They LOCKED Him Inside | Cave Exploring Gone Wrong #14

Cave exploring gone horrifyingly wrong. Here are three accounts of why cave exploring is terrifying. Cave Exploring Gone Wrong #14
Extreme hobbies require extreme caution and can have extreme consequences if they are not performed by professionals with the proper training and equipment.
Attributions/Special Thanks for Photographs
Mike Dickinson, Forest and Kim Starr, Sasha Krotov, Robert Linsdell, James St. John, Markus Leitner, flowcomm, John Hawks, Marina Elliott, Peter Schmid, Steven E. Churchill, Darryl J. de Ruiter, Eric M. Roberts, Hannah Hilbert-Wolf, Heather M. Garvin, Scott A. Williams, Lucas K. Delezene, Elen M. Feuerriegel, Patrick Randolph-Quinney, Tracy L. Kivell, Myra F. Laird, Gaokgatlhe Tawane, Jeremy M. DeSilva, Shara E. Bailey, Juliet K. Brophy, Marc R. Meyer, Matthew M. Skinner, Matthew W. Tocheri, Caroline VanSickle, Christopher S. Walker, Timothy L. Campbell, Brian Kuhn, Ashley Kruger, Steven Tucker, Alia Gurtov, Nompumelelo Hlophe, Rick Hunter, Hannah Morris, Becca Peixotto, Maropeng Ramalepa, Dirk van Rooyen, Mathabela Tsikoane, Pedro Boshoff, Paul H.G.M. Dirks, Lee R. Berger
Special Special Thanks to Ciara for sending over the final story, some pictures, and lots of info!
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[@ScaryInteresting]

Previous video in the series - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnjaaaCJhMeYabM Hey everyone! A special to Ciara for recommending the final story and sending over so much information. And a final thanks to all of you for watching and commenting. I can't respond to all of them, but just know that I'm immensely appreciative of your support! - Sean

[@Shellieb013]

Yaay, the Sterkfontein story! I was wondering if you would include that they passed very close to him, that was one of the saddest parts for me because they think he survived close to 2 weeks before dying. It's a very sad story a lot of us here know, thank you for covering it :)

[@TryppyKyd]

Hey just so ya know @Scary Interesting I'm pretty sure you have bots disguised as you, and they're sending suspicious messages in the comment section

[@lisalavence7039]

I'm sorry I think the post you sent to me was genuine. I thought it was spam. I'm so sorry 😞

[@truckjumperdude]

You have good videos

[@MrNick-og4qm]

I think you meant “special THANKS”

[@davidgray2845]

Story #1. It doesn’t matter if they knew each other well or not. If you can’t do something as simple as a basic headcount; you shouldn’t be leading anything. Let alone an expedition.

[@karendobbs8153]

Exactly. Total negligence could have cost Lucas his life. There’s no excuse for it happening.

[@disusernamebevalid]

I hope that club got disbanded. They have no business doing anything like that.

[@hshawn00]

Exactly! Everybody invovled in expeditions like exploring caves should be of the mind that safety is of the utmost importance. I teach elementary computer lab and when we take field trips, we perform a headcount every time we get off the bus and once when we return. How could these people not be bothered to do this knowing how deadly it could be for some one to be left in a cave.

[@hiimbrysinsmith2610]

Fact.

[@gabeshivers]

Obviously an accident, but complete carelessness/laziness to allow something like that to happen; clearly whatever system they used for a simple headcount was not only ineffective, but dangerous. Inexperience probably, but thats exactly why they never should have been allowed to lead any expedition like that in the first place. Serious problem there.

[@dimi9215]

"They had a buddy system" Lucas's buddy: "What is a Lucas"

[@Samuel-kt8yn]

Simpsons: Ahh the Buddy system, foolproof.

[@DarianRamkissoon]

Even a simple headcount failed

[@justsain3236]

Group Leader: Is everybody here? someone: Yes! Group Leader: Ok, Lets Go

[@musicmaestro88]

😂😂😂😂

[@cutechic1226]

​@@justsain3236😂

[@smartfck4]

Damn, this Lukas story hits different..imagine you go caving at 19 to maybe meet some new friends, you get lost all by yourself and they lock you in not even remembering of your existance. On top of that you end up 3 days alone in the cave without anyone reporting that you're missing. I hope Lukas found some friends who deserve him.

[@lenibeni7421]

Right? It feels so weird to me! Hell even if I don’t know a single person in the group and I just got randomly grouped up with strangers I would still count and know how many we are! Especially if there is a buddy-buddy system! Yes it’s easy if you don’t pay attention but in this case? It was a caving club… these people arrived there together… they went in there together… they spend time there together… and you want to tell me they didn’t notice he was missing? Not even when in the car…? No one noticed "hey when we arrived here there was this guy sitting next to me in the car… he isn’t now… where is he?" Not anyone? It’s very unlikely… especially with people interested in caving! This is literally caving rule 1! Don’t lose the people you go in with… It feels somewhat intentional to me… clearly it wasn’t… but I just don’t feel like I can believe that a whole bunch of people who cave together could so easily forget the existence of one person! You don’t have to be friends or know someone to realise that "this stranger" isn’t with your group anymore… or that you at least haven’t seen him exit the cave…

[@6036000]

He must be the worst lol

[@saranshgautam6551]

yeahh... while listening to his tale I could actually relate to the being lost and forgotten part.

[@daMillenialTrucker]

@@saranshgautam6551 i wouldnt lose you

[@markduccini]

Don't ever leave your buddy

[@Nuskybeach]

The 1st story could've been avoided SO easily. Counting heads twice, having a door that locks only one way,... 3 DAYS to realize someone is missing is just... what??? I'm just dumbfounded by that story

[@rockpluto4120]

😂 fk tha must be terrifying not knowing if they pick you up or not get out 😳🤒 wtf and why go down there 😂 it is only rock and more dangerous the more you go inn or dive deeper 🤷‍♂️ There are no point. And so terrible way to die 🙄🤦‍♂️

[@THATguyFATAL]

They never realized he was missing until the leader came to bring in another group to the cave

[@MrFiddleedee]

Good point about the lock not being able to overcome from the inside. Car trunks now have release latches from the inside due to kids being trapped in them, why not a cave?

[@hyekat]

​@@MrFiddleedeeexactly!

[@davidstepeck2644]

Having a door that only locks from the outside is great. The problem is the entrance is probably secured with a metal gate, similar to a jail cell. If it could be unlocked from the outside, someone could surely put their arms between the bars and unlock it from the inside too. You can only have a key lock with this type of closer.

[@grug_son_of_thog]

I feel like if you're going to install a door on a cave that needs to be locked from the outside to prevent people getting in, there should be a way to temporarily unlock it from the inside so anyone trapped inside can get out.

[@Yung-plague]

Right like a one way lock or something, that way it’s always openable from beneath. Like a cat door.

[@MrDmadness]

Yup,a key in a box inside the cave entrance at distance enough to not be fished out by somebody outside would be stupid easy and prevent this

[@posticusmaximus1739]

Agreed. I understand that it needs to be locked from unauthorized getting in but it shouldn't be locked from the inside. Unless the intention is to keep prisoners in the cave.

[@Yung-plague]

@@MrDmadness yea that’s actually a maddening simple solution.

[@Yung-plague]

@@MrDmadness didn’t read your name before I used “maddening” in my reply lol that’s great.

[@K1lostream]

There's a golden rule I always follow when I'm planning my caving expeditions. 1) Do not go in caves.

[@rationalbacon5872]

I too shall adopt this rule. It seems like solid advice.

[@MrDmadness]

You sir have the best advice I've seen.. you should write a caving book 100% :) 😀

[@scottbubb2946]

I would also add that, if you do feel the need to go into a cave, at least don't do it when it's raining. Even if it's just sprinkling.

[@kelteckin]

Full proof plan

[@blackslav1497]

how is that workin out for ya?

[@danb4282]

The first case is a sign of shocking mismanagement. Lucas handled himself incredibly well, but failing to headcount a group of teens in your care? I hope the staff member was fired.

[@Gavolak]

more than fired, Lucas probably has a very good case to sue for gross negligence.

[@stevenschnepp576]

From a cannon, no less. That degree of negligence is criminal. Locking him in makes it borderline malicious.

[@SinfullyHera]

He should never have broke off from the group to begin with, he’s not entirely without fault.

[@whelanmmw]

​@@SinfullyHeraKids do stupid stuff. That's why campus clubs always have staff oversight, because kids do stupid s***. I don't care if the kid ran into the darkness with the intent of becoming lost, we rightly expect a head count before the door is locked.

[@areallyboredguy5825]

@@SinfullyHerathat doesn’t matter, they didn’t do a headcount.

