The Homestead Crater Diving Disaster

[@merlingt1]

I was a free diver when younger. Rule #1 of ANY type of diving is to always dive with a buddy. Blackouts happen and a “lifeguard” would not have made any difference. 100% his own negligence.

[@Missconduct044]

These lawsuits irritate the hell out of me. Personal accountability is gone.

[@paperdo]

I agree. Mainly due to the fact that a lifeguard is not a replacement for a dive buddy. A lifeguards Scanning everyone, not monitoring your dive. Whats next, is it going to be law to need a lifejacket in the ocean?

[@salemantoinette8701]

I used to life guard and I agree with you. As a guard, you can only see so much under the water, and you can only go so deep as you only have your own body. A life guard can help you exit the pool and tell you not to run thats about it. ... Definitely not a dive buddy

[@RightsForZombies]

@@salemantoinette8701 Former lifeguard too and I agree. The deepest my facility got was 5m for the olympic diving pool and was sometimes used for scuba classes. At 5m I easily could have noticed a blackout and retrieved the person. Definitely not the case at these depths! Was the lifeguard meant to be in full scuba gear too?

[@LynnnnnnnnnN]

A certified diver was right there and retrieved his body immeditately and performed cpr. What do they think a life guard could've done? Especially if the diver wasn't there?

[@coreym162]

Looks like someone had some friends in high places to overlook that.

[@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp]

How on Earth would a life guard in attendance have made any difference?

[@andrew24601]

That’s what I was wondering, too. Sounds like he had a medical complication while diving, maybe? Could be argued the short time without oxygen was enough to kill his brain, and it could have been mitigated, saving 60 seconds by having a lifeguard on duty. The world may never know.

[@paperdo]

It sounds like he had a shallow water blackout. 50 feet is kind-of the danger area for SWB's. Your lungs go from being very small at around 50' (very pressurized) to normal size at surface level (not near as pressurized). This rapid change pressure and O2 circulation can lead to blackouts. Fortunately SWB's typically happen once the diver has surfaced. Thus, worst case scenario, if you communicate with your buddy, they can watch you and grab you in the event of a SWB. If someone blacks out mid-dive, then its something else; underlying medical condition, or hyperventilation pre-dive. If he was hyperventilating, than he had a death wish and was going to die on another dive. Either way, the guy broke the first rule of free-diving, NEVER DIVE ALONE. If there are people there than communicate with them. Free-diving is a dangerous sport, however there things that you can do to significantly reduce danger; 1. Never dive alone, 2. Make sure your partner is competent and equal-skilled, 3.communicate with your partner, 4. Know what you're doing. In a sane world,it is 100% the guys fault, free-diving is a dangerous sport where the diver is responsible for ensuring safe diving conditions for themselves. If he wasn't following safe diving practice than he would have died on another dive. Only difference is that the family wouldn't have been able to sue the ocean. Or perhaps they would have sued the company of the swimsuit that he was wearing.

[@montanamike7948]

certainly couldn't help. just depends who would have been the lifeguard on duty. can make all the difference

[@RightsForZombies]

@@montanamike7948 Only if they were qualified/able to freedive themselves or always wore scuba gear for such occasions. I was a certified lifesaver and surf lifesaver but couldn't have assisted him. I have congenital decreased lung function that precludes me from even recreational scuba but was not considered a hindrance to my work and didn't stop me from passing the fairly rigorous training and certification exams. Also, you can only see to a certain depth from a lifeguard's vantage point on the surface. It would be hard at depth to notice a freediver in distress. It probably wouldn't really have realistically helped.

[@pax6833]

A lifeguard is required to always be vigilant of all swimmers. Theoretically, precious seconds that might've made a difference were lost when other swimmers had to communicate the situation to the dive instructor. Patrick could have been pulled out before he floated to the bottom, he may have been revived quicker. Ultimately maybe he was too far gone anyways, but we can't know for sure. Even small amounts of time can be the difference between life and death.

[@evecailin964]

As an attorney who handles these types of cases, I can tell you with 99.99% certainty that the case was settled by the survivors of the deceased man with the liability insurance carrier for Homestead. The fact that Homestead was sued for "at least $75,000" tells me this was filed in federal court because case value of $75,000 is a jurisdictional prerequisite for federal court. The case would never be valued at that level. At any rate, if you can't find anything other than the suit being filed, tells me it was settled. Typically, an operation like this MIGHT have $1,000,000 policy, and it would settle for a fraction of that. If Homestead felt super exposed (the lifeguard issue might do it) their carrier might put up the policy limits. Love the show!!!!!

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Eve I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@chickenlittle5095]

@@Raymondgogolf Mate. That is creepy AF.

[@interruptingPreempt]

Thank you for providing your expertise on this. I came back to this video in hopes that someone would have an informed answer. Thanks again!

