many years ago I went to Bolton Abbey, then for a walk, discovered these rocks and noticed how a river many, many yards wide actually flowed through a gap just inches wide, I got talking to a guy who explained about the flow cutting out caverns underneath and how obviously this was unbelievably deadly, I’ve often thought about that trip there over 40years ago, it stayed with me as it was so scary and interesting . Your presentation was excellent, thanks very much.Salford uk
During the pandemic, I became completely fascinated with The Strid after hearing about it on a missing person YT channel. How could something so calm on the surface be such a nightmare under the surface. This video footage is AMAZING and absolutely chilling. Thank you for doing this and can't wait to see if you head back out to film more :).
Wasn’t expecting a drowning recreation, that was super creepy! You can see how dangerous that stretch really is… the current would definitely be pulling you under through that narrow gap. Consider using ropes and tethers in the future just to be careful!
a guy measured how deep it got and he got a measurement of 65 meters. if you drop there you will be pulled down to your death and many have and never to be found
It really didn't matter wether the footage was good or bad... It STILL is THE FIRST footage from beneath. You are champion! (Also, the footage was good!)
Am a hydraulic engineer, went looking for more info on the Strid many a time but to no avail. One of my favorite little mysteries. If someone would pay me to move to England and do research on it I fully would lol. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity- and do be careful out there ;P
I will be doing more testing on it in the future. A friend mentioned about a night vision camera.... Could be interesting with it being very dark down there
@@jackasnacks cheap night vision needs light, probably just break the camera will all the violence. Phased array sonar would be interesting to map the river cross section, does it extend under the banks much?
Be careful doing this, i get so anxious just seeing people get close to it! Also, the footage is so good and just seeing the underwater footage gives me the creeps. I've been so curious about the strid, glad that someone finally has a video.
What i was afraid is the camera getting stuck to a rock or something and he tries to pull it back to him but ends up falling from the cliff trying to take the camera off the rock I was so scared that would happened, im glad he is ok!
I watched an acquaintance of mine go under and never come back up, in a rock formation like this. Just past Cargills leap, river Ericht, Blairgowrie, Scotland. Apparently there’s shelves under there that tap bodies and it’s 60ft deep. His body was found a few hours later about 3 miles away though. People still jump from “the cages” there every year which terrifies me. I watched as his brother broke both legs trying to jump in to save him, but hit another rock on the way down. RIP Scot Beatty.
The max depth is 8 meters at the leap it’s a pretty dive. There is a lot of over hangs and you can see why it took so many life but in summer when it clam its a great dive.
I can vouch for the fact that people (mainly young guys) lost their live at Cargills leap, as one was a friend of mine. It happened in the late sixties. Cargills leap was quite notorious, and I believe that the army were called in to blow up part of it so that no-one can now attempt to jump it. How it compares to the Strid I have no idea.
@liam Took me the whole of 5 seconds to find this: swimmer who drowned in an incident in the River Ericht in Perthshire has been named by police. Scott Beattie, 21, from Blairgowrie, got into difficulties in the river on Tuesday - the same day that two men drowned in separate incidents. Police recovered a 23-year-old's body after a search for a missing swimmer in Loch Lomond on Tuesday. And a 28-year-old man drowned after trying to swim across the River Tay with two friends. His companions both managed to reach the other side. The incidents prompted Tayside Police to issue a warning to people about swimming in such warm temperatures. -------- You’re searching skills lack a brain behind them.
just the amount of air trapped by compression of the river as it narrows is proof that should you fall in it would be like falling slowly down a cliff and traveling simultaneously in a tornado going further down as your swept along. and reaching a crushing 65 meter depth all at the same time. truly an amazing place on earth. Thank you for an incredible view of nature at it's most vicious. Cheers.
The music that accompanies the footage makes the whole experience more terrifying. I'm just glad your camera never bumped into one of the poor souls lost in The Strid. Great work here mate.
Yesterday I got dragged under a small waterfall very similar to this. Not as deep but incredibly fast. I'm a 14 year old girl and I thought I was going to die. I don't know how I got out, I think I found a rock and kicked off of it and got to a slightly better area where I could swim up but it was so scary. The first clip of the camera going under was exactly what it looked like, it was all bubbles and I was being sucked down. Never try to jump into something like that thinking it'll push you out, it won't. I learned my lesson the hard way, and I hope no one ever has to again.
Sorry to hear that floof! Glad you’re able to share your story with us and the lesson learned from that experience will be incredibly valuable to you in the future. Don’t let it put you off exploring though as it sounds like you were having an awesome time wild swimming before that! Your warning to others will prevent others from getting in a bad situation too. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻
Happened to me years ago i still remember the force of tons of water pushing me down & had to swim along the bottom away from the falls to get back up just in time as i was running out of air. Glad you survived lass.
I think all the bubbles are because of low water pressure so you basically sink as it is like half air, so no buoyancy but a hell of a lot of water. I'm so glad you got out and survived to tell the tale!
I don't live in the UK, but I still can't believe I've gone 38 years of my life without having heard about the Bolton Strid. It's surely the most fascinating and terrifying natural hydrology in the world. Well done on a fantastic video! It strangely answers a lot of questions I didn't think could be answered, specifically, "what would it be like to fall in?".
@@lancethrust9488 I’m from Leeds which is one of the closest cities to the strid (the river wharfe even runs through the north of the city). Yet nobody I know had even heard about it, unless they’ve watched one of the many UA-cam videos on it.
I was just interested in finding it out for myself i had no idea how much demand for answers there was for this lol really glad i could help answer the questions!
@@jackasnacks idk who isn't fascinated about the most deadly strip of river in the world? I'm still shocked at its depth and how much bubbles and air go all the way to the bottom and how fast the currents are underneath the water nonetheless the caverns and drop off that is in there. It's alien feeling. Thank you for doing this I believe your videos are about to blow up the internet And you will soon be famous for your work.
This is great work!. I call this citizen science. If this stretch of river is largely unexplored I’d be interested in learning what are the changes in water temperature as you go deeper. Same can be asked about salinity, pH, and even microorganisms. Maybe you can get a curious professor to join you. And then ask all those questions again as the seasons change.
Someone with enough dedication and resources could design a ROV just for this purpose. Not sure how that would work, but it would be an interesting way to get even better footage of the perilous depths. Why send a person to do a dangerous job that a robot could perform?
Jack, as far as I know, you are the only person that has successfully filmed underneath The Strid. I've even heard about proper scientists having their equipment ripped away once it was put in the water to measure it, so you have done really well.
That was fascinating and terrifying. What really gave it perspective is when you had the camera close to the walls and you could see the speed at which the water was tearing through there. While this is some of the coolest footage I have seen, I agree with everyone in tethering yourself just in case you slip or some debris catches your pole and knocks you off balance. Be safe and great job!!
Glad someone has the energy and intellectual curiosity to perform data gathering. How many extensions were used for the deepest footage? You could also use a weight and graduated chord to physically check depths to confirm previous findings.
These questions need answers so i definitely have the drive to try and answer them. At max depth i was about 2.5 - 2.7 meters deep. Any lower and the current was way to strong for me to hold on to the damn thing!
Yeah to go significantly deeper with something rigid would require something pretty industrial, I can't think of a way of doing it with a simple budget/setup. Weighted rope sounds like a better idea. The risk is there's always that chance of losing it! If you use a thick strong rope and strap it to the end well though it'd probably be ok. Maybe try to pick up a cheap action camera, perhaps a used one, so if it does go awol you've not lost the cost of a gopro. The main problem with filming I would imagine is that the gopro and torch would be thrown around at the whim of the current so you wouldn't be able to pinpoint it, and it might be shaken around too fast/violently to get any steady pictures. Might be ok tho, definitely worth a try. Actually now the gears get whirring in my head, how about a weighted stick about 2 foot long with the gopro and totch fastened to it, with two ropes - one at the back and one at the front. Being strapped to a heavy stick (such as steel or aluminium) would give it more stability and the two ropes would give you a small degree of control. You could also design it so that one end of the stick has more drag and that would allow you to control it predominantly with the front rope.
