Man vs. Propeller!

I shot this back in 1991 under the M/S Seaward which was tied to the pier in Cozumel. We had run aground a couple of weeks earlier in Miami so we thought we'd investigate the damage. We choose to do it in Cozumel because of the ease at which we could swim to the ship and we made the assumption that if the ship was tied up the bridge wouldn't turn on the props. We were wrong. For any licensing requests please contact [e-mail].

[@DaGrumpyTaco]

he was EXTREMELY lucky the port side propeller started first

[@Deezorz]

the prop would blow him away

[@Alexander470815]

@@Deezorz It would not. At least the port side one is running in reverse.

[@shredthecable8883]

@@Alexander470815 No it's not spinning in reverse. But I cant tell if the blades can rotate to change thrust direction.

[@Teddy-bg3bo]

yes they can

[@warfriday]

@@nikolatesla1296 Starboard is the right side.

[@Rusticpoptart]

Giaant underwater spinning turbines are my worst fear

[@deano3575]

Rustic poptart2174 same ship propellers scare me

[@jaxonsnider6574]

Same

[@diegofranchi4428]

Same

[@TV-go5sw]

submechanophobia

[@Solstice2820]

SAME!!! I’m afraid to be in the water near the ship just because

[@dogsbollox4749]

If anyone is still wondering, I'm alive.........and yes we were stupid for being there, kids don't do what we did.......

[@philjaynes]

Dogsbol Ox This you Mike? I was wondering how long it would take for you to see this online.

[@dogsbollox4749]

Phil Jaynes My video copy of this broke some time ago.....I've told the story a few times so now I have psuedo celebrity to back my claim......it's still a little hard to watch.....hope life finds you well Phil.......and kids, once again.....don't do what we did!

[@philjaynes]

Dogsbol Ox Hey Mike, life finds me well with a wife and two boys. It still makes me nervous to watch. Hope life has been good to you.

[@shakeemrobinson30]

Phil Jaynes awwwww you guys just now clicking back up ?

[@MikeGinnyMD]

+Dogsboll Ox Yes, you were. At least you admit it and learned your lesson in one piece.

[@dieselyeti]

Well THAT will teach you not to dive docked ships without an ok from the bridge... Nightmare fuel. Yikes.

[@dogsbollox4749]

dieselyeti Do you think the bridge would have given us permission? Not......we were young and stupid.....but I'm still alive 24 years later.....

[@dieselyeti]

Sure. And lucky it was the portside prop that started turning and not the starboard side..

[@dogsbollox4749]

dieselyeti I have always wondered if the guy in the engine room had a choice........

[@dieselyeti]

I'm curious why the engines were running while docked? They weren't leaving, were they? Morten, I fly twins - since when is #2 started first? We'd alternate when in the King Air. If a particular plane only has one hydraulic pump, that's the engine that's started first.

[@philjaynes]

dieselyeti I can only assume they were pushing the aft end of the ship up to the dock. If you watch closely you can see the rudder turning to starboard.

[@ekweseman]

A lesson to all swimmers: never swim under cruise ships; they have propellers.

[@lukasdittrich5867]

Erik Weseman i think its no cruise ship.

[@lifeisforgotten]

Not true... Jetboat?

[@whatthuheeeeeelllll]

Nicholaus Ewing-Pistelak he said ships not boat!

[@firstnamebunchofnumbers]

Nicholaus Ewing-Pistelak a jet boat isn't a ship is it huh?

[@pootflute]

There are ships powered by water jets (HSS Discovery).

[@MrRkwebb1013]

what is it called when you have a huge fear of propellers? like I just shiver seeing a propeller in the water. deep sea things freak me out.

[@McLarenMercedes]

submechanophobia

[@MrRkwebb1013]

McLarenMercedes Mk.. Thanks

[@xxfalconarasxx5659]

The condition you probably have is Thalassophobia. An intense fear of the ocean and large submerged objects. Submechanophobia is a portmanteau that some people use. It is really just a variant of Thalassophobia, but is used to define a more specific fear of submerged objects that are "man-made". However, to my knowledge, this is not an officially recognized medical condition, and symptoms associated with Submechanophobia are considered to be part of Thalassaphobia. If you were to look for this word on the Oxford Phobia Archive, you would never find it.

[@McLarenMercedes]

Thanks for the correct denomination. It's rare that people take time to share their knowledge on YT. Normally I would have looked up (what turned out to be) this portmanteau before posting my reply, but since the subject is pretty esoteric I boldly assumed "submechanophobia" was correct. I'd also say that there's little to no impetus in trying to classify this specific "phobia" as it arguably is valid as a rational fear and isn't socially inhibiting in any serious way, say unlike agora- or claustrophobia. I've talked to some amateur divers and while they have no problems diving down to a shipwreck in shallow waters the idea of a huge ship of 40,000 tons floating right above them makes them feel uneasy.