[@Raymondgogolf]

@X hi how are you

[@Raymondgogolf]

@X lol 😂 You’re such a funny lady with lovely smile 😊 can we be friends if you don’t mind🌺🌺🌺

[@lsudx479]

I can't stand people who frivolously sue for actions taken by their own family members. The kid knew the risks and signed paperwork saying he acknowledged that he knew the risks. This country needs to hold people accountable for their own actions and not just hand out cash to people who sue unnecessarily.

[@mortalclown3812]

It's not frivolous. It's a pretty natural reaction - emotionally and legally. The other side probably jumped to settle. Read the lawyers' comments in this section if you believe otherwise.

[@lsudx479]

@@mortalclown3812 It is frivolous. Although I understand the family is upset, that doesn't have anything to do with it. Their family member, an adult of sound mind and body, was warned of the dangers and he made the decision to sign paperwork saying he understood the dangers. He made the decision to get in after already acknowledging he knew of the dangers. It was his decisions, and only his decisions, that led to his own death. It's 💯 frivolous. I'm sorry for the family members' loss. But that doesn't give them the right to go around frívolosly suing people for a mistake their loved one made.

[@Freshadventures_]

Agreed@@lsudx479

[@thebullgator]

It sucks this guy died, but it’s just seems so dirty to sue property owners over stuff like this. He was training for an extremely dangerous competition so he understood the risks. This is why we don’t have access to as many cool private properties anymore.

[@paperdo]

100%. The guy was participating in a dangerous sport, and not following basic safety skills. He was diving without a partner at the most dangerous free-diving depth. His clock was ticking.

[@devonchafe2764]

If the owners hadn't been contacted multiple times that they needed to have a lifeguard, I'd agree with you. But that's just neglect of responsibility at that point. Impossible to say if he would have lived if there was a lifeguard, but there was a liability component that the owners failed to address

[@thebullgator]

@@devonchafe2764 I fully understand how ridiculous the courts have been regarding these issues and you are legally correct however it’s still foolish to pretend that a lifeguard would have helped. I live in N. Florida and we have springs a caves dotted all over this area. Virtually the only places we can access are owned by the state. They have no lifeguards present but guess what? If I die at a swimming hole owned by the state and drown I can’t sue anyone because the State protects itself. Lawyers have ruined this country.

[@devonchafe2764]

@@thebullgator that's a bit of a reductive statement, lawyers are an extremely important part of our society. Like most professions it can be twisted to greedy or self indulgent needs. Liability is meant to push businesses/organizations to create as safe an environment as feasibly possible. Is it always done well? Of course not, but it's absolutely saved lives

[@thebullgator]

@@devonchafe2764 I have 3 lawyers on retainer for my business, my best friend is also a lawyer. All of them great people who will tell you the same thing, lawyers have destroyed this country some of them acting as judges and politicians but try to name another profession that’s done so much harm?

[@swantann7457]

Cool to see you cover this one! I grew up here and even worked at The Crater for a time. People are not allowed to free dive in there but they always do anyways.

[@inshanity84]

Before the drowning we constantly trained freediving here in front of the staff who never said anything. So fun to see the looks from scuba divers at the bottom. After he drowned they never let us do it again. Great memories though, what an amazing spot

[@Freshadventures_]

Man you went all the way to the bottom? That's a deep Free dive.@@inshanity84

[@Freshadventures_]

Ive scuba dived in there years ago. My first Scuba dive was in that crater.@@inshanity84

[@inshanity84]

I used to practice freediving here with my friends when I was in college. It was so fun to walk through the snow outside and slip into that warm water. I used to get a kick out of seeing the scuba divers being startled by seeing someone without a tank 60 ft down. After he drowned they wouldn't let us free dive anymore obviously. Dive safe with PARTNERS everyone!

[@chatdaddychasechatdaddycha2271]

No way a lifeguard is capable of diving to the bottom to snag him

[@yakyback]

For some reason my parents took me here when I was young, around 9 or 10. We didn’t dive but we swam in the water and seeing the deep cave beneath me really freaked me out. I had to focus on not looking down or I would have panicked. Low key instilled a fear of deep water in me. Now all these years later I get to watch a video about a disaster in that very same location 😱

[@MadJustin7]

I share the fear of deep water. Given all the cave diving videos I watch, that's probably a good thing.

[@zromo8994]

Because your parents were cooler than you obviously. What's the "for some reason" for? They wanted to take you to a cool swimming spot....they didn't take you cave diving.

[@Tsumami__]

@@zromo8994 they were a kid. Calm tf down.

[@bobreeba5515]

@@zromo8994 I get what you're saying

[@PoptartParasol]

@@zromo8994 bruh chill

[@georgemccombe8471]

Cave diving is one of the craziest things I’ll never do

[@lauriepenner350]

With ocean diving, you know there is air up there. You might drown or get the bends before you can reach it, but it's there. With cave diving it's just meters of solid rock. There is not enough NOPE in the world.

