TOP 3 Places you can't go but people went anyway EP.25.01 • Dying From The Thin

[@AndyBonesSynthPro]

Biggest takeaway from 5 years of MrBallen: Avoid caves

[@amandad802]

And chimneys.

[@Graycy808]

​@@amandad802and hiking in forests lol

[@cherylcampbell9369]

And relationships, in-laws, etc. 😅

[@pandakicker1]

There are ways to safely explore caves, but too many people end up making mistakes and ending up on Mr. Ballen's channel.

[@mered30]

Avoid anywhere

[@Mommyoftt2010]

Andreas is a true hero. And the people on the plane luckily didn’t die in fear as they were already gone or unconscious. I can’t imagine the terror of his final moments

[@Graycy808]

Yes I think I'd much prefer to not be aware of what was about to happen. So terrifying but he handled it like a real hero!!

[@shushuyu]

Its better to know than not to know or else you'll end up like that kid with his skull blasted repeating the same loop over and over while willis was able to finally acknowledge his death in the sixth sense in order to move on. 😅

[@shyannstewart4676]

@@Bye_Goodit was mostly the maintenance & pilots fault

[@gsmrg]

Most likely gone. Mask only provides oxygen for 10 minutes. If plane was in high altitude for long, most likely there were no survivors. I'm surprised for pilots. They get proper oxygen supply from cylinder. If passangers were conscious enough to wear masks, why didn't pilots wear mask?

[@sigstenbockgard8080]

@@gsmrg The pilots masks don't drop down, they have to pull them out themselves. The reason they didn't do anything is because hypoxia clouded their judgement before they could do anything

[@LonaKellyx3t]

Andreas wasn't supposed to be working that day (on Helios flight 522), but they were short one crew member, so he agreed to cover after learning that his girlfriend was also working on the same trip. It's quite sad.

[@suzannerogers-ib5yz]

Yes I agree hes the best

[@Manlikefargo]

RIP Andreas .. you was HIM

[@DuhLee1]

And we’ll never know how many people in Athens owe him their life because he saved them. Sad indeed

[@Tele-gramMeYtMrBallen1]

Wish you happy New year, I got something special for you Above 🎉!!

[@foff-666]

I remember that day, I was working in Cyprus at the time and I was also originally booked on that flight but moved my schedule: ALL the local cypriot news reported that the military had shot it down... I don't/can't know if they did or didn't, but it was reported that they did.. weird.

[@Litepaw]

I'm so lucky to live in a time where I can remotely watch the village elder tell campfire stories whenever i want, and not just when he feels like it.

[@taylorbug9]

This

[@karenroot450]

Hello. That is magical and a Treasure!

[@deborahfollowscornell9007]

Yesssss!! ❤

[@scarletsuzuki1390]

We can all drink Coco, nom a snack. Pee with indoor plumbing and put on a nice candle 🕯️ to get the atmosphere just right 😂 I love living in camp ballen

[@atmywhitson]

Ha! I'll 🥂 to that, my friend! :)

[@odetosleep1596]

The selflessness and balls of steel on Andreas are so admirable. R.i.p sir.

[@defsummer]

I don't know why but I was hoping for a miracle story, one of those cases where they managed to land.😔😕☹

[@87Ahoff87]

Andreas CREATED that situation. HE killed all of those passengers. HOW is THAT heroic??

[@87Ahoff87]

Andreas CREATED that situation. HE killed all 120 of those passengers. HOW is THAT heroic??

[@pandakicker1]

That’s a good-hearted Greek for ya! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@pandakicker1]

@@87Ahoff87How the hell did he create that situation? It wasn’t his fault that the maintenance worker messed up the switches! He was just a flight attendant.

[@RavenReads]

All I've learned from years of watching this channel is to not go into caves, to never go diving, to take my phone everywhere I go, and also to just stay home. It's working out so far lol.

[@alicec.hughes8840]

caves are great- you just should'nt go alone, and we always appreciate they are high risk places to work

[@madelineritter9861]

One of my college boyfriends was a geologist that loved exploring and mapping out caves (also an extensively trained and certified cave diver). I once joined him at a caving conference in Tennessee and it was so wildly interesting. We did explore a few caves during that but very wide ones and with 3+ literal experts in the field. We did another a few days after alone in a cave he extensively worked in for a college final project and had mapped. The tightest squeeze was about the size of our shoulders and I’m SO happy this was 2019 before I’d seen Mr Ballen videos about caves. That last cave I went to floods entirely in about 30 minutes when it rains and it started pouring as we were getting to the exit. I was a total newbie and the race to get to the exit before the storm got my heart rate up. He still does research in caves to this day by using topography and natural springs on the surface to identify cave systems that are unknown.

[@barbarakilman271]

Same

[@Boleyna1533]

The first MrBallen video I watched was about the Nutty Putty Cave, I was searching for more info about it but the way he told the story ended up making me a loyal fan of his channels and podcasts. But if I’ve learned anything it’s that I am never caving.

[@DenieGayle]

I started 2 years ago reading these stories and I haven’t left my apartment since. 😮 😅

[@TheBsheep]

"Places you can't go but people went anyway" is my favorite series of this channel! I'm glad he revisited it!! 🤗🤗

[@angelachouinard4581]

Yes, I really like this series!

[@Graycy808]

They usually give me anxiety if it's about tight spaces!!

[@NoNORADon911]

There are only so many of these to tell.

[@oldjaguar]

glad these are back

[@jenx5870]

I don't like flying, but for those who do fly regularly, how is the first story a place you shouldn't go? It was a plane crash due to a mechanic's error.

[@KimOn-du8df]

The first story is so tragic, Andreas is a true hero for making such a brave sacrifice to save the lives of all the potential victims on the ground, his family should be incredibly proud of his brave actions ❤

[@foff-666]

I remember that day, I was working in Cyprus at the time and I was also originally booked on that flight but moved my schedule: ALL the local cypriot news reported that the military had shot it down... I don't/can't know if they did or didn't, but it was reported that they did.. weird.