[@agariogaming8856]

xxFalconArasxx I have it

[@zuvisetane9608]

omg, right out of my biggest nightmare/phobia! I hate ships and other manmade things underwater! You guys are the bravest to dive there!

[@weltvonoben]

ohh i agree thats sooo fuckin scary.......

[@stefanstankoniv4329]

My biggest phobia too! Holy shit. Thought I was the only one

[@bobelayer]

TwoSevenElevenEighty Holy crap. I thought I was the only one to

[@VikramSingh-ql5yi]

I absolutely love Marine Propellers but at the same time I am shit scared of them! This is my worst nightmare on video!

[@bioneeri]

Yeah.The ship propellers scare me so much D:Being next to them would be my greatest nigthmare.

[@MikeGinnyMD]

So let me get this straight: you went diving near the stern without telling the Bridge? That was foolish; you're lucky it wasn't a lot worse.

[@bobelayer]

skotiskiller lol

[@nocalsteve]

But they won’t let you dive if you ask first.

[@ali_el_baba3665]

@@nocalsteve they have a good reason for not allowing it tho

[@otiscambell1883]

There in lies the problem. Fool!

[@Darkmage50]

It’s their job idiot

[@ilgelatodellacarla2982]

25% chance of dying sliced like a sashimi. Lucky the starboard prop didn't start first and wasn't in reverse mode.

[@shredthecable8883]

Start wouldn't be the problem I guess since the diver would be blown away to safety. But turning backwards would ended up in diver sashimi.

[@jonastimtom3523]

and another 50% chance to be lucky and be sucked in to left proppeler

[@nashuamorgan2310]

He was at the side of the ship's propellers so if they started the right propeller it wouldn't end well for him

[@mosipd]

In addition to the ships main propulsion gear, there are many other hazards associated with diving an active ship. Specifically, there are many powerful water intake ports located throughout the hull that could injure or kill a diver quickly. I'm surprised you guys didn't start to move when the engines were started, which can clearly be heard happening at 0:55.

[@garetht2098]

mosipd You can also see the rudders turning.

[@Cragified]

What he means is before that you can hear the diesel power plant start up.

[@Guitarkid1991]

Only asking cause I don't know anything about ships at all but could an intake port suck a diver in or something?

[@mosipd]

No a diver couldn't literally get sucked in as the intake ports are covered with grating, however the suction is powerful enough to easily injure or kill a diver. The intake ports or "sea chests" as they're known are connected to large centrifugal pumps that provide the ships various needs with sea water. They are a known hazard when diving an active ship and is one of the many reasons why that equipment needs to be locked and tagged so as not to operate accidentally whenever divers are down.

[@Guitarkid1991]

Oh ok, wow that is some seriously frightening stuff! Thank you for the response. As much as I am horrified by this I find it extremely fascinating to learn about.

[@albula642]

If you look closely you see that these are variable pitch propeller which mean that they are very fast at changing direction. They always spin in this direction weather they pull or push water. The amount of luck in this is incredible.

[@Nighthawke70]

I'll wager someone got their ass chewed out when you got back on board. Suggestion from a salvage/repair diver that I heard: "If you ever do a dive to inspect a hull, even if it just a sailboat with a 2.5hp outboard, you WILL have the ship's keys on you and the engines disabled by lockout before you go overboard. Do NOT trust word of mouth or written signs in these kind of situations." Someone could have lost their life on that clip. I'm glad you two got out of the way and clear of them.

[@Carred20]

That is my worst fear whenever I go out in the water

[@endingalaporte]

Me too, it's so horrible

[@andysPARK]

+TOXIC GAMES nope, scary as it is, there's worse...!

[@samanli-tw3id]

Then don’t swim near large ships!

[@daddyissues8388]

Submechanophobia I have it major

[@MaritimeSafetySystems]

Another near death situation caused by someone forgetting to ...think.

[@TwiGuy4]

they did think. they thought that nothing would happen or go wrong

[@user-xo2vi5eu7v]

@@TwiGuy4 😂they didn't thinking that the propeller can turn on at anytime they will never thought😂😂

[@fullraph]

It picked up speed so fast! I thought a prop this big would pick up speed more gradually.

[@m1ke1981]

I wonder how many large fish gets blended everytime these monster boats cross oceans.