[@indecision6616]

It's not just crazy it's stupid

[@banjojohn1489]

Im really thinking about joining my local caving club... But fu@k diving them.. just.. nope... 😖

[@Zephyrion__]

Open sea diving is all I’d ever be willing to do, but cave diving? Yeah, no thanks.

[@poutinedream5066]

In my case it might just be THE craziest

[@skinnex3236]

The audacity to sue the sight owners is beyond me

[@jamesarnold6059]

F-ing unbelievable here too

[@Freshadventures_]

Right! Like you have to sign a waiver just to use the place. I get that the family is devastated but why sue when he knew the risks and signed the papers?

[@copperridgegrow3940]

Stay out of holes in the earth filled with water. Stay out of holes in the earth that are dry as well. You’re not a worm and you don’t have gills.

[@brucegwynn8509]

Sounds like great advice

[@Paula7379]

Well said.

[@nukliars14]

nope 👀

[@hyperactivehyperbole]

I’m so claustrophobic, after I leave my body and this earth I want my body to be sent off on a funerary pyre. Would prefer a Viking ship, but I don’t want to sink to any dark depths of some deep watery abyss. Anyway, yeah. Stay away and out of holes in the earth. Alive or dead. 😂

[@danielpaulson8838]

A species will need to live underground on earth in the future. Evolve on.

[@mortalclown3812]

Closed spaces, heights, cold - all things of nightmares for this writer. Yet I'm fascinated by tales of divers, climbers, etc. Surely I'm not alone in this weird pastime. Unimaginable terror when these treks go awry. Thank you for respectful coverage. Rest in peace.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

It bums me out that the poor elderly woman who sued McDonald’s because they refused to pay her medical bills for the third degree burns she received from their coffee is always incorrectly used as an example of a frivolous lawsuit. Yet somehow lawsuits like this fly under the radar. An adult recklessly decides to go free diving alone despite being experienced, aware of the risks and signing a waiver. You are never supposed to go free diving alone- period.

[@seppo532]

Me too. I try to inform whoever brings it up around me. Much better than saying “actually, it was Flavoraid.”

[@Riva2025]

Why would someone want to practice free diving in 90 degree heated water?? It sounds nice, but holding your breath, the depth, the silt, plus the heat would make s strong person pass out. You probably wouldn’t realize you were dying til it was too late to surface. Sad!

[@empressmarowynn]

That's one thing I've noticed when travelling outside of the US, signs will say at your own risk and that's it. Gorgeous cliffs that aren't completely covered in railings, old castles that you're allowed to explore on your own with only the absolutely most dangerous parts closed off. Here in the US everything touristy has been completely sanitized to the point where you can barely enjoy the experience. And then when some idiot really goes out of their way to ignore all the safety measures and gets hurt or dies suddenly there are lawsuits. If jurors would stop siding with these idiots then fewer people would sue knowing that they're unlikely to win.

[@justherbirdy]

It's really interesting to see the difference - I don't live in the US and lawsuits are not generally the first reaction to an accident in my country. My family in the US, however, immediately respond to any accident or perceived injury with 'sue them!'. That being said, I suspect something that plays into it is healthcare - my country has universal healthcare, along with government-funded agencies to support victims of traffic accidents and similar mishaps. There's no need to sue someone to recover the costs of treatment. If medical care could bankrupt your family, a lawsuit makes a lot more sense.

[@stefpix]

I moved to NYC from Europe. Once I almost got arrested and ticketed for swimming too far. If I go in the ocean, I do it at my own risk. In America there are no more diving boards in most pools. In NY they don't wallow you to swim an underwater lap at the pool. I am sick of all this. In Europe I could walk up to a cliff, walk up to the geyser, swim at my own risk. In NYC at Governor's island there is a fence all around it, because they do not want you to sit or walk on the rocks by the water. frustrating

[@Rishnai]

@@justherbirdyIt’s not just the cost of medical care to the family that contributes to the suing culture in the USA. There was a pro mountain biker who was injured at a downhill bike park-his health insurance company sued the bike park!

[@louismasar6147]

If you sign a waiver then you’re family doesn’t deserve any compensation🤦🏻 swim at your own risk. Doesn’t that mean anything to anyone

[@davesmith5656]

No kidding. The guy was a competition free-diver. That's NOT "normal" behavior. It is assumption of risk. There are not that many who want to take that risk of diving below whatever ... 100 feet? ... and hoping you timed your breath-hold so that you can make it back to the surface and not explode your lungs on the way up or something. I mean, if the owners advertised "Breathable water!! Pure! Medicinal for the lungs!" then, yeah, maybe somebody should slap them.

[@nathanhale3006]

Yeah money isn't going to bring you kid back to you asssssholes. People are sicko's.

