Teen finds SECRET room on college campus

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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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This is Part 33 of the series: "Top 3 places you CAN'T GO & people who went anyways..." full playlist: • Top 3 places you CAN'T...
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For entertainment purposes only. Based on actual events.
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[@sajuarosam3854]

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]

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

[@kieancoba7661]

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]

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

[@tanner882]

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

[@pseudobean3827]

@@carrollkuemper I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@tjbailey336]

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

[@andysmith1996]

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.

[@Jasminina16]

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

[@dandelionoutsider]

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]

@@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.

[@Wizzz28]

That's the Unbelievable part of the story!

[@rebecculousrk]

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]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@txaggievet]

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]

@@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]

@@xen0bia Totally

[@bobobob5108]

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

[@bokesnmokes]

As a building maintenance guy for 22 years now, I find it astounding to hear that an electrical vault is not checked at least once a day. There are so many bad things that can happen to transformers and switch gear.

[@ElveeKaye]

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

[@TupDigital]

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

[@mattbot5167]

Ggs

[@dummydummy2842]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGSxiKeVptt9q80 Finally it's here,

[@andycfox]

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

[@braveheartproduction2323]

And this why I don’t drink alcohol

[@reginaphalange4182]

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]

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]

Can’t imagine the electric bill….

[@pballfan]

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]

@@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]

@@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).

[@Thumbsdwn]

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]

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]

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]

government agencies are useless and idiotic

[@Mo0may]

Right!? Terrible police work on their part.

[@turbosoggy8404]

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

[@daka_uri]

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

[@denniswrobleski4439]

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]

"Sick with his own stupidity." 😂

[@chrystiafreelandscankles548]

He literally killed himself trying to see some tiddies.

[@BradyDoesntMiss]

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]

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

[@bonzwell13]

@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.😂

[@codynate4522]

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]

YAS! 👏🙌

[@lilysudak4347]

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]

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

[@aucklandsadventures]

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

[@ligakrysu]

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

[@joeanderson8839]

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]

That definitely wouldn't happen on this channel unfortunately.

[@MononokeLynn]

Same

[@DigitalDash-]

We watching MrBallen. That’s all I gotta say

[@KUD4H]

No.. no you didn't

[@ChessJourneyman]

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

[@IndyGuy09]

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]

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]

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

[@creepycrawler4690]

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]

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

[@MrJeffcoley1]

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

[@tak4832]

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]

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]

@@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]

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]

@@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]

@@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

[@Redman147]

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]

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]

@@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 🤔

[@nickeynouse6093]

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]

Preach💯

[@Bri-nc8yp]

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]

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

[@bigoldawg2791]

@Andrynor Ω 🤣

[@albuseisenhorn3385]

Or have stupid rules like we lock up at 9 pm

[@aerostrafe1075]

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]

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]

@@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]

​@@filcukit was dark. Reread what you wrote

[@florianmazreku3577]

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]

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.

[@mchevre]

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]

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.

[@tracytre38]

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]

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]

They thought they were looking for a person that was alive

[@Vinkel_10]

Nobody smelled him cooking. This motherfuckers cooking for two months and nobody smells that? They open the door and put their head in the room hours and hours and hours after he’s been cooking and they don’t smell him ? Hm. Which rich assholes son was being protected here I wonder

[@caseyb.1259]

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]

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

[@Lee-wg7en]

100% instant death. don't worry

[@CozyLoungeShorts]

@@fabricio6444 Insane that people trespass in such rooms.

[@fabricio6444]

@@CozyLoungeShorts that too. intoxicated or not.

[@sumtingwong8768]

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

[@95mudshovel]

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]

Lovely story, hope your relationships blossom

[@MKSQUADofficial]

This dude is like Mr.Ballen kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y

[@MrBallen]

That’s awesome!!

[@abibb27]

I love that so much! 💖

[@pollybilbrey4504]

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.

[@thetherrannative]

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]

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

[@jsmith434w]

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

[@ryguy-qh2qk]

Yea Mr balls is the best at telling descriptive stories with enough details to mentally image them. I mean ballen 😂

[@thundercatlola9755]

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]

Natural selection at work.