Oh one more thing, don't forget there's a difference between water proof and water pressure. A quick google says gopros should be ok up to 40 metres, though i've never looked into it thoroughly. Might be worth taking it out every 10 metres and saving your footage, so if it does give in to the pressure, at least you have some footage close to its maximum depth. Same with the torch too, there's a difference between a waterproof torch and a proper diver's torch. Depth / water pressure makes a huge difference.
@@alkaholic4848 Try a lead ball, probably at least half a pound or heavier, then with some fairly strong fishing line (hardly any drag) and your fishing rod,
Not sure how anyone could 'dislike' this video... As many have pointed out, nobody else seems to have taken the initiative to find out more about the Strid. Kudos and well done, Jack!.
because it is dangerous to say the least. No one knows what it looks like without the water, so there could be many possible spots to snag your rope/pole with your equipment on it. People have tried many things before but, for said reason, lost their equipment due to the very strong underwater currents.
That was fascinating but I'm really just glad you didn't become a statistic fighting the water current. I watched a video about the Strid by Mr. Ballen and it makes me panic when anyone is even close to the edge. Thanks for sharing! The footage was beautiful.
I’m from the USA, and am fascinated with the Strid. I don’t think there is a place like it in the US. Loved this video, look forward to more, as well as watching your previous videos. Please be safe, though as you film and such.
Tom Scott needs to see this. He did a short story about that river as well, but this and your previous video where you used a sonar ball...man, that is absolutely the most fascinating and frightening thing I have ever seen in terms of nature. Just woah.
This is actually terrifying. Amazing video and very well done. I can imagine jumping into it with ignorance, feet first. You go down a couple meters and suddenly the water is pressing you against a steep, slanted ledge and you can't get back up...
Amazing content again Jack, awesome in fact! In applying yourself to this quest please make sure you give at least equal, preferably more, regard to your own safety. Plain to see the Strid holds no mercy. Scary stuff!!
Wow. I’m from the US. I’ve never been to this area, but your video was still very interesting. I love learning about the world around me and I appreciate your ingenuity and resourcefulness in finding a way to do this. Great job!
A guy that was part of the search party for the couple that lost their lives in 1998 actually commented on one of these videos! He shared his story with me i am going to tell you all it on my next Strid video it deserves to be heard!
Dude, you're standing around on damp mossy rocks right next to the waters edge, while trying to balance a long heavy pole into a current. Please be careful and don't go there alone while doing stuff like that. It would be awful if you suddenly went missing just because you slipped while trying to get a good shot and no one was around to notice it.
100% agree with you. There were moments i was worried it might. I said to myself before lowering the camera in if i start to feel it pulling me i was just going to let it go as obviously not worth it. I am a bit of an idiot for attempting to do it without any safety though. Testing my luck here really aren't i. I appreciate the concern though and i will try to take more precautions next time!
@@jackasnacks Honestly dude, dont do it again, the strid has a 100% mortality rate, and you nearly fell victim thinking you were safe where you were. Was it worth it for the footage? - glad youre alive
In a way I enjoy the exploration and want to encourage it, but in another way I don't want to feel responsible for anyone dying! So I'm not encouraging you to go back, but if you do: - Take a buoyancy aid / life jacket, the highest buoyancy rating you can get hold of. Eg 50N is minimal, that's the one usually used for watersports because it's the least encumbering, for coastal (eg sailing a 20 to 30 foot boat a few miles from shore) you'd go for 100 or 150N, for professional or open ocean use I think they go for higher than that but can't remember exactly. N refers to Newtons - the amount of buoyant force it provides. It's not a guarantee that if you fell in you would survive, but your chances even with a 50N are far higher than with nothing at all, and something like a 250N would provide a tremendous amount of upwards force, I can't say for sure but I'd be surprised if even something as dangerous as the strid could hold that down. I'd hazard a guess that the flow in something like this goes round in a vertical cycle, unless the water disappears into underground caves (which unless the flow going into the strid is much higher than the flow coming out it would suggest not), then there must be an upflow of the same volume as the downflow somewhere, and that is your best chance to escape, but you have to do it before you get recirculated. This is usually how it happens when people die under waterfalls, weirs, etc; they're rarely pinned to a fixed spot on the bottom, they are flushed round and round in circles but never quite making it to the surface or getting flushed out. Humans have neutral buoyancy, and are terrible swimmers (compared to fish etc), so it's no wonder they can't break out of these cycles, but something heavily buoyant usually can. And with with a life jacket (the more buoyant the better), there's a reasonable chance you wouldn't get sucked down in the first place. Exponentially better chance than without one. A 250N would be best but very expensive, so if you're on a tight budget, at least get a 50N, they're very common, not much brand new, and you can probably pick one up for peanuts on ebay. You could even consider buying a few cheap old ones - wear one, and have a couple tethered to hold onto manually like a raft. If you do that, just make sure you don't tie them to something that's going to float you upside down like your waist or leg! Or as daft as it sounds if your budget is tight, even a rubber ring and armbands (plus 50N jacket), every little helps! You might be able to pick up an old plastic or foam ring or horseshoe that they have on piers/ships, which would be much tougher. Just be careful that whatever you take isn't going to fall in itself and drag you in with it! They'll give you a much better chance in the water, but it's better to try to stay our of it in the first place. - Use a rope. That's pretty inexpensive, and not difficult to do, there's just no reason not to. Tie it round a thick tree, loop it round at least twice for extra friction, ideally learn a good knot such as a bowline but whatever you use at least test it by pulling it as hard as possible (well away from the water obviously) and see if there's any give in it. Keep the tension on the rope as you descend. That way at least if you lose your footing (slippery/mossy/slimy wet rocks do that!), you have something to hold onto which would probably buy you enough time to regain your footing and scramble out. You could also try pulling yourself out if you fall in, that may or may not work depending what the hydrodynamics are like down there though and could get you stuck so make sure you can let go of the rope if necessary. - Ideally have a few people accompany you, and wear a harness strapped to a rope. They should be stood well clear of the water so they don't fall in trying to pull you out. One person wouldn't have the strength, you could do with at least two. I understand getting crew is easier said than done which is why i left it till last, but worth mentioning. Again if you are wearing a harness, ensure it won't pull you upside down / face down, and that you can release the rope if necessary.
@@jackasnacks It makes so much sense now - if the current is carrying thousands of air bubbles, the bulk density of the water is quite low and so you will just sink rapidly with no hope of pushing your way back up. Then the underwater turbulence takes care of the rest yeeeeshhh. Be careful dude.
Thanks for giving this a good try. It would be great if a government geology office would throw some serious money into high level equipment to create a 3D model of the whole length of the narrow part. Perhaps a cable with a very heavy streamlined metal weight on the bottom, a camera attached higher up with controllable fins for aiming in the current, and some powerful lights to pierce the gloom. The entire thing could be hung from a mini crane setup along the bank for stability. Anyway, thanks again!
Cheers, mate. As if I needed more stuff to give me nightmares. What adds to the effect of your video is that I was in exactly the same spot about a week ago. Didn't dare to go further than 6 feet away from the edge, and I was still terrified.
Those air bubbles remind me of fluidised sand, they definitely explain why it's so deadly. Great stuff, I just really hope next time you take more safety precautions!
A safety harness connected to a yo-yo tether would give you some freedom of movement. In the shipyard industry, we use this pair often when working in certain high spots.