[@Tsumami__]

@@davesmith5656 you just exhale as you come up to avoid rupturing alveoli. It’s not rocket science.

[@GuntWastelander]

*your, also you suck

[@jamesarnold6059]

Thank you. Couldn't agree more. 👏

[@ellesimon4149]

I guess Patrick should have stuck to "Competitive eating". A 26-year-old man decides to hold his breath for 6 minutes and dies, yet somehow it's someone else's fault. The days of taking responsibility for one's own choices and actions are long gone.

[@bonerici]

Stupid guy freedives and ruins it for everyone now you need a pdf to swim

[@toscadonna]

He sat around in the warm water for too long, got fatigued, dove, and then passed out on his way up. Don’t know how a lifeguard could’ve stopped him from dying. He breathed in water as he was ascending, passed out, and turned onto his side. Then he plummeted back down to the bottom of the pond where there’s 10’ of silt. They’d need to have a diver with tanks on ready to go in an instant if they hoped to save this kid.

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi tosca I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@johnthornton5386]

Such a sad story. I grew up in Midway in the 90s. And pretty much in the same area since the 80s. I used to work at the Homestead Resort as a teen. My friend's and I would always meet up at the hot springs every Friday and Saturday nights. Good memories And such a sad story

[@angelawhite2022]

Man….. your voice was made for this. I gets creeped out before you even gets into the story. That’s a compliment, although it may not seem that way😂

[@davesmith5656]

Old joke: He must be fun at parties. "How do you do! Have you heard the story of a guy at party who tragically died, just standing in the middle of the room ...?"

[@angelawhite2022]

@@davesmith5656 I just died at this! Too funny. 😂

[@Raymondgogolf]

@@angelawhite2022 Hi Angela I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@angelawhite2022]

@@TheManFromFUNCLE bahahaha! Also not an insult somehow lol

[@ASMR-Arboretum]

I've been here and when it rains the water gets so muddy looking you can't see very far down. Even with a lifeguard it wouldn't have done anything. If you get a chance though you should go. It's a really cool place.

[@zombrero7870]

This is why they say not to free dive for 30 minutes after competitive eating

[@medea27]

While this was a tragic loss of a young life, I am infuriated at the lawsuit. Yes, the operators should have complied with regulations & had a life guard... especially since there are potentially poor/non-swimmers in deep water, and mixed use with beginner divers. But a life guard would not have changed the outcome here... just as they can only enforce a "no dive-bombing" rule _after_ someone actually does it, a life guard can't _prevent_ someone from free diving... only kick them out after. And they could neither observe nor assist those at depth anyway... I fail to see how the operators were negligent in this case & could have reasonably prevented this accident. There has to be a limit to the liability of places like this or people stop taking responsibility for their own inexperience & poor decisions. Great video 👍

[@menufrog]

I went swimming in a thermally heated artesian spring in Central Australia recently. It was almost midnight, the middle of winter and at first it was delicious to soak in the warm water. But after 20 minutes of frolicking, I felt sick and lightheaded 😫 apparently there were warning signs, but I didn't read them because it was dark and I just wanted to get out of the cold!

[@MadJustin7]

What did the warning signs say?

[@poutinedream5066]

What do you think was making you sick?

[@menufrog]

The warnings said to be careful not to get dehydrated, drink plenty of water and not to stay in the water for too long. Lesson learnt, my friend almost passed out

[@menufrog]

@@MadJustin7 ^

[@menufrog]

@@poutinedream5066 ^^

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Was an autopsy performed? Seems odd he could hold his breath for 6 minutes but sunk after just a couple minutes

[@mommy2libras]

Not really odd. Sounds like shallow water blackout, as he was ascending when he stopped and rolled on his side and started to sink. Not necessarily common but not exactly rare, either. And because it seems like he was diving without a buddy- a big no no- there wasn't anyone closely observing that could pull him up and out right away so he probably started to breathe while he was underwater. You're only going to hold your breath while you're conscious. If you pass out and aren't helped immediately, you're going to breathe in a bunch of water, which he probably did. Even if the dive instructor worked quickly, it still would have been a few minutes.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

@@mommy2libras I know little about diving. Thanks for the info 👍

[@bonerici]

Shallow water blackout very common

[@stefpix]

maybe he could hold the breath 6 min when static, not swimming around. Or maybe after breathing pure oxygen.

[@thebirdee55]

People complained the restrictions put in place were excessive?? Were they sued, even with signed waivers releasing them from responsibility?? Considering the litigious people in this country, there's no such thing as excessive restrictions on any place that's dangerous. Why are there waivers and such if they don't serve the purpose they are created for - to disallow suing? It's pretty simple, the rules/laws should be, if you go somewhere dangerous willingly, you cannot sue. You made a choice to put yourself in harm's way. Requiring a life guard is ridiculous, and would not have saved him. If I owned the area, as soon as someone successfully sued me for their stupidity, it would have been closed and barred. Stupidity and the increasing accommodation for it is beyond ridiculous at this point, and ruins everything.