[@amigomac5790]

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]

@@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]

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]

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

[@SP1N0SAURUS]

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]

It's some final destination shit

[@KazeHorse]

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]

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

[@SP1N0SAURUS]

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

[@yeemawheaver1387]

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

[@largedoggo3194]

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

[@our8870]

ong

[@gabriel08607]

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

[@carterhuston5519]

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]

Thank you!

[@matthewtricarico1682]

Agreed

[@HattielyEverAfter1995]

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]

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]

@@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]

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]

@@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

[@MrCaw77]

But yet he didn't think to use the flashlight on his phone for a light source?? Or did I just miss the timeperiod of this story and it was a flip phone that didn't have a flashlight?

[@paulmedrano2387]

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]

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

[@paulmedrano2387]

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

[@jenbee85]

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]

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

[@peeron6829]

Thats what i would do when i where a trucker

[@CaulkMongler]

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]

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

[@ivanpetrov5185]

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]

That guy surely wins Darwin awards.

[@notsureiL]

​@@hermanrobak1285 Why you made me laugh 😅

[@hermanrobak1285]

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

[@iamV10010]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@iamV10010]

@@jovanmalic9259 yes that too!

[@shelbyramirez867]

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.

[@stefaniadangila3017]

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.

[@kellymoses8566]

No one can plan for someone to do something THAT stupid.

[@derekdixon6624]

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]

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

[@robynsegg]

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]

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

[@FaithMcCaffrey]

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

[@K-R-T]

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

[@highermindcreations9379]

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]

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

[@kevinstotomas-cf4zu]

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

[@Brandon-br7tc]

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

[@mikatu]

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]

Especially since his shoe was the only clue!

[@sarelito9202]

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]

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]

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

[@Handymadycrafts]

88888

[@Handymadycrafts]

0

[@MyTimelord11]

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

[@thejayman77]

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]

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]

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]

@@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]

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

[@thejayman77]

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

[@TheXxjmpxxx]

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]

😂 thanks!!

[@MKSQUADofficial]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y He's just like Mr.Ballen

[@leastonhill7689]

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

[@familyof1052]

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]

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

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Imagine the horror that the maintenance worker experience when he walked around and just found Wade’s body frying there

[@allanthenobody9760]

U spoiled the ending. U .....

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

"Lemme call a ServiceMaster real quick."

[@iamvincewxrld]

I couldn't imagine the smell

[@Ayeitswayda]

@@allanthenobody9760 right 🙄

[@debralee1782]

That’s some really bad police work

[@theresenorrby5616]

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]

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

[@__Diavolo__]

@@stormreform8113 or it just doesn't care

[@turbogav8674]

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

[@_Fury]

exactly! 🙃

[@trumtrum5136]

@@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.

[@blubberdust]

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.

[@ccma6565]

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]

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]

It's called thinning the herd, I believe.

[@scientificallyilliterate120]

Ain't called Death Valley for nothing

[@MMAHUBNEWS]

Kml

[@stacynapier2899]

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

[@maevependragon]

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]

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

[@MKSQUADofficial]

New story! He's like Mr.Ballen kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y

[@Chelle8847]

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

[@maevependragon]

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

[@maevependragon]

@@Chelle8847 I appreciate that! Thanks, Rachel!

[@mikeh2006]

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]

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]

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

[@delasoul2875]

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

[@debbylou5729]

Why? The insurance would have sent someone

[@scrape559]

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

[@Pippalottaa]

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]

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

[@melanieruawai3363]

​@@hoku8089 Yes.

[@geeprgia]

@@hoku8089Gisborne is also more like Giz-bin, and Dannevirke is Dan-knee-virk

[@SFTHFandom]

kiwis for some reason love to trudge around in bare feet, i don't know if its more common in Gizzy, but when I lived down south I was always walking into store in bare feet or socks on cause they don't like it when you walk in with muddy gumboots on

[@artistevivien]

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]

yea that must have been really morbid to stumble upon

[@carldrogo9492]

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

[@curtisdunbar6844]

Mini

[@GLING17]

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!

[@PaperMakersAdeludedbroad]

Lol

[@tragickai5856]

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]

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

[@LaniChermont]

Same thing I thought

[@volcanicviper5984]

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]

@@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]

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

[@Njabuloseh]

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]

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]

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

[@bm-ub6zc]

@@archangelrapheal5231 Shamone, hee hee

[@NikkiStutzman]

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

[@Njabuloseh]

@@NikkiStutzman Same here!!