[@dolceitalia5846]

It’s not really a sacrifice as he would have died either way…whether he went to the cockpit or not. However, his actions did save many lives on the ground and for that, he should be remembered ❤

[@AngelaSheppard-g5i]

That one broke my heart. Bless him

[@CJSteffff-ip8xp]

That last story hit harder than most of the caving accidents that you’ve covered because it wasn’t just thrill seeking. He knew that there was a risk but he wasn’t going to get some sort of rush, he was going to support himself and his family. It’s not like he went to grab the flashlight for fun, he needed it to finish collecting the bat poop and to leave the cave. He got stuck and nearly died not out of curiosity, but out of necessity. This isn’t to say that people who die in situations like this because of thrill seeking aren’t tragic, just that this hit hard

[@acmhfmggru]

he was being reckless, tbh. should have had a redundant flashlight. That's not a poverty problem, he could have had a back up, but he didn't. He was being reckless and he was extremely lucky to not pay the ultimate price. let that be a lesson to you, little one.

[@72tadrian65]

I am so amazed and happy that they were able to get them out. I honestly thought that situation was totally hopeless and he should just be put out of his misery…. That sure shows me that you should never lose hope!

[@ElizaKrautha]

The first story made me tear up. Poor guy. He was doomed either way but at least he died a hero and saved the people on the ground.

[@pbfunstuff4239]

Heartbreaking 💔 A true hero ❤

[@imemine8605]

Why didn't the pilot or Co pilot do their job they get hundreds of hours of air underneath the cockpit for these exact emergency, seems very incompetent to me

[@JasonWardStudios]

What makes it even more tragic is that his fiancée was one of the passengers on the plane.

[@Johannesburg777]

Darn these onions.

[@lillianwalker8235]

​@@imemine8605The alarm that sounded to alert the pilots of the problem also sounded for something less trivial iirc so they were not sure what was going wrong and they quickly succumbed to the lack of oxygen, which also made it so they couldn't think straight

[@steveharrison76]

Andreas: you legend. Forget Achilles, forget Heracles - Andreas is a true hero for Greece to be proud of. He made the hardest choice anyone could and saved hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives. That’s incredible, and I’m sad he’s gone, but I’m so glad he was here.

[@soul.calibur]

He's the real SKY KING

[@soul.calibur]

He's the real SKY KING

[@Graycy808]

Nicely said!!

[@pandakicker1]

ΖΗΤΩ Ο ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ!!!

[@zombienursern4909]

There is no greater love than this: That a man lays down his life for another. ❤

[@serpent6827]

After hearing about all these caving disasters on your channel, I was beginning to think that getting stuck in a cave where you can't even move, is pretty much a guaranteed death sentence. I am pleasantly surprised that Sum not only survived that tight space for 4 days with out water, but was rescued and made a full recovery. But damn it sure doesn't make the situation any less terrifying.

[@GameDjeenie]

I'm happy for Sum. Finally, someone that survives a MrBallen story !

[@genenetumeth501]

Thank you for that comment. I had actually paused the video at the beginning of the story as I'm claustrophobic and thought I couldn't watch it. When I read your comment, I resumed it🙂 so thanks 😊

[@Alanasianful]

@@genenetumeth501not all heroes wear capes because same

[@zryuification]

The moment I heard about caves and cracks, I mentally prepared myself that somebody would die. 😂

[@setharkon1662]

Yes, this was an unexpected ending and was actually good

[@R.J.MacReady1982]

The guy collects bat shit. What life is that?

[@frankiefavero1666]

Omg poor Andreas and everyone else on the flight!!! Your first story had me in tears, the pilots SHOULD have noticed the switch, it's part of your pre-flight checklist! What a heroic guy Andreas was, he would have made an excellent pilot ❤

[@Angel-rd5fw]

I cannot even fathom the fear Sum must have felt being trapped in there. I'm not claustrophobic at all but I don't ever even wish to be anywhere near those types of caves. Poor guy was trapped without light being nearly crushed for 4 whole days. Probably couldn't even sleep. Hope no one ever goes through that

[@DutchIsraeli]

I can't imagine the terror 😱 poor guy!!

[@Jabarri74]

Nutty putty cave. If you ever see a video on it please don't watch it. For your sanity

[@Angel-rd5fw]

@Jabarri74 Oh I know which one just from the name... Didn't someone get stuck there and di*

[@TwilightsSecrets]

I can't believe they managed to save him. Usually those stories never end well.

[@vassilisa.n.1220]

​@@Jabarri74They filmed it? No way iam watching

[@JarlesSnarr]

I love that the last story had a happy ending. So many cave stories that end in tragedy.

[@Gruxxan]

Plot spoiler

[@ShirleyLestrade]

Yeah most of his stories don’t.

[@WilofJ]

Glad I watched the video first 😂

[@DaniMosher]

This comment kept me watching tbh

[@patsalter2447]

@@DaniMosher same here

[@nannettenielsen216]

I saw the first story on Mayday. Andreas was close to passing out like the others. He was very heroic for trying to fly and then saving everyone on the ground. May they all rest in peace.

[@TJ-fu5kr]

Bruh ... ONE knob on a plane can practically kill everyone on board? Surely that's an error in design...

[@simonlarge2052]

I was thinking this. I design software for the financial services and we put numerous systems in place to prevent errors with transactions, how is it there isn’t any for oxygen on a plane? Surely there would have been a light in the cockpit to indicate that the button was on or some way of monitoring oxygen!

[@drmavushe]

At wat point do u need the oxygen off on a plane to make this button essential?

[@haydenbsiegel]

​@@simonlarge2052oddly enough Financials program and secure their stuff better against user error than other fields. I work in Biomedical IT and Engineering. Some of the older lab equipment is super unsecure.. like stuff the FBI uses run DNA evidence in murder cases is literally open for anyone to back end into and screw with results. Typically not going to be an issue but there is a ton of organized crime in genetic labs and those folks would be organized enough to skew results and pin the DNA on someone else. And outside that there is the fact people can Telnet into an FBI network using lab equipment. Know what I mean? I wanted to go into finance and banking IT but instead got stuck in this sector. It's a mess.

