Teen finds SECRET room on college campus

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  • Опубліковано 24 тра 2022
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    Time Stamps:
    #3 -- "Boilermakers" -- 0:41 -- College freshman finds an off-limits door on campus
    #2 -- "Death Valley" -- 16:16 -- If you don't respect the environment here, it will kill you
    #1 -- "Ruahine Range" -- 24:49 -- Mystery disappearance solved 15 years later
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 20 тис.

  • @sajuarosam3854
    @sajuarosam3854 2 роки тому +22823

    As a lifelong desert rat, I have to confess that the guy in Story 2 made me quite angry with his enormous stupidity. His biggest two mistakes were: 1) going into an unknown area without an experienced guide and 2) going BACK into an unknown area at night.

    • @JP-babe-girly
      @JP-babe-girly 2 роки тому +1675

      Yes!!! Robert was definitely an idiot😫😫😫😫😫

    • @kieancoba7661
      @kieancoba7661 2 роки тому +1490

      yeah like that guys is dumb i was like no way..he went back and got sropped off alone without making sure it was the right place a second time after nearly dying.....i dont get it.

    • @carrollkuemper
      @carrollkuemper 2 роки тому +1735

      When the towing company said they couldn't tow his van because of the 2 flats, I would've abandoned the van.

    • @tanner882
      @tanner882 2 роки тому +142

      Sooo it’s always been hot? Or is Death Valley a cause of climate change? 🤔

    • @pseudobean3827
      @pseudobean3827 2 роки тому +153

      @@carrollkuemper I was thinking the exact same thing.

  • @tjbailey336
    @tjbailey336 Рік тому +3839

    How can a missing person investigation not involve searching every inch of a room that the person's shoe was found. Mind blowing

    • @andysmith1996
      @andysmith1996 Рік тому +163

      Because the shoe was found outside dirty and covered in debris and no one knew at the time it was his and they thought it had been there for much longer than it had. If you search a university campus, I guarantee you're going to turn up some random items of clothing.

    • @Fillintheblank538
      @Fillintheblank538 Рік тому +361

      @@andysmith1996 doesn’t make sense. The cops just didn’t do a thorough job

    • @dandelionoutsider
      @dandelionoutsider Рік тому +82

      And how did his shoe get dislodged from the door? Someone had to know he was in there and had to remove that shoe from the door.

    • @andysmith1996
      @andysmith1996 Рік тому +122

      @@dandelionoutsider Even if someone removed the shoe from the door does not mean they knew he was in there. Stop inventing conspiracies where there are none.

    • @Wizzz2288
      @Wizzz2288 Рік тому +6

      That's the Unbelievable part of the story!

  • @denniswrobleski4439
    @denniswrobleski4439 10 місяців тому +446

    Just imagine the thoughts of the guy in the second story while he found himself once again lost in death valley after a day before being rescued from the same desert. He must have been absolutely sick with his own stupidity.

    • @aprilnovember6777
      @aprilnovember6777 2 місяці тому +28

      "Sick with his own stupidity." 😂

    • @chrystiafreelandscankles548
      @chrystiafreelandscankles548 2 місяці тому

      He literally killed himself trying to see some tiddies.

    • @Dillon6479
      @Dillon6479 2 місяці тому

      He was an idiot. If your van gets stuck 80 miles into a death valley salt flat, its a lost cause. You dont go back the next fucking day.

    • @twincherry4958
      @twincherry4958 2 місяці тому +8

      He'd have know he's done...it's hard to be that lucky

    • @bonzwell13
      @bonzwell13 Місяць тому

      @denniswrobleski4439 I dunno, it is very possible that he is actually too stupid to realize his own stupidity. That is really the only explanation for someone doing something this unbelievably stupid.😂

  • @UberSkittle
    @UberSkittle 10 місяців тому +470

    The more I watch Mr Ballen's videos the more I believe claustrophobia is a very valid instinct that we should listen to

    • @oli.4409
      @oli.4409 5 місяців тому +13

      so true, i was scared of a lot of things as a kid and everyone said it was irrational and made fun of me, but the day my friends all got stuck in a ditch in a forest at a birthday party everyone was thankful i was too scared to follow them in and therefore was able to go and get help!!

    • @fruitygranulizer540
      @fruitygranulizer540 4 місяці тому +4

      dude it's crazy to say, idk if there's a name for it, but i usually am fond of "claustrophobic" places. idk what it is, but like standing in a closet for example just feels really nice in a cozy way, it makes me feel small and i like that feeling. it's weird lol

    • @Daubeny-pm8vk
      @Daubeny-pm8vk 4 місяці тому +1

      It's irrational when you are extreme about it. You can not like tight spaces without panicking and just not going in because you Don't like it

    • @cabbey31
      @cabbey31 3 місяці тому +1

      Oh ghad he boxed us all in!!!

    • @jayreszy4398
      @jayreszy4398 2 місяці тому +1

      @@fruitygranulizer540. you have what is referred to as claustrophilia.

  • @ElveeKaye
    @ElveeKaye Рік тому +1101

    "In his drunken state, he thought it was a good idea." We'll probably never know how many unfortunate incidents begin this way.

    • @TupDigital
      @TupDigital Рік тому +13

      "idea" implies thinking.....that's not always the case. I agree w you for sure

    • @mattbot5167
      @mattbot5167 Рік тому +2

      Ggs

    • @dummydummy2842
      @dummydummy2842 Рік тому

      ua-cam.com/video/v3NWt_qvJuk/v-deo.html
      Finally it's here,

    • @andycfox
      @andycfox Рік тому +1

      If MrBallen keeps his channel going we will know how many eventually, lol

    • @braveheartproduction2323
      @braveheartproduction2323 Рік тому +21

      And this why I don’t drink alcohol

  • @rebecculousrk
    @rebecculousrk 2 роки тому +6969

    It’s really hard to understand how a person who had barely escaped that situation with his life days earlier, would immediately turn around and put himself back in the same desperate situation. I think if I had found myself in that situation, I would write the van off as a loss…And thank my stars that I was found that first time!

    • @SuperMissblueeyes
      @SuperMissblueeyes 2 роки тому +296

      I was thinking the same thing.

    • @txaggievet
      @txaggievet 2 роки тому +816

      Exactly... Not only did he go back which was bad enough, but he was like, hey just drop me off here and Ill walk... WHAT??? thats insane

    • @xen0bia
      @xen0bia 2 роки тому +793

      @@txaggievet Yeah, I don't think that guy was the sharpest tool in the shed to not see the irrationality in his decision making. But also, I'm really confused as to why the towing company couldn't get his truck in the first place. If you can't tow a truck because of flat tires or whatever, then what use are you as a towing company?? Seriously... "Sir, we can't tow this truck. You're going to have to do repairs on it right here in the middle of the effing desert, at 58 C, with limited ressources and all by yourself. Pleasure doing business with you.". Makes perfect logical sense...

    • @SuperMissblueeyes
      @SuperMissblueeyes 2 роки тому +73

      @@xen0bia Totally

    • @bobobob5108
      @bobobob5108 2 роки тому +270

      I know! Thats exactly what i was thinking if i barely survived death in the desert i would never wanna go back and not only did he go back he went alone which is a big problem, he didn't have a gps or way to contact anyone another huge problem, he had no water or anything to survive with, and worst he stupidly had them drop him off in a desert and he didn't even know where he was honestly this guy was asking to die

  • @IndyGuy09
    @IndyGuy09 9 місяців тому +406

    I was a student at Purdue living in a different dorm very close to all of this when Wade went missing and was later found. I knew he found his way into a maintenance room, but most of the details were not well known to anyone on campus. Such a sad story.

    • @lawrencesmith5263
      @lawrencesmith5263 5 місяців тому +22

      I was a student living in Hilltop, across the street. The details didn't add up then to me, what about you?
      It was scary that we walked past him hundreds of times and he was in there dead.

    • @IndyGuy09
      @IndyGuy09 5 місяців тому +2

      @@lawrencesmith5263 I agree, it didn't make much sense. I lived in Wiley and walked by daily going to Ford.

    • @creepycrawler4690
      @creepycrawler4690 4 місяці тому +10

      You're lucky that wasn't your dorm. The unbelievable amounts of EMF/ electrical magnetic fields are detrimental to the health of the students in that building. I can't believe this equipment is anywhere near other occupied buildings.

    • @superherobeatdown
      @superherobeatdown 4 місяці тому +2

      ⁠@@creepycrawler4690emf doesn’t effect body composition if lower than 10 kv

    • @MrJeffcoley1
      @MrJeffcoley1 4 місяці тому +25

      The student who wouldn't let him into the dorm probably felt pretty bad about that decision.

  • @HattielyEverAfter1995
    @HattielyEverAfter1995 8 місяців тому +111

    To be fair, being smart enough to prop the door open with your shoe so you don’t get locked in there is something I probably would forget to do sober let alone drunk x

    • @jimmyv1753
      @jimmyv1753 Місяць тому +4

      Right, makes you wonder. They are just guessing as to what he was doing in there why he ended up where he ended up. I thought the same thing. He is going to go in and the door locks behind him and he starves or dehydrates. But no allegedly he put his shoe in the door to hold it open. Maybe it popped right out instantly or he lost it when he jumped down and he did get locked down there because squeezing along side a large transformer would not be the first idea of someone in that situation. It’s more the last ditch effort of someone trapped and desperately looking for an escape. I don’t think getting around that machine would’ve offered an exit honestly. It’s one of those things you can just never know for sure

    • @b_reel
      @b_reel Місяць тому +2

      @@jimmyv1753right, I thought the same when he said the shoe was found outside the door and slipped from its wedged position. Makes ya think that had to have happened instantly as he slid it there in a drunken state. Then makes you wonder if he was drunkenly desperate trying to find an exit or was sober and dehydrating and chose the quicker way out after he found an exposed hole. If they didn’t even have the wherewithal to check the entire room first go around, I don’t think their final story stands on very firm ground.

    • @AtiyaSmith-bb7jg
      @AtiyaSmith-bb7jg 16 днів тому +1

      Darn it, I thought the same darn thing wow 👌🏾 so I feel if he could do that in drunken state WTF was he thinkin!🤯😱

    • @jimmyv1753
      @jimmyv1753 16 днів тому +1

      @@b_reel I agree. That story seems full of guesses and assumptions. When I was a kid I was a bit of a trouble maker and I was a quiet kid so I wasn’t exactly ratting myself out. I would always sit back and listen to parents, teachers or authority figures making up stories to explain whatever evidence they had and I would just sit back and smile thinking you couldn’t be further from the truth. They would never get anywhere near the truth. I feel like this story feels like that. A complete guess that accounts for what they know but isn’t even close to what really happened. It’s possible that he was unconscious and maybe someone dragged him in there tossing his shoe in the door then crammed him into a tight space to hide him thinking he was gone and maybe he wasn’t. Then just kicked the shoe out of the door on their way out. It seems unlikely that door doesn’t open from the inside. Seems like a huge design error. It’s probably not the truth of the matter but it accounts for the facts just as well

  • @Thumbsdwn
    @Thumbsdwn 2 роки тому +3165

    I know it wouldn’t have mattered either way, but the fact that the police found Wade’s shoe in that pit and yet still didn’t find him for 2 months is insane. You would think that they would have concentrated search efforts around the one piece of evidence they had…

    • @DonJulio1942
      @DonJulio1942 2 роки тому +435

      Yea those cops definitely dropped the ball on that one like how do you look into a room and just assume that everything is normal? Especially when there is a missing student like bro what I swear that the requirements to be in law enforcement is so damn low

    • @winonagumshoe388
      @winonagumshoe388 2 роки тому +142

      I was thinking the same thing. But I have an alternate idea. If they found the shoe there and the door was still unlocked I would imagine they would have opened it and at least looked around from that side. The fact they didn't would suggest that the door was locked. That shoe just moved itself and the door locked itself? I think no. It could still have been an accident like; maybe a maintenance person saw it and closed it to make sure it was safe and nobody would try to go inside. But knowing that a person went missing, they would have spoken up wouldn't they?
      It's more likely that he was put there by someone. Even if he was put in there as a malicious joke or something that is still more likely than the accepted story. But it could have been a very clever murder too...who knows.