[@Spitestar]

Things I've learned watching these videos. Step 1: Tell people where you're going, when you're going, who you're going with, and when to expect you back. Step 2: Bring the correct gear and experienced people. DON'T GO ALONE. Step 3: If there was even a lick of moisture in the sky hinting at rain, DON'T GO CAVING. Step 4: If you did, don't go down any weirdly small tunnels. Step 5: Maybe just don't go caving at all. Step 6: AND FOR GODS SAKE DON'T GO CAVE DIVING. Step 7: If you did anyway, follow step 1, 2, and 4 but for cave diving. Step 8: Make sure to follow the line and not to kick up silt. Step 9: If anyone panics, leave them to die on their own no matter who they are. Step 10: You should've listened to step 6.

[@melancholycat3978]

💯😄

[@mammajamma4397]

Step 9 happens EVERY SINGLE TIME

[@dogmeat1490]

Step 9 is real UNLESS ITS MAMA. (I’m Not letting mom die, are you insane? I wouldnt bring her to do that anyways lol)

[@jojofanatico6928]

just dont go fucking caving. thats the best way to keep alive.

[@IgnisPhantasma]

This should be a pinned comment.

[@WhyHelloInternet]

They did a head count and had a buddy system and still managed to leave someone behind?!

[@meggi8048]

thats how institutional caretakers take care. always the same. i bet what actually happend was that the leader screamed once "everybody here?" ... and then they went away.

[@The_10th_Man]

Their school must have finally decolonized math.

[@blackslav1497]

they didnt

[@amusedBYfools]

There are rules to cave diving. If you don't know them, then you shouldn't be cave diving. Scary interesting always presents these with great quality.

[@AATCgal]

@@The_10th_Man good job making a video about CAVING political

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

That last one is equally frustrating and heartbreaking. Even if you're inexperienced, you have to know how dangerous it can be. There is simply no reason to keep exploring away from the guide line, just so you can look at more of the same scenery in a different spot. Any cave diver will tell you that there's nothing to see down there that's worth giving your life. Such a horrible price to pay for such a pointless risk. Rest in peace, Peter...

[@bunnyluver2176]

Right, it wasn't like he was mapping caves. I can't imagine how long those 3 wks felt though. RIP

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Its important to point out here (in these conversations) that when you get Cave Diving Certified (and there IS a cert' and class for it)... You learn to get some of your own specific equipment... Arrows and Cookies, somehow customized to be easily recognized as YOURS, and extra spools of line, very much the same as the guideline laid in the caves down there... It's fine to "wander off the main guide line"... BUT there's a procedure for doing so. You use a Cookie, to mark where you left the main line, and then attach the line from one of your spare spools to the main line, and pay out line from your spool as you "wander" or "explore" a lead or room. When you return to the main line, you reel up the spool as you go, untangling line as necessary or untying it as appropriate (sometimes you need to tie the stuff down to parts of the cave to avoid flow dragging it out and making a mess)... AND when you return TO the main line, you can unfasten your spool from it, and retrieve your cookie... Arrows are used in extensive lengths to point BACK to the entryway... AND to point to new entrances/exits in those cases you find them on an exploration, so anyone else who finds the arrow can FEEL the direction indicated on the line. Convention is to point all arrows to the nearest exit, but sometimes on a recent exploration there can be a little discrepancy here than there until the explorers and mappers get things sorted out... In groups I've been with, the rules were that EVERYONE following a "jump" (where you tie off a new line and go exploring) added their own cookies as well as the guy or gal with the spare spool. That way, EVERYONE on a "jump/exploration" is accounted for. The rest of the group knows at a glance or feel exactly where they went and who went that way with them... ALWAYS. BUT some groups have variations of those rules. The point is that we don't let these activities get any more convoluted or dangerous than they have to be. Normally, so long as everyone DOES play by the rules, Cave Diving isn't so risky a business as it's been in the past. We have leaps and bounds more advanced equipment and better procedures to keep everyone as safe as possible. Ultimately, it's still YOUR responsibility to assess risks, and only let yourself get talked into trips, activities, and things that you CAN be comfortable with. ;o)

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Thanks for all of that info! Good to know. I knew there had to be some kind of procedure for exploring away from the guide line, just had no idea what the procedure was. I'm curious - let's imagine Peter had followed that procedure. Attached his cookie and some spare line before going off to explore, etc. Would his new line still be referred to as a "guide line"? Or does it have another name like "branch line" or something like that? Just wondering. I'm not a cave diver, but strangely enough these videos about when it all goes wrong are kinda making me want to try!

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145 It kind of depends on the location and groups involved, but usually there's a "main guide line" and in some complex caves they'll have other "guide lines" in different tunnels and shafts. The particular lines a diver uses to set his cookie and go exploring is called a "Jumper" and popularly, he'll use it to "jump" from the Main Guide Line to one of the other guide lines that are kept "permanently" in the cave (meaning locals check on them and replace them when necessary)... For an alternative "culture"... In Florida, the Main Lines are almost always a gold-colored line. SO cave divers in Florida will often just call the Main Guide Line "The Gold Line". "DIVE TALK" (yeah, all cap's) is a pretty good channel on KZbin, where two ACTUAL certified Cave Divers react to videos and post their own diving adventures. Gus and Woody (the guys who run the channel) are passionate about sharing some of the ins and outs of actual Cave Diving Practice, and they've had Edd Sorrenson (Greatest Cave Rescue Diver in history) on for interviews and story-times, too... It's a wealth of good information, so when you decide to go for that Cave Diving Cert', you have some good ideas about what constitutes a good instructor and class, and what might be a red-flag... before you find trouble the hard way... It's not a particularly hazardous sport, but like anything else with a market to it, there are occasional "bad actors" and it's difficult to get started without risking a poor choice of instruction resource... BUT there are organizations, and you CAN find out how to research and at least diminish the chances of a "fly by night" sketchy program. ;o)

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Ah it's called a "jumper", that makes sense. Thanks! I have been watching a bunch of DIVE TALK's videos lately, great channel! Their approach to explaining things is one of the reasons I'm actually thinking about giving it a shot.

[@KlintKaras]

While I do feel bad for Peter. His group grabbed him and scolded him not once, not twice but three times to stay on the line! Did he think they were just "party poopers"? Why does it take getting in the life or death situation for it to finally sink into to some peoples thick skulls? I'm sorry the man died, I feel awful for his wife and mom... also though...its very clear he ignored the entire lesson about cave diving and/or was soo full of himself that he felt invincible...

[@user-zc4br7yt4i]

Or so they say. It's easy to make assumptions about a person that isn't around to defend themselves. Maybe it really happened exactly like they claimed. Maybe they embellished to make themselves not look "guilty", maybe they even flat out lied. Regardless, everyone makes mistakes, and nobody deserved to die over it, especially not slowly starving to death in the dark.

[@asmith8898]

You don't know what was going on with his head.

[@asmith8898]

... truth be told they were all idiots for being there in the first place, but let the man rest in peace.

[@piratekit3941]

It's the same as people who can look at a raging flood and go "I could swim that" is outrageous. Peter sounds like he falls into that category - stupidly overconfident.

[@flamefromHalo]

​@@user-zc4br7yt4i While I do believe people should put more stock in the fact they only hear the survivor's side of the story and there are very few mistakes people would consider death a proper punishment, the embellishment angle assumes some malice or guilt on his surviving friends while ignoring a more likely option. Cavers are naturally curious and explorative, it comes with the hobby, so the fact that he was the least experienced and both friends corroborate that he was caught leaving the guide means it is more likely he just wandered down what looked to be a simple side path and became lost.

[@Decanta]

Lucas has more tact than me. I got locked inside a department store at the end of the night once (first time closing, nobody told me where to meet when we locked up). No joke they CHAINED the front door shut on the outside. I left via an emergency exit in a cluttered pitch black stock room. I gave the management shit the next day.

[@stevenmcghee6649]

Department stores!! I used to work in one and was working in there one Sunday *on my own* when I broke the rules and took the rather small elevator from the ground floor to the top floor. Sod's law - the thing got stuck between floors. That was about 1pm and I thought nobody would be in the store till 8am the next day. It wouldn't have killed me but I remember firstly the sense of panic and then calling myself all the names under the sun for thinking I knew better. Luckily, some 7 hours later, the head porter turned up as he noticed my office light on as he was walking by to go to the cinema and wondered what was going on. He phoned the emergency engineer number and, after an hour's wait, I was freed. Man did he give me the mother of all bollockings. Quite right too. And he missed the movie he was going to see. Safety rules are there for a purpose!

[@falconeshield]

You should've slept in the toilet like BCS

[@adamantlyadam5201]

Right? I was thinking if that happened to me I’d be giving the leader an earful when he finally returned. Some colorful language would escape for sure.

