The Most Dangerous Stretch of Water in the World: The Strid at Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire

I know, I know, it's a clickbait title. But I stand by it, because the water is so deceptive, and so pretty, and there's a path that leads straight down to it and that jump looks very, very possible...
The 12th century legend is the "Boy of Egremont", immortalised in poetry by the famous William Wordsworth. His "The Force of Prayer" is about the Strid and the Boy of Egremont, and the full text is here: web.archive.or...
Also, I need to make one correction: I say "a hundred metres upstream", but that shot's actually about that far downstream. I couldn't fix that in post, but since the river's basically the same for a mile or so in each direction with no significant confluences, it's a small enough slip that I don't think it's too bad. The amount of water is the same!
I'm at tomscott.com/
on Facebook at / tomscott
on Twitter at / tomscott
and on Instagram as tomscottgo

[@RubixB0y]

I'm on a different continent; yet, I still feel like I'm too close to that edge...

[@JB_inks]

+RubixB0y I bet you're feeling incontinent now...

[@RubixB0y]

joyork You could say I'm incontinent outcontinent.

[@winkerdude]

Been to the Grand Canyon?

[@TheQuestDesigns]

... of glory and I'm hangin' on a moment of truth

[@carly3738]

+The Purple Yam YASSS

[@RobMacKendrick]

Fascinating. It's worth mentioning that future kings of Scotland have been dying in "accidents" for a very long time.

[@hissingfaunaa]

Keyword "accident"

[@AllAmericanGuyExpert]

That may be the most British "parenthetical" of the 21st century.

[@quadc0014]

yes i’m sure the english cause many “accidents”

[@daroldcarold3443]

Welcome to Scotland, future kings trying to jump over a 0.5 metre river and somehow missing

[@RobMacKendrick]

@@daroldcarold3443 Aye. "Somehow."

[@CMoore-Gaming]

The fact it is far deeper than it looks is the creepiest part to me. It just looks so shallow, but I could imagine dying without ever touching the bottom.

[@aim-to-misbehave5674]

Apparently it was recently measured with sonar to be 65 metres / 213 foot deep in places - you're _definitely_ never touching the bottom of the Strid!

[@deleted-something]

Yea

[@deleted-something]

​@@aim-to-misbehave5674💀💀

[@jackhargraves9859]

I live a few miles upstream from here and it's not quite 65m but more like 9m, but at the bottom underneath the narrowest part there is a big ball shaped chamber where the water just swirls around and around. If you get caught in that you won't get out.

[@edwardsroba]

@@aim-to-misbehave5674this was totally debunked, and the guy who recorded it recognised his error. It’s only a few meters deep

[@bobbysilver272]

I've seen salmon climbing over the rocks just to avoid that section.

[@bradleywoods3742]

Ive heard that some even hitch a ride on a herons back

[@josh256m8]

@@bradleywoods3742 I think I heard that eagles are making a good living as taxis there

[@fwuuton]

This whole thread sounds like a children's storybook

[@TheStockwell]

I've heard of rocks climbing over *other* rocks to avoid that place! ☺

[@damshek]

@Bradley Woods I've seen water climbing over trees to avoid that section.

[@pingu5746]

Why do I feel the very irrational need to jump over this river?

[@TomScottGo]

+pingu5746 There was one point, when I was there, when I thought "you know, I bet I could make that jump". I probably could've. But if I'd missed it…

[@walso5948]

+Tom Scott don't do that, who else could make these videos this good? :D

[@ParallaxScene]

+Tom Scott It looks very tempting, is there any signs warning about it in the area?

[@mrtommygunwhite]

+Tom Scott but then the video proves itself some of your videos have demos right

[@sjwimmel]

+Tom Scott This all sounds like the premise of one of those old children's movies that were just a bit too scary.

[@Gazork.ChumbleSpuzz]

That subtle boil on the surface is a good indicator of danger too. It looks 'smooth' but betrays complex + turbulent currents underneath.

[@juniperrodley9843]

Adding to this, according to other commenters, the presence of so many air bubbles lowers the density of the water, meaning anything moving into it will sink like a rock.