    • @cindy4628
      @cindy4628 2 роки тому +1

      government agencies are useless and idiotic

    • @Mo0may
      @Mo0may 2 роки тому +95

      Right!? Terrible police work on their part.

    • @turbosoggy8404
      @turbosoggy8404 2 роки тому +110

      @@DonJulio1942 The requirements to be in law enforcement _are_ low

  • @joeanderson8839
    @joeanderson8839 Рік тому +2195

    Wow, I thought Wade was going to find a really cool secret room that nobody knew about, where he could go and hang out and have fun with a few of his closest friends. But as the story was unfolding I remembered who was telling it, and realized that this probably wasn't going to happen.

    • @TheReviewedByMe
      @TheReviewedByMe Рік тому +78

      That definitely wouldn't happen on this channel unfortunately.

    • @MononokeLynn
      @MononokeLynn Рік тому +10

      Same

    • @DigitalDash-
      @DigitalDash- Рік тому +41

      We watching MrBallen. That’s all I gotta say

    • @KUD4H
      @KUD4H Рік тому +12

      No.. no you didn't

    • @ChessJourneyman
      @ChessJourneyman 11 місяців тому

      It was a dirty clickbait title. Same way this trash leeching off of tragedies kept blaming it on him being drunk.

  • @Crimea_River
    @Crimea_River 9 місяців тому +587

    The second guy deserves a Darwin Award. The last story was tragic.

    • @indianfan1029
      @indianfan1029 8 місяців тому +16

      Doesnt he deserve a mini Darwin award at least. Going off into some isolated mountains with poisonous plants without informing anyone.

    • @Amigafur
      @Amigafur 7 місяців тому +7

      ​@@indianfan1029if your grammar is any indication, you'll be receiving a Darwin award soon! 🤞

    • @stephanierayside2272
      @stephanierayside2272 7 місяців тому

      Yep

    • @eroccha
      @eroccha 7 місяців тому +1

      @@Amigafur *If (sentences should start with capital letters when you criticize others) your understanding of the word grammar is any indication, you'll be receiving a Darwin award soon! 🤞His grammar was fine it was his punctuation that was off. The fact it is easy to understand and in the comment section not a book or essay shows your simple mind at work. How pathetic your life must be to wish death on someone for grammar, what I assume you mistook for punctuation.

    • @thurmanator6969
      @thurmanator6969 7 місяців тому +3

      @@indianfan1029 there’s also the whole no shoes or socks thing. Escalates it a bit closer to the full Darwin Award

  • @aerostrafe1075
    @aerostrafe1075 9 місяців тому +319

    Wade's story is exactly why I tell my sister who is in college now not to get drunk. She will of course because people just can't help themselves so I advise her to always make sure she has that one responsible sober friend to watch over everyone. I was that friend in college and boy did I stop a lot of my buddies from doing some stupid shit.

    • @filcuk
      @filcuk 7 місяців тому +42

      That's not just being drunk, but also stupid, poor guy.
      A room full of buzzing and whirring machinery is not something I'd explore in the dark by touch alone.

    • @tomasviane3844
      @tomasviane3844 6 місяців тому +17

      @@filcuk Exactly! I've been in those transformer rooms and you have to be a real idiot to just walk into them. Just the humming noise will make you back off. Being drunk is only half the excuse, being an idiot is the other half.

    • @didamnesia3575
      @didamnesia3575 6 місяців тому +1

      ​@@filcukit was dark. Reread what you wrote

    • @florianmazreku3577
      @florianmazreku3577 5 місяців тому +4

      tbh yeah my sympathy for this guy was really low that was just stupid decision after stupid decision. also the guy had a functioning cellphone, didnt think about calling anybody from the university who could open the door, or use the light of the fliphone, which isnt much but enough to see a bit, or just went around the other side of the machine when he noticed he was at the wall side instead of going through the gap, or like just fucking go to your own dorm and take the jacket the next day. honestly it was natural selection at that point like i was completely wasted on alcohol quite some times and never did anything remotely this stupid so alcohol makes you do dumb af things but only if you are dumb yourself or have like zero common sense@@filcuk

    • @amazinggrace5692
      @amazinggrace5692 5 місяців тому +9

      Thankfully (and sadly) we women learn early on not to travel alone. I was glad I had a good friend talk me out of something risky when she said she didn’t want to see my name in the paper in the AM found dead. Sobered me up real quick.

  • @reginaphalange4182
    @reginaphalange4182 Рік тому +2120

    I can't imagine how traumatizing it was for the maintenance guy to find a corpse that's been getting electrocuted for months, and still is, and it's making that crunching noise.... What a nightmare for him, and especially the victim's loved ones.

    • @spugelo359
      @spugelo359 Рік тому +181

      I think that noise could be the worst part of it. If he heard it for a while and he didn't suspect a thing until he went to check what is causing the noise... discovering the cause and connecting all the dots... yea that would be perfect nightmare fuel.

    • @justinla92
      @justinla92 Рік тому +64

      Can’t imagine the electric bill….

    • @pballfan
      @pballfan Рік тому +103

      As much as I feel sorry about the kid, the crew, and the family, the mere fact that the family got a payout due to an intoxicated kid breaking & entering into a room where he shouldn't be in is a weird level of affluence that some of us will never see.

    • @AspireGMD
      @AspireGMD Рік тому +200

      @@pballfan They absolutely should have gotten their payout, he was a minor that obtained easy access to alcohol on campus and made a dumb decision like every drunk teenager ever and was able to get into a dangerous room that should have been locked, it has nothing to do with the family being "affluent" rather the fact that the school was objectively fucking negligent.

    • @pballfan
      @pballfan Рік тому +78

      @@AspireGMD with that frame of mind, I don’t really agree, as college shouldn’t be treated as a daycare for young adults. Improper education from the family or k-12 system does make a significant impact when it comes to a young person’s judgment. You can’t just pin it all on the college for 1 kid messing up on multiple steps (ie: breaking and entering).

  • @mchevre
    @mchevre Рік тому +988

    So I understand the student was killed instantly and finding him sooner would not have saved him - but I don't understand how the cops could find a shoe in front of a weird maintenance door pit that no one is supposed to be in, and then choose NOT to go through that door and thoroughly search the whole room. It was their one lead, and they basically shrugged it off. Sure he was already dead.. *but they didn't know that*

    • @trchc189
      @trchc189 Рік тому

      How ridiculous that a drunk student “broke” into a room he had no authority to enter, and the college is found negligent and has to pay out $500,000. It’d be like someone breaking into my home, slipping on a banana on my floor and me being found negligent. Shows what a joke the judicial system is.

    • @skylerexe8028
      @skylerexe8028 Рік тому +48

      FOR REAL

    • @tracytre38
      @tracytre38 Рік тому +49

      I thought the same thing. Cops can honestly be stupid sometimes. The Moscow police have been pretty inept in investigating the University of Idaho murders here in N Idaho.

    • @texan131396
      @texan131396 Рік тому +44

      When one looks into the full story, it was determined that the law enforcement and maintenance workers who search the room couldn’t see his body because it so far behind the equipment. An independent investigation came to this conclusion. Another issue to why he wasn’t found sooner was the because of the electrocution risk, the power would have had to been shut down in the building for the facilities workers to do the proper check. This probably should have happened, especially if they found his shoe outside of the door.

    • @charliecostella
      @charliecostella Рік тому +8

      They thought they were looking for a person that was alive

  • @thejayman77
    @thejayman77 7 місяців тому +193

    Find it pretty crazy that there were NO visible high voltage signs outside that fenced-off door. Usually, anywhere there's a significant voltage, signs are posted everywhere. Even on doors that most people shouldn't be accessing. I would've sued the school for even more due to negligence of both the signage and of proper locking of that door. Insane.

    • @fruitygranulizer540
      @fruitygranulizer540 4 місяці тому +28

      exactly. despite the railing, that door did not really look "off-limits." it just seemed like a janitor's entrance to the building or something. a little weird / odd design choice to have the pit, but it definitely was not clear that it was off-limits. i feel for wade. i honestly doubt he was *that* intoxicated as well, since he had enough sense to put a shoe behind him to keep the door open and let some light in. i don't think i would have had that kind of decision making when drunk.

    • @paperplane-db8qf
      @paperplane-db8qf 2 місяці тому

      It definitely looked like a fenced-off door because there was literally a fence.
      People should just take some responsibility sometimes, why do we need signs everywhere.

    • @fruitygranulizer540
      @fruitygranulizer540 2 місяці тому +6

      @@paperplane-db8qf it looked like a casual railing that was just there to stop people from falling into a pit. by all other means, it looked like any other door

    • @thejayman77
      @thejayman77 2 місяці тому +1

      @@paperplane-db8qf I don't know, ask OSHA.

    • @thejayman77
      @thejayman77 2 місяці тому +5

      @@paperplane-db8qf For that matter, why even have yield signs, stop signs, pedestrian signs, ehh whatever, we should all know everything anyway.

  • @stefaniadangila3017
    @stefaniadangila3017 7 місяців тому +30

    The first story reminds me so much of something that happened in a university of Thessaloniki in Greece some years ago. After a student party that was taking place in the university grounds came to an end, the people that organized the party waited long enough and shouted loud to make sure everyone was gone before locking the exit doors of the uni hall that was provided to them to throw the party.
    But little did they know that they was a student that fell asleep in one of the rooms that were connected to this hall, he was lying on a couch that was covered with stuff and jackets so nobody noticed him or saw him when they quickly swiped through the rooms.
    And then the tragic happen. They locked him inside.
    But this was not that bad because if he waited till the morning someone would have heard him and would have probably come to open the doors. Also he had a phone with him so if he kept his calm, he would have been able to call somebody in the morning with a clear state of mind to let them know where he was and to ask them to come and open the doors.
    But instead of keeping calm, when he woke up later in the night, being still drunk and disoriented, he started desperately to search for a way out, he called his friends on their phone but it was early morning hours and everyone was sleeping so nobody picked up. At that point he was full-blown scared and he let the panic take over him.
    Then he took a literally deadly decision. He though I am gonna jump from the window to a wall top that was standing under the window of the room he was at. But being drunk he miscalculated his steps and the jump and he just fell from the window right down to the floor near the entrance of the uni.. It was a tragic accident.
    But his friends and co-students that were with him that night felt terribly bad and kind or responsible they left him inside the building and didn't search for him hard enough believing he just got tired and left the party. Because this decision has cost them their friends life. But ultimately it was the poor judgement of this guy that lead to his own death.