[@MannyBrum]

I looked it up and it was actually the cabin pressurization system control. It was set to manual to perform some tests, and it was supposed to be set back to auto after the checks. It's not that it was off, it was in a mode where the pilot would have needed to manually adjust it during the flight, which they did not because they thought it was on auto. The pressurization requirements are different at different altitudes.

[@MannyBrum]

@@simonlarge2052 They have a cabin altimeter which basically says what altitude the pressure in the cabin is simulating (so if the plane is at 35,000 feet the cabin altitude might be 7,000 feet. If the cabin altitude is over 10000 feet, hypoxia can occur.

[@reneehomen2226]

I was holding my breath with the 3rd story. Im so claustophobic so i could feel for the man trapped. Made my heart race. So happy he was finally rescued. Thank God!

[@Local_Hobo]

That photo of him in the crack is stuff of nightmares

[@juliewander3234]

Instant claustrophobia seeing the photo of him jammed into that crack

[@Jabarri74]

Even without claustrophobia that is the stuff of nightmares. He got lucky

[@carrieconner2021]

​@@Jabarri74 *blessed

[@gaylaroof612]

Thank you for your post! I was beginning to feel a little queasy about sum. To think he would've died, stuck there... ... ...was just too much 🥺

[@Laurielism]

I'm so happy to see a new episode of 'Places you can't go but people went anyway'. These are my absolute favourite Mr. Ballen stories. I like the long stories and the medical ones, too, but I first came across these and still love them. I think it's the balance between a captivating story well told and looking at my own horror and fear of these incidents. I guess at heart, most of us have a fear of the dark, of being trapped in small spaces, etc.

[@cob6648]

That first story is heartbreaking thank you sir for saving people on the ground !

[@Randomyoutubecommenter]

Let’s say he knew about the switch that controls the oxygen in the plane. Could he of just switched it and the plane would’ve filled with oxygen again?

[@DrewFishBlueFish]

@@Randomyoutubecommenternot necessarily. Also, I think the plane has to be on the ground and off for the switch to work but I also don’t know anything about these kinds of aircrafts. And with adrenaline pumping, he probably couldn’t think past “I need to do something NOW” I wouldn’t put it on him. What he did was absolutely heroic and in theory if he was able to switch it it still wouldn’t have done anything but cause chaos while the plane went down because of having no fuel. I mean I guess it would have been landed better POSSIBLY by the pilot if he woke up fast enough but It was probably best for the people on board to be passed out in a situation like that. I know I would want to be.

[@zaeemchogle8219]

@@Randomyoutubecommenter perhaps he tried but it didn't work? maybe it lost the oxygen somehow due to the nob or he didn't know about it

[@krissy0628]

@@Randomyoutubecommenter fuel still ran out, and I was thinking I would have tried to share my oxygen with the pilot, and wake them out, and pass out myself, and let them take it, but maybe they were too far knocked out, -= only solace, is everyone was knocked out, and weren't aware, but Andreas was...

[@KierstenA-ue8mo]

I just wrote the same exact thing! I can't even imagine the fear I'd experience knowing that I was about to crash and die! He was so brave.

[@krissy0628]

RIP to all those on the first flight and Andreas RIP YOU HERO! Instead of panicking, you embraced death, and thought about those on the ground before your demise..

[@itsme48423]

would been better story if he found the button and turned on the air....I think anyone could have crashed the plane nothing really special about that I think

[@Emerica771]

@@itsme48423 turning on the oxygen wouldn’t miraculously wake everyone back up immediately. And even if it did, a plane full of panicked passengers isn’t going to help the situation. If anything, he should have attempted to give oxygen from his tank to the pilot who could actually land the plane.

[@SamIAm10262]

​@@Emerica771 It's very likely the pilots were already deceased.

[@jwst8]

how did andreas get inside the cockpit if the pilots were passed out? the cockpit door is locked..

[@DaughterofChrist94]

Was he not a flight attendant? Wouldn't they have like some sort of policy in place to make sure the flight attendants can get to the cockpit during a pilot emergency? I'd assume they do have a way to access the cockpit... @jwst8

[@charlieknight5065]

Showing LOVE for my absolute FAVORITE storyteller thank you for another great video once again my friend, cant wait to see what 2025 has in stored. Have a blessed weekend everyone

[@johnathansaegal3156]

21:45 ... I used to be a spelunker in my younger years. Any time you are entering a cave, be it to explore, map or just get bags full of bat poop, you bring multiple flashlights as well as candles, or other old-school light sources (carbide, for example). Unlike rock climbing where you are on the outside of a mountain, when you are inside a mountain or deep cavern, you have no light other than what you carry inside with you. It is far too easy to lose or break a flashlight or headlamp. You always carry more light than you think you will ever need. Along with water and a way to keep warm, light is your lifeline to survival. I shudder at the thought of being deep inside a cave and have no light source. That is just mad (as in insane, not "mad" as in irritated).

[@SueP-D]

I love caves, but unless it’s with a tour guide and some lighting and we can walk, there is NO WAY I’m going in!😂

[@johnathansaegal3156]

@@SueP-D I totally understand. Cave exploration is not for everyone and if one has the slightest bit of claustrophobia, forget it! lol Peace!

[@JamieBerghoff]

I never thought about light being such a crucial thing to have when spelunking and it makes perfect sense. I like the practice of taking more than you could ever need I think this practice could be adopted in many aspects of dangerous activities. I will never understand why would someone take such risks when even with all the proper gear the risk is high enough. I will not be spelunking in this life time because I have to get off an elevator if more than two people get on it with me so my claustrophobia will at the very least pretty much guarantee I won’t ever have to know the horrors that sometimes happen. I’m curious did you ever have any close calls when you went spelunking? Even though I will never be going into a cave for some reason I do enjoy the stories and really admire people for that adventurous nature they have.