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

Can we agree that Lucas is an MVP, was stuck for 60 hours, nearly died, and yet still had the ability to clean up and excuse himself to his room once he was found, was not mad and actually felt sorry for the person who locked him in.

[@danid8256]

nah just a beta male

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

@@danid8256 troll

[@YeageristShay]

@@deno9607 Omega male energy

[@sshza2143]

good humble guy. i'm just glad he didn't perish😌🙏😁🙋‍♂✌😎

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

@@YeageristShay Zitarus Male Energy

[@CloudyWithABitOfRain]

I'm sorry no, "They didn't even know he was missing." shows how irresponsible these guides were. When you take non-professionals/beginners into a potentially life-threatening environment like a care, regarldess of how many times you've been there and things were always okay, you DO NOT FORGET a member. It is your responsibility to KNOW who is part of the group. They even did a head-count and buddy system and still forgot about him???? People's stupidity makes me so angry sometimes!

[@GSR9435]

@Julia Burger - OMG. I couldn't agree with you more on the stupidity/irresponsibility issue. I cant remember how many times KZbin has threatened to ban me for 1 month because I'm extremely opinionated when it comes to people's stupidity in all sorts of video documentaries where someone is just so ridiculously senseless that I just cant help myself by chastising a particular person or group that does something a child probably wouldn't forget. LOL.

[@warnertesla8297]

@@GSR9435 damn, you had it easy. All I ever got were permabans.

[@GSR9435]

@@warnertesla8297 - LOL. Yeah, I guess compared to that you're right. That's pretty harsh what they gave you. Keep on fighting my friend.

[@usernotfound0404]

Bruh imagine if he hadn't left his jacket in someone's car which made them realise he was missing and lead them to find him.

[@jamesm5787]

And if it can be unlocked from inside, why the hell isn't there a copy of the key chained to the inside of the door? Or just a crash bar on the inside.

[@TwiztedHumor]

Peter's story is so tragic. 3 weeks alone and terrified, starving to death. how much worse can it get?

[@Tuco_Salamanca3]

His stupidity brought him there. For the record, the wall next to him could be broken easily and was an easy path out. If he bothered to do anything at all, he’d have survived. Natural selection at its finest

[@Marcus-gw4bb]

He has no one to blame but himself. His soul will never be at peace because of the guilt that he carries all the way to his death door.

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@Tuco_Salamanca3 I'll be honest, I don't know that I would have thought "Break the cave wall down" would've been a good idea at any point. More like... a good way to get the cave to collapse on me. But then, I've got that 'get locked in a cave for three days because nobody remembered to do a head-count' luck.

[@Flat_Earth_Addy]

@@Tuco_Salamanca3 True.

[@gweneviereblackwood5980]

Idk, why your comment section is so nasty, thought most people would be able to acknowledge that a young man made a mistake without also saying that he deserved a terrible death, I guess I had too high expectations. Sad that so many people lack any empathy at all. Anyway, what you said is the truth, his story is tragic

[@Tallin_Kaplan]

What they didn't mention about Peter's story is that the wall of the cave he was stuck on was actually really thin and lead to a path that could be walked out. If he spent those 3 weeks trying to break that wall, he would have escaped but it was impossible for him to know that

[@David-ud9ju]

Lol, imagine what the story would have been like if he had done that. Randomly smashing down cave walls to break his way out and he got lucky and found a path. No one would believe it.

[@MrCrunch808]

@@gordonfreeman1359depends on how thin the wall was. If it was only inches thick it wouldn’t be hard, but any more than that and he would’ve died of an infection or exhaustion.

[@valiantwarrior1988]

​@@MrCrunch808right, if you were stuck in a cave would you randomly start breaking a side of a wall? And which side to be specific? With complete blindness afloat in water sounds like a far stretch to me

[@insensitiveprick7680]

He would have had to break the wall down whilst he had a source of light.

[@toinfinitybeyond437]

Wasn't it pitch black?

[@floppycockjamboozle5382]

If you ever feel invisible, just remember that 12 people can all factor you into the head count and not bat an eye when it comes up short, while your one “buddy” doesn’t even notice whether you’re there or not.

[@notme222]

It's a lesson in why you need formal safety precautions. They didn't know each other well yet. Each group thought he was with the other one, and when they saw both groups they just assumed. He had deliberately left his buddy to leave early, thus undoing the buddy system. When they got out they probably had adrenaline wearing off and were exhilarated but tired. On a human level it's a very easy mistake to make. Which is why you set the rule "nobody leaves until we do a headcount." You don't want to rely on memory when lives are at stake.

[@datpotat3945]

I went caving for the first time in a short relatively safe cave system with a group of work friends. We didn't know each other that well either but we had a guide that emphasized the buddy system. You never lose your buddy. Ever. He also had us count out loud at the start and at the end, and had us practice a call that carries through the cave chambers. We were a mess, caving for the first time, but everyone looked out for each other and headcounts were done at every chamber. Lucas did the wrong thing by leaving his buddy, but that's why you have someone in charge to keep things together and, you know, prevent things like homicide by negiligence. So I do blame the group and whoever dumbass was 'in charge'. He couldn't 'in charge' his way out of a wet paper bag, let alone a caving trip.

[@juhopuhakka2351]

What kind of "fuck buddy" leaves before devouring your man cave!?

[@kiyonahthundersong828]

Maybe it was intentional, not accidental.

[@Moldylocks]

@@kiyonahthundersong828 If it was intentional would be good plot for a horror movie. Some sicko who locks people into caves and watches them go insane for his own sick amusement..

[@Rayrard]

Lukas is unlucky... not only did he lose the group, but no one remembered he existed (did anyone sit next to him on the bus/van/car or talk to him?), and it took 3 days for anyone to remember. Did the guy have any roommates, family, or friends that noticed Lukas didn't come home? You'd think not coming home after one day would make people in his life worry. This poor kid seems like he lived alone at 19, and had nobody close to him in his life, and he did something he didn't really like to try and make friends. Then this happens to him. I hope he's in a better place today.

[@canterburytail2294]

I read another version where it was his friends that noticed him missing from classes and a job and he was very responsible regarding those things. I am not sure though how this came to happen, terrible and major libel on the responsible party, the whole point of which was to be responsible cavers.

[@pamwilliams9458]

Isn't he still alive tho

[@lawrencetalbot8346]

He didn’t lose the group, he chose to wonder off. He sounds like a loner who is rather antisocial. Seriously his mindset is well this isn’t fun so instead of putting in effort to talk to people and make a friend, he just bails. It’s no surprise no one didn’t remember he was in the group when he probs made minimal effort to be a part of the group

[@theforbiddenpotato8032]

@@lawrencetalbot8346 lmao your one of those people

[@hoodagooboy5981]

@Tired of War Maybe you should drop the auto pays and drive to the offices those bills go to. I pay my rent and power bills in person. Just a thought.

[@Mrs.Fezziwig]

The story of Mossdale is worse than people tell. It's like a part of the story is purposefully left out. On the day before the trip a farmer met some of the cavers in the pub and when they began to talk, he told them not to go into the caves at all. He lived there his whole life and explained the weather looked good but he knew that the weather was going to be dangerous. Had they believed a man who worked the hills for more than fifty years none of them would be dead.

[@danielivo5313]

I don't understand one thing though, they say the bodies have been moved to a location called the Sanctuary- but how the hell did they even manage to move the skeletons in such tight spaces from one side to another?

[@Mrs.Fezziwig]

@@danielivo5313 By going bone by bone and using Archaeologists instead of just crime scene officers. They reconstructed the skeleton later in the lab or morgue. It's pretty common practice for that to happen, and the public never see it.

[@denisechristie]

Right! You would think someone would have listened to such sage advice. Weather is so unpredictable. I now live in an area where we have arroyos, and there are signs everywhere about flash floods. We live at the base of a mountain, and logic dictates, that any rain that hits the mountain, will roll down, and end up in these arroyos. It seriously only takes a few precious moments, and you can be swept away. They do have metal hand holds every few feet, but when you are freaking out, you may not think to grab them. I steer clear of them if there is even a hint of rain, or we had some snow fall, because guess what snow turns into when it melts, water. :)

[@mhm3071]

​@Mrs.Fezziwig why not just take them out then????

[@Mrs.Fezziwig]

@@mhm3071 I don't know. Sometimes it's the choice of the people working or the family deciding to leave them there. And other times it's never explained, as in this case.

[@AidenRKrone]

The last story makes me wonder how many other divers were alive for extended periods of time inside air pockets in underwater caves, but rescuers assumed they were dead so either gave up the search or didn't search as fast as they could have. When the family found out how close the rescuers were to discovering him, I bet they were mortified and furious.