  • @Redman147
    @Redman147 Рік тому +442

    Definition of insanity is the 2nd story. You nearly died the first time, and you were pretty well-prepared water wise. Second time you didn't even bring water with you and that happens. It's like Cahill's Crossing in Australia. One of THE most dangerous bodies of water in the country, with signs, warnings, etc and people still get empty headed and end up saltwater croc food.

    • @Southpaw88
      @Southpaw88 Рік тому +20

      if that dude survived that 2nd desert trip something else was just gonna get him it was a matter of time. you have to have negative iq to go back to the same place that nearly killed you, with even less supplies to keep you alive 😂😂😂

    • @ruralbrewery6585
      @ruralbrewery6585 Рік тому +6

      @@Southpaw88 I reckon if the desert hadn't got him the second time it would have suffered a severe loss of self esteem and possibly an identity crisis lol - I mean you can't be Death Valley, home to prevailing conditions that make the smartest and toughest desert rats pause for thought before going in, and let a Robert get away after throwing you a dare like that 🤔

  • @tak4832
    @tak4832 Рік тому +2127

    As an electrical engineer, I can say that there are at least 2 reasons why Perdue is responsible for Wade's death (though as a child of an alcoholic, I don't want to entirely dismiss his own personal responsibility). The room should not only have been locked, but by code requirements, that sort of electrical room requires a light switch at any entrance for just this reason. even a professional with a flashlight could enter a room like this, trip over a cable and find themselves in contact with a live wire. to be fair, I don't know the code requirements at the time the room was built but... in modern day, that would have been a big deal.

    • @llsher5210
      @llsher5210 Рік тому +105

      I'm so glad you commented! My husband is a mechanical engineer, more knowledgeable than a layperson certainly but not enough to answer all my questions. He thought there probably wasn't enough disruption in the system to cause electrical issues in the building (my first question), but my second question is why is there an open conductor period where someone can potentially stick a body part in?! I'm not discounting a reasonable explanation, it just seems like maybe there should be some way to better mitigate that risk?

    • @tak4832
      @tak4832 Рік тому +65

      @@llsher5210 i wouldnt know about why there is an exposed part other than "sometimes there are just exposed parts" likely for instalation purposes. People trained to work in these conditions would be aware of this and typically wouldnt touch anything until the power was turned off (... though i've seen a very dumb technician on the subway explode his own equipment taking measurements in a way that bypassed safety switches... then turned around and did it again 5 minutes later). As for why it doesnt distrupt the power. Well. The dead body isnt drawing power. The electricity isnt flowing through him in the way you'd think. What killed him is called "natural capacitance". It means that you body can naturally store a certain amount of electricity even if its not flowing through you. So even if you are not grounding yourself, if you are exposed to a high enough voltage, the current created by natural capacitance can kill you. But, like... his corpse was basically just a fleshy cap for the exposed wire. Were he actually actively conducting electricity, he'd have been cooked, burnt and his ashes would have blown away from the wire

    • @toothlessthenightfury2088
      @toothlessthenightfury2088 Рік тому +72

      I have no experience with electrical engineering but perdue has got to be very irresponsible to leave a dangerous room unlocked without any light source especially when there are open live wires.

    • @tak4832
      @tak4832 Рік тому +93

      @@toothlessthenightfury2088 its not just the live wires. Its the idea that some drunk college kid could have stumbled in there and took a baseball bat to even the protected equipment or thought it's be fully to pee on some "school property" to "rebel" only to get electricuted. Like, i dont wanna completely dismiss the idea that "people should know better than to enter clearly marked areas" but... legally, the state isn't obligated to provide you power. As part of your agreement to house such equipment, you are expected to safe guard it from the public, even if they technically shouldnt be there. Thats just how safety codes work.
      I worked for the NYC subway system designing power systems. If you didnt keep things under lock and key, you'd have homeless people using these rooms as housing, or kids who think it's funny to mess with the system or spray paint things. Basically power device above a certain threshold was required to be contained in a room that could be locked with a special key and specialized technicians were required to be with us just to enter the rooms.
      So... yes, Perdue should not have allowed this room to be left open. Even the janitor probably shouldnt have had a key...

    • @alexwehrspann9809
      @alexwehrspann9809 Рік тому +18

      @@tak4832 But In my mind should they not have enlarged the case so that you could stick something of a certain length into there? Maybe something like for a hole of area XYZ you must be able to insert a rod of length A into the hole so the bigger the hole the longer the rod. For example if you can fit your finger in a hole you shouldnt be able to touch anything with the longest finger, or if you can fit your arm in said hole then you should not be able to touch anything with the longest arm +/- a saftey factor? Im a ME so forgive my ignorance on electrical issues

  • @Hyst3ricalCha0s
    @Hyst3ricalCha0s 9 місяців тому +90

    I admire your ability to tell stories consistently objectively and neutrally... without making people like Robert sound like a total dumbass. Kudos.

    • @fruitygranulizer540
      @fruitygranulizer540 4 місяці тому +2

      haha that is true... he tells the story in a way that is respectful to Robert (even though, we all know, he was a total dumbass)

  • @thetherrannative
    @thetherrannative 7 місяців тому +45

    The way you tell these stories, they feel so much longer than they are. It might only take you fifteen minutes to tell a story, but the way you describe them makes them feel so _full_ that there's no way they're really that short. That's the sign of a truly excellent storyteller.

    • @Narthanael
      @Narthanael 2 місяці тому +2

      well, he just repeats details often and uses long winded ways to say things

    • @jsmith434w
      @jsmith434w Місяць тому

      well you gotta make a buck out of people's tragic deaths somehow

  • @sarelito9202
    @sarelito9202 Рік тому +413

    In the first story, I find it amazing that the police did not go into the room via the outside door since his shoe was found there. I would have turned it inside out. IN the second story, Robert seems to have had a hidden death wish.

    • @colindavid2078
      @colindavid2078 Рік тому +28

      Totally agree, that was my first thought! Oh, we found one of his shoes outside this door..... I wonder if he went into this room?!?! Hmmmmm............. "Brains are a gift, use them"!

    • @mavel2038
      @mavel2038 Рік тому +5

      Could have been that the school said it was always locked. But also, they still should have checked anyway.

    • @mandysimmons3867
      @mandysimmons3867 Рік тому

      88888

    • @mandysimmons3867
      @mandysimmons3867 Рік тому

      0

    • @MyTimelord11
      @MyTimelord11 Рік тому +1

      I think they maybe understood that that wasn't the right way in maybe? It actually makes me wonder why that door exists at all. I mean it's not easily accessible for workers who may have to carry things in it out. Maybe an emergency exit? Seems like it could have been a wall but idk much about that stuff

  • @smashingmolko1576
    @smashingmolko1576 10 місяців тому +28

    New Zealand is an interesting place to explore whether you're an expert or not because of how accessible and 'safe' the wilderness feels. You can go anywhere in the country and find somewhere to hike or camp pretty much straight away and since there's no fear of an actual predator or 'threat' you can just sort of wander of a say 'I'm going to camp here.'
    My old flatmate used to only eat meat he'd gone and hunted himself and so with just the essentials and no real idea where he was going and when he'd be back he'd just go bush for 3 or so weeks. He'd just pick an area and try his luck.
    Knowing now my BIL who works for DOC (Department of Conservation) in some really remote and rugged terrain, hearing stories and learning far more about the wildlife and areas than the standard amount of Kiwi bush knowledge, I'm SO shocked my old flatmate made it home every time.

    • @alexandrelebienheureux5474
      @alexandrelebienheureux5474 5 місяців тому

      Yeah Australie might be fine... as long you don't mind spiders that are the size of a car wheel.

  • @Pippalottaa
    @Pippalottaa 7 місяців тому +16

    Just a note, it is very common for people on the East Coast of New Zealand (Gisborne area) to not wear shoes regardless of where we are.

    • @hoku8089
      @hoku8089 Місяць тому +2

      Is the pronunciation of the mountain range supposed to be rua-hee-neh instead of rua-heen?

    • @melanieruawai3363
      @melanieruawai3363 22 дні тому +4

      ​@@hoku8089 Yes.

  • @codynate4522
    @codynate4522 Рік тому +3489

    Please, if you are ever offered a deal with any network, Netflix, A&E, Discovery, Travel, etc. Please don't let them change how you tell stories. The way you explain and your whole setup is absolutely perfect as is.

    • @shanenspitsfire1482
      @shanenspitsfire1482 Рік тому +15

      YAS!
      👏🙌

    • @lilysudak4347
      @lilysudak4347 Рік тому +78

      I love the way he tells these stories he shares just enough detail while still leaving you on the edge of your seat and extremely interested he’s fantastic

    • @ligakrysu
      @ligakrysu Рік тому +8

      Assuming he is going to work for some television...
      The chance he will work for McDonalds selling burgers is not much lower.

    • @aucklandsadventures
      @aucklandsadventures Рік тому +32

      @@ligakrysu Wait. You think there are Navy SEALs working at McDonald’s?

    • @ligakrysu
      @ligakrysu Рік тому +6

      @@aucklandsadventures No idea. I didn't even think about it. Doubt it.

  • @SP1N0SAURUS
    @SP1N0SAURUS Рік тому +2116

    It's crazy to think that he lost his life because he wanted his jacket back, so many chances for that end result to be avoided but everything that went wrong did go wrong, heart breaking

    • @TheB00tyWarrior
      @TheB00tyWarrior Рік тому +112

      It's some final destination shit

    • @KazeHorse
      @KazeHorse Рік тому +87

      I think back to my uni days and can count multiple situations where I took ridiculous unnecessary risks to accomplish very small tasks that had pretty obvious solutions.
      I think it’s just what young people do unfortunately but if he did make it it’s would be a story he would be laughing about today (thinking about that did make me a bit sad tbh).

    • @kiri4099
      @kiri4099 Рік тому +50

      i just dont get why his friend didnt give him the key so he can just get inside and go back

    • @SP1N0SAURUS
      @SP1N0SAURUS Рік тому +28

      @@kiri4099 that's just one of the several things that could've been done differently to avoid what happened

    • @yeemawheaver1387
      @yeemawheaver1387 Рік тому +55

      @@KazeHorse I think it's just a drunk thing and not a young thing.

  • @Orvulum
    @Orvulum 11 місяців тому +20

    The exterior door of a machine room like that is how they are able to move large equipment in and out of the room, in this case, transformers. As such, those kinds of access points are rarely used, and so not frequently checked as to whether they are secure or not. This sad story is a good example of how important it is to control access to machine rooms, mechanical rooms, electrical closets, utility tunnels, etc. There are many hazards in such places, and especially without any illumination, an enormous risk.

  • @blubberdust
    @blubberdust 7 місяців тому +18

    The first story reminds me of stories from my Alma mater campus. We had a series of underground tunnels connecting different buildings for the steam-powered central heating system that some of them had still used. If any student was found in these tunnels, they would be expelled.
    This is becuase, years prior, a group of students had accessed them, broken a pipe by trying to climb it, then been cooked into a paste by the escaping steam. Wasn't sure if it was an urban legend or not, but the scary thing is it's entirely possible it wasn't.