Its really no different than being in the pool at the bottom of a waterfall, gotta love cavitation. I think the real difference with this part of the river vs ye olde waterfall would be how the water interacts with the submerged rock lining the river. But even then, it seems almost like this is more like a horizontal waterfall (given how little height is lost for the length this section runs) then the standard explanation that it is a river turned 90 degrees.
@Dan Didnot I'm guessing that 1 litre of drawn water would be around 900-950ml settled. You can't swim in that water. The air reduces your buoyancy and you sink. Don't think a life jacket would keep you afloat in there tbh.
@@CS-zn6pp A tether might be a better idea tbh. Tie oneself off to a tree like a dog. Add in a little climbing gear so there wouldn't be any need to redo the line everytime there was need to move a bit.
Ooh, you are BRAVE!! I just learned about the strid today and have left down the rabbit hole of the internet for more information. Great job on this video, it's so freaky!
Really scary! I’ve heard so much about this piece of river, and how deadly it is. I was fascinated to see the data that you collected. This was really great of you to do on your part! Thank you so much for coming up with an idea to execute the collection of underwater footage!
I am sitting in an apartment in Brooklyn NY and this footage gave me the creeps. The part where you mentioned the color change as the water pulls you down.... yeesh! Good job man! Finally got to see the within The Strid!
Absolutely brilliant mate, well done, first footage I've seen below the surface, there are countless videos on UA-cam showing the Strid from above but yours really does show just how dangerous the water is under the surface, really very scary, please have another go as and when you get the time, but please also be very careful.
I hope you can do underwater LIDAR scan's here soon. It's crazy how detailed the scans come out. We could learn a lot about the cave systems and things we can't even really see.
So glad you posted this I have always had a bit of scepticism regarding how deadly The Strid realy was and if it was just a way the draw in tourism, as a white water kayaker and seeing the bubbles under the water there would be none or very little buoyancy and sinking to the bottom would be a 100% cert, Great video and if you do an update remember safety first, if you use a Go-pro or another camera if you can get a ball shaped case there would be less pull from the currant
Thanks Simon that's awessome. The way i understand it is the more bubbles the less bouyancy as it is just air around you instead of water? I don't do much activity so this was definetly a work out for sure. I wouldn't want to know what it feels like letting that surge of power grab your legs. The amount of power that river has just a foot below the surface is scary
@@jackasnacks you are correct about the bubbles the more air in the water the more the density of the water decreases and you sink due to your body weight rather then being pulled down it just gives the affect of being sucked under, its a bit like a rip tide to get safe (if possible) you need to swim sideways not up out of the air filled water , though looking at your video of The Strid there doesn't look like there is a way out,
This footage was great & really gave the feeling of being sucked under the rapids. You are brave for being as close as you are, toward the strid. Please be safe & thank you again for the never before seen perspective of what it’s like to be dragged under. Well done, sir!
Thanks for sharing this. Ever since I first heard about the Strid, I've been really curious about why it's so deadly. This video freaked me out, but made me glad for you that you were able to share this without having to be in the water here yourself.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've been obsessed with the Strid for ages and you're one of a very few people trying to find answers to our common questions.
I'm a strong swimmer but the thing that scares me about water like this is that you very quickly loose all of your energy especially if you struggle or panic. Must be a horrendous way to go. Great videos really interesting to see what's below the surface. Keep safe.
As others have commented; it's not just the powerful currents which will drag you wherever they will, it's the total lack bouyancy caused by all the air bubbles in the water. A very evil hydrolgical feature indeed.
Very awesome footage!, it gives a real sense of what's down there, great job!..thanks for sharing it!! i never knew about this river until today, [from the U.S] i had a seen a FB post on it saying certain death if you fall in, that's when i had to check this out...
Oh man! You are the best! I have always wondered what it was like under those turbulent waters. Keep up the awesome work mate. You have a new “fan” / subscriber from Australia!
Wow thank you this is great video. With all of the bubbles it seems like you might even think you're still right at the surface if you fell in, while you drown.
How cool is this !!! I literally just read about the Strid and someone commented "go on YT and see it" - so that's what I did and yours was the first video !! Watching all the way from New Zealand - liked, subbed and keep doing what you're doing man 💪
I found your content looking for videos about the Strid and I've probably watched this video 5-10 times, it's really fascinating! And I admire your scientific mindedness to go there and test it like this. Stay safe, love your content, and greetings from Estonia!
Amazing footage, thanks for posting this. I'm really surprised the Strid isn't off limits to the general public. The small warning sign nailed to the tree at 3:05 is a complete joke. Even in the calmest weather this river simply represents death. Just looking at it on YT gives me the chills!
@@ArDeeMee we have that, it is very expensive though. I don't know if that has anything to do with America's love of law suits. The entire country is hypocritical. Freedom is a term that has lost its meaning, people want freedom, except when it doesn't fit their opinion of it. You are free to drink brake cleaner, and punish the company for no warning labels. A fetus has rights, but not the mother of that fetus. I could go on, but you get the point. Hypocrits.
This is incredible footage Jack. I think there is so much more you can do with filming the Strid. Have you considered mounting a camera to something with a bit of weight and a stronger light? Super excited to see if you return to get more footage!
oh my god the bank disappearing is terrifying.... i second all the others in the comments, thanks for the footage but pls don't fall in and die for it 😰
Wow! The level of visuals deception is colossal…. No average person would choose to stand so close to the edge if they only knew what lies under the water! 65 meters in spots with crevasses everywhere!!!!!! Nice educational video, WELL DONE and THANK YOU!!
Came here from MrBallen's video. Thank you so much for risking your life basically to acquire this footage. I was very curious about what it was like down there. And I always wandered how people knew so much about it when NO ONE survived to tell what it was like down there. Awesome footage.
Excellent effort.. the footage was very good considering the conditions. I always wanted to see underwater footage of the strid. Deserves a subscription, thanks.
Very interesting results. However, echo sounding depth readings are usually inaccurate in aerated water, so it is quite likely that there is some error present. The only way to confirm your readings would be to use the old fashioned, 100% accurate, lead line. However, I suspect this would be tricky given the potential for the line to snag on rocks, and even the possibility of the weight landing on a ledge giving a very wrong answer. You should pitch using a submersible to a tv company.
He had to fight to keep a 2.7 metre pole steady against the current - a possibly 65 metre line is going to need an unfeasibly large lump of lead to keep it going straight down.
@@pattheplanter It certainly would not descend vertically, but it may not be 65m. I have since watched the video with a camera which indicated that there is turbulent water well below the surface, which would affect any echo sounding. Also, there were numerous ledges and overhangs to snag a lead line, so unless someone puts a remote submersible down there, we may never know what the depth is.
hey from Virginia (USA), found your vids when i came across video about the Strid…….it fascinated me and the depth was mind blowing very nice work my friend, you got a new subscriber
Used to go walking there as a kid, about 50 years ago. From Bolton Abbey it was a lovely walk up the wooded trail to the part of the river Wharfe that is called The Strid. Foolishly several friends I knew did jump over to the other side.. it’s a stupid thing to do as it’s not possible to jump back as it’s higher on the side you jump from. Several suicides have happened over the years, I can’t imagine ending my life there. It is a lovely walk but I always found it an eerie atmosphere approaching the fastest flowing bit called the Strid. The roar is definitely a humbling experience. Great video, I didn’t know it was so deep ! I was a little nervous when you were near the edge, I think you should have worn a lifejacket at least! No I’m not being a health & safety whiner ! Take care, stay safe if you decide to pilot an underwater drone through there !!!!
Great vid! Some heavy-hitters should get involved with this! The universities, the BBC, National Geographic Society or other such entity, and really map this place! It would be fascinating!
The noises it makes are terrifying, but my parrot loved them. She started freaking out and attacking her toys. This is one of the places I definitely want to visit. It's scary -- but so beautiful. Those mossy rocks and turbulent waters are definitely my aesthetic.