[@jord38629]

Nobody knew there was an air pocket. He died in an unexplored section of the caves. He also let go of the main line to begin with. My deepest condolences to the family but no one here is to be blamed but Pete himself for continuously letting go of the main line when he knew he shouldn't.

[@UnderwaterStars]

@@Soloman_GumballThat was the first story. This comment is talking about the 3rd story. There’s multiple stories in the video! I didn’t know that either at first so if you didn’t it’s okay.

[@Rhazelle]

Personally, if I were the family of that guy I wouldn't have the gall to be furious at the people risking their lives to look for my kid who put everyone in that situation because of their own stupidity. I'd be grateful for any volunteers and the resources and time put into the rescue.

[@Citkatty186]

@@jord38629 00

[@Wulfjager]

There's always a reassurance when stories have a lot of details, it means the victim lived. The stories that are vague are the scary ones

[@orange5591]

Right, because people who live will share explicit details, while the story of the dead is rather filled with theories of what happened, thus they are so uncertain

[@TyeArtisik]

I'd figured this out on my own 👍🏾💯

[@Velereonics]

It means someone lived, or there's a record. It isn't necessarily good news for all involved. One of his cave diving vids they know one guy is for sure dead and has to leave him.

[@Weirdoeevee]

The Nutty Putty cave incident is detailed but the guy still died. They couldn't even get his body out

[@falconeshield]

​@@Weirdoeevee27 hours is enough time to picture a story

[@melissalamb1235]

Imagine joining a club to make friends and this is what ends up happing to you 😑

[@MrDmadness]

Yup, I'd have much to add to my enemies list after that one

[@turkeydoctor5546]

I probably would put some distance between myself and making those kinds of friends 😔

[@chaosdweller]

@@turkeydoctor5546 yer name? lmao!🤣

[@chaosdweller]

Haha

[@chaosdweller]

@@MrDmadness haha!( comment)yer name is kinda funny too.

[@Gamepro5]

Peter's story is so heartbreaking. He may have died thinking nobody cared enough to look for him, even though people were desperately looking for him.

[@Lolalenice]

He was a selfish douchebag who put people at risk several times, after 3 times Mother Nature said to hell with it

[@BobBob-mj3xo]

He deserved it though

[@billfred9411]

There is another story very similar to this. I actaully thought this was that story because its pretty much the same except they didnt find him till years later. Some contruction crew was doing work and broke into the cave and thats when they found his body.

[@JAFrk]

I feel little sympathy. He put his friends in danger because he was selfish.

[@veronicawilliams969]

I looked more into it, his death was just hours before help arrive, in all honesty he had to of started to lose his mind. No way anyone can be isolated in darkness for 3 weeks and not lose it

[@AnonningAnon]

Little tip: if you ever find yourself in a situation where you barely have enough water and you have bugs/animals available for you to eat: eat them regularly. Meat/blood/guts = moisture = you can survive longer without water (maybe not for months, but definitely longer than 3 days. People severely misjudge just how badly starvation can dehydrate the human body). Do not eat plants while in that situation as plants need more moisture from your body to be absorbed in your guts (meaning it will dehydate you even faster as it will pull water to your guts, away from your vital organs). Make sure to eat the animal's organs too, for extra minerals, vitamins and protein (energy).

[@senpaisally69]

Crickets are yummy. In my culture we fry them

[@Spctre]

It's horrifying to think that Peter was stuck alone on that island for weeks in the dark without any way to tell the time.

[@Bootstataboots]

Yep, when it was said that he was there a week I thought "Wow, that's horrible." Turns out he was there for weeks. I don't want to imagine how awful that must have been.

[@bunnyluver2176]

3 wks had to have felt like 3 yrs

[@Snapper314]

It's a shame he kept ignoring instructions and kept leaving that main line. Pure Darwin in action.

[@davidbarnett342]

@@Snapper314 Yup

[@mostawesomecomment6553]

@@Snapper314 exactly. He was a victim of his own arrogance and stupidity. Hard to feel sorry for him. I feel badly for the family he left behind though.

[@nathanclarke2501]

Lucas really is classy. I would have been throwing FISTS at everyone in the club if I were him 😂

[@slimfit767]

Hahaha

[@toscadonna]

I’d have pretended I wasn’t mad, but I’d have been plotting my revenge whilst being all alone in that cave, and I’d have gotten back at whomever locked me in there, and my “buddy” who didn’t remember I existed, in a quiet way where they’d never know it was me.

[@lawrencetalbot8346]

Why? He did it to himself. He walked out on the group… in the middle of a dark cave he had never been in before.

[@the_furry_inside_your_walls639]

@@lawrencetalbot8346 That, and the gate system is awful if it doesn't let people unlock it from the inside.

[@mr.bubbles8351]

@@lawrencetalbot8346 but he found the exit on his own didnt he? So why would this cave exploration "leader" leave without accounting every person?

[@protodvd]

I'm always listening for the little word choice or informational cues that tell me whether someone lived: hearing, for instance, about a specific thought, or something they chose to do with no witnesses around tells me that they lived to tell the tale. The tip-off in #2 was subtle and devastating: "Then, about midway through Far Marathon, the men would've heard a faint sound off in the distance." Took me a second before I realized what "would've" implied here. Chilling.

[@annak7989]

Yeah, you can tell when the story is very detailed too.

[@ForeverDayGreen]

Feels insane that no one has put up a clipboard at the entrance of story #1 where each group member has to sign in and out for the exploration. If something as simple as that had been done this mistake couldn't have happened.

[@joshl6275]

The mistake happened in the first place due to gross negligence and incompetence. It's obvious they weren't even following the safety procedures they had in place, such as double head counting and the buddy buddy system. The first failure is the head count. Had they actually done the head count like they were supposed to, it wouldn't have happened. The second failure is the buddy buddy system. His buddy should have said "Hey, we're missing someone." So, the caving leader, the staff member, and their cave buddy failed. All three of them failed and all three of them had ONE job. The fact that he was forgotten about demonstrates someone failed to follow procedures or otherwise botched said procedures. That being said, the kid was stupid to even go off on his own. But kids are infamous for being stupid. So, the brunt of the blame should fall on the staff member and expedition leader. The owners of the cave should also accept some blame because they installed a door that has no mechanism for unlocking it from the inside and implemented apparently inadequate procedures for ensuring no one gets left behind.

[@bruddaozzo]

Or like maybe have the door openable from the inside? Seems like common sense

[@JesseBusman1996]

It's absolutely insane that there was no way to open it from the inside... If that was part of a movie plot I would call it unrealistic!

[@clownworld4655]

You do realize that’s so people don’t sneak in then leave whenever they want. If you want to vandalize the cave without a key you risk dying

[@CrimeaRiver]

@@clownworld4655 Incompetence sounds more plausible.

[@numbdigger9552]

@@clownworld4655 "vandalize the cave" Do you even hear yourself??? Its a CAVE. Even IF this was a valid concern, a vandalized cave will ALWAYS be more acceptable than even a SINGLE person dying because of this negligence. Also, we might as well impose the death penalty for cave vandalism, if that's the idea...

[@clownworld4655]

@@numbdigger9552 you’re not very bright. Fitting racist username btw

[@piergiorgio919]

@@clownworld4655 whaat? how can you sneak in if its locked from outside but it can be opened from inside? teleport inside and open it for your friends?

[@vesnafall]

Lucas is a kinder person than most, myself included. I would have been sobbing and seething when finally let out!

[@blackslav1497]

well maybe i should put u in a cave for 60 hours and maybe u will be more grateful.

[@KeefeL]

@@sirensynapse5603 his buddy should be tried for attempted murder 🤨 Or child abandonment, except Lucas has balls of titanium, despite his childish choice to stray away without notice

[@ura9390]

i would have been kissing and hugging my rescuer, the relief would have been huge, it must have occurred to him after 2 days he might die in there

[@blackslav1497]

@@ura9390 that would have been my first thought i woulda kicked the sh*t outta that gate.

[@ura9390]

@@blackslav1497 me too, but guessing this was a proper metal, well fitted and robust gate, maybe opening inwards, hard to know. I would have found a boulder and tried smashing it to hell, but there comes a point where you need to save your energy I guess

[@Lea-np8rs]

Lukas case was so heartbreaking somehow... Imagine just being forgotten. Knowing that no one wonders where you are. He came to that trip to make new friends but wasnt noticed at all. And then he says he felt bad for the person locking him inside? I hope he found people who care for him :(

[@falconeshield]

He sounds like a good boy

[@cheefqueef6494]

​@@falconeshieldtoo good. He's naive and can easily be manipulated. Too weak for this world.

[@Gabrocol]

Story #1 And that's why we dont have a caving club at IU anymore Also, he missed some key details. Lukas's parents are both linguistics professors at Indiana University. THEY were the ones that realized he was missing and filed a mission person report. It wasnt till the IU Caving Club leaders found his clothing in the vehicle that theu realized he was missing. Its horrible though that it had to be his own parents to realize he was missing and nobody noticed him missing before.