[@JessJess347]

Michael Björk probably none they are fast enough to get away and they are smart enough not to go near the giant spinning blades

[@johnwesleyhuss2327]

@@JessJess347 r/wooosh

[@wtf-hc3tp]

StarWarsMarvel There’s no joke, so your whoosh is invalid.

[@aerofiles5044]

@@johnwesleyhuss2327 There is no joke here you idiot. Seems like a genuine question to me, at the least a rhetorical one.

[@maidenjapan66]

You ever hear of the Titanic's sister ship Britannic ? Long story short 23 people sucked into the propeller

[@Sparkym414]

+John Tortorella *Britannic

[@manconeg3739]

britannic

[@derekortiz3663]

Seriously? Not the ideal way to go. ugh Speed 2. haha.

[@maidenjapan66]

Derek Ortiz That movie scared the shit outta me when I was a kid because of that. That's why I have a kayak.

[@ilgelatodellacarla2982]

The crazy horse in "The Ring" XD

[@dennyfrontier]

Oh would you look at that? Someone opened up a big ol can of nope and left it sitting here

[@Ironislander4302]

1:50 Fish: Yo man that was crazy! You good bruh? Diver: 👌🤿

[@davidbaldwin1591]

It reminds me of those mechanics who say " The only way you'll get me under your car, is with the keys in my pocket".

[@pauldodds6271]

One word...submechanophobia...

[@aheli]

lol, that is messed up! WOW

[@leaklingen2593]

this was one of the most shocking things i've ever seen..

[@25EllisDee25]

then never google goatse, lemon party, or blue waffle.

[@I_leave_mean_comments]

you must be new to the internet.

[@W3STSID303]

Lea Klingen damm u aint seen shit

[@shizukagozen777]

25EllisDee25 O...M...G... lmao

[@effluviah7544]

Damn! I'm glad both of you were okay! This is nightmarish.

[@GR-rx7zq]

Captain: turn on propeller 1, turn on propeller 2. First officer: do you hear that? Captain: hear what? (Muffled screams below)

[@philjaynes]

We had run aground a couple of weeks prior so we wanted to see the damage. If you look close you'll see the paint scraped off the rudder. I'll post the footage of the damaged bow when I get a chance.

[@michaelcaplin8969]

Phil, I was wondering: Did any of you feel any sort of suction at any point? And if so, how severe was it?

[@-_deploy_-]

@@michaelcaplin8969 7 years ago bro this may not even be his account anymore

[@Great_Lake_Surfer]

​@@-_deploy_-doesn't hurt to ask hehehe, have a good day

[@wb6wsn]

The port prop looked like it was backing, so it would have been creating a current pulling you in toward the prop.

[@GoodAsNewRestoration]

how do I find out who owns the copyright for this?

[@unnq]

yo dude. this is some good footage, glad u uploaded it from 91

[@michaelovitch]

What was the camera you shot with ?

[@bigsai4472]

Mike, Phil *I saw your comments about how you are thankful that you survived and for kid not to do this including your names but I’m not a stalker* I am soooo thankful that you survived that, yes it wasn’t a very good decision, but at least you survived IN ONE PIECE...I hope you have a good day and I hope that no one does this because it is really dangerous!

[@shoveyourmaskupyourass959]

1:50 the fish is like, "I see scarier things then that ALL the time, wuss".

[@MystikalDawn]

buddy of mine was diving not far away from a ferry terminal, he didn't realize but he ended up making his way underwater around the breakwater and into the part where the ferry comes in and goes out. Next thing he heard was a loud rumbling getting closer and closer until he looked up and saw the 2 massive screws from the ferry passing over his head.

[@almirante_kiko]

1:20 Everbody Gangsta til the Propeler begins to run

[@John_Snowbird]

And that's why you never assume when dealing with dangerous machinery. Good thing no one was hurt, though.

[@daddyrabbit835]

There are buoys and markers near the docks at Cozumel now. Our dive briefing was very specific about this, LOL.

[@elektroN1401]

is there any way to get the footage from Dogsboll Ox ?

[@carmelpule6954]

In Malta, one diver was not so lucky when he was investigating a bow thruster on a cargo ship.

[@cgodfrey19]

Not quite as Hollywood-intense as the prop scenes in Indiana Jones 3 or Speed 2:, but that's pretty much enough to never, ever, ever get me into hull cleaning or inspection.

[@bobelayer]

I couldn't even swim near the front of a ship without crapping my pants. I love ships, but having to get up beside one scares the crap out of me.