  • @caseyb.1259
    @caseyb.1259 Рік тому +2254

    Wade probably didn’t suffer for long (if at all) thankfully, but the mental image of him slumped over being electrocuted for TWO MONTHS is still so horrific. Rest easy, dude. ❤️‍🩹

    • @fabricio6444
      @fabricio6444 Рік тому +137

      seriously. insane those rooms or equipment arent checked thoroughly regularly. smh

    • @Lee-wg7en
      @Lee-wg7en Рік тому

      100% instant death. don't worry

    • @CozyLoungeShorts
      @CozyLoungeShorts Рік тому +129

      @@fabricio6444 Insane that people trespass in such rooms.

    • @fabricio6444
      @fabricio6444 Рік тому +67

      @@CozyLoungeShorts that too. intoxicated or not.

    • @sumtingwong8768
      @sumtingwong8768 Рік тому +21

      Oh no he definitely felt it 100% electricity is very scary

  • @derekdixon6624
    @derekdixon6624 2 роки тому +548

    I was a freshman at Purdue when Wade went missing. The whole campus was on edge because nobody knew what happened to him. There was a fear that if someone else had done something to him that they would strike again. What happened to him was just as sad. RIP, Wade.

    • @grand9200
      @grand9200 2 роки тому +29

      dude im filling out my housing form for purdue while listening to this 😭😭. Is this a sign?

    • @robynsegg
      @robynsegg 2 роки тому +22

      What I don't understand is why didn't he just wait? I mean, I get it. Jan. 16th is my birthday 🎂 and I know just how cold 🥶 it can get and he needed his jacket. But still, if he had just went back to his dorm and waited until morning 🌄 none of this would have happened. Such a tragedy. I know his parents are still besides themselves. #RIP_Wade

    • @Knight192
      @Knight192 2 роки тому +21

      @@grand9200 Yes it is , stop filling up the form and fill it "out" instead

    • @FaithMcCaffrey
      @FaithMcCaffrey 2 роки тому +15

      @@robynsegg maybe he left his dorm keys in his jacket...

    • @K-R-T
      @K-R-T 2 роки тому +25

      I was a freshman that same year as well. It was a eerie time leading up to learning what had actually happened to him.

  • @maikiaxiong3789
    @maikiaxiong3789 8 місяців тому +19

    My dad's dad passed away similarly like the last story. Accepted that he made it back sick. At Thailand. Family members were confused by the death. He's probably poisoned by some plant. They lived in the jungle but moved to America later due to Vietnam war going on. My family believe probably spirits took him with them.

  • @lbridge2010
    @lbridge2010 10 місяців тому +183

    I can’t imagine the guilt that person that didn’t let Wade in the door must feel. Like they had no idea obviously, but if that has been me I would feel really bad

    • @hana.the.writer5074
      @hana.the.writer5074 9 місяців тому +25

      But still, letting a drunken person in would result into something else for not knowing the consequences of such allowanc! Thinking positive is positive!

    • @m.valdivia8048
      @m.valdivia8048 9 місяців тому +2

      Why feel bad? It's not like that person did anything wrong?
      The idiots own stupidity did him in.

    • @finleyrosebud5791
      @finleyrosebud5791 8 місяців тому +3

      @@hana.the.writer5074 "thinking positive is positive!" Truly profound words.

    • @indianfan1029
      @indianfan1029 8 місяців тому +21

      Why should anyone blame themselves, for not letting in someone who will go to an off limits room, and poke his arms around in a pitch black mechanical room, and then decide it was a good idea to crawl behind some machine that he hasn't even seen.

    • @randomcontent2247
      @randomcontent2247 8 місяців тому +31

      Idk how y’all pin blame on wade when he was just trying to get a damn jacket. He was drunk and the person saw that and decided rather than help leave him unsupervised. And blaming him for making dumb decisions while intoxicated is stupid as well, I’d say the person who ignored him isn’t innocent in the situation.

  • @CaulkMongler
    @CaulkMongler 2 роки тому +4067

    Story 2: imagine being those young boys who literally saved a man from death’s door, feeling so exhilarated that you’ve learned important life skills that you put into actual use, only to find out the same man crawled back out into the desert to die a couple days later… Darwinism at work.

    • @hermanrobak1285
      @hermanrobak1285 2 роки тому +630

      Robert *really* wanted to visit that nudist resort on the way, desert be damned!

    • @ivanpetrov5185
      @ivanpetrov5185 2 роки тому +1

      I wouldn't blame the guy. The company that was supposed to retrieve his van used bullshit excuse not to do their work. Repairing a van in the middle of the desert in 50 degrees Celsius doesn't make any sense. For the first time I am hearing about a company refusing to transport a vehicle because of technical issues. In Europe cars are transported EXACTLY because they have technical issues. Otherwise, you wouldn't need a transport company in the first place. These guys were assholes and are directly responsible for the man's death.

    • @victorhugomuzi
      @victorhugomuzi 2 роки тому +195

      That guy surely wins Darwin awards.

    • @notsureiL
      @notsureiL 2 роки тому +46

      ​@@hermanrobak1285 Why you made me laugh 😅

    • @hermanrobak1285
      @hermanrobak1285 2 роки тому +224

      @@notsureiL Legend has it that the nudist resort is not in Death Valley, but in Bells Canyon.

  • @highermindcreations9379
    @highermindcreations9379 Рік тому +1555

    I think it’s wild that they found the shoe outside the room, yet they didn’t think it was necessary to actually go in the room to look for him, maybe they would’ve found him sooner. I hope his family is healing from that.

    • @iLBae
      @iLBae Рік тому +143

      Yea cops never do their jobs, they are mostly just ready to clock out

    • @kevinstotomas-cf4zu
      @kevinstotomas-cf4zu Рік тому +84

      They would have found him dead either way because he had died almost immidiately when he got electricuted.

    • @Brandon-br7tc
      @Brandon-br7tc Рік тому

      Not that it really mattered that much….
      Anything to bitch about cops huh? Lol

    • @mikatu
      @mikatu Рік тому +49

      Yes, looking from outside a room is a very good idea when you are looking for someone.
      Image it was a fugitive, yes, I am looking from outside and if it looks empty I am going to believe...

    • @tom1644x
      @tom1644x Рік тому +44

      Especially since his shoe was the only clue!

  • @space_cadet04
    @space_cadet04 10 місяців тому +14

    Story#3- actually a bit surprised that a plant like that is allowed to grow with no warning signs around or the city of park officials made to come out and access the area every few months or a couple times a year to spray and kill the plant. Where I grew up in Simi Valley which is in Southern California, the city sprayed the wash and hills for Jimson Weed. I had a friend who found a plant that had just grown and he ate it cuz it was said to cause hallucinations much like shrooms. 3 days later we were wondering what had happened to him. He was in a psych hospital babbling incoherently until the plant wore off.

    • @grantadamson3478
      @grantadamson3478 9 місяців тому +5

      The area is very difficult to get to and the plant has only caused 1 other death. Usually it's just a painful experience with no further harm. The plants are easily spotted and is the only thing you need to watch out for in the bush as we don't have any animals or spiders or snakes that will harm you. Unless it's a wild pig perhaps lol.

    • @elpiccia774
      @elpiccia774 3 місяці тому +3

      "allowed" to grow? The plants were there before you, they have every right tò grow and live, and people must study, learn and respect the risks of wildlife. Hearing that somewhere people actually SPRAY the Hills killing probably not only that plant, but much more others, Is honestly terribile

    • @sianmcgirr8727
      @sianmcgirr8727 17 днів тому

      ​@@elpiccia774 woman womp

  • @waverider5751
    @waverider5751 10 місяців тому +12

    You are one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard, and I’m 65, so I’m heard quite a few. Thanks!

  • @MR.Drowsy158
    @MR.Drowsy158 Рік тому +618

    Robert has gotta be in line for a Darwin award. Gets lost for over 6 days and rescued, then goes back next night with no ride back and never knew where he was supposed to be dropped off....

    • @AleksandarIvanov69
      @AleksandarIvanov69 8 місяців тому +11

      Some people just have it in them to stay alive 😂😂

    • @clarkkent163000
      @clarkkent163000 8 місяців тому +47

      I honestly can't feel bad for robert.

    • @j-note3285
      @j-note3285 8 місяців тому +47

      @@clarkkent163000 I can feel bad for Robert and at the same time acknowledge his candidacy for the Darwin Award.

    • @suzybearheart530
      @suzybearheart530 8 місяців тому +16

      I didn’t realize this video had multiple stories and thought you were talking about Wade for a sec (even though you clearly wrote Robert, I thought maybe you screwed the name up or I did) and was like “WHAT? He was alive? They found him and he went back and then died?” I was so confused for a sec haha. I haven’t had a good sleep in days. 😂

    • @jadonharper1493
      @jadonharper1493 8 місяців тому +6

      Both of them get the Darwin Award, I will never understand why people wear shorts in the wilderness.

  • @thundercatlola9755
    @thundercatlola9755 Рік тому +612

    My dad and his brothers (my 2 uncles) mistook their trail while backpacking in Death Valley and nearly died from dehydration over the course of a 3-day wander. Nearly 30 years since that trip and none of them have ever chosen to return. It’s absolutely crazy to me that Robert would willingly go back to the desert only a few DAYS after his close-up with death.

    • @leafy4142
      @leafy4142 Рік тому +64

      Natural selection at work.

    • @amigomac5790
      @amigomac5790 Рік тому +7

      Omg that must have been really scary for your family, I'm just happy they made it out alive, I have never heard of death Valley until listening to mrballen now. I bet your family could tell a story about that experience.

    • @thundercatlola9755
      @thundercatlola9755 Рік тому +3

      @@amigomac5790 It happened before I was born, so I know it was scary for my mom. It does make a bit of an adventurous story, though- it happened so long ago that Dad is mostly over it. He sometimes retells it at family gatherings.

    • @amywilkins7440
      @amywilkins7440 Рік тому +13

      I am from death valley, I was raised there and it is a beautiful but dangerous place. I miss it dearly and hope to return one day and show my husband and child my history and my ancestory. My grandparents instilled into me at a very young age to never leave without access water, blankets, and some type of GPS because still to this day there is no cell service in most areas. My grandparents were very anti hitch hiking but they always helped people in death valley. I wish they could have seen it the way I did. But im happy they are okay!

    • @truegemrn
      @truegemrn Рік тому +2

      @@amywilkins7440 wow! Interesting that you lived there and what you had to be taught.

  • @bethysbarn
    @bethysbarn 9 місяців тому +21

    That last case was so interesting! Ultimately absolutely awful for him but I found it really fascinating to learn about! I couldn’t imagine what it could be, I thought perhaps it was some natural phenomenon like a gas cloud or something weird like that due to crevices funnelling underground gases out there or something weird like that 🤷‍♀️😂 I have no clue about mountains but I’m so glad his family actually got an answer to what happened to him in the end though!

    • @hana.the.writer5074
      @hana.the.writer5074 9 місяців тому +1

      Same here but .. seriously, wasn’t it wrong to just park a vehicle at the side of the road to begin with? I mean, what if there was a different scenario? Who said he’d had his sleeping bag with him? Was it recovered? Something fishy.