[@johnathansaegal3156]

@@JamieBerghoff I made the mistake of breaking one of your own Cardinal Rules. Individuals create rules for themselves based upon literature, safety alerts, etc., and I decided to spelunk a desert mine shaft... not that I hadn't done that before, but this one had water in it. My rule was "only explore mines that are bone dry". I was about a half mile under the mountain and saw a side shaft that went straight down. My lamp did not cut through the blackness and any rocks dropped did not make the sound of hitting anything. I hooked up to rappel down a little just to get a better view of how far down it might go. I was on a 100 foot static line (one that does not stretch or have any "bounce" to it). Every 20 feet I had tape around the rope as a guide to how much rope I had used up. Each section of tape was "One wrap for the first 20, two wraps for the 40 foot mark", etc. This mine shaft and cavern winded its way through the mountains for miles according to the 1880s survey map, but unlike the desert mines I normally explored, this one had standing pools of water. Water equals rotting wood. Bone dry shafts can have 180 year-old planks and wooden beams that are as strong as the day they were cut, but not wet beams. My brother (and spelunking companion) found what seemed to be a strong beam to hook my rope to. Just as I crossed over the lip of the black, deep shaft, the beam split from my 140 pounds of weight (I was a skinny guy). My brother held onto the rope for all he could. His strength vs my free-falling down the shaft. My brother was a police officer at the time and majorly buff. He had the rope around his arms and waist by the time he got the rope under control. His boots had slid to the lip of the shaft and dislodged some rocks... ... when I say rocks, I mean 2 foot by 1 foot rocks that came down on top of my head (thank goodness for hardhats!). The rocks that fell split apart the hard hat eventually and my headlamp was busted and fell somewhere down below me. During the break of the beam, I of course dropped down the rope, too. Holding my shoulders in as tight as I could to avoid more rocks falling on top of me, I was gripping the rope with all I had. Yes, I had rope retainers that locked to the rope, but a rock had smashed the lock mechanism so my grip was what had been keeping the lock in place. I slid down the rope with each thump of rock onto my head (hard hat still on my head, but split open). By the time I was stable on the rope and my brother stable up top, I felt around for a section of tape, was I at the 40 foot length? Was I 60 feet down the rope? I felt the rope below me and pulled it up. I am in total darkness as my headlamp, 9 volt side lamp and three flashlights that were tied to my jacket had all been crushed by falling rocks or ripped from me as I slid down the rope. I was in communication with my brother, but his voice seemed quite far away. I finally felt the tape on the rope. It was the 95 foot "End of Rope" knot of tape. Had I slid 8 more feet down the rope, I would have slid off the rope and gone down into darkness. All my gear was beaten up. I had to feel for my "climbers" that lock to the rope and let you climb the rope with your hands and feel like a ladder. The foot section was busted apart, so my ascent was to be using my arms only... and the grip of my damaged hands. As the rocks pelted me from above, I used my arms to help shield my head. My arms and hands were beaten to a literal bloody pulp and I needed those body parts to pull myself up the rope with no rest during the 90 or so feet I would have to climb to get out. My brother was in a precarious situation, if he tried tying the rope to something other than him, he would risk losing grip on the rope entirely. We agreed he would hold on and I would inch my way up the rope. It took me several hours to ascend roughly 90 feet of rope. When I got to the top, my brother looked at me and I could see it in his eyes. I was in bad shape. Ear torn off, scalp ripped open, eyebrow lacerated, hands and forearms sliced like I stuffed my hands/arms into a meat grinder. I was covered in powder-soft dust mixed with blood from head to toe. As I got to the top I asked him if he ever thought about dropping a flashlight down to me on some paracord. No, he forgot about the paracord. That fall is why I replied on the comment about overdoing it with means of illumination. I had several lamps and many flashlights, but still, one more would have been great! That was 40 years ago. I still have scars on my head and hands... and we never did figure out how deep that one shaft went, but according to the old maps it could have been 100 feet or 1,000 feet. That shaft wasn't marked on the map we had. You wrote you enjoy stories of exploration. I could have gone into a LOT more detail about that one incident and then gone on to tell you about three others. Maybe I'll write a book about it, IDK. Take care and know that I did not exaggerate anything. I actually held back some details. BUT, if you are wondering, yes, I peed myself when that beam broke and I free-fell down that shaft. I do admit to that!

[@redfrog1628]

My soul would've left my body. That shaft could've went to the mantle of the Earth and that would've been the last time you were seen 😨. ​@@johnathansaegal3156

[@LUCiFER-LYNN]

What a hero Andreas is. I hope that the other persons lost that day that their souls and Andreas's souls are in a heavenly place full of infinite love and happiness.

[@kensley94]

I wonder about your thoughts on that seeing your name and pfp

[@Graycy808]

​@@kensley94hahaha! Right? Wouldnt lucifer prefer the terror?

[@pandakicker1]

@@Graycy808 The Bible lies about Lucifer rather often. Lucifer and Satan are different forms of the same being. Lucifer is the angelic form before the fall. Satan is the evil form after the fall.

[@LUCiFER-LYNN]

@@kensley94 lucifer was and always will be angel Samael

[@bookbag-q4b]

Andreas is a true hero. And so too is the loving brother, who made sure he rescued & saved his life.

[@cd5sircoupe]

That last story is something alright. Not only is it just wild to begin with that all those things coincided to get the dude stuck in the first place, but he actually got rescued. I was not expecting that ending that's for sure. And to think the whole situation may have been avoided if he had used a headlamp instead.

[@davidyoung2111]

3 places you cant go IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE category but all of MR.BALLEN videos are awsome & the best thing on KZbin.

[@WAngeLuvwalKER]

Also three pictures,/three audio recordings back stories

[@davidyoung2111]

@WAngeLuvwalKER oh wow, I've never heard of that. Is that on MR.BALLEN? or another channel?