[@GetMoGaming]

@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)

[@jadethomas329]

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]

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

[@pepperkilldevelopment9069]

relax

[@Joshua_Hammer777]

💯 agree

[@Joshua_Hammer777]

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

[@pinheadlarry2506]

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

[@MR.Drowsy158]

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]

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

[@clarkkent163000]

I honestly can't feel bad for robert.

[@j-note3285]

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

[@suzybearheart530]

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]

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

[@davidkeen7884]

Purdue student here and will actually be living in Owen Hall next year. Never heard Wade’s story until now. This should help spread awareness about being safe with alcohol and unfamiliar places!

[@zidkins]

Bro im from Purdue! And graduated 5yrs ago and didn’t know about wade!

[@bryan0509]

Haha I graduated from Purdue in 09 and havent heard about Wade, EDIT: Okay now that I've finished the story, I remember being warned about this.

[@rabbitguts2518]

Or maybe spread awareness about locking appropriate doors? You can do risky things while sober too but ultimately it's up to the people who are PAID to do the job of locking doors fault. This also goes double for the police who couldn't even be bothered taking two steps into a room and not correctly checking for someone. If anything it's a good warning to be careful because you never know if someone will actually give a shit about doing their job.

[@davidkeen7884]

@@rabbitguts2518 absolutely. was not intending to mitigate the responsibility of the university staff- it’s a tragedy we can derive multiple lessons from

[@Ellie-rx3jt]

@@rabbitguts2518 And warning signs. Pretty sure it's been standard to have the yellow danger of electrocution signs posted on the doors of areas containing high voltage for decades. I'd also expect these days that the lights would be on a motion sensor, just in case somebody made it inside.

[@teefling]

the number one thing you do when you are in the Death Valley deserts is dont go into the desert during the day, and don't go into the desert at night. hope that helps

[@ashj0]

Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Mr. Ballen has all the details of these stories memorized? He isn’t reading from a paper or cue cards. That’s a lot to remember and tell it like you were there.

[@thisbirdhasflown2554]

100% THIS!

[@glowingwebmd6112]

Well I think he has cliff notes but he’s gotten a lot better at hiding when he reads it which is also amazing

[@TanyaQueen182]

Does he? I always assumed he had some kind of teleprompter somewhere we can't see or something like that.

[@WarMaggot]

Not that it matters, and not to take away from his story telling abilities, but he does still have cuts in the video. He MAY have them all memorized, but he's definitely doing more than one take. Regardless, I'd kidnap him and force him to marry me.

[@russianwarshipgofyourself3759]

He has notes and a lot of subtle jump cuts.

[@LoganFord91]

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]

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]

Sizzle pop on the first story! 😮

[@paulmattle6683]

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.

[@LoganFord91]

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

[@LoganFord91]

@@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.

[@UberSkittle]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Oh ghad he boxed us all in!!!

[@jayreszy4398]

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

[@thegaymingavenger]

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.

[@Koleys]

I went to a college in Mass that was originally build in 1839. It had original underground walk ways between buildings used for winters. They boarded them up over 50 years ago, but a few students would find entrenched that weren’t very secure and try to sneak in. About 10 years ago, a professors son attended the university. Maybe because his dad worked there he had a bit of an ego, and thought he could get away with sneaking around the tunnels. But one night he invited all of his friends for a smoke sesh in the underground. When he was showing them the way to some of the secret rooms, he stepped on a live wire and electrocuted himself. He passed away because his friends didn’t want to call 911 and get in trouble for having weed and alcohol on a dry campus. His dad is still a professor there and tells the story at the beginning of every semester because they still have not secured the entrenched and he doesn’t want any more students to try and sneak down there and get hurt. It’s very very strange, my school doesn’t talk about it and it have yet to find any official articles about it either. I think they tried to cover it up, because when his dad mentioned the story in my class he had said his son was missing for 3 days before they recovered his body, but police wouldn’t report him missing because he was a young college student that “probably just wanted to space from his family to grow up a little”. Really wish they’d publish an official story.