    • @nxxynx5039
      @nxxynx5039 6 місяців тому

      ​@@hana.the.writer5074not in NZ. The Danniverke area is very remote and has dense bush outside of the farmland.

  • @GetMoGaming
    @GetMoGaming 4 місяці тому +3

    @12:20 You can touch 50,000 Volts and feel nothing, it's actually the current that kills you. That's why high current is very dangerous. 50 Volts of AC with a 30 Amp rating could kill you easily if it crosses your chest. Transformers transform high voltage/low current to low voltage/high current and vice versa. (It's more efficient to transfer high voltage/low current electricity over long distances)

  • @loganford9537
    @loganford9537 2 роки тому +175

    As an electrician and heating and air worker, some equipment you come across is just flat out dangerous. Usually it's the older buildings with older equipment built during a time with far less safety features and code. Electrical rooms/vaults and boiler and equipment rooms are supposed to be locked for this exact reason, keep untrained persons away.

    • @kadrick4446
      @kadrick4446 2 роки тому +8

      Even trained people sometimes act stupid.
      The dumb things I have seen as a security guard are many
      The amount of idiots I had to stop in their "work"...

    • @silviaflores1693
      @silviaflores1693 2 роки тому

      Sizzle pop on the first story! 😮

    • @paulmattle6683
      @paulmattle6683 2 роки тому +3

      Mr. Ballen said it was 200 volts, but isn't it the AMPs that matter, when you are being electrocuted? And wouldn't alternating current push you away from the current, as opposed to Direct Current. Which would kind of keep you connected? I did 2 years of electronics in high school, but that was over 20 years ago. Just asking, not making any speculations about his death.

    • @loganford9537
      @loganford9537 2 роки тому

      @@kadrick4446 lol, I agree with you. Some things you see people doing makes you wonder how they've made it this far.

    • @loganford9537
      @loganford9537 2 роки тому +11

      @@paulmattle6683 AC "grabs" you. Meaning it causes muscular contraction, possibly making it difficult for you to let go if you have grabbed or leaned into an energized object. It is far worse to be hit by AC than DC, but it really all comes down to the amperage. DC operates at a higher amperage draw, but it's very uncommon to come across anything high voltage DC. DC is most commonly used for automotive and electronic applications.

  • @95mudshovel
    @95mudshovel 2 роки тому +496

    my dad and I didn't talk for a year and it turns out we had both been binging your videos the whole time. thanks for facilitating this odd bond we have unknowingly shared. 🙂

    • @devineyre5545
      @devineyre5545 2 роки тому +30

      Lovely story, hope your relationships blossom

    • @MKSQUADofficial
      @MKSQUADofficial 2 роки тому

      This dude is like Mr.Ballen ua-cam.com/video/fo5bGsUykQ4/v-deo.html

    • @MrBallen
      @MrBallen  2 роки тому +78

      That’s awesome!!

    • @abibb27
      @abibb27 2 роки тому +5

      I love that so much! 💖

    • @pollybilbrey4504
      @pollybilbrey4504 2 роки тому +8

      I was just thinking about this other day when he hit 6 million. I thought to myself I wonder if some of my family are in those millions. Maybe a good idea to comment and read some. Might just run across a family member.

  • @tondal823
    @tondal823 3 місяці тому +3

    I love how he uses his hands and fingers as he talks ❤❤

    • @RedLily5150
      @RedLily5150 Місяць тому

      Is it a woman thing? I was just thinking what nice hands it looks like he has 😂

  • @thegaymingavenger
    @thegaymingavenger 6 місяців тому +10

    As someone who watches a lot of true crime stuff and other content similar to this, I just want to mention how nice it is that you put distance conversions on screen. More people should do this.
    But also, bless that other pathologist who figured out what happened to Jason immediately. It may have been fifteen years, but the family finally got some answers (as did everyone else involved with the investigation). What an absolutely terrifying way to go though.

  • @Njabuloseh
    @Njabuloseh Рік тому +415

    Robert was determined to die, clearly. You would think his first experience with Death Valley would've instilled some humility and a sense of caution in him.

    • @archangelrapheal5231
      @archangelrapheal5231 Рік тому +29

      God was giving him a second chance and didn't get the message, if I were him I would have never returned in the first place I would be traumatized if that happened to me, I will develop serious Eremophobia for sure.

    • @njinsuii3506
      @njinsuii3506 Рік тому

      @@archangelrapheal5231 god didn’t give him anything be quiet

    • @bm-ub6zc
      @bm-ub6zc Рік тому +2

      @@archangelrapheal5231 Shamone, hee hee

    • @NikkiStutzman
      @NikkiStutzman Рік тому +25

      Seriously!! I would’ve thanked God I was alive and kissed that van goodbye!!!

    • @Njabuloseh
      @Njabuloseh Рік тому +3

      @@NikkiStutzman Same here!!

  • @artistevivien
    @artistevivien Рік тому +1635

    That first story was horrifying. Can you imagine what state his body was in 😨 That maintenance worker was probably scarred for life. Poor Wade.

    • @RobsRobotChannel
      @RobsRobotChannel Рік тому +118

      yea that must have been really morbid to stumble upon

    • @carldrogo9492
      @carldrogo9492 Рік тому +131

      He went through all of that effort over a jacket. 🤦‍♂️

    • @curtisdunbar6844
      @curtisdunbar6844 Рік тому +4

      Mini

    • @GLING17
      @GLING17 Рік тому +118

      There couldn’t have been much of him left after being shocked continuously for several months, probably just a blackened husk. Horrible way to go and all because of a jacket!

    • @user-sz2px8pv3f
      @user-sz2px8pv3f Рік тому +1

      Lol

  • @russhubbard72
    @russhubbard72 10 місяців тому +5

    Just discovered your channel. Really enjoying your content. Keep up the good work

  • @jcbaily5559
    @jcbaily5559 7 місяців тому

    Truly amazing...your reports are wonderful...thanks so much!

  • @largedoggo3194
    @largedoggo3194 2 роки тому +711

    i feel like your “top 3” style has always been your best and is certainly my favorite.

    • @our8870
      @our8870 2 роки тому +3

      ong

    • @gabrielfreitas8105
      @gabrielfreitas8105 2 роки тому +45

      Nah, I always prefer the single stories that are labeled as mature audiences

    • @carterhuston5519
      @carterhuston5519 2 роки тому +10

      Three is a good number gotta keep ‘em at least 10 minutes a piece tho unless you gotta drag it out to do so

    • @MrBallen
      @MrBallen  2 роки тому +68

      Thank you!

    • @matthewtricarico1682
      @matthewtricarico1682 2 роки тому +5

      Agreed

  • @nickeynouse6093
    @nickeynouse6093 2 роки тому +689

    Wade's story is so sad. Serves as a warning to never let your drunk friends leave by themselves and about how colleges shouldn't cut corners with safety

    • @nilk5958
      @nilk5958 2 роки тому +6

      Preach💯

    • @Bri-nc8yp
      @Bri-nc8yp 2 роки тому +50

      Seriously your drunk and that’s the time they felt not to protect him and shoo him away? Drunk ppl are at their most vulnerable state and should be protected. I’m glad me and my friends always looked out for each other when drinking.

    • @shinji391
      @shinji391 2 роки тому +5

      I could drink triple what Wade drank and still be fine.

    • @bigoldawg2791
      @bigoldawg2791 2 роки тому +2

      @Andrynor Ω 🤣

    • @albuseisenhorn3385
      @albuseisenhorn3385 2 роки тому +7

      Or have stupid rules like we lock up at 9 pm

  • @23jrza
    @23jrza 6 місяців тому +2

    I never realized how interested I am in the “strange dark and mysterious” until I discovered this channel. And the Lore Lodge. Thanks for all the great stories

  • @PennyPistons
    @PennyPistons 6 місяців тому +1

    I remember wade… i remember other students handing out flyers to us at WL JR HS. There was one girl i talked to… she was very emotional about it. She knew him well. I will never forget her desperation to find him…

  • @paulmedrano2387
    @paulmedrano2387 2 роки тому +524

    I'm a truck driver for an advertisement company and I travel all around the country this has kept me so entertained for the past 6 months thank you Mr ballen love the way you tell your stories!

    • @lollie880
      @lollie880 2 роки тому +2

      I think u misspelled his last name. But it’s still cute! Lol!

    • @paulmedrano2387
      @paulmedrano2387 2 роки тому +4

      @@lollie880 I just noticed!! 😂😂 Funny! Thanks for the laugh. I'm pulled over at a shopping center in Virginia now reading this..

    • @jenbee85
      @jenbee85 2 роки тому +7

      This seriously keep me entertained for hours🤣 I’ll stay up until 5 am saying “just one more video...” lmao ! You aren’t alone !

    • @cayennenaturetrails8953
      @cayennenaturetrails8953 2 роки тому +6

      I use to drive a refer! I know how his stories can keep the time meaningful.

    • @peeron6829
      @peeron6829 2 роки тому +1

      Thats what i would do when i where a trucker

  • @theresenorrby5616
    @theresenorrby5616 2 роки тому +443

    For me who has asperger's syndrome, you explain everything so carefully and in detail. There is nothing to be annoyed about. Thank you👍

    • @stormreform8113
      @stormreform8113 2 роки тому +21

      I have it to.
      The world always fails to understand the frequency we work on.

    • @__Diavolo__
      @__Diavolo__ 2 роки тому +20

      @@stormreform8113 or it just doesn't care

    • @turbogav8674
      @turbogav8674 2 роки тому +15

      "I constantly hate having to say why I am who I am." Meanwhile telling everyone on the internet for no reason.

    • @_Fury
      @_Fury 2 роки тому +2

      exactly! 🙃

    • @trumtrum5136
      @trumtrum5136 2 роки тому

      @@stormreform8113 It's not the world's job to adapt to you, it's your job to adapt to it. "Asperger's syndrome" is just your way of doing that. If it's not working, change. Think curiously, stop force-feeding your subconsious.

  • @NeoCon3K8
    @NeoCon3K8 5 місяців тому

    Thank you for your unique style of word choice and detailed story telling ! These are great companion & entertainment while i work from home!

  • @starson1
    @starson1 Місяць тому

    Thanks for your stories, Mr. Ballen

  • @AlwayzFresh
    @AlwayzFresh Рік тому +952

    How Robert survived 30+ years is the real bizarre story.

  • @tbjers
    @tbjers 2 роки тому +250

    I found myself saying, several times, during this episode: "Wait, nobody is THAT stupid?!" And, oh, yes, they are.

    • @nannettehuffman8397
      @nannettehuffman8397 2 роки тому

      And why he never graduated from Purdue. He should of gone to IU.

    • @electrictroy2010
      @electrictroy2010 2 роки тому +1

      Especially that Death Valley guy. “I almost died in the desert, but I think I’ll go out a second time, and this time have no map, or water, and truly die.”
      Idiot

    • @electrictroy2010
      @electrictroy2010 2 роки тому

      He really wanted to see that nudist resort (tried twice to reach it). Would have been wiser to drive an hour to Vegas and visit a stripclub full of nude women

    • @VIFFY1
      @VIFFY1 Рік тому +4

      @@nannettehuffman8397 should respect the dead and he was in a drunken state

    • @narmale
      @narmale Рік тому

      @@VIFFY1 unfit human for that reason exactly right there... drunk

  • @love_love_me_do
    @love_love_me_do Місяць тому

    Not going to lie when you said "Ruahine range" my heart skipped a beat. Gisborne is my home town and I know the Ruahine Range fairly well. I love that you've covered a story from my little hometown, half of New Zealand doesn't even know where Gizzy is so the fact you've talked about it makes me so happy. But also, I hate that we've had something bad enough happen here to make this list. Thank you John!! Forever love your storytelling, content and work!!