[@AstonishInc]

You should try Chef Jean Pierre....

[@lizardbruh]

Begging for Slenderman! Can't wait to see

[@earlwhitney17]

Literally thou this what got me hooked to start

[@Masterchief6865]

7k views in 9mins? this is what i was waiting for, mrballen getting the love he deserves

[@PatrickKingJr]

43088 in the first hour

[@Zyryne1]

He's not to 10 million subs yet. He deserves that. 😊❤

[@donnamckinley9807]

984,000 in 2 hours. Thats a ton of views from his wonderful following.

[@devsie11915]

I used to listen to scary stories and true crime on the radio with my grandma. She would’ve loved your stories. I like to think she’s listening with me so thank you for reminding me of her so often.

[@devsie11915]

Ps that photo of Sum made me straight up made me nauseous 😭 I can’t even look at small spaces without feeling a little queasy. I’m so glad he was rescued ♥️♥️♥️

[@Mfrasier88]

It’s crazy that years ago I was sitting on my couch looking for KZbin videos to watch and came across one of his. I sat there and watched every video he had uploaded at that time and was obsessed😂 I would connect my phone to a Bluetooth speaker at work and would play his videos all day! A good amount of my coworkers got hooked on them as well and so did my dad lol Here we are in 2025 and I’m still watching his videos! Probably one of the only creators on KZbin that I get excited for when I see a new upload! Thank you John🤍

[@LightBlueVans]

i have a similar story. i was randomly shown a shorter version of his videos on facebook and watched them religiously. then i realized they were clips of longer videos so i came over to YT. prior to that i never really watched YT. did it sub anyone. i didn’t “get” the youtube thing. now, 4 years later and in addicted! i’ve got playlists and people/channels i watch daily! he brought me and here and i hang in his every upload. it’s been amazing to see him grow and thrive. he and his family/crew are so deserving of the success they’ve had.

[@theempath8244]

Andreas RIP my friend. You were heroic in guiding the plane away from people. You gave your life so bravely to save others. You were beautiful inside and out. Now you will become an angel. Sleep well, my friend.

[@TehAnshiTunes]

"He knew there was gonna be a ton of bat poop if he could just cross over that crack" is a sentence I never thought Id hear. Just lol 😂🤣

[@user-dg3pp5pv3l]

The worlds best storyteller right here I hate to be the guy but thanks so much for 1k likes I’ve never had that much

[@Jennifer-8010]

I don't get why he hasn't won a Grammy

[@user-dg3pp5pv3l]

@ I know right

[@bamamama-ws7kp]

Your mom is better

[@SeanAnthony-j7f]

​@Jennifer-8010Grammy is a scam it is only for elites

[@J0HNJ0RDAN]

"Well, I'm not sure how official any of these rankings are..."

[@KatrinaAnnBieber1]

John Ballen, I just want you to know that you helped me through a really hard time in my life. I was in a deep Post PartumDepression and for some reason listening to your stories helped me through it. My therapist recommended that I listen to stories before bedtime and I found yours. Thank you and please never stop your amazing storytelling career. :)

[@ordoabchao1308]

25:09 these stories of people getting stuck gives me horrible anxiety. Im not claustrophobic but im beginning to become that way in my older age. Ill stay out of tight spaces if unnecessary.

[@country-m1]

I have a hard time believing that Second Story yes he may have been in the freezer for 7 months but who doesn't check a deep freezer especially when it's heavier than hell

[@anzerupnik1442]

Also what kind of shitty landlord waits until someone else shows interest into moving in before cleaning up. Especially when the apartment was a mess.

[@rudir6826]

Yup.. police in 3rd world countries too don't give an F about thorough investigations. I'm absolutely sure the landlord had something to do with it.

[@samanthaj.3570]

Yeah, I'm not totally sure I'm buying "landlord's" story. You don't move a freezer without removing contents that would make it even heavier than it already is. Also no foul odor at all???

[@dianeher4567]

I agree especially after 7 months

[@Comedybrand]

What if the landlord forced Louo into the freezer? How would anyone have known the difference? I mean, the landlord invited himself into Louo's apartment at the time of his death, and then collected ZERO rent for the next 7 months? Wasn't he concerned about the rent coming in in the first place? Maybe what happened is the landlord went into Louo's apartment to get money, saw the mess and started screaming about eviction, fight ensues, he kills Louo by putting him in the freezer,suffocating him, changes the locks ( why would he do that unless he knew Louo wasn't coming back) so none would go in there and then left him to decompose. Why didn't he report his tenant missing after not seeing him for months?

[@bobbiellison4315]

Yea I want a follow up to that story. Very suspicious.

[@JohnMoserable]

Changing the locks and not reporting him missing are both easily explainable. What isn't explainable is why you would take a heavy freezer to the dump without looking inside.

[@rollinpace4lyf]

@@JohnMoserable exactly. Literally the first thing you would do when moving a freezer is to check to see if there’s anything in it.

[@messamurai2658]

DON'T QUIT YOUR JOB, YOUR PATHETIC ASSUMPTIONS ARE JUST THAT ASSUMPTIONS BUT STILL NONSENSE.

[@ASMRyouKidding]

Yes my thoughts exactly!! That chest must have weighed a ton and he didn’t think to look in it before moving it?! Also how can someone be suffocating and not react?! You wouldn’t just lie there and have a horrid way to go when you could just lift the lid. Drunk or not

[@debrakleid5752]

One of the few videos that made me tear up hearing about this flight attendant who made his last act a heroic one and one that he knew he would die from.

[@Tele-gramMeYtMrBallen1]

Wish you happy New year, I got something special for you Above 🎉!!

[@InteriorDesignStudent]

IIRC Andreas (hero in the plane) was dating a flight attendant and knew she was incapacitated or deceased. He must have been heartbroken before even realizing the futility of his actions.

[@KathyAnne28]

#1's story - MrBallen I grew up with Hitchcock and horror, suspense but you're the only Creator in current times that makes me physically anxious by your storytelling abilities.