Just finding this video after hearing stories about this place....I am having anxiety watching you get so close to the edge! Super interesting to watch!
@@Sharpless2 lmao no it can't hahahahahahahahahaha. It takes at most 45-50 seconds, and that's in still water as a relatively healthy adult who can hold their breath. The kind of turbulence at this location would knock you unconscious almost immediately after hitting the surface, at the same time dragging you deep under the water. Nobody would see it happen, you'd just be gone, and nobody would be able to pull you out. You'd see and feel very little, with no time to panic.
I turned the sound right down during the underwater filming and even without the noise it's one of the most viscerally terrifying things I've ever seen - just imagining being sucked down into the dark like that... makes me shudder just thinking about it.
What an interesting project - the Strid, scariest body of water anywhere on earth. Great that you thought to do this and I was amazed at your success - but under the water there? Pretty frightening yet at the same time the imagery was beautiful and the soundtrack worked well too. Good Job! And thanks for the crazy trip into the Strid. It’s closer than I thought I’d ever get. Amazing
If you want steady(ish) video, and going deep, you’re going to need something to mount the camera and lights on, with a ‘weathervane’ of sorts to catch the current and keep it aligned. You also need a LOT more light in that murky tannin-stained water you have there… Put it onto a nice solid sled, put about 20 kg of weight on the bottom, and lower it down (me, I’d string a heavy line across the stream from tree to tree, and use a pulley at midstream to drop the camera rig’s line). Sounds like a fascinating place, a slot canyon still full of water…
holy shit
Literally my reaction when i plugged the SD card into my PC LOL
@@jackasnacks as much as we appreciate your work and effort I feel like the more times you climb down by it on those rocks the higher your chance of going in goes up. Best of luck. And maybe find a new topic before you end up being the topic of a video.
@@bobthompson4319 safety rope tied to a tree, even if you fall in you can rope
@@malibuhiegts I'm just saying it's not worth his life
@@bobthompson4319 yes
Really amazing that you did this. So creepy down there
Love your stuff Ballen thanks for checking my video out😀 I actually have comments from people saying they came hunting for more information on the strid after watching one of your videos. Glad I can give them some more context on this mysterious place!
@@jackasnacks that is so cool mr. ballen commented on your video!!!!
Ballen for the fears! big up. stay safe out there!
Wow...was absolutely not expecting to see MrBallen here.
@MrBallen Sir I am positive this was recommended to me because of you and I just got done commenting, "Just be careful man, I sincerely don't want you to end up being one of his (MrBallen's) "Top 3 Videos With Disturbing Backstories"... " Thank you for your service, stories and I just got done watching your story on your snowboard trip..... That shit is unreal. And you see that pic on my icon? That is on the backside of San Jacinto, "This trail is a Death Trap" and what's nuts is I hiked that entire trail the summer in between the two incidents, in July there was still snow at the top and even some Coors lights ice cold in said snow... Little did I know, I was probably not too far from that poor guy's body.
Tether yourself AND your equipment. Less chance of incident if you know you can recover it, if you let it go! Its obviously going to be a learning curve, but keep exploring, many of us are keen to see what you discover. So keep safe and keep it coming :)
Thanks man cheers for the kind words
He’s not lying, there are upgrades to this project that will keep people tuned in.
Life jacket on ...
@@WW2Adinfinitum Life Jacket won't save you in there. 😨
Just don't tether equipment to yourself, get both tethered but by separate ropes so it won't drag you down for certain death.
I sat breathless imaging, "This is what many folks saw seconds before they died and were never seen again." Outstanding! A huge thank you for answering the call of we curious folk.
Yeah when i first watched the clips when i got home that day i sat in silence watching them. I may upload a raw uncut version of all the clips i got so you can all experience the same thing. This video i tried to pick highlights to show you all but the raw footage is just as interesting honestly. There is lots more to show that isn't in this video!
@@jackasnacks My thought: do it. Sometimes silence while one observes can speak louder and more forceful. Thanks, Jack 👊
I think once you get over the shock of having your lungs full of water, it would be pretty peaceful way to go
@@TheNapalmFTW I wish I didn’t know this, but I was sinking to my death off the coast of Costa Rica after being pulled out to sea by a massive riptide. I fought for 12mins (eyewitnesses) chocking on sea foam and repeatedly crushed by huge waves before loosing my strength & sinking to what should’ve been my death. It was the most terrifying moments of my life and I’ve been shot at and my life threatened many times. There’s nothing as elongated and terrifying as drowning. From fear, to anger, to disbelief, to crying, to sinking into the pressured dark abyss. No words adequately describe such a depth of continuous anxiety, my friend. (Not being argumentative. Just a reality that changed me forever)
@@BACKpackSouthWest well damn. My grandfather survived drowning and he always told me he felt at peace. My childhood illusions are shattered 🤣. Glad you're still with us.
Hello there, about 15 years ago my family were at the strid just looking and then we saw that a large dog had been swimming ABOVE the strid and was caught in the current. It was unable to escape being carried through the Strid. We all watched in horror and said to each other, the dog will not survive. My wife ran down to the lower side of the Strid and the dog came through unscathed and she grabbed his collar and pulled him out. He was completely OK. Very strange experience!
Let's just hope that dog didn't think it was fun and try to go again... coz I'm pretty sure my dog would...
Dogs out here just vibing against all the odds
Dogs unlike humans can navigate strong currents, with much ease actually. It’s a proven fact.
Bless your wife. She is wonderful woman to do such a thing as many wouldn’t..❤
@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934 Of course most people would do that 🥰 Who would let a doggie drown?
That is exactly the same as methane pockets being released from the bottom of the ocean under a ship. All the bubbles basically take away all the support or buoyancy and down you go. Truly terrifying. But 60m+ meters deep... just wow. Good job!!
In case anyone wants to research this more. It is called fluidization.
Watched many videos on the Strid. In three videos you done something that no other content creator has managed to do; And that is to give us a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Strid by taking us into the Strid. Probably the best three videos I have watched this month, Super work!!!
Dude thank you so much :) The first time i visted with my sonar ball i honestly felt "this is pointless no one cares" but i couldn't have been more wrong lo!
I think Tom Scotts recent video on The Strid led this video series popping up into my recommendations. His was a great introduction to it, but these videos are so fascinating. I can't wait to see more of it. People there are probably so numb to it, that they don't realize how unique it really is.
Until I saw this video I had no idea that the Strid had such a huge amount of cavitation in the water, no wonder it has a 100% fatality rate. That would be like trying to swim in a glass of soda water, or next to a large sinking ship. With so much empty space in the form of bubbles, you'd literally fall straight through the water.
Yes thank you for answering...whats down there ?
Exactly, it can't be stated enough how appreciated this all is by the strid followers. Be very careful out there man! Put like 10 life jackets on next time! lol
Your best chance is having a heavy rock with a rope allowing the rock to reach the bottom to set an anchor on the bottom. Have anti snag rods if you care or two lines to the rock so the attachment can be disengaged. Then run a weighted camera down the anchor line. Then you'll find the kings gold and Excalibur. Study your knots.
Definitely a worthy next step in the study of this nightmare fuel. Your comment is criminally underrated 😎
I had a nasty dose of grog knots but the doc gave me some antibiotics and it cleared up. The smell was awful for a couple of weeks and they were very itchy.
edit: sorry I think I misread that
Make sure you don't step into the 50 metres of rope
@@MikeyJMJ I've swimmed to bottom and there is something that's far beyond the imagination....pls don't attempt...the treasure isn't worth it...but I did manage to bring one rare artifact up with me....it's priceless
ID bet anything there is gold and swords down there....its the perfect place to make your sacrafice to the Celtic gods without worry of someone coming along and stealing it....it wouldn't do any good at retrieving gold but I bet magnet fishing it would be an interesting endeavor.