[@lokopixo2338]

when I was on vacation somewhere in the south of france, I went to the local river where everyone goes, it's something similar to that but with clear water and bit larger stream I didn't want to actually swim in it, not risking anything.. but when I walked close to the edge to see my friend going over it, the wet moss made me slip and I fell in it instantly I saw how deep the river actually is (I'm almost 2 meters tall) and how light I was compared to the stream I really, really panicked as I was thrown away like a leaf, not capable of keeping my head above the water but most importantly, not capable of grabbing something to hold on and stop being carried away to the even more dangerous rapids ahead this isn't something I want to experience ever again, the sensation of being absolutely nothing compared to the force of the water. fortunately a grandpa and his grandson were nearby and they ran to help me, trying to help me with a long wood branch I managed to get stuck in a position where I couldn't be carried away and they both helped me getting out of the water I was exhausted, goddamn stresset but so happy to have been able to get out of that nightmare it didn't lasted long, something like under a minute or so, but it was seriously frightening thanks for coming to my ted talk x)

[@anvilbrunner.2013]

A rip tide on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall dragged me under & away. After a few minutes i resurfaced. I was so exhausted that it took me almost three hours to swim to the shore. If i hadn't been aware of the swim diagonal to the shore rule i'd never have made it back. Never leap into the ocean off a cliff on a headland. There's always a rip tide.

[@Win090949]

So it’s not 100%

[@Win090949]

Sam Hilton awww :(

[@debbiehenri7170]

A close shave in deep water certainly makes you respect it forever afterwards - I know that from personal experience too. I too almost drowned off the Cornish coast. Once back on land, I was told a boy had drowned in almost the same spot the previous summer.

[@parisnelson5321]

I've nearly drowned to earlier on this year in a river with stronv currents and i would've drowned if it wasnt for an adrenaline rush after being under for a little while, you never realise how powerful water is untill your life is in danger

[@EmmaLiza]

frozen lake in Estonia: yeah you'll be fine. pleasant looking stream in Yorkshire: DEATH.

[@almostbauws1845]

are you estonian?

[@artyb27]

+Almostbauws Tom visited Estonia a few weeks back and fell into a frozen lake. Check out his Park Bench channel for the story, it's rather entertaining.

[@RudyBleeker]

+EmmaLiza I believe Tom has admitted that the involuntary dive into that frozen Estonian lake wasn't that safe either in retrospect. But yeah, he came out fine, thankfully :-)

[@johnnyboy3949]

The point is it does look pleasant, that's why it's so dangerous, as under the surface it's is so deep and the currents are so fast

[@reinismartinsons]

Hey neighbours

[@DuncanEllis]

"the river turns on its side" what an absolutely perfect description

[@ZexMaxwell]

That's really scary.

[@DuncanEllis]

xvuaai basically by going from 50' wide to 6' wide.

[@mememanfresh]

Im confused how does it kill you

[@snibob5362]

It's very deep, and those rocks are overhangs, it goes on its side, and the soft rock that is in the walls is dug out, making a tunnel down there, because of the large mass of water in a narrow space, the currents begin to speed up underneath the surface and twist and turn due to changes in the rocks 'softness'. This means that it drags you right down, around, and is hard to get out, so it is likely you will drown. The rocks on the edge are slippery and curved, but will smash you up if you hit them fast, and are hard to grip onto. It looks innocent, like a nice stream to jump into even, and this is what causes a lot of death as people aren't prepared for it. Even if they were, I doubt they'd survive it

[@Corinthian44]

If you don't believe it , you could always jump in and find out !

[@emmagill6237]

my great-great (great?) grandfather on my mother's side died in the Strid in the 1880s- my mum has an article from a newspaper at the time about it happening. Its crazy!

[@kamranbaig6305]

If you can please share the article?

[@solitudeguard5688]

Yea I’m gonna need to see some proof Emma

[@squatsby]

Guess I'll add "calm looking streams" to my list of phobias then 🤷‍♂️

[@soundseeker63]

Look a little closer at the swirling surface of the water - a dead give away of the strong, turbulent currents below despite the apparently calm surface.

[@davefaust7317]

Technically a phobia is an irrational fear, whereas the Strid is worthy of very rational fear. So you have that going for you!

[@Andy_k9k]

I threw a stone in once and it never came back up :( Edit: just found this comment after 5 years, thanks for explaining that stones sink 🥹

[@MrDarksachet]

Well, stones do tend to sink, so I don't think that this is a valid demonstration.