[@Graycy808]

For sure!

[@MikeToledo-fq5hc]

Hitchcock, The Legendary Master of suspense. I like everything and anything Hitchcock, but the one that popped in my mind right away, that I haven't seen in a very long time and want to check it out now, is the great film, "The Rear Window" if I recall correctly. I think it was Jimmy Stewart the main actor in that film. Can't wait to hopefully watch it later tonight.

[@atmywhitson]

Very well said!

[@bindig1]

I'm envious of this guy's way of speaking. Very clear and easy to understand

[@defranken]

I like the strange, dark and mysterious delivered in story format. Thank you mister Ballen.

[@mochimochi7669]

Been listening since 2020, how time flies. Thank you for the 5 years of continued entertainment.

[@johnsummers2943]

I'm happy the last guy survived. Too often, in these stories, in ends in tragedy.

[@YtMrBallen1_Ontele-qram]

Wish you merry Christmas, I got something special for you Above 🎉

[@BigEyesSmallMouth]

Brightening a gray winter day with the strange, dark, and mysterious hits just right.

[@sebastianthehotsaucedude5473]

If Andreas had enough fuel, ATC could have walked him through the ILS setup procedure, how to program for vnav, how to set auto brakes, flaps and speed brakes as well as engine reverse thrust if needed. I am of the opinion that the flight could have been saved if fuel wasn't near zero on all tanks. RIP to he, and everyone else on that doomed flight.

[@Graycy808]

Are you a commercial pilot?

[@shuffman8094]

I read the bodies were burned/charred beyond recognition. And there was no fuel as Ballen also said. If there was no fuel, how could were they burned ? Perhaps I’m not understanding something.

[@mariestreeting4213]

@@shuffman8094Interesting point. Gas bottles for cooking?

[@michellewilliams9772]

was it a short flight? why was there no fuel?

[@Boundwithflame23]

If I recall the plane wasn’t set to the destination airport’s frequency; I think it was still on the departure frequency. Andreas was calling a mayday but was out of range. So the first thing he’d need to do is switch to the emergency frequency and descend to 10,000ft so he could communicate without becoming hypoxic. But even if he managed to land the plane everyone else onboard was likely either brain dead or fully dead dead due to hypoxia.

[@cyka666]

Andreas wasn’t even meant to be working that day (onboard Helios flight 522), but they were one crew member short and he agreed to cover after learning his girlfriend was also working on the same flight. Truly so sad.

[@Jay-mt6nu]

Atleast andreas and his GF were together in death

[@coreymcqueary5127]

Not to be rash but couldnt he have put a tank on a pilot?

[@ktreznin5538]

@@coreymcqueary5127 Ohhhhhh..... didn't think of that!

[@BFoxy1326]

@@coreymcqueary5127i had the same thought, like tank them up, bring them around, demand they land the plane. Perhaps too much time had gone by and the pilots were past saving? either way, it ended how it did. I’m dissapkinted it wasn’t mentioned that his girlfriend also perished with him on that same flight🥺 truly heartbreaking but at least they went out together. If i can, i don’t wanna go alone that’s for sure.

[@user-kz9zi7rv9p]

@@coreymcqueary5127 Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Maybe he was just extremely stressed and couldn't think clearly.

[@aeipathy_dendrology]

Dude Sum has no idea how lucky he was. You said he made a full recovery and I yelled “he lived???” Man he got lucky

[@-mv]

He definitely knows how lucky he is! He had 3 days where he was sure he wasn't going to make it. He's definitely never gonna take his life for granted after that

[@itsme48423]

ya hes lucky cause sum dnt make it out alive but sum do and sum did lmao

[@itsme48423]

sum do and sum dnt but sum did!!!

[@somethingelse4424]

If he knew he was in a Mr Ballen he would truly appreciate how lucky he was to survive.

[@arnicus208]

I don’t buy the second story for a second. One, it’s near impossible to move a freezer without accidentally popping the lid. The odor at that point would’ve been obvious. Two, unless you’re a hulk with a friend hulk, no one moves a full freezer. They’re awkward enough empty.

[@ddavis4730]

I believe the landlord killed him

[@puffradical]

yeah there's no way

[@kravin74]

Maybe they thought it was full of spoiled food since the power had to be off for a while? Didn't want rotten food to smell up the place so take it outside and dump? Just a guess.

[@erickalear7609]

I know what those freezers feel like with a human inside; not a dead one but still. My kid was being an idiot and not thinking. It was way heavier than it should've been, the top popped open, and out jumped my son. He was mad because we told him he had to stay at grandma's and he had other ideas. There's just no way they wouldn't have checked unless they knew.

[@ddavis4730]

@@erickalear7609 exactly Especially since he’d never seen his tenant again Very suspicious

[@ColonelC0rnMassucci]

This guy deserves his own tv show with people re-enacting the stories while he narrates

[@cherylcampbell9369]

He would lose control of his content. Or have layers of contractual b.s. to deal with. And how well he is doing, as is, probably a drop in profits as well.

[@stefanteisler]

You are an amazing storyteller. The Dybbuk Box one and the Sleep Paralysis nightmares still stick with me. Look forward to your upload every single week.

[@LightBlueVans]

i can’t even watch the sleep paralysis one sometimes! it genuinely creeps me out and scares me. 😅 that and the one where the guy was under a girls bed whom she only discovered after she dropped her phone on the floor and saw him as she picked it up. ooooh! so terrifying.

[@PmoneySkates]

4 maintenance techs were held responsible for the crash and were each sentenced 10 year in prison for neglagence of saftey protocol, what a tragedy that story really hurt to listen too

[@lizgreer6888]

That 3rd story is a miracle. You had me believing he was going to die! Caves didn't scare me before finding your show. Now they terrify me. Also, don't go in tight places and never go in the woods alone plus always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back! Thanks for the wisdom. #2, anyone else wondering why they didn't look in the freezer before taking it to the dump? Seems weird to me. Not saying they had anything to do with it, just weird they didn't look.