[@stoneh106]

Think u have the wrong idea about what the word "entrenched" means. Haha, other than that, very well worded story/comment.. but every time u said "entrenched" u would lose me.. like dafuq is this guy talkin about..lol

[@DrLuke49]

Gotta save face while keeping that college tuition money rolling in

[@Pluviophile73]

@@stoneh106 i was the same! Like, what? 🤔🤔.... Put me off a little, but what a story to tell!

[@coridouglas1961]

😮

[@Mystelblade]

Why would they have exposed open wires in that tunnel if it's really that old? Doesn't add up to me

[@eliseosterbrink8000]

Death Valley is a pretty scary place. My dad has done lots of hot testing for vehicles there over the years, and I've heard some pretty crazy stories about what the heat does, even to the vehicles. Melting plastic, engines dying in spectacular fashion. Bloated dead donkeys along the roads. Those stories have given me more than enough reason to greatly respect the Valley.

[@AKFF320]

Military trains at death valley.

[@whyme3772]

@@AKFF320 My dad was out in Kuwait at one point while in the military, and it got up to 130 degrees over there. It got to the point where at night when the temperature dropped to 100, it felt cool to him.

[@mattban4136]

I've personally seen the dead bloated Donkeys out in Ballarat (at the foot of the Panamints). I can confirm that it is a scary, amazing place.

[@chrisvickers7928]

When I visited Death Valley about 10 years ago I entered from the Nevada side and stopped at Zabriskie Point. At the top there was a map which showed a trail leading down into the badlands below the point which circled back around to the highway with a short walk back to the parking lot. It turned out the trail was not very well marked and I wound up off it, trying to scramble my back up to where I knew the highway had to be but hit dead end after dead end. It was getting on for evening when I remembered something my sedimentary geology teacher had taught me years before. Water flows downhill and the rounded stones in the bottom of the gullies said this was a water eroded landscape. I quit climbing and went back downhill. After about 15 minutes I hit the trail I had lost and made it back to the parking lot.

[@PinkJoy143]

@@chrisvickers7928 WOW!! Scaryyy so glad you’re safe.

[@AlwayzFresh]

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

[@Its_Dhruvik]

Yeah

[@Ghost-sd3it]

Facts wtf 🤣🤣🤣

[@callum4real329]

Hold up I’m just gonna go to a place I couldn’t navigate in the daylight but this time at night

[@thatgenericdixienormouspicguy]

Man, I was just about to say this. I don’t mean to speak I’ll of the dead, but dude was an idiot.

[@aphroditesapple4580]

Seriously! 🤣🤣

[@MeTuLHeD]

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

[@noaht5191]

Can’t believe this channel has gotten this big….I remember first finding this channel on long trips back and forth to Florida, maybe 60k-70k subs at the time….you’ve worked hard and earned it.

[@dummydummy2842]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4KoeK2rmNiBapI Finally it's here.,

[@0000colombia]

Same here! Remember when it was 3 4 and even 5 videos a week haha good times! He did put in so much work

[@BastardKitty]

Me too! I’m happy for him.

[@We_Are_All_Vultures]

I remember even before that... It happened FAST!

[@MossyRootz]

Me too but he deserves it fr

[@serixskylark]

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]

He was a birdbrain.

[@Jerome616]

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

[@nela3986]

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]

@@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]

I think he really wanted to go that nudist camp.

[@AllHijinksNoHighDinks]

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]

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]

Play stupid games win stupid prizes.

[@krissuyx]

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]

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

[@AllHijinksNoHighDinks]

@@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.

[@p_rodriguez5]

It was Jasons shirt, and he was still wearing it 😭😭😭 idk why but i laughed a little too hard when he said that

[@daughter_IK]

Me too!😅

[@anakelly76512]

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]

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

[@Geda.gede.gada.gadaoo]

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

[@evelynzlon9492]

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]

stupid is as stupid does.

[@gabemissouri]

@@evelynzlon9492 lmao

[@Mapleaple]

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]

So true

[@existentialgamer9206]

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

[@Mapleaple]

@@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]

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]

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.

[@JULIEisKRAZIE]

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]

@Jules Tuthill *Closure

[@sancho8521]

@@sallykauth2115 you go girl

[@gigglesinside]

@@sallykauth2115 Change your name to Karen.