[@stephenw.6588]

@tsunami Many, many free divers can do a static breathhold in excess of six minutes (floating face down at the surface in shallow water). On my very first day in the ocean with my instructor I held my breath for 4 mins 58 seconds and I’m in my late 50’s. But, more importantly, there is no reason to hold your breath anywhere even close to one-quarter that time on a breath hold dive to only 65ft deep (approx. 20 metres). Once trained, freedivers typically descend and ascend at a rate of 1 metre/sec. Therefore, with everything going well, to dive 65ft/20m down and fin back up would take just 40-60 seconds. Clearly something went wrong such as a muscle cramp, or more likely, heat exhaustion. His reported behaviour sounds like a shallow water blackout. He may have started his dive with a hyperventilation exercise (terrible idea). Because the water was so warm he would clearly not need a wetsuit and thus not require a weight belt. His sinking from the near the surface (reported) is peculiar. Warm water with a high percentage of dissolved minerals may aid buoyancy similar to sea water, perhaps more. Possibly Patrick had supplemental weight on his person to aid/accelerate his descent (again, foolish). The photos of this “competitive eater” suggest his body mass index (BMI - body fat measure) would not label him as “lean”, so it’s likely he’d float at the surface. The deep silt layer could be very disorienting and Patrick may have struggled to decipher where “up” was and spent much time and energy near the bottom. High anxiety levels could easily burn through his reserves. Terrible loss. Conclusion? Accountability sits with his Not diving with a trained partner and a safety protocol. Carelessness was the cause of this fatality. Period. Competitions have multiple stages of safety crew members in the water and at the surface and freedivers always follow a fixed line - typically fully tethered on deeper dives. So why train without any protection, in a risky environment, alone?? Sadly, this type behaviour and its tragic outcome continues to enhance the myth that freediving is “the most dangerous sport in the world. I can empathize the family’s legal action while hoping to understand what happened and how everything in their world fell apart. (i.e. someone or something has to be blamed/at fault) and I’ll argue against those claiming the parents just did a “money grab”. $75K is peanuts in the US where idiots attempt to sue others for millions because a cup of coffee was too hot. Interesting channel, Morbid Midnight! I’m a climber and have been watching your mountain disasters with buckets of humility and respect. Sadly, on Manaslu camp 3 got hit with a matching avalanche again (see 2012) on Monday this week. Tragic. Fortunately far less loss of life this time.

[@MsMollieh]

Can we please keep the facts about the allegedly "frivolous" coffee lawsuit straight? The woman suffered extensive 3rd degree burns and required skin grafts - not something you'd expect if you just pour normal hot coffee over yourself. McD kept the coffee extra hot for marketing reasons and had had to pay over half a million in compensation before to other customers, which didn't make them change their strategy for some reason. Their PR department did a good job in defaming the poor woman - who never really recovered from the severe burns and paid a live in nurse from the money she got - so you may want to get more information before serving as another, presumably unpaid, PR manager for McD on social media.

[@jeremiahwillden9235]

Ah finally more content to listen to In school

[@poutinedream5066]

At the risk of sounding like your grandma- school got all the content you need- pay attention, it's important. And this shit ain't goin nowhere.

[@jeremiahwillden9235]

@@poutinedream5066 no it don't half my classes are sitting in front of a screen anyways and the other half we get a packet that I can do while listening

[@poutinedream5066]

@@jeremiahwillden9235 REALLY??? Wow. I guess somewhere along the line, teachers stopped teaching. I'm sorry your school experience is so impersonal. Get all you can out of it, even if it isn't much, and pursue the things that interest you beyond the screen or the packet. If you plan on going to college, that's what you're gonna need to do, because the other kids competing for those spots have the advantage and it will be up to you to level the playing field. If college isn't part of your plans, still develop your interests. You're gonna have to find what you're good at and basically teach yourself to some degree, whether it's working on cars, fixing computers, or some kind of natural artistic talent. Whatever it is, learn all you can. I'm not trying to lecture you- I'm trying to support you. Even in great educational environments it can feel like no one really cares. I just want you to know that I do care about you, and I do want you to have an amazing life. And that's the best advice I can offer as far as how to make that happen.

[@ziggyblue782]

It’s always somebody else’s fault. Nothing makes the loss of a loved one hurt just a little bit less than a big fat payday.

[@mortalclown3812]

Your folks would probably sue. And in his case, the other side rushed to settle, so there's that.

[@ziggyblue782]

@@mortalclown3812 Not likely. We were raised to accept responsibility for what we did. Including the outcomes from foolish behavior.

[@ceverett68]

lmao new safety rules are excessive. yeah that tends to happen after bs lawsuits

[@davesmith5656]

I almost tripped over one of those "WET FLOOR" signs.