[@BunnyQueen97]

They only found Peter in the last story because construction workers dug through the limestone on the other side and saw footprints where footprints could never have been. I can’t imagine knocking down a cave wall and finding evidence of human life 😰

[@sendmorerum8241]

If only they did it just a bit earlier...

[@BassGoThump]

I can hardly imagine opening a hole in the ground to find a starving probably half crazy guy sitting on a little island.

[@junovicz]

Damn

[@rods6741]

We all lost a brilliant mind when Peter died in that cave. Surely he would have found the cure for cancer. Or discovered a source of clean energy that would have saved us all. Such a tragic loss. Tragic.

[@_KRose]

Mossdale still has to be one of the most terrifying of these stories I've ever heard. To think of being stuck in a crawlspace like that, when suddenly the water starts rising from beneath you. I'm not sure if it would've flooded in an instant, or slowly risen, as the trapped men desperately crawled; knowing there was nothing else they could do. I'm honestly not sure which thought is worse. Just an absolutely horrifying story. I will NEVER understand this hobby.

[@The_10th_Man]

Seems like if they were so experienced they would know not to even try it if there’s even a hint of rain. In fact wait until there’s a drought, even if it takes years the cave isn’t going anywhere and this stuff isn’t that important.

[@YounesLayachi]

@@The_10th_Man a drought is equally risky as unexpected rain. It might temporarily open some previously flooded passages, weaken roofs and cause them to collapse, or other consequences waiting for a drought to happen

[@johnsnith4105]

Reason cavers cave is because they are looking for the entrance to the center of the earth. Have some respect

[@becci42]

I wonder who would be the first one ever to crawl through a tiny but long space not knowing if it ends. The first mappers must be crazy.

[@charlesdial7152]

Caving and Mt climbing are for the bird's, those people always play with their lives and then want people to feel sorry, don't take ur ass up or dwn there, then maybe your family and kids will still have Dad.

[@kevingrisler4123]

People dying because they decided to enter a cave system during a rainstorm seems to be a reoccuring theme in caving.

[@cbeamsglitter9707]

I have definitely started to appreciate my anxiety as a survival mechanism after watching a few of your videos. Thanks!

[@jane925]

😂 definitely

[@gfyGoogle]

YESSSS BRING ON THE CAVE MUSIC

[@paulperole]

CAVE MUSIC!!!

[@spiritmatter1553]

❤ Love that CAVE MUSIC 🎶 🪨

[@CollaateraL]

Cave music awesome 😂

[@xopher3699]

Cave music is the best of any themes!

[@carliecole2563]

I feel like that should DEFINITELY be the name of a heavy metal band...

[@sannyassi73]

They should have a sign in/out sheet like Hiking trails have so that if someone doesn't sign back out someone will realize there may be someone stuck inside. Also, you'd think on gated entrances that there'd be some kind of emergency release from the inside, just in case- kind of like a Car trunk.

[@katydid5088]

Either that or issue everyone with epirb beacons, a spare key, and a sign out sheet/emergency kit with flashlights,batteries, food,water, and a solar blanket. It's a miracle no one's run into wild animals in those caves as many of the small ones serve as homes for the local wildlife at odd intervals.

[@Dorsidwarf]

If that club didn't introduce mandatory sign-in sign-out sheets after nearly killing one of their junior members through rank carelessness then it shoulda been shut down

[@antonisautos8704]

Literally doors sold and used that lock from the outside but can be opened from the inside. They could have done some due diligence and installed said doors or locks

[@sannyassi73]

@@stylin60es That's the idea- we could put paper/pen there the same as Hiking Trails do. If it works the same, there's a Pen and book on a chain that is kept in a weather proof box at entry points for the Trails. I've never seen the book or pen missing, though I've only ever been on about 15 or so Hikes like that. I'm sure these things are vandalized, or the book/pens are stolen occasionally but I've never ran across anything like that, and well, it's just a book/Pen- cheap and easy to replace if they do go missing.

[@gonzoradio1007]

That first story almost put me into a panic, I was very relieved when I found out the kid survived, that is awesome. The people who left him definitely deserve some form of punishment.

[@joshl6275]

Yeah, that level of negligence deserves consequences.

[@KaiM2583]

Peters story both sucks and irritates me. I wish he’d been found in time but what the hell was he thinking, letting go of the guide line so many times? He made his team mates leave safety themselves to try to get him on a few occasions and that was definitely not cool! I get the want to explore, but when you’re not just putting yourself at risk, you obey the rules even more!

[@mistererebos1818]

Same. Personally I would be gripping that line for My dear life from the get go, simply because I am quite intimidated by cave diving. However I get that to him it was all overly exciting, brand new, he was curious, he wanted to explore everything which is not entirely possible with a line that goes a specific way. His constant disregard for the warnings of his fellow divers reminded Me of a kid, constantly telling them not to touch something, they do so numerous of times until it backfires on them. It just so tends to happen that humans need a pretty grim or physically painful reminder before they actually fully realize the gravity of certain situations or that they are being warned for a damn good reason. It’s just unfortunate that his “reminder” resulted in 3 weeks of physical and mental torture followed by death.

[@jek__]

It is sad to lose human life, but it was definitely 100% his fault and because he lacked respect for the rules, or self control, or both. Death isn't a just punishment for making such a mistake, but nature doesn't operate on justice. Taking stupid risks in dangerous situations gets people killed, it's fair enough. The best outcome would be to use this harsh lesson to teach the still living how important things like guide lines are

[@DrNo007]

@@jek__ "Death isn't a just punishment for making such a mistake, but nature doesn't operate on justice." That's a f*cking great statement.

[@pilar8323]

I get even more irritated when it turns out they have a partner and/or kids. Being that reckless when youy have a family waiting for you, especially young kids, is pure selfishness.

[@charlenehoffman1816]

​

[@SirWuffleton]

Amazed at Lucas' mental fortitude for that 60 hours of uncertainty - being trapped in a cave and not having the tools or knowledge to pick/defeat the lock but also no guarantee anyone would come to get you before limited supplies ran out. I honestly expected that story to end a lot worse but the most surprising part was how collected he was - for any wilderness hobby it's a boon, but especially so with the unpredictability and potential instability of caves. His story further highlights that you should always, always, tell at least one friend or family member what your travel plans are for excursions like this - if he hadn't left that piece of clothing in the car, things could have turned out a lot worse. The thing that deters me the most, and freaks me out for all but the most mapped, guided, and tourist-friendly caves: The prospect of getting trapped is especially terrifying since the two main ways you'd be most likely to die are nothing short of torturous: suffocation/drowning or slowly dying and slipping into madness due to lack of food/water.

[@markjackson3531]

yeah im glad he was ok! BUT, he should have saved the clif bars, peed in the bottles, and tried to break the lock...food for thought.

[@spiritmatter1553]

@@markjackson3531 Dude! He at least removed his trash when his fellow cavers wanted to whisk him to the ER! I know, he *should’ve* carried 69 Clif bars and a urine-to-water personal hydration system. Amirite?

[@barbaralamson7450]

@@markjackson3531 A person should never drink their urine. Although your body filters it, that does not make it safe. That being said, I hope I am never in a situation where I have to test this.

[@markjackson3531]

@@spiritmatter1553 he did ok, but he should have been more prepared in case of an emergency....is there something wrong with saying that? not trying to insult the guy, just advice for anyone else who gets into that situation.

[@markjackson3531]

@@barbaralamson7450 if that's the only thing they have to drink, YES, they should! better than dying of dehydration.

[@methodinsane]

Watching these videos is a good way to experience heightened anxiety without potentially dying.

[@Vok250]

I empathise with Lukas so hard. My "friends" would also leave me behind and not notice.

[@ackermanlol]

The fact that Luke joined the club to meet new people and then during the trip the group forgot he existed is both funny and sad.

[@MaritheCreator2001]

Right? Poor lukas, I hope he found a much safer hobby and a better group of people to hang out with

[@TahoeBlue12]

Not sure I see the funny but that’s ok

[@chuckh4077]

He proved to be the toughest of the group. He walked out without going to the hospital. Bet he got laid often after that. 😅

[@mika628]

Funny? tf??

[@verucasalt9182]

Funny! …Gell , no!

[@theshaffers2224]

"What is it about caves that gives you that pit in your stomach? Is it the darkness? Tight squeezes? Or how easy it seems to get lost forever?" Me: yes

[@TheAlpacalypseIsUponUs]

Don't forget spiders

[@Bankable2790]

@@TheAlpacalypseIsUponUs Me sitting comfortably above ground: yes.