  • @andrewforeman2168
    @andrewforeman2168 9 місяців тому +2

    Some of your stories would make BRILLIANT movies I swear!!!
    Especially the older ones I can REALLY imagine a good director shooting through those old 90's lenses and your stories being brought to life on the BIG SCREEN and being amazing motion pictures!!

  • @Mapleaple
    @Mapleaple 2 роки тому +136

    This is why electricians to me are the top high risk job in existence. One touch is all it takes, heck even being around something with high voltage can kill you.

    • @MrBallen
      @MrBallen  2 роки тому +23

      So true

    • @existentialgamer9206
      @existentialgamer9206 2 роки тому +8

      Yup that’s why I’ll DYI anything…except electrical! Leave that to the pros

    • @Mapleaple
      @Mapleaple 2 роки тому +5

      @@MrBallen Of course on the front lines in high risk military professions is the MOST dangerous since well death is looming. Like what you did. Could never imagine how scary that was for all those years.

    • @electricalife
      @electricalife 2 роки тому +8

      I've been an industrial electrician for many years. There are simple procedures we follow that make the job safe. If you ever look at a breaker box you'll see holes in the handle for locks. We have a red lock with a large red tag to "lock out" the equipment, and you are the only person with a key for that lock. If someone asks you to work on something energized you would simply refuse without it safely being turned off and locked out. If a company or person trys to pressure you into going into energized gear, fk them. Electricity is completely safe when you follow the rules

    • @Almightyrastus
      @Almightyrastus 2 роки тому

      Hopefully not if guys like me have done their job properly. I design the earthing systems for substations with the aim to make it safe for people and equipment in the event of a fault. Of course, there are still ways to get a pretty nasty shock if you don't know what you are doing.

  • @mikeh2006
    @mikeh2006 Рік тому +717

    I felt sorry for Robert with his first mistake getting his van stuck.
    Then I realised he was a total moron when he got dropped back off.
    If I were him I would have hired a self drive tow truck, took maps, water, food, maybe another person and informed the police and my family of what I was doing.
    However, based on the first experience I think I would have just left the van there and never returned.

    • @archangelrapheal5231
      @archangelrapheal5231 Рік тому +49

      I agree, If I knew that I went to a place like that and got my car struck, having to leave my car, trying to survive and almost die in the process, and got saved I'm not going back at all and I'll be like "Screw that car, I guess I am going to to have to buy a new one" I would want there to be a law against going to that valley, He should have took that as a blessing from The Lord, and as a second chance at life and never even returned.

    • @nighthuntress4393
      @nighthuntress4393 Рік тому +26

      I would have left the van for sure. I believe you shouldn't try destiny more than once.

    • @delasoul2875
      @delasoul2875 Рік тому +10

      I wouldn't have bothered going to the desert like that in the first place.

    • @debbylou5729
      @debbylou5729 Рік тому +6

      Why? The insurance would have sent someone

    • @scrape559
      @scrape559 Рік тому

      Darwinism at its finest. I just hope it happened before he had a chance to procreate and make another person that doesn't pull out far enough into the intersection at a green light making a left turn and you get stuck waiting for the next green fucking screaming at your windshield. Good riddance

  • @janetcloe3733
    @janetcloe3733 7 місяців тому +3

    My new favorite channel! I love how you describe and detail. Great job!

  • @anonysmith82
    @anonysmith82 10 місяців тому +3

    Just for reference, it's not volts that kill a person, it's amps. It's a common misconception but might be worth taking into consideration. Love your video btw

  • @McPickleness
    @McPickleness Рік тому +309

    Seriously, it's hard to feel sympathy for the dude who perished in the desert. When I was 17, I embarked on a 12 mile hike through a mountainous area of Glacier National Park and failed to bring enough water to remain comfortably quenched. The thirst I felt was something I will never forget in my life. I wasn't even close to death, just very very thirsty, and nearly 20 years later I STILL insist on making sure I always have a surplus of water for any outdoor outing with even just a remote chance of experiencing unforeseen difficulties. I just can't wrap my head around the idea that this man almost perished after SIX DAYS alone in DEATH VALLEY, and then just days later willingly ventures back out into the desert without even stocking up on extra resources, or making sure a search team would come for me if I didn't turn up at a predetermined checkpoint before a predetermined time. Like....HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?!

    • @murphybrown1366
      @murphybrown1366 Рік тому

      I don’t understand why you would go back into a freaking desert to fix a car by yourself……I am so confused….was he high….I lived in Arizona when I was still in the Army and my barefoot feet would burn on the ground in front of my house and this fool went into the hottest desert in America…alone…..to fix his car…..are nudist resorts non stop orgies or something because he was too dedicated to finding it…

    • @carldrogo9492
      @carldrogo9492 Рік тому +22

      Play stupid games win stupid prizes.

    • @krissuyx
      @krissuyx Рік тому +13

      I've been exhausted and dehydrated to the point where my kidneys hurt and by that time I had 10-15 more km left to travel. Dehydration is certainly no joke.

    • @schlorping5156
      @schlorping5156 Рік тому +27

      I imagine his brain being cooked for 6 days had some serious consequences for his rational thinking skills to be honest

    • @McPickleness
      @McPickleness Рік тому +7

      @@schlorping5156 nah, if he suffered heat stroke badly enough to get brain damage he would not have been able to stroll out there at all.

  • @ccma6565
    @ccma6565 2 роки тому +217

    As someone who has been raised in the desert nearby Death Valley, that was pure foolishness!
    Its easy to get lost in the desert during the daytime as it is, its pretty much pure inky darkness at night.
    *And* you've got venomous snakes and scorpions who's whole routine is done during the night/early morning hours because its simply too hot otherwise.
    Lack of an experienced guide, lack of proper equipment, lack of a GPS/map, lack of water combined with dangers from venomous creatures. It really is a death trap. Death Valley is precisely named.
    Pure dry air, dry heat, basically you're drying out like a living raisin along with being in the lowest sea level, the sun just beating on you relentlessly with no real shade or cover.
    I feel bad for the guy, I wish he had respected the dangers presented by Death Valley to preserve his life. It was so avoidable after being rescued!

    • @CitizenSnips69
      @CitizenSnips69 2 роки тому +32

      Dude didn’t learn his lesson the first time. Yeah just drop me off in the middle of the Death Valley, I can walk bro it’s cool. Even if he had the right place, what if something went wrong? What if he tripped and broke his ankle? What if he did get bit by a snake? With no cell service, it’s kinda stupid. Idk I’m starting to think going out in the wilderness with no way to contact the outside world is always a bad idea. Makes me think of one time my dad drove me to some random rock in the black rock desert, and when he was finished checking it out he couldn’t get the car to move. We were wayyy too far to walk anywhere, and it was over 100 degrees. Probably didn’t have much as far as supplies goes either. Then he realized he accidentally put on the E brake, lmao. There was also one time in a similar situation where he couldn’t find his keys, turns out after 20 minutes of searching while it got dark that they were IN HIS POCKET. Needless to say my dad doesn’t always do the smartest thing I have a lot of these stories. It got to the point I started refusing to hang out with my dad when I was younger. It’s funny because he’s an experienced outdoorsman and has written two climbing guides for the Lake Tahoe area. Nature scary, fuck all that im staying inside

    • @joannbowden6220
      @joannbowden6220 2 роки тому +11

      It's called thinning the herd, I believe.

    • @scientificallyilliterate120
      @scientificallyilliterate120 2 роки тому +6

      Ain't called Death Valley for nothing

    • @MMAHUB209
      @MMAHUB209 2 роки тому +1

      Kml

    • @stacynapier2899
      @stacynapier2899 2 роки тому

      He must have really wanted to go to the nudest colony very much.

  • @MeTuLHeD
    @MeTuLHeD 8 місяців тому +2

    Isn't it amazing how often death and injury involve alcohol consumption and the words "it seemed like a good idea at the time"?

  • @joeanderson444
    @joeanderson444 5 місяців тому +1

    I grew up 20 miles from Purdue near West Lafayette, IN. Sad, that it's part of one of MR. Ballen's stories!

  • @JockJamJesus
    @JockJamJesus 2 роки тому +407

    It wouldn't have mattered in this case because he had already been electrocuted, but it's baffling to me that people conduct these search parties and for some reason don't search every room of the structure where the person was last seen. They sent out horses to look for this guy but didn't search every room in the dorm? How does that make any sense at all? Keep in mind his shoe was found RIGHT OUTISDE THE DOOR OF THE ROOM HIS BODY WAS FOUND IN. Remember there was another one of these stories where an old man got lost at a mall and sat down and died because no one ever bothered to search the hall he ended up being found in? This level of incompetence just seems almost intentional, I can't think of any other reasonable explanation.

    • @dummydummy2842
      @dummydummy2842 2 роки тому

      ua-cam.com/video/IQEGzucsN40/v-deo.html Finally it's here.,

    • @LucyStokesOceansofNotions
      @LucyStokesOceansofNotions 2 роки тому +65

      Exactly what I thought! If his shoe was found outside the door, surely you would search every nook and cranny of that room!!?????? At LEAST open the door where the shoe was found???? Absolutely crazy.

    • @crazyjloop89
      @crazyjloop89 2 роки тому +13

      Humans

    • @fromtheflightdeck252
      @fromtheflightdeck252 2 роки тому +33

      Logic isn't modern society's high point

    • @fromtheflightdeck252
      @fromtheflightdeck252 2 роки тому +28

      In addition it's strange that doors to a dangerous transformer are left unlocked and have no warning signs. Guess the family received a huge payout because of this negligence.

  • @tragickai5856
    @tragickai5856 2 роки тому +341

    Man imagine being the person who didn't let him in. You'd look on the news and see him missing then dead. Knowing if he or she let the guy in he'd be alive.

    • @joeydiddy1
      @joeydiddy1 2 роки тому +79

      dude right /; but also its a scary world you cant really blame them

    • @LaniChermont
      @LaniChermont 2 роки тому +5

      Same thing I thought

    • @volcanicviper5984
      @volcanicviper5984 2 роки тому +89

      i mean i think they were justified in not letting him in. they didnt know him and to them he was a suspicious drunk guy trying to get into the dorms. no one expect him to try and sneak through the electric vault. tbh it should be the fault of whoever left that door unlocked. the fact they left the door to somewhere that dangerous is extremely negligible

    • @podlumpy3838
      @podlumpy3838 2 роки тому +62

      @@volcanicviper5984 There is no justification for doors not to have "high voltage" sign. The doors really look like they are just side doors to dorm. Leaving doors unlocked is a mistake in the moment, but doors without sign is something what stands for a long time.