[@Reddsoldier]

@@MrDarksachet Whoosh!

[@stevenkelby2169]

Damn. I hope it's ok :(

[@charliezakaszewski3754]

Poor stone

[@zatrat5696]

Rip stone

[@tortex1]

Imagine how cool it would be to temporarily divert/bypass that section of the river and see the bottom. There might some interesting crap at the bottom, not to mention the probably nice looking cavern. Of course, the cost of diverting all that water... it will probably remain a crazy idea in the youtube comment section.

[@TheMajkla]

This must an amazing place to go magnet fishing. But it could be also very difficult and dangerous, your magnet gets snagged, you want to check it out and if you slip on those mossy edges, that's it. Another empty casket..

[@brazenh2836]

The currents so strong everything gets washed downstream... So nothing in it... Innit

[@MrPruske]

Probably bones too

[@ClashixTV]

nah, if there are crevices at the bedrock, heavy metals like gold, silver, could potentially sit on the bottom ;) so if anything, it'd make it even better with a strong current. as all the shite will get swept away. like a sluice. also I had the same idea about magnet fishing it. :p

[@jameshughes4264]

I actually thought that. Maybe someone in the past diverted the river to those cave?

[@Shitbird3249]

This English gentleman has taught me two things today: -don’t do rivers -stay out of drugs.

[@aidynz5703]

Brooooo

[@aidynz5703]

Hit the nail on the glass

[@jasong4460]

I mean, that's not *in* correct....

[@TheElvisnator]

No it goes this way Stay in drugs Eat your school Stay out of vegetables And don't take rivers

[@jasong4460]

@@TheElvisnator Stay in milk Eat your drugs And never try this at home.

[@bmodoesstuff]

“What’s so dangerous?” *steps in the river and sinks in the void.*

[@nakseyyy]

see you on the other side

[@iterumconare4258]

@@nakseyyy physical, i hope.

[@tortoiseboy2331]

Imagine if at the bottom there’s like a lil hang out and nobody comes back up because they have so much fu- no they die don’t they

[@nickel7327]

Idk why you’re talking about DYING, come hang out! The water is nice.

[@scottishaidan]

Underrated comment

[@trashbin9285]

@@nickel7327 You’ll float too 🤡

[@Ben_Kimber]

They all float down here.

[@steam-powereddolphin5449]

I read that in Wheatley's voice. xD

[@maxximumb]

Some say it can eat a herd of cows in a single gulp. Others say it smells vaguely of marmalade. All we know is, it's called The Strid!

[@mspeir]

+Maxx B Bravo! Well done! :D

[@bluetannery1527]

That was amazing

[@medsa666]

+Maxx B and to you!! mystery biscuits!

[@maxximumb]

medsa666 Mystery biscuits aren't bad.

[@winkerdude]

Well played.

[@christophernewman5027]

"All we know is, it's called the Strid!"

[@JamieB-E92]

"And it's the most dangerous river.... in the WORLD"

[@panda4247]

POWERRRRRR!!!!!

[@sadtoad3252]

I just wanted to tell you something, I hate you

[@christophernewman5027]

@@sadtoad3252 Righty-oh

[@user-is2nn8mc9q]

Underrated

[@ThePizzaGoblin]

When you said it was an overhang I felt my heart skip a beat.. Deep, inescapable water features are up there on my biggest fears.

[@boss-anova]

What isnt exactly explained here is that the stream cuts through those rocks at an extreme depth of at least 20 meters, and the currents underneath the surface are so strong, youll likely be sucked to the bottom and tossed around endlessly before anyone would even know you were gone.

[@commaspace2196]

The fact that this exists on the same planet as me makes me constantly uncomfortable

[@joshpickles9022]

It could come looking for you.

[@kennan10101]

"Oh, hey there little human. I'm just a little bit of water slowly making my way through. Definitely not going to pull you under and slam you against rocks until you're a cloud of person bits. Come on and play with me..." Mother Nature is a cold blooded killer.