[@ForceCo-m1y]

He would have been unconscious on the bottom in a blanket of silt and filth for at leat 10 minutes before the diver even reached him.

[@itszaque]

I’ve both snorkeled and dived here. Snorkeling is a blast, the warm weather and the bubbles coming up from divers below makes for a fun way to chill for an afternoon. Diving on the other hand left me feeling quite disoriented and almost claustrophobic. Something about how dark and small it feels down there deeply unsettled me. I’ve been diving 2 other times and neither of those felt this way, but neither were as deep either. At this point I’m still unsure if it’s a fear of diving or just a single instance due to the dark water of the crater, but either way drowning there feels like a very real possibility to me despite this being one of the more isolated instances.

[@miguelanon2357]

I've been here a few times too and it is amazing.. this is BS.. just ruining it for everyone.

[@DoggosAndJiuJitsu]

USA; Owners: Big hole, swim and you could die. Swimmers: K. I'm going to the bottom. *dies* Family: a lifeguard could have dove to the bottom and saved him! Pay us! USA: 🙄 k....

[@itchyandscratching1434]

I certainly don't want to downplay the tragic death of this young man, but: isn't what happened here rather an accident than a "disaster". Sure, fair enough if his parents refer to it as a disaster, as for them it must have been one. But overall, is every fatal accident considered a disaster nowadays? (Sorry in case it seems inappropriate to some. I really just wonder about the wording, the differentiation. It's not about the case per se.)

[@thedeadpool6509]

Synonyms, its not that "every fatal accident is now a disaster". They've always been by definition the same thing. Like huge and massive. Accidents/disasters =both are sudden occurrences that cause great damage or loss of life. The words in of themselves have no connection to the outcome of liability and consequences.

[@theoddone887]

thanks for providing metric conversions. and i like the ominous music

[@moiraatkinson]

Is there no such thing as an accident any more? I hope the litigation failed. I think it’s horrible that the first response is always to see how much money people can get for a life! Thanks to this, we now have a nanny state in lots of countries where any pleasure in using a facility is lost thanks to ridiculous safety measures. I honestly think when I was a kid we learned a lot more survival skills and self reliance than children today. This guy knew the risk he was taking, as did anyone who swam in the pool - don’t make it somebody else’s job to keep you safe! If kids growing up are wrapped in cotton wool they look for excitement and adventure elsewhere, sometimes in violence, drugs or other anti social activity. Obviously this is only a small number, but I think it’s important for people to determine their own limits and be responsible for their own actions (once they reach adulthood). I’m sorry this guy died, but are we going to see places like this close for fear of litigation and spiralling insurance costs?

[@mortalclown3812]

Blah blah blah

[@moiraatkinson]

@@mortalclown3812 if you can’t make a sensible reply, don’t waste my time posting rubbish - it triggers a notification.

[@kevinmajoros6547]

@@mortalclown3812 This guy for sure dreams of suing people to get rich.

[@salemantoinette8701]

That lawsuit pisses me off! They are basically saying look I know our son ignored the warning signs, and actively choose to enter the water and go deep. He choose to partake in a dangerous activity. And it's everyone else's fault because their precious boy didn't mess up😂 F off with that line of thinking. It was HIS fault he died .... maybe some personal accountability would help their "emotional trauma" 😂 if someone is hurt skydiving we don't sue the earth or gravity we acknowledge their personal accountability - what's so different here? And I understand the pain of loosing a loved one to the exploration of mother earth, a good friend of mine fell over 700 feet when his climbing screw broke through the hold he placed it in. It was his fault. He put himself in that position and bought the gear himself. Placed the gear himself and CHOOSE to keep climbing. Is it sad, yes but do I agree with his parents trying to sue the gear company when the gear wasn't the thing that failed him? Also yes. Like the family in the story, his family needs to learn how to accept their sons accountability for the actions that happened.

[@ludivinagarcia5885]

I swam regularly in a heated Olympic sized municipal outdoor pool. One time the heater malfunctioned and instead of a comfortable 78 degrees, the temperature was nearly 89. At first it was delightful. However after only about 300 meters, I simply could not tolerate it. Mt face was red and I felt parboiled. I got out and felt better immediately.

[@davesmith5656]

Eighty-two degrees is better. Some pools are just too warm to swim in - they're fine if it's recreational without much energy, but swimming laps is yich. Some competition swimmers mentioned that you do sweat in water. To me, sweating won't do any good cooling you off, since it won't evaporate into air.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

It seems to me that anyone wanting to complain about excessive safety precautions should blame the people who filed the lawsuit. Also, the state regulator bears some responsibility - once the regulations changed, there needed to be more clarity about the time available for the site to comply; and the action that would be taken if compliance was inadequate or tardy.

[@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp]

I panic if I get caught up in my duvet.