[@vaughnppeters6451]

Those propellers looked like control pitched propellers, and they also looked like they were in a neutral position if so when they spin they wont create any kind of thrust to suck in the divers so they were lucky

[@sinclairopaline]

That was awsome I wish he would have turned the camera back to see them both turning. A turning prop in the water is the most Fastinating thing I would have swam away by and get blow back by the wash. I love a propeller in the water. I bet the second guy shit when he finally saw the prop start.

[@GiveMeBackMyUsernameYouTube]

Being sucked into the propeller of a large boat is one of my worst fears, and I don't even go in the ocean.

[@GuitarInformer]

This man graduated from the Prometheus school of running away from things

[@littlesister3477]

Once again Never Assume, Thank goodness you guys are alright .

[@myopinion3431]

So i'm not the only one which has this as worst nightmare everytime i swim arround or under a ship - big or small..

[@BigGiantFilms]

I remember you showing me this years ago... terrifying!!

[@briank2274]

I love the way the first diver took off like a rocket and left his pal near the right rudder, talk about a great buddy!!

[@colejames423]

I mean yeah, but at the same time, what the hell could he really do? He was several meters away.

[@paskaalisaapaskaa5354]

Was there something in your opinion that the first diver could have done? It's not like he can yell to he's friend and trying to signal with body movements seems kinda fucking retarted anyway since your friend propably can see by your panic filled type of swimming.

[@lonewolf2156]

well somebody was lucky the right prop wasn't the first to start expecially in reverse ............😨

[@FryChicken]

I have a legit phobia of ship propellers. This is my nightmare.

[@oliverbrill3785]

I love my phobia Damm...

[@shakeemrobinson30]

Me too & i over came it one very strange night.......

[@bindig1]

I knew that was gonna happen. Being in the water that close to a large ship is one of my biggest fears. No way

[@princessneekee853]

Omg i thought im gonna witness a man getting blenderized by a propeller. U were lucky

[@albula642]

The thing is that they are variable pitch propellers so they always turn like this, except that they might change the angle in the wrong direction so they get sucked in.

[@siddharthrajkumar7619]

This could have ended badly. Aren't divers and ship crew supposed to keep each other informed of such activities?

[@Joshua79C]

If I was the one in charge of such maintenance and qualified to dive, I would first lock out the controls, then do my work and unlock said controls when done.

[@brendanswain939]

Only people with brains do this

[@MsSteelphoenix]

I'd guess they didn't make the ship's crew aware and/or just came in at random. If they were contracted divers, then yes, the crew would be aware.

[@Motorsheep]

The very stuff of my nightmares. I have no idea why, since I've never even been close to a running ship propeller, but I'm scared to death of them. Even seeing one in a dry dock, or even on a ship in a goddamn museum will give me the creeps.

[@bonham1981]

Is that the main engines @ 0:57 being switched on or increasing rpm?

[@bonham1981]

@Juan Contreras Thanks, I thought so. I guess the divers didn't pick that up, because at the first sign of engine noises I would've been out of there.

[@CrisisGuildWOW]

Gotta love that angelfish on the bottom there just chillin like "Welcome to our world, huuuman..."

[@Uajd-hb1qs]

And how brown was the water afterwards?

[@mikewish19]

I am so shit scared watching this! Yet I cannot look away.............

[@orangeweeb3517]

i need to know, does the propeller suck you in or push you away

[@nrasyxh103]

My question is, the air bubbles forming bcs he’s swimming or from the running propeller? Bcs if it is coming from that propeller, I’ll be scared af if that thing would suck me in and I’m chop chopped. The worst thing I think could happen to me when I’m diving. Thank god I don’t even know how to swim. Don’t wanna be near that thing that could probably get me kill. Lol

[@pizzawonderer5024]

Ok this vid was already scary. And then the propeller started rotating and I shat myself.

[@SupraNaturalTT]

How big was that ship do you think? + -

[@jamespaulsen3028]

I know a lot about propellers and if you was on the other side you would have been turned into chease pasty

[@Jv977]

The reason the propeller is running is beacause they are constant speed / variable pitch propellers and only spin in one direction but the blades change pitch. You can spin them all day at zero pitch and not move.

[@pabloasenjo3]

I can see I am not the only one scared of sumerged ships

[@anticipationwaves2952]

Bro, if the propellers are on or off the boat I would get the hell away from it anyways

[@derekwall82]

you're lucky as hell not to have been on the other side of that propeller, those blades had to be at least 12-14ft

[@derekwall82]

ill bet that propeller had to have been at least 12-14ft in diameter

[@montiro8999]

the largest propeller ever build is around 30 feet in diameter

[@pieterveenders9793]

@@montiro8999 The biggest propeller ever made had a diameter of about 12 meters. Although still very, very big, a propeller with a diameter of 9 meters like you mention is not that uncommon in the biggest cruise ships.