Many years ago I went to Bolton Abbey, then for a walk, discovered these rocks and noticed how a river many, many yards wide actually flowed through a gap just inches wide, I got talking to a guy who explained about the flow cutting out caverns underneath and how obviously this was unbelievably deadly, I’ve often thought about that trip there over 40years ago, it stayed with me as it was so scary and interesting . Your presentation was excellent, thanks very much.Salford uk
During the pandemic, I became completely fascinated with The Strid after hearing about it on a missing person YT channel. How could something so calm on the surface be such a nightmare under the surface. This video footage is AMAZING and absolutely chilling. Thank you for doing this and can't wait to see if you head back out to film more :).
Wasn’t expecting a drowning recreation, that was super creepy! You can see how dangerous that stretch really is… the current would definitely be pulling you under through that narrow gap. Consider using ropes and tethers in the future just to be careful!
It's not just the current it's the fact that so much air is in the water making the water a hell of a lot less buoyant than standing water
I wish he'd be roped and tethered too!
@@eyetrollin710 yuh the same as getting caught behind a boat, you just sink.
@@CrimeaIsRussia_Cope ahhh I didn't know that about getting caught behind a boat
a guy measured how deep it got and he got a measurement of 65 meters. if you drop there you will be pulled down to your death and many have and never to be found
It really didn't matter wether the footage was good or bad... It STILL is THE FIRST footage from beneath. You are champion!
(Also, the footage was good!)
Am a hydraulic engineer, went looking for more info on the Strid many a time but to no avail. One of my favorite little mysteries. If someone would pay me to move to England and do research on it I fully would lol. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity- and do be careful out there ;P
I will be doing more testing on it in the future. A friend mentioned about a night vision camera.... Could be interesting with it being very dark down there
@@jackasnacks cheap night vision needs light, probably just break the camera will all the violence. Phased array sonar would be interesting to map the river cross section, does it extend under the banks much?
@@peterwoolliams1283 Im not sure how accurate any sonar device would be in highly aerated water
@@marmac567 great point. not to mention how sporadic the aerated pockets are.
Ultrasound technique?
Be careful doing this, i get so anxious just seeing people get close to it! Also, the footage is so good and just seeing the underwater footage gives me the creeps. I've been so curious about the strid, glad that someone finally has a video.
Thank you! Will do! Great to see you here Emelidia :)
What i was afraid is the camera getting stuck to a rock or something and he tries to pull it back to him but ends up falling from the cliff trying to take the camera off the rock I was so scared that would happened, im glad he is ok!
I watched an acquaintance of mine go under and never come back up, in a rock formation like this.
Just past Cargills leap, river Ericht, Blairgowrie, Scotland.
Apparently there’s shelves under there that tap bodies and it’s 60ft deep. His body was found a few hours later about 3 miles away though.
People still jump from “the cages” there every year which terrifies me. I watched as his brother broke both legs trying to jump in to save him, but hit another rock on the way down. RIP Scot Beatty.
Not that i dont believe you but i cant find any deaths on river Ericht. Was it a fluke accident?
The max depth is 8 meters at the leap it’s a pretty dive. There is a lot of over hangs and you can see why it took so many life but in summer when it clam its a great dive.
I can vouch for the fact that people (mainly young guys) lost their live at Cargills leap, as one was a friend of mine. It happened in the late sixties. Cargills leap was quite notorious, and I believe that the army were called in to blow up part of it so that no-one can now attempt to jump it. How it compares to the Strid I have no idea.
@liam
Took me the whole of 5 seconds to find this:
swimmer who drowned in an incident in the River Ericht in Perthshire has been named by police.
Scott Beattie, 21, from Blairgowrie, got into difficulties in the river on Tuesday - the same day that two men drowned in separate incidents.
Police recovered a 23-year-old's body after a search for a missing swimmer in Loch Lomond on Tuesday.
And a 28-year-old man drowned after trying to swim across the River Tay with two friends.
His companions both managed to reach the other side.
The incidents prompted Tayside Police to issue a warning to people about swimming in such warm temperatures.
--------
You’re searching skills lack a brain behind them.
just the amount of air trapped by compression of the river as it narrows is proof that should you fall in it would be like falling slowly down a cliff and traveling simultaneously in a tornado going further down as your swept along. and reaching a crushing 65 meter depth all at the same time.
truly an amazing place on earth.
Thank you for an incredible view of nature at it's most vicious. Cheers.
The music that accompanies the footage makes the whole experience more terrifying. I'm just glad your camera never bumped into one of the poor souls lost in The Strid. Great work here mate.
Can you imagine that, bumping into a body?
What’s the name of the musical piece? It sounds like something from a movie.
@@ryand141 that would be terrifying! 😱
I can’t get over how deep the bubbles are dragged down…the amount of force that requires is astronomical! Thank you for the awesome footage good sir!!
This gave me some major anxiety lol. Do not ever underestimate water. Thanks Jack!
Yesterday I got dragged under a small waterfall very similar to this. Not as deep but incredibly fast. I'm a 14 year old girl and I thought I was going to die. I don't know how I got out, I think I found a rock and kicked off of it and got to a slightly better area where I could swim up but it was so scary. The first clip of the camera going under was exactly what it looked like, it was all bubbles and I was being sucked down. Never try to jump into something like that thinking it'll push you out, it won't. I learned my lesson the hard way, and I hope no one ever has to again.
Sorry to hear that floof! Glad you’re able to share your story with us and the lesson learned from that experience will be incredibly valuable to you in the future. Don’t let it put you off exploring though as it sounds like you were having an awesome time wild swimming before that! Your warning to others will prevent others from getting in a bad situation too. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻
Happened to me years ago i still remember the force of tons of water pushing me down & had to swim along the bottom away from the falls to get back up just in time as i was running out of air. Glad you survived lass.
I think all the bubbles are because of low water pressure so you basically sink as it is like half air, so no buoyancy but a hell of a lot of water. I'm so glad you got out and survived to tell the tale!
Yeah, definitely stay away from waterfalls.
you can hope but the speciality of our species is repeating the same mistakes over and over
I don't live in the UK, but I still can't believe I've gone 38 years of my life without having heard about the Bolton Strid. It's surely the most fascinating and terrifying natural hydrology in the world. Well done on a fantastic video! It strangely answers a lot of questions I didn't think could be answered, specifically, "what would it be like to fall in?".
28 for me untill Mr ballen
You would die period
NOT MANY IN THE UK WILL EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE STRID , JUST LOCALS
Search for something like cleanest stream in the world in Island, that’s trippy as well.
@@lancethrust9488 I’m from Leeds which is one of the closest cities to the strid (the river wharfe even runs through the north of the city). Yet nobody I know had even heard about it, unless they’ve watched one of the many UA-cam videos on it.
The first scientist to actually dig into the strid. You are groundbreaking and showing the world fantastic footage.
I was just interested in finding it out for myself i had no idea how much demand for answers there was for this lol really glad i could help answer the questions!
@@jackasnacks idk who isn't fascinated about the most deadly strip of river in the world? I'm still shocked at its depth and how much bubbles and air go all the way to the bottom and how fast the currents are underneath the water nonetheless the caverns and drop off that is in there. It's alien feeling. Thank you for doing this I believe your videos are about to blow up the internet And you will soon be famous for your work.
This is great work!. I call this citizen science. If this stretch of river is largely unexplored I’d be interested in learning what are the changes in water temperature as you go deeper. Same can be asked about salinity, pH, and even microorganisms. Maybe you can get a curious professor to join you. And then ask all those questions again as the seasons change.
I love that, Citizen Science!
Remember, the difference between science and messing around is whether you write it down or not!
Someone with enough dedication and resources could design a ROV just for this purpose. Not sure how that would work, but it would be an interesting way to get even better footage of the perilous depths. Why send a person to do a dangerous job that a robot could perform?