[@mortalclown3812]

BWWWAAAHH

[@Freshadventures_]

My first Scuba Dive was here! I never knew someone died there.

[@watchucme1]

Temp too warm for freediving? Idk

[@0037kevin]

This is why we cant have nice things.

[@kennyg1358]

A fool and his life are easily parted.

[@brendonnashca]

Disaster seems a bit strong for the title.

[@stevenhair3250]

Can't wait!

[@rynoX88]

That sleepy town also makes video games such Blitz, Slugfest and Hits.

[@FatRescueSwimmer04]

Pretty fuckin lame to try and sue the property owners, way to attempt to ruin a wonderful place bc your loved one made some mistakes and got himself killed. This was 100% on him, sad he died but that's the risk you take going underwater for several minutes at a time w/o someone qualified watching over him. I went thru Rescue Swimmer School down in PCola, FL and literally blacked out several times doing under water sprints. The Navy literally had several divers at each corner of the Pool for when this happened... they would have you back out of the water in seconds.

[@j3dwin]

4:52 He was ascending to the surface then rolled onto his side and sank. I'm still not sure about the cause of death. A strong, experienced swimmer with unimpeded access to the surface shouldn't drown.

[@sujimtangerines]

Did I miss cause of death? I mean, drowning seems likely... but why? He wasn't near his breath-holding max, he was actively on his way back up before he just... wasn't. Alternately, Could it have been a decompression problem?

[@BcFuTw9jt]

No

[@sujimtangerines]

@@BcFuTw9jt Are you my BFs side acc? Answers multiple questions with one reply that is specific to only 1 of the things I asked as well...

[@Raymondgogolf]

@@sujimtangerines Hi Michaelle I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@jamesarnold6059]

Appears to be shallow water blackout

[@petratuccino717]

I don't get it. How did he die/drown? What happened? Any autopsy?

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Petra I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@tomskid27]

I have no sympathy for that dude at all for his poor decision. It just takes one jackass to ruin it for everyone else. Even if there was a lifeguard, most likely he still wouldn’t have survived because he was already rolled over deep under water.

[@mortalclown3812]

Thou hast a paucity of mercy.

[@ronimccright6759]

My 43 year old niece just died there May 14th 2024.

[@blowinkk9396]

So his family was just out for a money grab after he died. Sure sounds like they cared about him.

[@mortalclown3812]

Do more research...or reading in general, actually.

[@joelnorton9742]

Lawsuit for a high risk activity. Crazy And No thanks i like to breathe scuba air.

[@joelnorton9742]

Lol, divers don't like it. Who's paying the legal bills? That's right complainers. Whine to a politician or something

[@alithomas1585]

A competitive eater and free diver?? Weird lol

[@patrickagee]

30k baby!!! Let's gooo!!!!

[@colinloughlin6809]

Morbid you should do a Q and A I think people are curious of who you are!

[@mortalclown3812]

I vote for mystery. Let the channels have their anonymity. One of the cool things about KZbin. ;^)

[@JohnWilliams-pn7ft]

So he was training to free dive but had to borrow a mask???

[@stonedsasquatch]

The dive instructor was a defacto lifeguard in this situation. Most likely the suit was thrown out and the crater was given heavy fines for not being up to code. It always happens this way when a cidiot goes to the country and dies at an attraction. Plenty of waterfalls are being fenced off cause cidiots wamt picture standing on the edge

[@SjohnX]

Typical A-holes suing over what was the guys fault

[@stefpix]

most likely the deceased would not want his family to sue. How could have a regular lifeguard rescued him? blaming management is pointless. It could result in banning diving at the site. The guy who died wanted to train, and as in most sports and activities there is a risk. Who is the deceased mountain climbers' families are going to sue? that is such a typical American approach. That's why there are so many silly regulations.

[@itsolivier]

Any cave with an hourglass figure and 18 feet of silt at the bottom is not for me I am symbol weary and a hour glass looking up at me in a water filled crater is a good sign of death to come ..

[@annaleebliss4618]

Sorry he died but holding your breath under for 6 minutes seems really. Money isn't going to bring him back.

[@nancytestani1470]

God, your voice is so cool….however this voice sounds a little more gravelly and deeper, sounds like you have a cold or laryngitis? Take care.

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Nancy I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@tiatokkesdal1745]

Settled out of court

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Tia how are you doing. Happy New year

[@deenasmusicbox]

If you have exhausted almost all efforts there was probably an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement ).

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Deena I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@Tsumami__]

Sorry but I don’t believe he was holding his breath for 6 minutes. I’m sure that’s just what you read, but there is no way he was holding for 6 minutes. I wouldn’t even give him 3-4. Top free divers are holding about 3-4 minutes. And that’s risking hypoxia and blackout. No way.