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

This is my fav genre. It's a MrBallen original all to itself.

[@LauraBzar-bk5sd]

I’m watching Ballen talk about therapy, and realized that I never thought about it before, but sharing that he benefits from having someone to talk to is by far the most badass thing about him, when there are so many freaking badass things about him. That’s so cool.

[@ResaNeal]

Have a great weekend, everyone. Thank Mr. Ballen.🧡💛

[@Robinkeohane]

You bring generations together again ❤My Grandson actually listens to you every week with us. Amazing 😂

[@StevenG222]

Thanks, I hope your weekend is awesome also!!

[@TheangryLikeButton]

My MAILS 😢!! 0:16

[@hitolfadler]

Give that button his mail back!!! Most people don’t know that, but stealing or opening someone else’s mail is actually a felony.

[@Wishwasweed]

No not your mail we have to report him to the police because it's illegal to steal the mail 😡😡

[@jaevindear2272]

Be quiet stinky

[@lbg910]

😂😂

[@TheangryLikeButton]

​@@Wishwasweed Believe me dude... I've been trying to call the police ever since he sneaked into my house and changed my tequila with apple juice.

[@Lozerisfat]

Ever since I started working the podcasts have been my SAVIOUR!!! Thank you sm mrballen

[@NightWatch24_yt]

Salute to you from a retired Air Force Veteran!

[@michaelweiss2271]

I remember the helios story. I watched it on the show Air Disasters. It gave the whole NTSB investigation into it. That young man was a hero.

[@wholetthedogsoutwhowho]

Those were all amazing stories! I'm so glad in the last story, the guy was rescued. I just knew he wasn't going to make it. I LOVE Mr. Ballen's stories and the way he tells them. Thumbs up.

[@tonygomez1120]

The man in the cave, cavers are very very gutsy people, you don't pay around in a cave. You don't mess around in a cave. You pay attention in a cave that is the most awful death.There is. I'm glad he made it out. I would never again go in another cave, i've had my fill with them😢 ..

[@eds02]

16:10 so NO ONE had a thought about why the freezer weighed 100 kilos instead of like 30-40 when they were carrying it to the truck? Seems kinda fishy

[@iamkeir]

100% agree, there’s no way they didn’t at least open it, and what about the smell? Something very suspicious going on here…

[@eds02]

@ Yeah I don’t think the freezer was airtight to such a degree that it would fully contain the smell of a body that was rotting in it for 2 months

[@zjp692004]

Yeah you’d think the first thing you would do is open it

[@kadoozie3567]

Yup landlord killed him

[@graemejones5968]

I was so pleased that the man trapped was saved, because most of the cave stories always end badly. Especially the little boy who fell down a hole in Italy, where they tried to bore another tunnel alongside to reach him. And the 1st story I've heard before .....BUT, I didn't know Andreas actually banked away from the city to save lives on the ground. What an absolute hero. They should name one of their aircraft to honour him.

[@ChelseaATea]

Yay for Mr Ballen! Week is now complete :)

[@DanielL.Phillips]

He is awesome- I love his stories.

[@WelshWing98]

Love the places you can’t go but people went there anyway series It’s how I found MrBallen.

[@liljoe5139]

Sounds like California

[@TheElbowMerchant]

​@@liljoe5139As a lifelong CA resident, this made me chuckle. The mass exodus is real.

[@liljoe5139]

@@TheElbowMerchant I live near a place called Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch/Buffalo River area on the Tennessee River. Way out in no man’s country and I’ve met several families in the last few years all from California.. odds of that happening must be high. They love it here.

[@lisadeaton1772]

I am from Hendersonville; Tn and moved to Memphis, Tn in 1982. I met a guy and married him and he raced Motocross. One of his races was at Loretta Lynn's dude ranch and I was there for the race. I moved to CA in 2023 and that is where I currently reside and I hate it and miss TN!😢 When I read the previous comments, I was like WTF? It's a small world, huh?

[@liljoe5139]

@@lisadeaton1772 come on back home

[@carlosbetances119]

The fact your audience asked for these to comeback and you actually listened to your audience is the reason your the best at what you do your a man of the people!!💫💯

[@Tele-gramMeYtMrBallen1]

Wish you happy New year, I got something special for you Above 🎉!!

[@EasternSunset007]

4:02 why is there even an option to turn the breathable oxygen off? Let’s continue to find out.

[@Tom-BXR300]

Why isn't that a setting for a pilot to check before take-off? (Well, it probably is now... probably was then, too).

[@person.w9780]

The switch controls the aircraft's pressurization. It could be set to either manual or auto. The maintenance worker set it to manual and forgot to switch it back to auto.

[@JamesSmith-jq2jc]

You can find the full story on KZbin on Air Disasters. I've seen it. IF, I recall correctly, maintenance workers were checking for air leaks around rear door, other places too. I've watched so many, I don't recall every detail.

[@EasternSunset007]

@@person.w9780 there was manual,auto, and an off position.

[@shuffman8094]

They’ve since put alarms in the Boeings for this issue (air pressure / 02).

[@izzojoseph2]

That first dude is an absolute legend🔥🔥🔥

[@timking-iy9jw]

I was soooo relieved when they actually saved guy from the cave. Those cave stories never have a happy ending, & my stomach was turning, thinking about the nightmare ending that was coming. So happy for a cave story that won't make me lose sleep tonight.

[@MsCassidy23]

Ooh!😮 I've actually been missing these stories! It helps me vicariously explore through the tales when I don't have time to get out, while reminding me to remain cautious when I do.

[@whitetiger114]

Dude I think this is the series that got me hooked on your vids back in 2020. Love your work, as always. I don't think I'll ever get tired of your videos 😅

[@kms710]

I just finished your book!! I got it for Christmas & honestly one of my best gifts in my 28 years. Absolutely amazing, so thank you for that! 💙I also LOVE the blue plaid! 💙

[@superduty2023]

JOHN BALLEN. THE MAN. THE MYTH. THE LEGEND.