Involving a university will make it official but nothing ever gets completed. It’s all a vehicle to get research money.
@@Dave5843-d9m That “nothing ever gets completed” is a defeatist point of view and demonstrably incorrect.
Jack, as far as I know, you are the only person that has successfully filmed underneath The Strid. I've even heard about proper scientists having their equipment ripped away once it was put in the water to measure it, so you have done really well.
They couldn’t put a GoPro on a stick?
'Proper scientists' is a bit strong
give it a rest ya melt
@@JBroMCMXCI :)
@@JBroMCMXCI "I've heard"
That was fascinating and terrifying. What really gave it perspective is when you had the camera close to the walls and you could see the speed at which the water was tearing through there. While this is some of the coolest footage I have seen, I agree with everyone in tethering yourself just in case you slip or some debris catches your pole and knocks you off balance. Be safe and great job!!
Glad someone has the energy and intellectual curiosity to perform data gathering. How many extensions were used for the deepest footage? You could also use a weight and graduated chord to physically check depths to confirm previous findings.
These questions need answers so i definitely have the drive to try and answer them. At max depth i was about 2.5 - 2.7 meters deep. Any lower and the current was way to strong for me to hold on to the damn thing!
Yeah to go significantly deeper with something rigid would require something pretty industrial, I can't think of a way of doing it with a simple budget/setup.
Weighted rope sounds like a better idea.
The risk is there's always that chance of losing it! If you use a thick strong rope and strap it to the end well though it'd probably be ok. Maybe try to pick up a cheap action camera, perhaps a used one, so if it does go awol you've not lost the cost of a gopro.
The main problem with filming I would imagine is that the gopro and torch would be thrown around at the whim of the current so you wouldn't be able to pinpoint it, and it might be shaken around too fast/violently to get any steady pictures. Might be ok tho, definitely worth a try.
Actually now the gears get whirring in my head, how about a weighted stick about 2 foot long with the gopro and totch fastened to it, with two ropes - one at the back and one at the front. Being strapped to a heavy stick (such as steel or aluminium) would give it more stability and the two ropes would give you a small degree of control. You could also design it so that one end of the stick has more drag and that would allow you to control it predominantly with the front rope.
Oh one more thing, don't forget there's a difference between water proof and water pressure. A quick google says gopros should be ok up to 40 metres, though i've never looked into it thoroughly. Might be worth taking it out every 10 metres and saving your footage, so if it does give in to the pressure, at least you have some footage close to its maximum depth.
Same with the torch too, there's a difference between a waterproof torch and a proper diver's torch. Depth / water pressure makes a huge difference.
@@alkaholic4848 good thinking! I made a comment before reading this with a similar idea.
@@alkaholic4848 Try a lead ball, probably at least half a pound or heavier, then with some fairly strong fishing line (hardly any drag) and your fishing rod,
Not sure how anyone could 'dislike' this video... As many have pointed out, nobody else seems to have taken the initiative to find out more about the Strid. Kudos and well done, Jack!.
because it is dangerous to say the least. No one knows what it looks like without the water, so there could be many possible spots to snag your rope/pole with your equipment on it. People have tried many things before but, for said reason, lost their equipment due to the very strong underwater currents.
Bots.
That was fascinating but I'm really just glad you didn't become a statistic fighting the water current. I watched a video about the Strid by Mr. Ballen and it makes me panic when anyone is even close to the edge. Thanks for sharing! The footage was beautiful.
I definitely would never get that close without connecting a harness to a tree first
I’m from the USA, and am fascinated with the Strid. I don’t think there is a place like it in the US. Loved this video, look forward to more, as well as watching your previous videos. Please be safe, though as you film and such.
Technically there is lots of similar places like the devil’s kettle etc
I still come back to this video every now and then. It gives me chills every time
Tom Scott needs to see this. He did a short story about that river as well, but this and your previous video where you used a sonar ball...man, that is absolutely the most fascinating and frightening thing I have ever seen in terms of nature.
Just woah.
Go look at devils hole in the United States if you really want to see something frightening
This is actually terrifying. Amazing video and very well done. I can imagine jumping into it with ignorance, feet first. You go down a couple meters and suddenly the water is pressing you against a steep, slanted ledge and you can't get back up...
Yeah you've described that well! The realisation of your situation would be terrifying
Amazing content again Jack, awesome in fact! In applying yourself to this quest please make sure you give at least equal, preferably more, regard to your own safety. Plain to see the Strid holds no mercy. Scary stuff!!
Thanks Charlie! :)
Wow. I’m from the US. I’ve never been to this area, but your video was still very interesting. I love learning about the world around me and I appreciate your ingenuity and resourcefulness in finding a way to do this. Great job!
That was one of the creepiest things i saw....Really unbelievable...Thanks, man!! Keep it up!!!
If you ever dive and start seeing a lot of bubbles you immediately know you’re not going back up so you better hope you can escape the pull.
Is that right 🤔
what about when im farting the bath
@@bustersmith5569 yes because the air bubble cause you because you lose buoyancy and fall instead of you rising. In short you cant float through air
@@meal_team_6 Thanks for the explanation bro!
having heard tragic stories regarding this place, creeped me out just watching it.. the force. Awesome footage!
A guy that was part of the search party for the couple that lost their lives in 1998 actually commented on one of these videos! He shared his story with me i am going to tell you all it on my next Strid video it deserves to be heard!
Dude, you're standing around on damp mossy rocks right next to the waters edge, while trying to balance a long heavy pole into a current.
Please be careful and don't go there alone while doing stuff like that. It would be awful if you suddenly went missing just because you slipped while trying to get a good shot and no one was around to notice it.
100% agree with you. There were moments i was worried it might. I said to myself before lowering the camera in if i start to feel it pulling me i was just going to let it go as obviously not worth it. I am a bit of an idiot for attempting to do it without any safety though. Testing my luck here really aren't i. I appreciate the concern though and i will try to take more precautions next time!
@@jackasnacks Honestly dude, dont do it again, the strid has a 100% mortality rate, and you nearly fell victim thinking you were safe where you were. Was it worth it for the footage? - glad youre alive
In a way I enjoy the exploration and want to encourage it, but in another way I don't want to feel responsible for anyone dying!
So I'm not encouraging you to go back, but if you do:
- Take a buoyancy aid / life jacket, the highest buoyancy rating you can get hold of.
Eg 50N is minimal, that's the one usually used for watersports because it's the least encumbering, for coastal (eg sailing a 20 to 30 foot boat a few miles from shore) you'd go for 100 or 150N, for professional or open ocean use I think they go for higher than that but can't remember exactly. N refers to Newtons - the amount of buoyant force it provides. It's not a guarantee that if you fell in you would survive, but your chances even with a 50N are far higher than with nothing at all, and something like a 250N would provide a tremendous amount of upwards force, I can't say for sure but I'd be surprised if even something as dangerous as the strid could hold that down.
I'd hazard a guess that the flow in something like this goes round in a vertical cycle, unless the water disappears into underground caves (which unless the flow going into the strid is much higher than the flow coming out it would suggest not), then there must be an upflow of the same volume as the downflow somewhere, and that is your best chance to escape, but you have to do it before you get recirculated. This is usually how it happens when people die under waterfalls, weirs, etc; they're rarely pinned to a fixed spot on the bottom, they are flushed round and round in circles but never quite making it to the surface or getting flushed out. Humans have neutral buoyancy, and are terrible swimmers (compared to fish etc), so it's no wonder they can't break out of these cycles, but something heavily buoyant usually can.
And with with a life jacket (the more buoyant the better), there's a reasonable chance you wouldn't get sucked down in the first place. Exponentially better chance than without one.