[@VeganV5912]

@@sallykauth2115 ; Timelapse, 5-10 days 🧟‍♂️🦠🍖🔴... (inside your stomach) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaWuZH6diLJ7m5Y .. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pavMqHV3gbB2e7M 🤮 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 😍🤗🐶🤥🤥🤥......

[@BX138]

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

[@DB-xe3ws]

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!

[@daveupnorth23]

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]

Ow Whanga's. Hi 😆

[@uncleiroh5672]

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]

@@uncleiroh5672 did you mistaken it for tea leaves?

[@riabouchinska]

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

[@azamcveigh3253]

Churr from Tauranga 🤣

[@nomsajere9485]

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]

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

[@MrWhisperingwildly]

I think Robert may have been a bit foolhardy

[@ANPC-pi9vu]

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

[@nomsajere9485]

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

[@MKSQUADofficial]

This dude is like Mr.Ballen kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y

[@paulolucero9864]

I live in a desert, and I know way too many stories of people that get lost almost instantly and die just after getting out of civilization. One elderly couple shared pretty much the same fate as Robert, somehow got totally lost as soon as they left the City and ended up in a massive dried up salt lake, they didn't have the same fortune as him to get rescued. He wasted a chance not many have, such a shame.

[@integrachic2953]

Which desert do you live at?

[@paulolucero9864]

@@integrachic2953 for some obsucure reason Google doesn't let me answer you, maybe I'll write the coordinates and let you figure it out somehow -31.271560,-68.263161

[@hungriimedia6950]

They should really look into erecting some sort of emergency “send help” stations (like at a uni campus)

[@wheezybeans4372]

@@paulolucero9864 lago la salina?

[@paulolucero9864]

@@wheezybeans4372 yup, if you go into satellite mode you'll see it is dry

[@artdonovandesign]

"In his drunken state he decided it would be a _good_ idea to..." (...squeeze his body into the secret, pitch-black room filled with poison gas, electrified lava, salt water crocodiles and radioactive vampire bats.

[@brennacrouch1182]

As a current aviation technology student at Purdue with friends living in Owen, the details in this story are so accurate and so sad. We still use his story as a warning for new students. Those doors are never unlocked anymore by Purdue policy but safety regulations are written in blood Edit for additional details: We have dedicated patrols on campus specifically meant to go around to campus buildings double checking that doors are closed and locked. They also walk students home if they feel unsafe

[@TheRueann4]

The constant Sweeping of any facility should be ongoing & never stop for everyone ‘s safety. Imperative. We have this at our church!

[@jenniferkipp4974]

That seems a bit odd, as I interviewed for employment at a dining hall, and was told by the supervisor that if for some reason, I wasn't able to lock up at night upon finishing my shift, it wasn't a problem. "College students have no interest in breaking into a kitchen", I was told. Well, if they're intoxicated, or smoking weed, I think they actually might. While a kitchen is not as deadly as a transformer room, there is plenty of equipment that one can get seriously harmed on, and. . .I believe it may have been a Mr. Ballen story, though I could be wrong, but I have seen a case where an intruder broke into a kitchen while closed, and got themselves locked into a freezer, where they were dead by the time the morning crew came in for work. My experience with that interview was in 2020, many years after this young man's case. It is sad, and $500,000 isn't worth a life. He made bad decisions, for sure, but I've worked on/near campus, and never saw security at night. Whose blood are those safety regulations written in?

[@stevetheiven3889]

How the fu@k was this back door to the transformer room unlocked and what for? Btw, aren’t college kids supposed to know what a hot, humming and buzzing panel is!!! Well, I guess it just takes LOCKED DOORS TO STOP TRAGEDIES FOLKS!!!

[@siddharthshekhar909]

@Strea you can't blame the police. They did look in the room. How could they imagine that a guy would be stuck behind a machine! And what about the student? He sees a door that is fenced off ,is below ground level , doesn't look like a normal door,and still he goes in ! People have to think about their own safety too.

[@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii2458]

Embry-Riddle never had that issue. I am just saying.

[@penngheeney]

The amount of research that Mr Ballen does for these videos is truly incredible! The way he gets so many photos of the actual places, events, and people and he always clearly labels them! Even when he can't find a real photo, he finds photos of things that are similar enough to really make it easy to imagine the stories along with his wonderfully detailed and well-timed retellings.