    • @tragickai5856
      @tragickai5856 2 роки тому +27

      I agree that they were justified in not letting them in. I probably wouldn't have. But I also made this post thinking of how I would feel after

  • @1nnova
    @1nnova 9 місяців тому +13

    The first story really makes me think of how many alternate universes where I have died running back into my house for my jacket. It's just crazy to think that all he wanted was his jacket but ended up in that situation, it seems far fetched on paper but it's clearly possible and makes me wonder how many times I could've made the wrong choice.

  • @daka_uri
    @daka_uri 7 місяців тому +2

    i love the context of, "oh theres the shoe of the victim, lets go search literally anywhere else"

  • @TheXxjmpxxx
    @TheXxjmpxxx 2 роки тому +117

    Dude, I found you before you hit 1 million subs and at first I thought you were a teacher who was just bored from quarantine and telling stories. But through it all - the no haircuts, the blazing fast subscribers, and edge of your seat story telling, It's just an amazing thing to see you here at 6M and to see your growth. Keep it up Johnny!

    • @MrBallen
      @MrBallen  2 роки тому +28

      😂 thanks!!

    • @MKSQUADofficial
      @MKSQUADofficial 2 роки тому

      ua-cam.com/video/fo5bGsUykQ4/v-deo.html
      He's just like Mr.Ballen

    • @leastonhill7689
      @leastonhill7689 2 роки тому +4

      So did I, when I subscribed he was at 300k subs. I'm so happy for him🖤

    • @familyof1052
      @familyof1052 2 роки тому +3

      Agreed! It was somewhere at 30,000-40,000 when i started and loved it immediately but thought it was probably just a covid thing for fun. So glad it wasnt

    • @android584
      @android584 2 роки тому +1

      I only recently discovered him through Dive Talk so I guess I get no street cred.

  • @JULIEisKRAZIE
    @JULIEisKRAZIE 2 роки тому +290

    Awww, poor Jason. The way you started his story I was worried we weren't going to get an explanation of why he died. I'm glad the pathologist told that story to his friend so now maybe the family has answers and closer.

    • @sallykauth2115
      @sallykauth2115 2 роки тому +9

      @Jules Tuthill
      *Closure

    • @sancho8521
      @sancho8521 2 роки тому +1

      @@sallykauth2115 you go girl

    • @gigglesinside
      @gigglesinside 2 роки тому +3

      @@sallykauth2115 Change your name to Karen.

    • @VeganV5912
      @VeganV5912 2 роки тому +1

      @@sallykauth2115 ; Timelapse, 5-10 days 🧟‍♂️🦠🍖🔴... (inside your stomach) ua-cam.com/video/KtK3KgSMHe4/v-deo.html .. ua-cam.com/video/oziwBALKCEQ/v-deo.html 🤮 NO fibre !!!! Stays in your body and rots away 🤮🤮🤮.....
      That’s why I’m vegan, lots of fibre if you eat plants and fruit and nuts and berries and tubers and lentils beans et cetera. PH 7, no smell.
      Which side of history are you on, Jeeffrey Dahmer 👓😩🦠🍖🔴... Or veganism ✅❤️💪😬😉 ??. You don’t hurt your cute little dog 😍🤗🐶🤥🤥🤥......

    • @Milkman4279
      @Milkman4279 2 роки тому +14

      @@gigglesinside - If someone wants to be understood, using the correct word really helps.

  • @DB-xe3ws
    @DB-xe3ws 6 місяців тому +17

    I think i fully understand why Robert went back to death valley alone. He was horny before that first trip but having survived because of his immense supplies and the resulting adrenaline rush from his rescue going over the next 4 days made him beyond HORNY thinking about that nudist resort. He was without doubt the horniest man alive and he really needed to let off some steam that night after his initial intense experience in the desert. RIP!

  • @drummernicky3423
    @drummernicky3423 9 місяців тому +4

    I remember going to Death Valley with my family and us getting so distracted with the viewpoints and stuff that we nearly ran out of fuel. The tank said it had 10 miles left and we had 20 miles to go with no service. Let’s just say we stayed in neutral until the gas station 😂😂

  • @iamV10010
    @iamV10010 2 роки тому +222

    I greatly appreciate the distinction between the actual photos and photos that are used to get an idea of what's in the story. It's refreshing to see due diligence within journalism and true crime reporting.
    Thank you!

    • @bluedaughter
      @bluedaughter 2 роки тому +3

      I like it also, it's as if when someone is reading you a story they show you pictures too. Not only do you get a great story but the pictures bring it more to life.

    • @distorfilsgud9680
      @distorfilsgud9680 2 роки тому +2

      its really helpful with the storytelling getting some nice refferences..especially for people which speak English as a second language..Mr. Ballen knows whats up

    • @jovanmalic9259
      @jovanmalic9259 2 роки тому +2

      I really appreciate his converting of miles into kilometres and foot into centimetres.

    • @iamV10010
      @iamV10010 2 роки тому +1

      @@jovanmalic9259 yes that too!

    • @shelbyramirez867
      @shelbyramirez867 Рік тому

      I like it, but I wish he would use that word “actual” instead of “real”. It just trips me up every time I read it.

  • @internetexplorer9990
    @internetexplorer9990 2 роки тому +56

    Me during the 2nd story: “Man I’m glad one of these stories had a happy ending and everyone lived”
    Me after: “Why tf would you go BACK into the desert without a map, water, and at night?”

    • @danteattenborrough4686
      @danteattenborrough4686 2 роки тому +4

      Sounds like he was desperate to die in Death Valley.

    • @spicymayo623
      @spicymayo623 2 роки тому +7

      he just REALLY wanted to get to that nudist resort. Guy was just thirsty.

  • @dovesfan1
    @dovesfan1 4 місяці тому

    I done so many drunken silly Wade type things when i was younger. I feel it's a miracle nothing awful happened and very grateful after listening to these stories!

  • @krissuyx
    @krissuyx Рік тому +178

    Why is it that whenever these big extensive searches take place in buildings in search of a missing person, there's always 1 or 2 areas that aren't searched? Same way that Eliza Lam wasn't found because they didn't search the water tanks on the roof, even though the search dogs clearly led them there. It seems incredibly sloppy and incompetent to me.

    • @lizlagle671
      @lizlagle671 Рік тому +25

      Because the police were lazy/stupid, obviously not motivated. How far a stretch is it to think you might want to open the door where his shoe was found? To actually LOOK for someone you're supposedly looking for. To look in the obscure, unlikely places, because he's not in the obvious ones? And looking in the water tanks for Lam might involve effort.

    • @barbarasmith7432
      @barbarasmith7432 Рік тому +6

      @@lizlagle671 Yes, that and the fact that the humans were leading the search for Elisa Lam, not the dogs. Trust the dogs.

    • @73cidalia
      @73cidalia Рік тому +2

      The Eliza Lam one was ridiculous. I watched a documentary with my husband, and I almost immediately guessed that she was probably and unfortunately in one of the water tanks given the evidence and lack of any video showing her ever leaving the hotel.

    • @diegomontoya796
      @diegomontoya796 Рік тому +2

      Yeah. When you are getting paid time and a half and you know where the body is...

    • @thereforepie7531
      @thereforepie7531 Рік тому +3

      The military calls this complacency. When people get comfortable they do stupid things. This applied to the drunk kid and the police.

  • @nomsajere9485
    @nomsajere9485 2 роки тому +66

    I was really happy for Robert when he got rescued, I was like yeey a good ending... and then the story didn't end there and I knew something bad was coming

    • @chrissieroxba2949
      @chrissieroxba2949 2 роки тому +4

      Same! When the Death Valley tells you to bugger off… and you don’t! 💀

    • @MrWhisperingwildly
      @MrWhisperingwildly 2 роки тому +4

      I think Robert may have been a bit foolhardy

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 2 роки тому +8

      The absolute insanity of that guy to ask to just be dropped off in the valley again.... just why?

    • @nomsajere9485
      @nomsajere9485 2 роки тому +1

      @@ANPC-pi9vu probably enjoyed the thrill of almost dying, wanted to experience it again

    • @MKSQUADofficial
      @MKSQUADofficial 2 роки тому

      This dude is like Mr.Ballen ua-cam.com/video/fo5bGsUykQ4/v-deo.html

  • @Re-AttachedRetina
    @Re-AttachedRetina 9 місяців тому +1

    (Just FYI, Mr. Ballen, the past tense of “lie”-when a person lies down-is “lay,” not “lied.” So a person doesn’t “lay” down, although in the famous prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep” it sounds otherwise; what’s happening here, though, is that the speaker is “laying himself/herself down,” just as you would lay your coat down on the sofa or lay some beats down on a music track. It’s just a sort of old-fashioned, poetic way of saying “Now that I’m lying down to sleep”. The English language would love it if you could remember that “lie” and “lay” aren’t regular verbs when they refer to the action of reclining all the way or putting something somewhere but that “lie” when referring to deceit is definitely a straightforward regular verb. English would also love it if you could learn the conjugations of the irregular verbs “lie” and “lay,” but since even smart, educated people have trouble with these, English would love it if you didn’t make “lied” the past tense of “lay”, which seems to be the biggest problem, a really offputting one. Maybe ask yourself why you’re tempted to say “lied” as the past tense of “lay”, and I think you’ll realize you truly know you should be saying “lie” instead of “lay” and “lay” instead of “lied”, becauseI “lay” is the past tense of “lie”. For example, “Yesterday I had some extra time during my lunch hour, so I lay down in my office for a quick nap.” Thanks for reading!)

  • @catherineberry6971
    @catherineberry6971 8 місяців тому +1

    Great stories. Thank you Mr. Ballen for such wonderful mysteries and storytelling!

  • @nevermanishere4555
    @nevermanishere4555 2 роки тому +72

    That third story is so much creepier than some of the unknown stories because there is nothing nefarious, just nature. Wonder how many generations of these plants have grown over mounds of skeletons.

    • @frankieduncan1188
      @frankieduncan1188 Рік тому +5

      Im from that Area in Dannevirke and as a kid the Ruahine Rangers was our play ground i never knew about the plant so i learnt something new

    • @Saitaina
      @Saitaina Рік тому

      Nature is a bitch and WILL kill you every chance she gets.

    • @hoodiegirlx1337
      @hoodiegirlx1337 Рік тому

      I'm from New Zealand, here my whole life, never knew this plant existed til now...😮

    • @sharleaday1825
      @sharleaday1825 Рік тому

      It's just tree nettle guys, very common

    • @nevermanishere4555
      @nevermanishere4555 Рік тому +2

      @@sharleaday1825 I've been stung by nettles a lot. I've never heard of any that can kill a healthy young person, until now.

  • @daveupnorth23
    @daveupnorth23 2 роки тому +362

    Urtica ferox: known as onga-onga or tree nettle, is a common native plant throughout NZ. Skin contact with or ingestion of stinging hairs on leaves/stems can cause exhaustion, respiratory failure, blindness, paralysis, death. RIP Jason, horrible way to go. Greetings to all @mrballen fans from Whangārei, New Zealand 🌳

    • @kerryharper5675
      @kerryharper5675 2 роки тому +3

      Ow Whanga's. Hi 😆

    • @uncleiroh5672
      @uncleiroh5672 2 роки тому +6

      Well that makes me very stupid haha I've had blured vision and an upset tummy getting stung by heaps of onga-onga up a gully in paekakariki, legit had no idea 😅 😳

    • @lonewalkerproductions
      @lonewalkerproductions 2 роки тому +3

      @@uncleiroh5672 did you mistaken it for tea leaves?