A 250N would be best but very expensive, so if you're on a tight budget, at least get a 50N, they're very common, not much brand new, and you can probably pick one up for peanuts on ebay. You could even consider buying a few cheap old ones - wear one, and have a couple tethered to hold onto manually like a raft. If you do that, just make sure you don't tie them to something that's going to float you upside down like your waist or leg! Or as daft as it sounds if your budget is tight, even a rubber ring and armbands (plus 50N jacket), every little helps! You might be able to pick up an old plastic or foam ring or horseshoe that they have on piers/ships, which would be much tougher. Just be careful that whatever you take isn't going to fall in itself and drag you in with it! They'll give you a much better chance in the water, but it's better to try to stay our of it in the first place.
- Use a rope. That's pretty inexpensive, and not difficult to do, there's just no reason not to. Tie it round a thick tree, loop it round at least twice for extra friction, ideally learn a good knot such as a bowline but whatever you use at least test it by pulling it as hard as possible (well away from the water obviously) and see if there's any give in it. Keep the tension on the rope as you descend. That way at least if you lose your footing (slippery/mossy/slimy wet rocks do that!), you have something to hold onto which would probably buy you enough time to regain your footing and scramble out. You could also try pulling yourself out if you fall in, that may or may not work depending what the hydrodynamics are like down there though and could get you stuck so make sure you can let go of the rope if necessary.
- Ideally have a few people accompany you, and wear a harness strapped to a rope. They should be stood well clear of the water so they don't fall in trying to pull you out. One person wouldn't have the strength, you could do with at least two. I understand getting crew is easier said than done which is why i left it till last, but worth mentioning. Again if you are wearing a harness, ensure it won't pull you upside down / face down, and that you can release the rope if necessary.
@@jackasnacks It makes so much sense now - if the current is carrying thousands of air bubbles, the bulk density of the water is quite low and so you will just sink rapidly with no hope of pushing your way back up. Then the underwater turbulence takes care of the rest yeeeeshhh. Be careful dude.
@@jackasnacks what if you secure rope to a tree and tie it to your belt when close to the edge
What an amazing idea to do this, and excellent work! Thank you for this.
Thank you for taking the trouble to investigate this fascinating river! Do be careful!!
No problem! I will be careful i have important science to do :)
Thanks for giving this a good try. It would be great if a government geology office would throw some serious money into high level equipment to create a 3D model of the whole length of the narrow part. Perhaps a cable with a very heavy streamlined metal weight on the bottom, a camera attached higher up with controllable fins for aiming in the current, and some powerful lights to pierce the gloom. The entire thing could be hung from a mini crane setup along the bank for stability. Anyway, thanks again!
Cheers, mate. As if I needed more stuff to give me nightmares. What adds to the effect of your video is that I was in exactly the same spot about a week ago. Didn't dare to go further than 6 feet away from the edge, and I was still terrified.
Those air bubbles remind me of fluidised sand, they definitely explain why it's so deadly. Great stuff, I just really hope next time you take more safety precautions!
Drop like a brick in that water
A safety harness connected to a yo-yo tether would give you some freedom of movement. In the shipyard industry, we use this pair often when working in certain high spots.
Its really no different than being in the pool at the bottom of a waterfall, gotta love cavitation. I think the real difference with this part of the river vs ye olde waterfall would be how the water interacts with the submerged rock lining the river. But even then, it seems almost like this is more like a horizontal waterfall (given how little height is lost for the length this section runs) then the standard explanation that it is a river turned 90 degrees.
@Dan Didnot I'm guessing that 1 litre of drawn water would be around 900-950ml settled.
You can't swim in that water.
The air reduces your buoyancy and you sink.
Don't think a life jacket would keep you afloat in there tbh.
@@CS-zn6pp A tether might be a better idea tbh. Tie oneself off to a tree like a dog. Add in a little climbing gear so there wouldn't be any need to redo the line everytime there was need to move a bit.
This here so far, has been the best video on the Bolton Abby Strid on UA-cam.
Thank you.
Ooh, you are BRAVE!! I just learned about the strid today and have left down the rabbit hole of the internet for more information. Great job on this video, it's so freaky!
Really scary! I’ve heard so much about this piece of river, and how deadly it is. I was fascinated to see the data that you collected. This was really great of you to do on your part! Thank you so much for coming up with an idea to execute the collection of underwater footage!
I am sitting in an apartment in Brooklyn NY and this footage gave me the creeps. The part where you mentioned the color change as the water pulls you down.... yeesh!
Good job man! Finally got to see the within The Strid!
Absolutely brilliant mate, well done, first footage I've seen below the surface, there are countless videos on UA-cam showing the Strid from above but yours really does show just how dangerous the water is under the surface, really very scary, please have another go as and when you get the time, but please also be very careful.
There is another video! Check the channel :)
I hope you can do underwater LIDAR scan's here soon. It's crazy how detailed the scans come out. We could learn a lot about the cave systems and things we can't even really see.
I've learned enough. I'm not going in there.
I loved both the music and the video. Thank you very much for sharing, Jack. Best regards from Spain
An 8 minute horror film worthy of any award imaginable good work. Beautiful, chaotic, and deadly.
So glad you posted this I have always had a bit of scepticism regarding how deadly The Strid realy was and if it was just a way the draw in tourism, as a white water kayaker and seeing the bubbles under the water there would be none or very little buoyancy and sinking to the bottom would be a 100% cert, Great video and if you do an update remember safety first, if you use a Go-pro or another camera if you can get a ball shaped case there would be less pull from the currant
Thanks Simon that's awessome. The way i understand it is the more bubbles the less bouyancy as it is just air around you instead of water? I don't do much activity so this was definetly a work out for sure. I wouldn't want to know what it feels like letting that surge of power grab your legs. The amount of power that river has just a foot below the surface is scary
@@jackasnacks you are correct about the bubbles the more air in the water the more the density of the water decreases and you sink due to your body weight rather then being pulled down it just gives the affect of being sucked under, its a bit like a rip tide to get safe (if possible) you need to swim sideways not up out of the air filled water , though looking at your video of The Strid there doesn't look like there is a way out,
Great vid mate. The strid is truly terrifying. I saw it mentioned in another video of the world's most dangerous water ways. The strid was number one!
Thanks Geoff! Glad you found it!
Goodness me! Impressive. Frightening and magical at the same time. Great choice of music, too. Thanks for sharing.
This footage was great & really gave the feeling of being sucked under the rapids. You are brave for being as close as you are, toward the strid. Please be safe & thank you again for the never before seen perspective of what it’s like to be dragged under. Well done, sir!
This is so ungodly and incredible at the same time.
Huh?
dude thats wild. awesome video, answered one of my biggest curiosity's about the Strid✨
Glad i could help answer it Ellie :)
The strid has always fascinated me! Always wondered what it is like under the surface. The footage is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
That is good work. The current is relentless.
The color change is eerie.
Looking forward to seeing more
Thanks for sharing this. Ever since I first heard about the Strid, I've been really curious about why it's so deadly. This video freaked me out, but made me glad for you that you were able to share this without having to be in the water here yourself.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've been obsessed with the Strid for ages and you're one of a very few people trying to find answers to our common questions.
I'm a strong swimmer but the thing that scares me about water like this is that you very quickly loose all of your energy especially if you struggle or panic. Must be a horrendous way to go. Great videos really interesting to see what's below the surface. Keep safe.
As others have commented; it's not just the powerful currents which will drag you wherever they will, it's the total lack bouyancy caused by all the air bubbles in the water. A very evil hydrolgical feature indeed.
I'm so glad you did this. I've been waiting for another Strid vid. Thanks!
Very awesome footage!, it gives a real sense of what's down there, great job!..thanks for sharing it!! i never knew about this river until today, [from the U.S] i had a seen a FB post on it saying certain death if you fall in, that's when i had to check this out...
Thanks for this footage Jack, it was very interesting to see such power and danger from the safety of my home.
Oh man! You are the best! I have always wondered what it was like under those turbulent waters.