[@supertrinigamer]

those propellers are sharp as hell.

[@Joshua79C]

Not at all, just look at some other videos of propeller inspection, but they are powerful enough to roughly slice you into two or more chunks.

[@TJ-kd9ic]

Is your buddy (near rhe propeller) ok? What kind of ship was that?

[@aguiii_films]

The buddy is indeed ok.. the ship is M/S Seaward.. a Cruise ship

[@jellinatrix]

Dives, doesn't think to tell the bridge. Hears the engines start, doesn't react. Sees the rudder move, doesn't react. Inexperienced.

[@supertrinigamer]

Deep water scares me, but as long as I'm near the bottom of the water and still see the light above me, I'm fine.

[@Nik.Coffman]

. . . . and if the ship had started in reverse for whatever reason?

[@alvarolopezhidalgo9200]

What Cruise Was?

[@brentkolar3075]

Which cruise line and ship was this if you don't mind me asking? Also I bet the crew on the ship still has no idea anyone was under there do they.

[@philjaynes]

Brent Kolar M/S Seaward, Norwegian Cruise Lines in Cozumel Mex. 1991. For the longest time only a select few ship friends knew of the dive and the video. By the time I left NCL in 1994 it had become an urban legend that the crews talked about but they didn't know the people involved.

[@xxlordknowsthatimfilthyrit705]

Just imagine if the caption decided to put power to the propeller the guy was swimming next to That's pure luck that he didn't

[@mybluebelly]

Reverse thrust ?

[@gabbi518]

Why where you guys there?

[@nicksissom5028]

Good thing they didn't put it in full reverse

[@Poli1348]

What’s the name of the ship?

[@jackhartford521]

Lol oh my gosh you made it! Those props, pull a lot of water

[@8180634]

I'm not sure what the world record 100 yard dash in fins is, but someone should measure this one to see how it compares!

[@jasperpaguio2320]

pretty footage I love it. and I gasped when the left one started spinning I thought u two are going to get sliced.

[@Mr.McWatson]

This video literally makes my hands shake.

[@pieter_v.h.3539]

What ware they even doing there?

[@MJK8000]

What you were doing there?

[@aggelossofos123]

The finding nemo ptsd that happened to me was real lol I hope I am not alone 😂

[@solace001]

In a Aussie voice "Oh hey look, a giant blender. Let's touch it!"

[@loserpro43210]

Was the propeller pushing or pulling?

[@philjaynes]

asdf Pushing.

[@thor_bc5929]

+Phil Jaynes Thank god lol.....what are the chances of making it out if it was in reverse? Just curious of the force it makes.

[@ekweseman]

The blast from the propeller would have pushed you away from the ship.

[@Berkcam]

Oh yeah, how about when the props turn the other way? The bridge crew can run the props for any number of reasons while tied alongside - maybe they want to shorten-up the stern ropes and need a 'kick'. Those blades have an edge sharper than most peoples kitchen knives so one swipe will leave you sliced and diced.

[@leonardthesnifferwallace5073]

Berkcam Actually those propellers are really blunt and not sharp at all, you see the spinning motion would wear them blunt really fast even if somebody attempted to design them so foolishly so what you're saying is nonsense. However like anything huge that spins at a fast speed they don't need to be sharp to be deadly. The huge force tears you apart.

[@catline9079]

ah yes, found footage of the elusive water blender

[@nocalsteve]

I react the same way when someone turns on a ceiling fan.

[@MsSteelphoenix]

What is up with divers going so close to props? I would keep a very wide margin for exactly this reason...

[@josephdmoran]

I'm going to guess this was before lock out tag out was a thing. Thanks OSHA

[@Berkcam]

No, lock out tag out was in force but these fools had no business being there.

[@mrsmith3540]

Licky that that they didn’t started both at once.

[@Rocinante_1980]

I don’t have anxiety never did, but thanks guys I now do 😂

[@DoomEB]

People watching this video with Submechanofobia: 😶

[@Motorsheep]

Amazing how many people stated more or less the same in that video.

[@icecl0ud]

Title didn't disappoint!

[@TheCoastalMariner]

what was the brown trailing liquid the diver left on his way out of there.. sorta looked like a giant squid! :D

[@RedPolarBearRanger]

+Phil Jaynes & +Dogsboll Ox I'm glad that you both survived this because this video scared a friend of mine I would be scared too if I was diving close to a moving propeller but as a diver myself I would never do this at all.