[@Ramsowndaworld]

This channel blows me away. I’m so glad that I found it. It’s so simple. 99% still images. Just great stories told by a great story teller.

[@DavidPsurny]

There should always be an extra key INSIDE the cave.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Yeah. They should hide it somewhere, make it fun.

[@ekkehard8]

Yeah, like a prize for reaching the goal or something

[@jebbroham1776]

Peter could have survived by doing one simple thing to alert rescuers. He could have banged some rocks together underwater every so often to create acoustic waves, and because sound underwater travels much father than sound does in air its very likely one of the rescue divers would have heard it. It doesn't take much at all to produce a very noticeable noise below water from quite a ways away. I learned that when I was in scuba school training to conduct underwater rescues in Sarasota, Florida.

[@ctrl_altesc]

I hope I never have to utilize this piece of information in a real life situation, but It is definitely good to know.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Lol.

[@Reemgee]

also could have survived by not letting go of the line

[@Camcolito]

@@Reemgee Could also have survived by not going in.

[@Connor011]

​@@Camcolitocould've survived by not being born

[@littlekingofthebirds]

"Its only raining a little, let's go into the cave". So many of these stories wouldn't be here if the other person said "Hell no, man, do you know how fast a few inches of rain turns into a death sentence? Let's wait for drier conditions."

[@SaithMasu12]

Most accidents happen from human miscalculating or underrestimating conditions, no matter the sport. Its the same sh it in mountain climing. Every year a dozens of people die because of that.

[@MarimbaBuddy]

What a tragedy that first story could have been. I'm so relieved to hear that he made it out okay.

[@ill_Hiper]

The last story, that guy is like that quote "the more you f**k around, the more you're gonna find out" and sadly died

[@jadefalcon001]

Lucas is vastly more gracious about that experience than I'd have been.

[@Davidpostingshid]

That’s because he learned who NOT to hang out with now

[@jek__]

Suffering creates strength. People who go through hardships seem superhuman because people don't realize what humans are capable of until theyre pushed to extremes. Being near death would show anyone that there are a lot more important things than revenge

[@betsylaughlin8652]

I imagine I’d feel more angry, too. However, when Lukas was found, he was probably so relieved to be found, that this knowledge of his rescue flooded him with a relief that you and I cannot imagine. This relief may have influenced his feelings, creating an almost euphoric reaction of grace, since he was granted reprieve. Ultimately, the same person who locked him in also came to rescue him, so that is likely consequential. Finally, as others say, the experience of getting so close to death can really strengthen a person’s character, and clarify what is and isn’t import them in life. He may have felt that wasting precious time in his precious life on blame for something that was an accident, and caused to permanent harm, simply was not worth it. In a funny way, he’s lucky to have had this character building experience.

[@betsylaughlin8652]

Caused “no” permanent harm

[@lintfordpickle]

@@betsylaughlin8652 he was also not completely blameless in the situation. After he left his original group to meet up with the other, they had no reason to include him in the head count. But as he never reached the other group, they also had no reason to include him in the headcount. It's definitely a shit situation, but it happens. Hopefully all parties learned something

[@paulk-r8537]

Lucas is a BETTER man than me..... There is no way I'd be as calm as him after such an ordeal, I'd be looking for the blood of the person who had locked me in.

[@MrDmadness]

Yupas soon as I was out of the cage I'd be face punching them if I had strength.. likely though ge was just relieved to be alive

[@kevinmatta9262]

I'm pretty sure after those 60 hours you would JUST be happy that you came out alive and in one piece

[@farmhouseonthemountain]

But at the same time, he diverted from the plan. He rushed ahead, probably due to feeling claustrophobic, and ended up somewhere unfamiliar because of it. Not cool that they forgot him, but he didn't follow the directions given to him.

[@horacehalt4216]

@@farmhouseonthemountain Most groups check to make sure that everyone is there before leaving. They take a headcount at the start and then at the end. Even if they initially forgot him, how could no one think to look for him after he was missing for two days. Forget his group, shouldn't the staff ensure that everyone who enters the cave leaves it.

[@zoopdterdoobdter5743]

>Tired, Exhausted, freezing, terrified, about ready to pass out. >Kicks the guide in the dick.

[@robbabcock_]

Yikes! What a horrible way to go. I love caves but man, you have to be very careful. RIP to all these poor souls. And kudos to Lucas for not kicking the crap out of the people that left him there!

[@annieeames2282]

My grandfather used to go caving, and he'd lead groups around. He enjoyed telling us grandkids stories that would make us shudder. I'm glad he survived his caving era

[@sirridesalot6652]

I really feel sorry for the other two that were with Peter. No matter that it wasn't their fault that he left the line a third time and died, they'll probably always wonder if there was more that they could have done to keep him with them.

[@sirridesalot6652]

@jackofthebox6721 I often think about a friend of mine whom I warned of the dangers of kayaking by himself on Lake Ontario in January. He did and he died when he capsized.

[@sirridesalot6652]

@jackofthebox6721 Thanks. I don't feel guilty since I did warn him about a lot of things that could go wrong but he ignored the advice. That seems to be a common theme in many of these videos where someone ignores advice from far more experienced people and then end up paying the ultimate price.

[@rockytopchick8657]

Its always the least experienced ones who dont listen to the more experienced ones who lets go of the line multiple times and disappears. Its crazy to me, obviously theyre telling you that for a reason so why wouldnt you listen? The consequence is simple….you could die!!! It sucks he died and its a crappy situation he put the others in

[@chriswelcome8102]

@@sirridesalot6652 I was in Sri Lanka to visit relatives and just have a vacation. One of the places we stayed at was right by the water. I remember seeing kids playing down there as I was having a beer and a smoke and not thinking too much of it. I went back inside and didn't go back out to that particular side till the morning. All over the news was a kid who drowned. They were playing near the water but maybe were just dipping their toes in? I don't really know, but one of them got swept out. No one there could swim and they were way too far from anyone to get help (The particular property we were on was walled off). I remember seeing it on the TV and feeling horrible, "What if I was out there for 5-10 minutes more? Maybe I could've seen the commotion and helped him?" That was 10 years ago. I will never forget it and always wonder if there was something I could've done to save him

[@sirridesalot6652]

@@chriswelcome8102 When I watch these videos wherein someone has died, I often wonder about the relatives wondering if there was anything they could have done or said that would have stopped the person. My answer is most likely not as once a person has made up their mind to do something, many times there's absolutely no way to prevent them from doing it.

[@jenniferk9242]

Lucas, you're a better man than most, I'd gather. Just imagine if he hadn't left his jacket in the vehicle, when would they have discovered they left him behind? If at all? I think I'd be traumatized for many years to come.

[@davejones9469]

I've been wrongfully criminally charged and had to spend a week in local lockup, where the prisoners were manageable as a big guy, but the guards nearly beat me to death while cuffed. The white-shirt responsible was nicknamed "Bam-Bam" by the other inmates...I also had a concussion before being arrested and got no medical attention, and babbling offensive stuff incoherently is what got me further beat up by the guards. I'd say there's a similar degree of mental fortitude to come out of that without too much trauma. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the bullshit the courts dragged me through and cops etc abusing me, so NOW I actually have PTSD from cops and doctors. A psychiatrist at a hospital told me he wanted to lock me up for a bonus, amongst other abuses by doctors. Would you rather be locked up alone with limited food and water, or locked up with monsters (guards and prisoners)? Both situations we were abandoned by people and systems meant to protect us, and it endangered our lives. Until you've had you're freedom taken away, you will never truly understand how mentally crushing it is. Maybe if I knew I deserved to be locked up, it wouldn't have been as bad, but that's not how it ever went.

[@Yung-plague]

@@davejones9469 I hope you get true vindication and justice for the disgusting wrongs that were done to you brother. Stay strong and keep telling your story.

[@Yung-plague]

@@davejones9469 when I was a teen I was kidnapped and locked in a deranged crack addicts cage in her garage. We all carry our own cages and bars in our minds. Me you and the young fellow from the story all have very different stories of being caged, but we all struggled, and we survived. Never forget how much of a survivor you are.

[@Relatablename]

@@Yung-plague That's quite rough. I respect that you used this trauma to build on yourself, rather than letting it drag you down.

[@davejones9469]

@@Yung-plague Thanks, really. It sounds like you had a less common bad experience, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. A crackhead presents unpredictability, something our other stories are not as predicated on. A friend's sister had a similar experience though. She had been kidnapped by her drug dealers, I can't remember why, but they had her tied and gagged in the back of a van while they drove way up north, out of the city...she thought she was going to be murdered, but apparently whatever issue that started it was sorted out and she was saved. I can't imagine the thoughts going through her head, not to mention the possibility of sexual abuse before being murdered...well she's a happy mom now so she's strong too. Although, I had cellmates who were "recovering" addicts, and in the middle of the night once, one of my cell mates sat up abruptly and yelled at the top of his lungs "YOU GOTTA BE FUCKJNG KIDDING ME!" but his eyes were closed still, and he even made hand gestures. I was freaked out to say the least, but the other guy leaned over and said not to worry, and he woke him up just by calling his name a bunch, and told him he was yelling...again. He apologized and went back to sleep, but I sure didn't lol.