Keep up the awesome work mate. You have a new “fan” / subscriber from Australia!
Wow thank you this is great video.
With all of the bubbles it seems like you might even think you're still right at the surface if you fell in, while you drown.
Wow what an eye opener. Fascinating stuff. Great video
This was awesome! Beautiful footage. Quite a wonder of nature.
How cool is this !!! I literally just read about the Strid and someone commented "go on YT and see it" - so that's what I did and yours was the first video !! Watching all the way from New Zealand - liked, subbed and keep doing what you're doing man 💪
Love this, thank you man
I found your content looking for videos about the Strid and I've probably watched this video 5-10 times, it's really fascinating! And I admire your scientific mindedness to go there and test it like this. Stay safe, love your content, and greetings from Estonia!
Awesome, thank you! Hello Estonia thats brilliant :)
Amazing footage, thanks for posting this. I'm really surprised the Strid isn't off limits to the general public. The small warning sign nailed to the tree at 3:05 is a complete joke. Even in the calmest weather this river simply represents death. Just looking at it on YT gives me the chills!
I'm thinking the sign's that size because nobody over there has to sue to recoup their medical expenses.
@@BobDeGuerre If you insist on falling in that‘s on YOU. Only Americans would try to sue a river.
@@ArDeeMee suceed at suing a river*
@@clutchspells2804 Not over here. Over here, we have medical insurance. You should try that.
@@ArDeeMee we have that, it is very expensive though. I don't know if that has anything to do with America's love of law suits. The entire country is hypocritical. Freedom is a term that has lost its meaning, people want freedom, except when it doesn't fit their opinion of it. You are free to drink brake cleaner, and punish the company for no warning labels. A fetus has rights, but not the mother of that fetus. I could go on, but you get the point. Hypocrits.
That is an absolute abyss. Well done and thank you.
Thanks somuch for posting all this footage! So good to see what we would normally not be able to!
This is incredible footage Jack. I think there is so much more you can do with filming the Strid. Have you considered mounting a camera to something with a bit of weight and a stronger light? Super excited to see if you return to get more footage!
How interesting, I've never heard of the strid, looks like a great big deep crack in the granite full of water, I'd like to see some more video of it
oh my god the bank disappearing is terrifying.... i second all the others in the comments, thanks for the footage but pls don't fall in and die for it 😰
Wow! The level of visuals deception is colossal…. No average person would choose to stand so close to the edge if they only knew what lies under the water! 65 meters in spots with crevasses everywhere!!!!!!
Nice educational video, WELL DONE and THANK YOU!!
Came here from MrBallen's video. Thank you so much for risking your life basically to acquire this footage. I was very curious about what it was like down there. And I always wandered how people knew so much about it when NO ONE survived to tell what it was like down there. Awesome footage.
Beautiful footage! thanks for doing all the work and uploading :)
Thanks Damon, no worries :)
Excellent effort.. the footage was very good considering the conditions. I always wanted to see underwater footage of the strid.
Deserves a subscription, thanks.
Very interesting results. However, echo sounding depth readings are usually inaccurate in aerated water, so it is quite likely that there is some error present. The only way to confirm your readings would be to use the old fashioned, 100% accurate, lead line. However, I suspect this would be tricky given the potential for the line to snag on rocks, and even the possibility of the weight landing on a ledge giving a very wrong answer. You should pitch using a submersible to a tv company.
He had to fight to keep a 2.7 metre pole steady against the current - a possibly 65 metre line is going to need an unfeasibly large lump of lead to keep it going straight down.
@@pattheplanter It certainly would not descend vertically, but it may not be 65m. I have since watched the video with a camera which indicated that there is turbulent water well below the surface, which would affect any echo sounding. Also, there were numerous ledges and overhangs to snag a lead line, so unless someone puts a remote submersible down there, we may never know what the depth is.
@@Jon1950 the sonar ball is clearly giving unreliable readings due to the aerated water column.
hey from Virginia (USA), found your vids when i came across video about the Strid…….it fascinated me and the depth was mind blowing
very nice work my friend, you got a new subscriber
Used to go walking there as a kid, about 50 years ago. From Bolton Abbey it was a lovely walk up the wooded trail to the part of the river Wharfe that is called The Strid. Foolishly several friends I knew did jump over to the other side.. it’s a stupid thing to do as it’s not possible to jump back as it’s higher on the side you jump from. Several suicides have happened over the years, I can’t imagine ending my life there. It is a lovely walk but I always found it an eerie atmosphere approaching the fastest flowing bit called the Strid. The roar is definitely a humbling experience. Great video, I didn’t know it was so deep ! I was a little nervous when you were near the edge, I think you should have worn a lifejacket at least! No I’m not being a health & safety whiner !
Take care, stay safe if you decide to pilot an underwater drone through there !!!!
Great vid! Some heavy-hitters should get involved with this! The universities, the BBC, National Geographic Society or other such entity, and really map this place! It would be fascinating!
They should fund him!
I’ve wondered what was down there for years. Incredible footage. Very well done. New fan here.
The noises it makes are terrifying, but my parrot loved them. She started freaking out and attacking her toys. This is one of the places I definitely want to visit. It's scary -- but so beautiful. Those mossy rocks and turbulent waters are definitely my aesthetic.
This footage is so amazing I feel sick to my stomach thinking of falling in there. I am actually crying.
My deepest fear.
Thank you and be safe!
❤️
Just finding this video after hearing stories about this place....I am having anxiety watching you get so close to the edge! Super interesting to watch!
Terrifying! I can't imagine the terror of falling into that, knowing you have no chance of surviving! Thank you so much for videoing this for us!
Luckily you'd only feel that terror for a split second.
@@mydogeatspuke well thats going to be the longest split second ever since it can take minutes to drown.
@@Sharpless2 lmao no it can't hahahahahahahahahaha. It takes at most 45-50 seconds, and that's in still water as a relatively healthy adult who can hold their breath. The kind of turbulence at this location would knock you unconscious almost immediately after hitting the surface, at the same time dragging you deep under the water. Nobody would see it happen, you'd just be gone, and nobody would be able to pull you out. You'd see and feel very little, with no time to panic.
I turned the sound right down during the underwater filming and even without the noise it's one of the most viscerally terrifying things I've ever seen - just imagining being sucked down into the dark like that... makes me shudder just thinking about it.
The submechanaphobia and thalassaphobia subreddits would probably get you too. They do me.
"Will James Cameron lend me his sub?" I almost shot my beer back through my nose, and now I am subscribed!
Hahaha cheers Alex sorry about the spilled beer :D
@@jackasnacks That's ok. It's worth it when something is funny!
What an interesting project - the Strid, scariest body of water anywhere on earth. Great that you thought to do this and I was amazed at your success - but under the water there? Pretty frightening yet at the same time the imagery was beautiful and the soundtrack worked well too.
Good Job! And thanks for the crazy trip into the Strid. It’s closer than I thought I’d ever get. Amazing
Ahhh I have been watching whatever strid videos come out on n off for years, best videos I have seen of it yet!
Great and very unique content, thanks.
Nice one bruh done a great job 👏👏👏stay safe
Thanks ✌️
If you want steady(ish) video, and going deep, you’re going to need something to mount the camera and lights on, with a ‘weathervane’ of sorts to catch the current and keep it aligned. You also need a LOT more light in that murky tannin-stained water you have there… Put it onto a nice solid sled, put about 20 kg of weight on the bottom, and lower it down (me, I’d string a heavy line across the stream from tree to tree, and use a pulley at midstream to drop the camera rig’s line). Sounds like a fascinating place, a slot canyon still full of water…
Fascinating stuff I have really appreciated your work here and am now subscribed. Look forward to seeing what you do next! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
canada applauds your effort,style and thinking ....well done,great beginning effort and on to your next one....thanx