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.
Theme Song: "Something Wicked" - • ♩♫ Epic Horror Synth T...
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Story Music by: @co.agmusic
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#forbidden #places #mrballen

[@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.

[@Fillintheblank538]

@@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.

[@Wizzz2288]

That's the Unbelievable part of the story!

[@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.

[@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.

[@Dillon6479]

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.😂

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@TheDendra7]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@skylerexe8028]

FOR REAL

[@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

[@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).

[@Crimea_River]

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

[@indianfan1029]

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

[@Amigafur]

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

[@stephanierayside2272]

Yep

[@eroccha]

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

[@thurmanator6969]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@largedoggo3194]

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

[@our8870]

ong

[@gabrielfreitas8105]

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

[@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

[@smashingmolko1576]

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

[@alexandrelebienheureux5474]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@Hyst3ricalCha0s]

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

[@fruitygranulizer540]

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

[@lbridge2010]

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

[@hana.the.writer5074]

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

[@m.valdivia8048]

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

[@finleyrosebud5791]

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

[@indianfan1029]

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

[@randomcontent2247]

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

[@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.

[@Orvulum]

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

[@blubberdust]

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

[@caseyb.1259]

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

[@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.

[@mandysimmons3867]

88888

[@mandysimmons3867]

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

[@waverider5751]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@russhubbard72]

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

[@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 🤔

[@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.

[@jcbaily5559]

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

[@NeoCon3K8]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@space_cadet04]

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

[@grantadamson3478]

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

[@elpiccia774]

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

[@sianmcgirr8727]

​@@elpiccia774 woman womp

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@user-sz2px8pv3f]

Lol

[@starson1]

Thanks for your stories, Mr. Ballen

[@joeanderson444]

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

[@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.

[@andrewforeman2168]

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

[@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

[@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!!

[@crazyman3647]

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

[@mirandahotspring4019]

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

[@catherineberry6971]

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

[@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

[@thatgenericdixienormouspic8424]

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! 🤣🤣

[@loganford9537]

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.

[@loganford9537]

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

[@loganford9537]

@@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.

[@bethysbarn]

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

[@hana.the.writer5074]

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

[@nxxynx5039]

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

[@janetcloe3733]

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

[@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

[@anakelly8956]

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

[@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)

[@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 😂

[@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

[@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

[@love_love_me_do]

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

[@shellylane3683]

You are the best story teller!!

[@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.sterling141]

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

[@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.

[@dovesfan1]

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

[@Lucy-xz6yj]

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

[@jeffjeannette9364]

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

[@user-kf8cw2fv6t]

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]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@PennyPistons]

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

[@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

[@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 😍🤗🐶🤥🤥🤥......

[@Milkman4279]

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

[@IggyFireMist]

Wow learned something new today.

[@anonysmith82]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@MMAHUB209]

Kml

[@stacynapier2899]

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

[@annagreen9688]

We had a weird little room under my dorm that was inaccessible to the rest of the building and could only be accessed by a locked door outside, and they just used it as laundry room. There were no windows or anything. Always gave me the creeps

[@rhondabradberry3994]

Just wanna say this guy is a really good storyteller!

[@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.

[@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 🤣

[@Leggo_meggo]

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

[@cosmicbrambleclawv2]

That first one reminded me of "The Tunnels" at NC State. Basically theres a ton of underground electric/utility tunnels underneath campus that span Raleigh and theyre kind of a thing of legend at State. Theyre EXTREMELY easy to access, via little manhole style access points but its also super illegal to go in them even though everyone wants to check them out :P I dont know if its for real or not but they say that there are motion sensors or something of the sort that alert when someone goes into the tunnels and the police get called when the alarm trips, so nobody actually tries to go in them (at least nobody tried when I was going to school there) but it was always something that was a matter of curiosity for me

[@jozihorror]

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

[@jozihorror]

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

[@jozihorror]

@@Chelle8847 I appreciate that! Thanks, Rachel!

[@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.

[@gothenna7268]

Some of these stories are just so sad😢

[@kaleybrowning]

These stories make me so sad. They’re so tragic. 😢

[@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.

[@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

[@gabewebster8063]

I got my mr ballen hat and flannel today im so happy thanks for and the videos 😊

[@randomvideowatcher]

AC come AC go. Getting shocked really Hertz. That student was transformed. It was a fluid situation. The story really sizzles and pops.

[@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

[@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.

[@KaliWoodley]

I was born and raised in Bishop!! That place is HOOOOTTT but absolutely beautiful. I remember reading about this in the paper.

[@madd.villain]

Wade's story is tragic but is like many other's that have happened in the state I live in, college kids getting too drunk and making fatal mistakes they'd otherwise avoid. Sounds like he had a bright future ahead of him, at least Purdue made a scholarship and helped his family.

[@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.

[@wintergreen06]

I lived in that dorm and remember looking out the window as they carted him out.. I stopped doing my laundry in the dorm and took it all home after that. I couldn’t handle being down in the basement area anymore… I was also in the Aviation program with him, so it hit hard to know we had been looking for him for so long and he was in our building the whole time.

[@wintergreen06]

The part that confused me.. we had a power outage that night, but it only lasted a few mins. We had squirrels hit a transformer and would be without power for hours..

[@sebatianalvarado7171]

talk about it bro and get it out of yr system .. feel sorry for u ... ive ben with a few of my closest hrs before they suddenly departed this life ... still fuks me up ... gettn it out helps ... your story suddenly brought back memmorys ... (murders and suicides )

[@kamilareeder1493]

Im so sorry 🥲🙃

[@commanderrussels2612]

@@wintergreen06 those Purdue squirrels are something else...

[@Tyronejizz]

All you wouldve seen was a covered stretcher. Not something to get traumatised over.