[@Tri2fresh]

GOD after watching so many of these caving/cave diving videos, I thought Lucas was done for. I felt my heart sinking heavier with each passage that went by. I nearly lost hope when he went to sleep the second day and worried for the worst when I heard about the faint light. THANK JEEBUS my man made it out. That is a HORRIBLE way to go out and being so young at 19 would make this one of the most tragic stories.

[@ambrosia8525]

How lucky was he in that first story! And how different from the 3rd. Don't leave the group or the line/path. It's just not worth it. I really enjoy these stories.

[@Irmavep666]

Even though Peter made a very costly mistake, I can’t fathom how scary that would be. Just thinking about makes me anxious

[@The_Cholo]

I bet he.sat and thought about how stupid he was to let go of the line 3 times..

[@Irmavep666]

@TheManFromAuntie I know it’s a movie but imagine that on top of of being in the cave from the movie The Decent or Hills have Eyes. That’s when I throw in the towel lol

[@royalroyal2210]

Must have pondered why he played some dumbarse game

[@David-ud9ju]

Given that he still had air, you'd have thought he would have tried to find his way back.

[@fonziebulldog5786]

Reminded me of the two divers, male and female who joined a larger diving group going far out into the ocean by boat. In the end of the day returning back they forgot them and never found them again when realizing they was gone. They couldnt even do a proper headcount before leaving and getting back.

[@littlebear274]

If this is the one I'm thinking of, they were counted when they came back onto the boat... and then decided to get back into the water. Still absolutely should have been caught by doing a second headcount once the "last" divers came back to double-check and preferably also checking everyone off a list by name, but not *quite* as bad as doing no headcount at all.

[@peregrinec5477]

Story #1: I've volunteered as a chaperone for many field trips with my son's class over the years. And you know, it can be hard wrangling a bunch of 5 year-old under your care. It's like herding cats. However, Rule number one: Know how to count heads! Unbelievable!

[@ethannickels1300]

that poor guy dying from starvation all alone is so depressing

[@spiritmatter1553]

All alone and in the dark.

[@KCzz15]

I feel zero sympathy for him, he brought it entirely upon himself.

[@blackslav1497]

n*ggaz die everyday b

[@SprinkledFox]

He was an idiot

[@magiv4205]

​@@KCzz15 Oh wow, you're a real tough one aren't you? Tell me you've never made dangerous and stupid decisions and mistakes in your life and I will show you a liar.

[@sarveshgovinder2775]

Lucas had a lifetime of growth in 60hrs. Damn 😐

[@jek__]

Suffering builds character!

[@MissLollipopSunshine]

I've never been caving but having watched a few of these videos I feel like if there's a chance of ANY rain falling you should reschedule. Things can change so quickly.

[@tomfisher3779]

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but even without signal you should be able to call the emergency services. Maybe not withini a cave, but from a cave enterance you should be able to make the call. They have emergency frequencies and gps calls for this type of stuff

[@normdawley2355]

Regarding the first story, I can't believe the group leader wasn't more aware of the wherabouts of every person on the trip. At the very least, they should have done a head count before they left the cave. Massive dereliction of duty, in my mind.

[@awakatilluminado6129]

Insane that there was a buddy system and yet they still missed him! Where was his buddy!

[@awakatilluminado6129]

So i read some more articles and in fact, the buddy system worked! The buddy let a group leader know his buddy was missing. But the leader just *assumed* he was with the other group And then the carpool situation got moved around bc some folks needed to leave early So massive failure on the leader(s?) For making assumptions like that

[@ThePariahDark]

For me, the idea of getting stuck and unable to move is what makes me 'worry' when it comes to cave. That and random rocks falling and bashing your head in.

[@meggi8048]

and yet dieing in traffic happens more often.

[@_KRose]

@@meggi8048 The ratio of people driving to people caving might have something to do with that...

[@blion2225]

Watch Caveman hikes on KZbin. I think you would enjoy him and his nephew. Their experiences are insaneee

[@scottbubb2946]

Don't forget about cave trolls 👹

[@isabellind1292]

@@_KRose But every time I turn around, there's yet another caving calamity I bet per capita it'd be on par w/driving deaths.😑

[@nicolaberry4109]

i love these videos. really interesting, stories that would never see the light of day normally. great work.

[@johnlyons3832]

I love how every one of these videos there’s rain or thunderstorms and it always starts off with “nothing for them to even worry about” and always turns into “TOO MUCH WATER”

[@Sikizu]

I remember when Lucas was trapped--I live in Bloomington--and it was a huge deal here. There's the joke that IU tends to mess up any big trips or events in at least some way, and this took the cake. I've been in that cave several times and it really is beautiful. It's often closed to visitors because the bats inside have been suffering from White Nose Syndrome for at least 2 decades now and it's very easy for humans to spread it to new caves, even from the surface. If I remember correctly IU did at least handle the aftermath adequately.

[@Irish_Georgia_Girl]

White Nose Syndrome? What is THAT? It sounds disgusting...

[@onikin]

@@Irish_Georgia_Girl a fungus. Discovered in 2006 but has killed millions of bats since. Slowly getting under control. Slowly.

[@ekkehard8]

​​@@Irish_Georgia_Girl It is a contagious disease that belongs elsewhere that eats bats as they hibernate. It has dealt incredible damage to many bats species since it spread outside its place of origin due to human globalization.

[@NorthernKitty]

It's easier than you think to miss counting someone in a large group. Even with a head count and buddy-buddy system, parameters can change and people get easily confused. For example, Lukas went ahead of his group, and his "buddy" likely made a temporary adjustment in his head not to have to worry about Lukas which absent-mindedly became a permanent adjustment by the time they exited. Head counts are notorious for coming up wrong. When I was college age and large groups of friends would go "exploring", we had a more foolproof method to ensure everyone was accounted for. In addition to the "buddy-buddy" system and routine headcounts, we each had a token (a poker chip) with our name on it. Where we disembarked on our adventure - let's say where we parked our vehicles - there would be a fishbowl you tossed your token into. When you returned from the adventure, you fetched your token from the fishbowl. Nobody left the site until all the tokens had been removed from the fishbowl. It was actually a little disturbing how many times everyone thought we were all accounted for and yet one person's chip was still in the fishbowl, they were lagging behind without anyone realizing it until they saw the chip. Someone would simply miscount during the headcount and the "buddy" could've sworn the other "buddy" was right with them as they exited.

[@Bankable2790]

Really smart idea. Also the throuple system...

[@thewingedpotato6463]

Makes you wonder how often these things happen "accidentally" and how many are actually accidents.

[@dapjpshha]

I am sorry - if you cannot do a basic headcount correctly of an entire group then you should not be in charge of anything including your own life

[@NorthernKitty]

@@dapjpshha The irony of your comment is that it's the very arrogance of thinking "it's impossible for me to get a headcount wrong, it's so simple" that usually leads to a wrong headcount. The brain is NOT a perfect tool, it is quite easy for it to be fooled by illusion or distraction. Magicians take advantage of this all the time. The way that visual processing (and other processes, in fact) works in your brain will often "fill in the blanks" and make you think you see something that isn't there. Many times that people get headcounts wrong they are adamant "no, I did the count, EVERYONE was there, it's impossible I counted wrong." In fact, it is a certainty that you have at one time or another in your life counted things out - maybe even a very small number of things - only to find out that somehow you miscounted and can't figure out how you managed to do that, whether you want to admit that to us or not.

[@dapjpshha]

@@NorthernKitty There is no arrogance here, you sequentially do a head count. One by one, slowly, deliberately. Your teacher in school did this everyday - accurately. There is no illusion here or magic or hallucination under the effect of some drugs or lack of visual information whilst you are doing a headcount for your brain to fill in the blanks. Again, I am not talking about counting pebbles or a stack of money - I am talking about a simple headcount of a group of humans under 50 in size. If you don't trust yourself to do this twice a day every couple weeks accurately then you should surely reconsider the question why you lack faith in yourself!

[@SrcWaC2023]

I very much enjoy listening to your stories. I think you're doing a good service by occasionally telling stories that don't end badly evolving young people. They need good instructive knowledge in case they find themselves there in it. Thank you.

[@mothmanowo6528]

it dosent matter how well you know the group, it has absolutely nothing to do with a headcount. The fact that they basically didnt bother to check and the fact that the second group leader let him wonder ahead in the first place is horrible

[@Theyrecomingtogetyoubarbara]

Dying alone in the dark after starving for 3 weeks. That is grim. How terrifying.