[@Sushi2735]

Enjoy your interesting videos. However, I’m a claustrophobic . I know it sounds nuts, but absolutely can’t watch any cave diving or cave hiking episodes. Pathetic, I know😢

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Susan I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹

[@Sushi2735]

@@Raymondgogolf buzz off, you creep!

[@aftersexhighfives]

It's ridiculous his family sued. Utterly ridiculous.

[@mortalclown3812]

Not really. The other side probably jumped to settle. Read the lawyers' comments in this section.

[@kevinmajoros6547]

@@mortalclown3812 Lmao this guy responding to every comment about the lawsuit being scummy and defending it. Guess we know what kind of person you are.

[@jamesarnold6059]

"Do it at your own risk." I understand they're sad they lost their son--my family had a similar fate. However, they have now ruined the experience for others... like, kinda hard to freedive with that life jacket on. Or that McDonald's lady who dumped her coffee in her lap, & the lawsuit bringing us Luke warm coffee... we'll all soon be locked in our homes wearing floatation devices & helmets--its UNSAFE to go outside--because someone made an unfortunate or unintelligent decision, & blamed it on someone else--happily served by courts that increasingly disrespect freedom. Freedom isn't safe. "Do it at your own risk."

[@belindapaul9828]

💔 I’m sorry for your family’s loss. And, hard agree that this family has ruined the site for other people.

[@seppo532]

You know that old lady got 3rd degree burns and McD’s said that her suffering should be limited because she was too old for sex? Like they ruined her life and appealed the judgement so she got much less money

[@hogibunz834]

I’ve been to that crater very recently. I can guarantee that it’s not 400 ft wide. More in the realm of 40-60. Idk where you got that information but I promise it’s wrong. Also when I was there, there wasn’t a lifeguard present. Pretty alarming. I didn’t do any diving. Just swimming around.

[@grottybt5006]

Do you have to wear a surgical mask while swimming now too? The worst tragedy is how caves and other places get shut down, sterilised or bulldozed when this stuff happens

[@Imissthefuhrer]

So one idiot screwed it up for everyone. I guess we are lucky the owners didn’t just make it private property.

[@dagmargrandt7850]

Don t think it s apropriate to ask for money. Him dying is nobodys fault , but his ..

[@peterwilcox1520]

😂

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

PVD's tragedy led to the excessive rules. Of course had they complied with the lifeguard issue in the first place, a lot of this would have ended up being minimized greatly in the first place. The owners simply did the reactionary over reaction thing that us humans do in such situations, someone probably exaggerated a little along the way.

[@politenonparticipant4859]

And on the other hand, if nobody complied with state mandates which are excessive, then the mandates can be thrown out.

[@jonaswhite5842]

Guess this eating contest he bit off more than he could chew…(sorry, that was just horrible)

[@davesmith5656]

Yes, it was. Punishment: hold your breath for 15 seconds.

[@soly-dp-colo6388]

Patrick looks like Joey Logano. That's creepy.

[@bass2481]

Sounds like an awesome place. May the young man Rest In Peace. Yee Haw by Natural wonders!! RED WHITE AND BLUE NECK

[@stevenmosher516]

There's nothing dangerous about this place at all.

[@zipsey]

There's just a huge barrel of piss at the bottom right. 7:57

[@cum-fart]

That’s an oopsie

[@Raymondgogolf]

Hi Cum Fart I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@barrydysert2974]

🤔 let's recap lawsuit is filed excessive safety protocols are enacted lawsuit disappears🤔 FOLLOW THE MONEY !:-) 🙏💜⚡️

[@pieterveenders9793]

It's so ridiculous and sickening how people in Anglosaxon countries, the US especially, always seem to want to sue people. Don't people understand the concept for personal responsibility in thos countries? The guy who died was an adult, and he died while intentionally participating in a high risk sport, free diving. It's sad he died, but to sue the cavern's management for a death that only the young man who died held blame in is impossible to understand. I swear they've turned evolution and Darwinism upside down in the US....

[@mommy2libras]

There never should have been a lawsuit. And there shouldn't be a state law that forces private properties to have lifeguards on duty, especially when no state or national park is required to have one- and many don't. Look at Florida- a bunch of its coastline is a part of a state park or national park. I haven't visited one yet that has a lifeguard and its a lot more dangerous than a hole where there's no current, waves, wildlife, etc. This was a grown man who made the decision to practice a high risk activity at a place where he was well aware that no lifeguard worked and it didn't bother it. It's gross that his family wanted to profit from his death.

[@mitrovarr]

@@mommy2libras Yeah, the lawsuit is pretty ridiculous. I bet he would have hated that his death was used in that manner. Also, it sounds like the dive instructor provided care at least as good as a lifeguard would have and it didn't save his life.

[@mortalclown3812]

@@mitrovarr Most parents would at least think about a lawsuit. This particular case was settled before it went to trial, fwiw.

[@docloop6240]

Could you talk more nasally? I just love nasally narration!