[@MrNatdagr8]

All you have to do is watch KZbin all the stories are retold in his version

[@bradsanders407]

He doesn't do research. He just retells stories he's heard probably on KZbin. The story of the guy living in people's walls and dressing like the families dead mom is an urban myth. There is no record of that happening. Hence he clearly didn't do any research.

[@dummydummy2842]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGPFlqWqgsicfqc Finally it's here

[@frokality]

@@bradsanders407 facts these people don't do their research

[@daniakassir6116]

@@bradsanders407 No matter what, he’s way more successful than any other storyteller, and surely more successful than you🤭

[@blueghost3032]

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

[@mirrrstery]

The missing 411 is fkn creepy!!

[@ArrowMaster_]

MrBallen merch I really cant wait

[@mediumsurmoon6283]

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

[@blueghost3032]

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

[@T.Bleazy]

@@mirrrstery the missing 411s are definitely the best

[@johnsimth6587]

FYI anyone looking to explore death valley, do not forget about Fort Irwin. The US Military down there does not take kindly to trespassing and its a training ground, you can end up explody.

[@tbjers]

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

[@nannettehuffman8397]

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

[@electrictroy2010]

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]

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]

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

[@narmale]

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

[@niteflytes]

I live close to Purdue and remember Wades disappearance. A friend and I helped search for him. It was so very sad to learn what happened to him. I never expected to hear this story on You Tube, but I’m glad you shared it. Maybe someone listening will remember the story and double check that a door to a dangerous area is locked.

[@randomlypsychotic1970]

I couldnt help but question when they found the isolated car and saw that it had enough gas.... dont cars only show gas levels after the car is turned on? Or am i just young and this is only a newer car feature?

[@niteflytes]

@@randomlypsychotic1970 older cars would show gas levels when off. Before everything was computerized in cars

[@randomlypsychotic1970]

@niteflytes gotcha!! Ive never seen this before, or maybe just never noticed, but that makes sense. Thank you for explaining

[@niteflytes]

@@randomlypsychotic1970 they could have found the car keys and turned it on. That seems a more likely explanation

[@randomlypsychotic1970]

@niteflytes certainly a possibility.. i wasnt trying to doubt or question the story i was just genuinely curious. It occurred to me that this could just be a newer feature for cars. I did end up googling it after i commented lol

[@theotherguymax9189]

I remember Mr Ballen only having like 300 thousand followers, and thinking wow this guy can tell a story, gets you involved, and now to see that he had 6 million followers is amazing, congrats on the success Mr Ballen

[@Virgo.goddess]

He's been one of my favs since the beginning. His talent for story telling is mesmerizing.

[@electricalife]

During the pandemic lock down. When he posted 4,5, even 6 times a week.

[@MKSQUADofficial]

Story! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y

[@23jrza]

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

[@nevermanishere]

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]

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]

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

[@hoodiegirlx1337]

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

[@sharleaday1825]

It's just tree nettle guys, very common

[@nevermanishere]

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

[@itzinsanity6447]

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]

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]

The fern idea is just wow, never heard of that

[@helenmartin6580]

You learn all that stuff at Form 2 camp!

[@henryburrell6181]

New Zealand gang

[@littleone2807]

@@henryburrell6181 hawkes bay allllllll day

[@carlyquayle5139]

One of those men, who went for help for the wagon train, is my great great grandfather, William Manly. He wrote a book about it. Death valley in '49, cool to have such a hero in our family

[@debiwest1547]

That is frickin cool

[@zestos7859]

just bought a copy lets gooo

[@leannemo7382]

Super cool!

[@LeechZombie]

Yeah it’s free to read online

[@romanadamenko6111]

Tell me you’re stupid without telling me you’re stupid Robert: Hold my beer

[@JockJamJesus]

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]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4KoeK2rmNiBapI Finally it's here.,

[@LucyStokesOceansofNotions]

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]

Humans

[@fromtheflightdeck252]

Logic isn't modern society's high point

[@fromtheflightdeck252]

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.

[@annawaggy]

He never fails to absolutely horrify me with the random ways people die.