[@kevinwantstoshred]

Talk about incompetent leadership and team with that first one. There is absolutely no excuse for locking someone in a cave like that

[@chaosdweller]

Nah bruh it's all about getting prepared for the largest sea food diet of yer entire life bruh 💪 😎 it's all about shredding to bloat bruh shredding to bloat bruh. Haha

[@simonejoubert1105]

I'm from South Africa and I heard that story about Peter when I was growing up. Gave me chills back then ... Still gives me chills now.

[@LifeSuccessCoaching]

You hence created a very good channel. How you tell the story how the story is organized the pictures you use but the cherry on top is the music in the background. An artist!

[@Igy94]

Really appreciate you mentioning how the second story had already been done on your channel. I remember your original video of the Mossdale cavern disaster, and I'm glad that your repeat was a deliberate remaster/retelling rather than an accidental recycle. Great work as always Sean, keep it up

[@Bootstataboots]

That locked door is crazy (in the 1st story). I was sure that it would have been designed to lock from one side but freely able to be opened from the other side.

[@AlexBabbage]

Yeah, it seems really stupid and poorly designed to not have the door be only locked from the outside.

[@mauiarn8387]

You story telling of folks who past away without telling anyone is literally the key to interesting part of this, after hearing a few a these I had to wonder how tf you know what went on when they past away? ( I also pray for everyone of these pp and their families dealing wit these tragedies)

[@fodaseocanal]

There's no way they didn't think the rain forecast was of concern. If you're planning on crawling on your belly trough a narrow tunnel with water running through it, the prospect of rain must be concerning, otherwise nothing is concerning.

[@mydogjesus]

There is an easy fix for the first stories problem. In the first room should be a metal box on the wall that is combination locked. Inside would be a key to the front gate, a bottle of water, and whatever else seems appropriate. That way, the gate still serves it's purpose but no one can get locked inside, because when you go to the cave, they tell you the combonation of the metal box, and give it to you on a small business card. jmho

[@princessoscar3089]

Yeah like deep dive cavers who leave supplies and full on camping tents for each other! I've seen it in other videos on this channel! They should have left some supplies in there just in case someone got lost or trapped in there!!!

[@zqzj]

Hindsight is always 20/20

[@Dead-Not-Sleeping]

I'm still flabbergasted by the fact that (story 2) 6 'experienced' cavers went into the cave when rain was expected during the period they would still be in the cave. It is a sad and unfortunate event and I'm not minimizing their traumatic deaths. That being said, truly experienced cavers know any planned excursion, every planned excursion, has nothing to do with when you want to or are free to go caving but rather has everything to do with circumstances of environmental and safety permitting the event. The fact of the matter is, assuming that they were actually experienced cavers, they've heard the stories and they know the risk. They would have checked the weather forecast, and would have even discussed it. To me this sounded like the group weren't willing to adjust their plans and chose to ignore protocols because they really, really wanted to go. This assumes they did in fact know that rain was due that evening.

[@daxiatothemaxia4225]

I was thinking the same. Who tf would go into a tiny passage when it’s raining out and with a cave known for flash flooding.

[@joshl6275]

It just seems like they got a bit too cocky. Their experience in this case was probably the biggest liability. They had too much faith in their capabilities and so they got careless.

[@littlebear274]

About to rain *and* already been raining during the last few days. They'd have no idea how much water was already soaked into the soil or was still making its way over the ground into the cave system. When he said it was due to rain that evening I assumed they'd been planning to have already left the cave long before that but it seems like they knew they'd be in there for quite a while since they were still on their route while the water was rising. Absolutely wild choice.

[@Ribulose15diphosphat]

To be fair, they weren't cavers (in the sence of adrenaline junkies), but *scientists* exploring the very *water* *curent* that became their doom. This goes more into "scientist killed by own discovery" direction.

[@Dead-Not-Sleeping]

@@Ribulose15diphosphat thanks for the new perspective. I wasn't aware.

[@gameburrito2502]

So Lucas's group just went home without even thinking of him? bruh

[@reptilions]

i am addicted to this series

[@ashchaya7676]

I've seen a more detailed account of the third one and there were signs that Peter had been bashing his air tank on the walls of that cave to make noise, but clearly the noise wasn't loud enough. That's really the only significant detail missing in that one and I do prefer this much more concise format. Thanks for the vid.

[@thexxit]

Lucas is much too kind. He should have been missed much earlier. The last one... sadly some people don't take danger seriously. Very tragic.

[@SilverDrakez]

I am fascinated by cave and cave diving content. It is something I've always wanted to try myself. From all the content I've watched, it seems like water and rain is one of the most deadly things about caving as it's something you have no control over, except to choose not to cave when rain is likely. Even then, there is no guarantee. I love your narration and visuals. You have a very soothing voice and tell a great story without dramatization, which I really appreciate - these stories are dramatic and harrowing enough on their own. Reminds me of the airplane disaster show Mayday, but for caving and cave diving. Can't wait to listen to more stories!

[@shortyis2gud]

I loveeeee watching mayday airplane disasters

[@ScaryInteresting]

In addition to what you mentioned, cold water seems to be particularly insidious. I've read on a few occasions that hypothermia is one of the leading causes of death in caving. More cave stories are on the way!

[@inventor4279]

Please, don't, if not, i WILL laugh at your demise

[@SilverDrakez]

​@@ScaryInteresting Makes sense to me! I think the old adage goes three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food. Water hits both lack of air and lack of shelter. What got you interested in telling these kinds of stories? Have you ever wanted to go caving or cave diving?

[@The_Cholo]

You have control over it if you don't go caving. It's a choice.

[@crd2815]

after the second time of peter going off the line, they should have communicated for him to go back. there was no reason at all for them to continue to put themselves at risk for the negligence of one person. incredibly heartbreaking that it happened in such a way.

[@Mr.Whothatis2G39]

That’s crazy. I was a student at IU during that time and had no idea. I almost joined the cave club as well and again, had no idea that cave was so massive. The more you know!

[@ElevatingDreams]

Lucas needs to find better friends or join better people who will acknowledge his existence especially when it comes to these kinda situations.

[@vilma8369]

I hate scary/uncomfortable KZbin vids but I have binged your channel in the past week and sleeping with lights on 😂I really appreciate all the work you put in, not just telling the story but explaining mechanics, tools, background, etc. Really makes the diff with your channel and others 👍

[@RCRDC_handlesarepoopoo]

The other cavers in the 1st story had rocks for brains as well I bet. Holy hell how does that even happen?

[@aces6123]

3 weeks... starving and alone in the dark. Oh man... Poor Peter

[@randoir1863]

If story #3 isn't a reason to never go off your main exploring line , I don't know what is . Story #1 is also a learning tale as you should always stay with your group .

[@freeanimals594]

I've heard the last story with Peter. So very sad, but unfortunately he did it to himself by leaving the guide wire so many times. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Pray he's resting in peace. 🙏😢

[@ShadowAkatora]

Imagine living for three weeks stuck in a pitch black cave. That's a damn nightmare if there ever was one.

[@calebmayeux5042]

An extremely similar incident to the first story happened about eight years ago at a cave in Texas, Honey Creek cave. To enter the cave you are lowered down a narrow 150 ft. shaft on a steel cable connected to a tractor three people at a time. On one expedition with probably about 25 or 30 people all total on a cold night, one of the crew missed the entrance and passed it up a little bit as there was heavy fog from the cold air from outside over the water. He realized his mistake about 20 or 30 minutes later and backtracked to the entrance. Unfortunately, by that time, the last person who was sweeping to make sure nobody was down there got to the base. A few extra harnesses had been brought down in case there were any problems with any harnesses, so it wasn't apparent that one of the harnesses left over belonged to somebody and wasn't just a spare. As was procedure, when he was on the line, he swang the cable back and forth so it would bang at the top letting the people on the surface know to fire up the tractor and pull him out. As he said he was the last one and it was very late (2 or 3 AM) on a cold night, everybody retired to their tents. When the guy who was left behind swang the cable there was nobody nearby to hear him, and his cries for help couldn't be heard due to the 150 foot shaft with a narrow opening. Due to a stroke of luck, in the afternoon the next day a boy scout troop (I think?) wanted to see the entry to the cave and was brought by a caver, and he was able to holler at them and they pulled him up. As it's a water cave, even in a wetsuit, in 70* water for that long he was hypothermic and had been hallucinating intermittently before they found him, but they warmed him up and he was ultimately fine. Ever since then the caving group uses a system where each individual has to check into the cave when they enter and check out when they come out so that there is a strict accounting of exactly who is inside and outside the cave so it never happens again.