[@JohnDoe-qz1ql]

Everyone says that All the time…

[@jennadraperjd]

His name is John B Allen but his email address looked was johnballen and everyone presumed his name was ballen so he rolled with it. He's done a video about it 😊

[@malcommarcone2559]

"A ton of bat poop just over the crack..." priceless as always Mr. Ballen! 😂

[@mel.295]

Been watching for around 5yrs now, Mr Ballen never dissapoints with his amazing storytelling! I'm Always on the edge on my seat Big love from Australia ❣ *also, how did they know Luo was using the freezer as his "bedroom"? maybe he wrote his thought process in a diary or something?

[@bleo8371]

6:39 he coud use his mask to share oxygen with pilot.. and when pilot wakes up he woud be passing out but with knowlege pilot will land aircraft probebly.. . or how does it work if you run out with oxigen and pass out? how fast anyone can wake you up if oyu have source of oxygen

[@MeeaCaroline]

Even if this would work, which I have no idea if it would or wouldn’t, people do the best they can in stressful moments. He likely didn’t avoid solutions on purpose, they just didn’t occurred to him. It’s also unfortunately, totally possible that by the time it occurred to him that he needed to take action, the pilots may have already been dead. Hopefully this situation never happens again so that no one else has to make those difficult solutions.

[@Cheech_on_thc]

Depending on how long they were without oxygen would be a factor in how it’d go if they weren’t without oxygen for to long then they’d regain consciousness pretty quick after receiving oxygen and likely be fine but if it had been a little bit they were unconscious it could cause multiple problems like brain damage etc

[@jonhammer7109]

Entity. I only wish one day.. life has been that hard n crazy for me. Spirits .entity. you better come full A1 force. Ya sure wouldn't shock me. Bastards

[@KurtOnoIR]

No kidding. And was the bottle he had the only one on the plane? Seems like if there was one there'd be more. Like at least enough for the pilots.

[@jeremybly]

I thought that

[@mlee9734]

"As he grabbed the flashlight something happened". Anticipation building as Mr. Ballen does so well. Then a responsible junk ad pops up, totally destroying the anticipation build up. God, I hate ads.

[@thrackerzod6097]

Firefox + UBO = no ads

[@luvabean]

Brave browser...no ads anywhere.

[@CatWhisperer570]

I love that you have 9.6 Million followers! MILLION!? You totally deserve it dude! You're probably the only channel that I've ever watched every single video of.

[@rickybotes8493]

Finally, one of the first few, after many years of trying. Love every single Mr. Ballen video!

[@Carrie-i8r]

What a hero Andreas was. His family should be very proud - he did the very best anyone could have done in such a terrifying moment.

[@ashleyharvey9330]

Dreams Do Come Trues We’ve been asking for this for the longest of time!!! Thanks Mr Ballen!! Sometimes you gotta change it up on em!!

[@TezBangaTV]

Mr Ballen is the 🐐 of storytelling

[@njad3]

Stop it

[@dreamsneverdie3523]

@@njad3who’s better?

[@TheLoneWolf-uq1mi]

Mr ballen posted. Let's get spooked.

[@jamiemiller8678]

Sir, your "Places You Can't Go" series disturbs me existentially, and when I see the notification for one I take a real big breath and prepare to enjoy the hell out of your presentation! You're respectful to the subject and you're able to pull me into the stories when you tell them

[@Toodybadazz]

My favorite! 3 places you can’t go and people who went there anyway!

[@bigmacmach1185]

Omg, I can't believe that 3rd story guy survived, how unimaginably awful

[@melissacoelho8413]

I sincerely love your stories, but the way you tell them. That is pure Magic you are a true bard. Thank you for the pure entertainment you give.

[@MikeToledo-fq5hc]

Crazy that last one, I probably would of suffocated from having a mega panic attack losing my breath. That was a miracle his brother went out and found him to save him. What a great brother.

[@mercury_rising]

Terrifying that such a simple thing like forgetting to switch a tiny knob can have such a disastrous impact. What happened to the maintenance person who made this error? Andreas was a true hero.

[@georgehenan853]

How is it the maintenance workers fault? It’s the pilots job to follow the checklist and set the pressurization shortly before takeoff. They obviously forgot to. Mr ballen didn’t do a very good job at telling this story and explaining it.

[@mercury_rising]

@ the way it was told, the maintenance worker didn’t set it back to the correct position and the pilots didn’t catch it. I don’t know if it was their fault, but if I was the maintenance worker, I would feel extremely guilty about those deaths.

[@georgehenan853]

@ it’s the pilots job to set pressurization before takeoff

[@ASMRyouKidding]

Andreas is a hero. The last seconds of his life would have been absolute fear and he still thought of others first. What a man ❤

[@rizkhan3368]

Mr. Ballen, a Veteran, who found a way to become a great story teller , and using craftily vocabulary for describing visual details, I am a teacher although not in USA or the west, but English has been my primary schooling and university education language, I would still not be able to do this .....brilliant man.

[@stevenneil9004]

How exciting...! I love you bro thanks for these stories..

[@Misse579]

These are my favorite kind of videos you post! I especially love when you include ones where there’s a survival story!

[@GoogleAccount-ej2ce]

Mr Ballens kids definitely had the best bedtime stories 😂

[@DavidJacobs-rl1rj]

7 mins since upload: already 250 comments ans 6k + watched lol! And so well deserved!

[@sad.jackfr00t]

Yes! The "Places You Can't Go and People Who Went Anyways" series was the first type of video I watched of yours, and this series is what made me a fan in the first place!

[@mallarysangel]

Prayers up LA. You need it. Live by the ocean, fires, earthquakes, but no water for a massive fire. Who would’ve ever thought a big fire could happen there, except San Francisco 118 years ago?

[@juancortes5274]

Yay 🎉❤ I needed this today ☺️