    • @riabouchinska
      @riabouchinska 2 роки тому +7

      Wow dang... just wondering, how are all you guys still alive

    • @azamcveigh3253
      @azamcveigh3253 2 роки тому +1

      Churr from Tauranga 🤣

  • @shellylane3683
    @shellylane3683 Місяць тому

    You are the best story teller!!

  • @crazyman3647
    @crazyman3647 4 місяці тому

    Whoa! did not know about this rare plant. i like the way you put your stories together. keep up the good work.

    • @mirandahotspring4019
      @mirandahotspring4019 4 місяці тому

      It's not so rare, most kids are warned about it in New Zealand, especially in rural areas. Deaths have been recorded but are pretty rare. Its known locally a onga onga.

  • @itzinsanity6447
    @itzinsanity6447 2 роки тому +162

    i'm from new zealand, and i find it weird that he went into the bush without telling anyone or packing correctly. everyone in new zealand is taught that the bush is very, very dangerous and to a) tell someone where you're going b) if you go off a trail, leave markers (turn over fern leaves; they're silver on the underside and easy to see both day and night, etc) and to pack well as it's incredibly easy to get lost

    • @gggthsb
      @gggthsb 2 роки тому +11

      that sadly doesn't mean that people will do it. Sometimes they just overestimate themselves, or they think 'nah everything will turn out fine'. They know about the dangers but they just don't think that something will happen to them. That's sadly the most common reason people die in the woods or deserts, overestimating themselves and underestimating the danger.

    • @deepapatricia
      @deepapatricia 2 роки тому +12

      The fern idea is just wow, never heard of that

    • @helenmartin6580
      @helenmartin6580 2 роки тому +5

      You learn all that stuff at Form 2 camp!

    • @henryburrell6181
      @henryburrell6181 2 роки тому +6

      New Zealand gang

    • @littleone2807
      @littleone2807 2 роки тому +2

      @@henryburrell6181 hawkes bay allllllll day

  • @maevependragon
    @maevependragon 2 роки тому +192

    John, losing my Dad and Grandfather years ago meant the loss of two great men who were my favorite storytellers. I want to thank you for bringing back my love of listening to storytelling because you do them both justice with the way you narrate. You have a natural gift and I'm thankful you share this with the rest of us. You help me remember them both in such a meaningful and positive light. I really appreciate that. 🖤🖤🖤

    • @MrBallen
      @MrBallen  2 роки тому +44

      I’m glad these videos can help you find some comfort 🙏🙏🙏

    • @MKSQUADofficial
      @MKSQUADofficial 2 роки тому

      New story! He's like Mr.Ballen ua-cam.com/video/fo5bGsUykQ4/v-deo.html

    • @Chelle8847
      @Chelle8847 2 роки тому +3

      That's so lovely. He is an amazing storyteller! ❤️ Sending love

    • @maevependragon
      @maevependragon 2 роки тому +1

      @@MrBallen Thank you. They both would have been big fans of yours!

    • @maevependragon
      @maevependragon 2 роки тому +1

      @@Chelle8847 I appreciate that! Thanks, Rachel!

  • @HellShock
    @HellShock 6 годин тому +1

    That pop actually scared me 😭

  • @admirallily
    @admirallily 5 місяців тому +1

    Poor Wade. Failed by so many. And that payout was pitiful.

  • @Kassia_97
    @Kassia_97 Рік тому +847

    Man, I feel sad for Robert. The minute you said his plan was to go back and fix his car himself, I knew he was doomed

    • @DrLeroyGreen
      @DrLeroyGreen Рік тому

      It wasn't that. If he went to fix his car, he might be fine today.
      No, he had to follow his dick to the nudist colony.

    • @lordescanor1365
      @lordescanor1365 Рік тому +226

      Personally I find it difficult to sympathize with his level of ignorance. Maybe I'm a bad person, but if you are inexperienced and go into a highly dangerous area unprepared and almost die, then get saved and not learn your lesson by going back to the extremely dangerous place unprepared well I'm sorry but it's like this man wanted to die. I could forgive his ignorance on his first attempt, but the second is just so dumb.

    • @dynamicmediacurations
      @dynamicmediacurations Рік тому +86

      You’re not a bad person. Robert just proved Darwin’s theory to be true.

    • @kaydeereed5748
      @kaydeereed5748 Рік тому +41

      He just had to go fix his van . He almost died the first time you would think he would learn his lesson in the beginning but I guess he did not

    • @domitravel795
      @domitravel795 Рік тому +56

      I guess that he really wanted to see these nudist people lol

  • @anakelly76512
    @anakelly76512 2 роки тому +402

    I can't believe he went back into that harsh desert again!!
    Couldn't he see that he almost died the 1st time?!
    Crazy.
    As always, Ballen, you tell stories so amazingly well.

    • @FuckFascistYouTube
      @FuckFascistYouTube 2 роки тому +33

      Yea... I'm finding it hard to have too much sympathy for that one

    • @Geda.gede.gada.gadaoo
      @Geda.gede.gada.gadaoo 2 роки тому +18

      God gave him a sign and chance on the first time, but he never learned and went again. He followed his desire

    • @evelynzlon9492
      @evelynzlon9492 2 роки тому +19

      He was headed towards a nudist resort. That tells you right there that he probably wasn't the most safety-conscious guy in the world.

    • @jrag1000
      @jrag1000 2 роки тому +12

      stupid is as stupid does.

    • @gabemissouri
      @gabemissouri 2 роки тому +3

      @@evelynzlon9492 lmao

  • @dritzzdarkwood4727
    @dritzzdarkwood4727 11 місяців тому +1

    25:15 The name Dannevirke has two meanings.
    It literally means 'work of the Danes' and is also the name of a series of fortifications we built down in Northern Germany, then a part of Denmark.

  • @silverstreet7984
    @silverstreet7984 5 місяців тому

    I wish Mr Ballen would do a single video on each story. I think they deserve their own video.

  • @jadethomas329
    @jadethomas329 2 роки тому +275

    Final story: I'm so glad they happened to have that conversation. In doing that they were able to give the family some closure (providing they've actually shared that with them) poor guy 😔

    • @yerik6034
      @yerik6034 2 роки тому +6

      Nope, they kept it a secret and now noone has any idea what happened to Jason… RIP, poor guy :/

    • @pepperkilldevelopment9069
      @pepperkilldevelopment9069 2 роки тому

      relax

    • @Joshua_Hammer777
      @Joshua_Hammer777 2 роки тому

      💯 agree

    • @Joshua_Hammer777
      @Joshua_Hammer777 2 роки тому +5

      I can't see them keeping it secret how would it be public information if not

    • @pinheadlarry2506
      @pinheadlarry2506 2 роки тому

      @@Joshua_Hammer777 Family might be dead but that’s a longshot tbh

  • @blueghost3032
    @blueghost3032 2 роки тому +116

    "Top three places you can't go" is by far the best genre of your story telling....CANT WAIT FOR THE MERCH!!¡!!

    • @mirrrstery
      @mirrrstery 2 роки тому +7

      The missing 411 is fkn creepy!!

    • @ArrowMaster_
      @ArrowMaster_ 2 роки тому +3

      MrBallen merch I really cant wait

    • @mediumsurmoon6283
      @mediumsurmoon6283 2 роки тому

      I miss the good old “body rotting from inside out because of a nuclear reactor accident” type of goosebump

    • @blueghost3032
      @blueghost3032 2 роки тому

      @@mediumsurmoon6283 It's still the same but with a twist lol

    • @T.Bleazy
      @T.Bleazy 2 роки тому

      @@mirrrstery the missing 411s are definitely the best

  • @Leggo_meggo
    @Leggo_meggo 10 місяців тому

    I just love the way mr.ballen says room. Rhum. 😊

  • @Lucy-xz6yj
    @Lucy-xz6yj 5 місяців тому

    I LOVED THESE STORIES lol......Wow nature sure is amazing....how plants become situated where they are and how truly necessary all living things effect our ecosystem is remarkable and humbling.....off to hear more juicy stories while sick in bed....thanks so much for sharing ❤

  • @jeffjeannette9364
    @jeffjeannette9364 2 роки тому +848

    Man these stories "especially the ones involving alcohol" really drive home the realization of just how lucky I am that I didn't end up with the same fate. At that age, according to me I was invincible, and that's WITHOUT alcohol on board!
    I took some stupid risks myself. Your videos are not only addicting, they're very informative, and educational as well!
    A smart man learns from his mistakes, but a REALLY smart man learns from the mistakes of others. 😎🤙

    • @user-kf8cw2fv6t
      @user-kf8cw2fv6t 2 роки тому +17

      There’s a reason alcohol is called spirits. Ever really wonder why u can’t remember anything when u “black out” ever consider why u act like a whole different person when your drunk. Ever consider why “you” do certain dangerous and stupid and harmful things you would never do sober? Do the math.

    • @bethmoore7722
      @bethmoore7722 2 роки тому +25

      As someone whose life has been a cautionary tale, I hear these stories, and think about all the stupid things I’ve done, without winning the Darwin Award. I can only imagine how foul-mouthed my guardian angels must be by now.

    • @ryanspangler4569
      @ryanspangler4569 2 роки тому +18

      @S, yeah it alters YOUR brain chemistry as it’s a drug. What’s YOUR point?

    • @joanhoffman3702
      @joanhoffman3702 2 роки тому +3

      And your last sentence is exactly what I’ve told many people. Great minds think alike! 😎

    • @jeffjeannette9364
      @jeffjeannette9364 2 роки тому +4

      @@user-kf8cw2fv6t Oh yes, the formula is crystal clear now. Math never WAS one of my best subjects, and I had to learn the hard way!😎😆

  • @serixskylark
    @serixskylark Рік тому +218

    I live in a desert and know full well you don’t just go off places without guides or preparation. The moment I was told the van couldn’t be towed without repairs, I would’ve just waited, not gone back into that same unknown place to try and fix it myself...

    • @carldrogo9492
      @carldrogo9492 Рік тому +18

      He was a birdbrain.

    • @brycegladwin8087
      @brycegladwin8087 Рік тому +17

      Waiting six days before trying to walk to town was also mind blowing stupid.

    • @nela3986
      @nela3986 Рік тому +20

      I am really weirded out by the idea that a car needs to be REPAIRED BEFORE getting towed. That is actually what doesn't make sense to me in the story.
      The fakt that he did that idiot second move into the dessert is explained by the simple fact, that someone that was SIX DAYS out in the dessert brainbaked by the heat doesn't recover in three or four days. He probably was still funny in the head... More than before I mean.

    • @arganiaspinosa9122
      @arganiaspinosa9122 Рік тому +10

      @@nela3986 I thought I was the only one, I found that very strange too. I pay for AAA annually and if my car broke down and they said that I needed to have it repaired before towing, I would cancel their service immediately. The whole point of having your car towed is because it is not working, if it was working he would not have needed the tow company in the first place. Madness.

    • @charleyjaxx2493
      @charleyjaxx2493 Рік тому

      I think he really wanted to go that nudist camp.