[@Souljah808g]

From Vet to Vet, thanks for your service. Most importantly, thank you for giving us this amazing content to watch and listen to.

[@tondal823]

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

[@Redlily5150]

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

[@jeffjeannette9364]

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. 😎🤙

[@Earthly-k4p]

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]

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]

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

[@joanhoffman3702]

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

[@jeffjeannette9364]

@@Earthly-k4p Oh yes, the formula is crystal clear now. Math never WAS one of my best subjects, and I had to learn the hard way!😎😆

[@MrManAmong]

Regarding the first story, it’s hard to discern what qualifies as “police work”. You’d think that finding a shoe right in front of a door would lead to an investigation of at least that immediate area. There were two ways he coulda gone: in that door or out onto the streets. Had they looked inside that door from that direction, they could have saved that family a ton of heartache and they could have avoided the kid being liquified. There are far too many cases that take far too long to solve because of laziness or taking the obvious for granted.

[@andrewellisonlee]

This is a problem with people in general not just police work, and it's infuriating.

[@bomeeks2228]

Wouldn’t they have shown that shoe to the kids friends and asked if it was his? Or at least do an entire search of the room the door lead to that his shoe was found in front of? It just seems like a lot was overlooked here. sheesh.

[@CarmenBuenrostro]

I agree with this, the only thing that made this easier to swallow was the fact that he was dead instantly. Had there been a chance if he was found earlier(ie. when the cop saw the shoe) then, the family would also have a case against the police department for not being thorough enough

[@JohnGalt-ry2hm]

Sorry but the only person to blame is this young man. Sad to say but this was a freak accident caused by immature behavior.

[@ignorthepain]

Police are not electrical engineers and they won't be a statistic for no reason. They need reasonable suspicion that he is in there not just a shoe outside. Some kid could have moved that shoe there or cat or dog or a squirrel you don't know.

[@typsy3852]

The second story got to me thinking about his family. The family was probably going out of their minds knowing he was missing for 6 days and being super happy and relieved when they find out he was alive and he was ok. Then just a a few days later the same thing happens but this time the ending was their worst fear. I really feel for his family :(

[@killer92173]

Yeah he should've just waited until day time to do the repairs. At least the earliest light in the morning so he knew where he was going.

[@WickedRichie]

That one was just idiotic. God damn it Robert

[@Brandon-br7tc]

I swear I have a friend named Robert who’s kind of an idiot. Goddamn it there’s always something about Roberts, some of them just never learn lol

[@chrisquiett1776]

This is why I get on my kids.. it’s okay to act like a fool but at least know what you’re doing. I’ve passed through this desert many times. I don’t like it. Throw me in cold and I can be fine. Throw me in the desert and I will die. I do not know how to deal with it.

[@childrembirgit5020]

Robert Stupidly and most un gratefully thought that he had saved himself the first time around because otherwise he wouldn't have been cocky enough to go back out there alone and unprepared AGAIN! I hope the couple that dropped him off don't feel responsible for his demise. Yes.. His poor Family 💔

[@badpatrickstar]

as a science nerd that last story is SO awesome. i love when unusual stories get solved simply by asking the right person! So sad that he didnt make it for xmas tho :(

[@kevinouellette5316]

He was probably r****** one to the video

[@creatingmind4910]

@@isakkronlund4755 no

[@jettsoma]

@@isakkronlund4755 No he/she’s not.

[@pittsburger.2486]

@@jettsoma you’re really afraid to misgender someone on the internet 😂😂🤡

[@laniakea2162]

@Isak Kronlund it’s the last story :-)

[@bob2000and10]

Never thought I'd see Jason's case mentioned here. My neighbour was the one who found Jason in his Cessna. MrBallen did a great job telling the story.

[@mrorlov2706]

I'll remember to put thick cloth on myself if I go into any greenery from now on.

[@e.starling141]

The story is crazy. Just goes to show how dangerous a forest can be when someone who clearly knew their way around woods could lose their life in it.

[@bob2000and10]

Everyone from the area knows to avoid this plant, we just call it stinging nettle and I've touched it a few times before and it's agony. Jason was completely covered in it.

[@jenl7094]

I can understand an experienced outdoors guy wanting to stop off to camp out for a couple of days, but the number one rule of backcountry camping or backpacking is letting someone know what you’re doing and where you’re headed. I feel awful for him and his family, but he should have known better. That one really got me. He had to have known he was done for once he felt or saw the nettles and just had to wait for an excruciating death to take him. So lonely.

[@Reason2HateMe]

@@bob2000and10 Pretty sure i had this stuff growing along my fence line and with me being me, weeded it out by hand. Worst mistake EVER

[@LeeJenGirl]

I’m so happy to see places you can’t go but people that went anyway! I’ve really missed these stories. I’ll always love Mr Ballen! Totally the best story teller ever!!

[@olliecrow3547]

Those are my favorite stories!

[@Uuyrijies1123]

Those are my favorite, it’s kind of like having double the amount of nuggets, it’s rare but makes you happy.

[@maikiaxiong3789]

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.

[@classic3316]

I fully understand Mr Ballen's stories. It is as if I am there witnessing the event. It is so detailed and he doesn't leave any small details out. Thank you Mr Ballen. What a great storyteller. I can imagine the highlight of his children's day is bedtime when he reads them bedtime stories.

[@muemamuema8020]

Duh..

[@sallyannwheeler6327]

He is a great story teller. Draws you in immediately.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️🌎🇺🇸

[@ambermarshall2922]

The main thing I've learned from mr.ballen is avoid "squeezing past" anything, especially into a confined space.

[@mq9893]

Right. Sometimes don't move..ever..period.

[@SY-ok2dq]

Nutty Putty cave flashback!

[@SuperWhatapain]

@@SY-ok2dq yeah😱

[@Iominia]

Gotta say, the student in story 1 who didn't let Wade in is probably going to suffering a lot guilt knowing that if they had just let him in he would probably still be alive today. It wasn't their fault but still- it would definitely be a lifelong regret.

[@IDABAYAREA650I]

*I was thinking that too!… id be feeling guilty for life Knowing I could’ve saved his life if i just simply…. Let him in*

[@itsgeodoodz]

Thats crazy i missed that part

[@dreanderson3002]

@@itsgeodoodz you missed the part where that’s your problem… lol

[@connect2437]

I can’t imagine not letting some random student in my dorm if they were knocking late at night in the cold

[@hannahwiseman7321]

Right? I would have made the same decision as them not knowing the consequences, but it really would eat me alive.

[@gruffnutz]

Wade always wanted to be involved in the school orchestra. So he became a conductor.

[@lethalpopsicle]

As a Purdue student now, that exterior door is obfuscated and hard to get to now if I can remember correctly, haven’t been around that side of Owen for a few years. most industrial areas are very secure on campus nowadays. We aren’t even allowed in electrical engineering labs without another person because even low voltages can be deadly. Wades death is very sad but tells us a lot about alcohol safety, always have a plan to get home, if you need to get something you left behind somewhere, come back for it when you are sober, try to stay in a group when traveling around campus, bonus points if you have one sober friend to get you around. Practicing this kept me safe especially times when things got out of hand.

[@Johnbender]

Lol

[@jamiebraswell5520]

@@Johnbender what kind of idiot laughs at this?

[@dummydummy2842]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGPFlqWqgsicfqc Finally it's here

[@bethm5791]

All of this is true but kids do go off drunk and alone. The whole thing could have been prevented if the door had been locked and had proper signs and light switches on BOTH ends. Even my main living area at my apartment has lights on two ends let alone a massive transformer room with TONSSSS of danger. 500k wasn’t enough.

[@internetexplorer9990]

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]

Sounds like he was desperate to die in Death Valley.

[@spicymayo623]

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

[@pohle4632]

I was at Purdue during the first story. The search was very extensive. The students in rooms near that electrical closet were traumatized knowing his body had been so close.

[@brittt6248]

I was one of those students. I felt really bad for his family

[@MKSQUADofficial]

This dude is like Mr.Ballen kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCYk3qpit6eh5Y

[@olliefoxx7165]

The student that didn't let him in bc he was "to drunk" is a real a-hole. The best place for an inebriated person is their bed in their room.

[@Veroni23]

I am binge watching “places you can’t go” and I get an ad for diving lessons…

[@krissuyx]

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]

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]

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

[@73cidalia]

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]

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

[@thereforepie7531]

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