[@mikewizz1895]

Same planet? i live in the same country. That makes me more uncomfortable

[@ark_ryl9384]

@@mikewizz1895 I live a few miles away from this thing 😬😬😬

[@alsnow1049]

CommaSpace try going outside once and an while! 🤣

[@andrewday4231]

My anxiety is kicking in just seeing Tom near the water

[@maddy3852]

Me too!! Even though this video was made four years ago...

[@stephen_boss]

I was just about to say that 🥲

[@TheLizardKingReborn]

fam i live there dw people jump over it for fun

[@user-wl4qs8xl3r]

@@TheLizardKingReborn fam, if you miss the jump, you die.

[@emilyj7023]

He said he was not on the edge but I was nauseous the whole time with anxiety at his camera work ... He looked too close to be comfortable ! I do have a horrid fear of drowning and an incredible respect for the strength of water Once we climbed behind the falls at havasu and dipped below a large rock to avoid the stream of the waterfall annihilating us .... I got confused and would have drowned if someone hadn't thrust their arm in grabbing me out the other side / THAT FEELING .... SHIVERS

[@Jack-mb4jx]

There is a river like this in the United States, and just like this river has killed nearly if not everyone that was unlucky enough to not stick their landing. The "stream" looks shallow and calm so there has even been reports of people trying to Wade, walk through it only to quickly realize it is far deeper than it looked and just as quickly be pulled in.

[@AverageReviewsYT]

I hate autocorrect

[@tornadomash00]

what's it called?

[@gungangundam5375]

Where?

[@Jack-mb4jx]

@@tornadomash00, I can’t remember though I believe it's somewhere in the Yellow Stone National Park, if I remember correctly.

[@Jack-mb4jx]

@@gungangundam5375 ^^^^

[@antonystringfellow5152]

I've swum (carefully) through most of that channel (only once - many years ago). It was one quiet summer's day, when the water was warmer and the rocks were dry. The water was about the same level as in this video. Can't remember who was with me that day but I did have at least one witness. There is one bit that is particularly dangerous, it's across from where you were stood, a few yards upstream. If you look at that particular spot, you'll see the water moving towards a very short channel in the rock that forms the side of the river. This very short channel is closed yet the water keeps flowing into it all the same. You can see this spot in your video, from 5 seconds in, up to the right, just below the rapids. Curious, I gradually lowered myself in at that point, keeping a good hold on the rocks because I knew this just didn't look right. It wasnt! The water there flows down, at an angle into a narrowing fissure in the rock... and accelerates as the fissure narrows. There was quite a force pulling my legs into this fissure. Were I to have let go, I would probably have just disappeared, having been dragged down and jammed into the fissure, below the surface. Scary thought!

[@discoj7112]

This can't be true, KZbin said it has a 100% fatality rate! Just kidding, I really appreciate your terrifying story.

[@SirBeefers]

Damn that is scary, glad you are safe

[@ADJackD]

So like a weaker and natural formed Delta Pi?

[@callmeshaggy5166]

There are probably multiple bodies down there if they haven't been shredded by the current & rocks

[@aus3492]

You should sell your story to newspapers, I can see the headlines now "Person doesn't drown in river"

[@ark_ryl9384]

Read the video title as "The Most Dangerous Stretch of Water in the World..." and didn't read where it was. I thought 'oh this must be some weird river in the amazon or something'. When I saw where it was I did a double take, I live 5 miles away from this thing...

[@cr4z163]

so unlucky

[@DatInnocentGuy]

Same lowkey scared

[@TimTeboner]

RUN!

[@Spegix1]

Could you please pin point the location in GOogle maps? I am in UK now so I might take a walk :D

[@richardlloyd2589]

4.9 miles, and you’d be a gonner.

[@TheHotHeadMC]

I'd love to have upstream temporarily dammed. Would be awesome to see it without the water.

[@earthlymatters888]

Mm and the graveyard at the bottom. Imagine all the animals

[@dragonmaster1079]

And what if it doesn't have a bottom it just never ends

[@thegreatnihil7854]

I'd just go down it with 5 life vests on

[@creeperkid808]

@@thegreatnihil7854 the currents would smash you into the rocks damaging the life vests until they don't work, then you...

[@MylesPribeg]

@@creeperkid808 You can't really damage a lift vest... It's basically just foam.

[@IslandlifeIoW]

“Local person doesn’t die in river” makes our local news every day.

[@tomperkins5657]

"It looks safe. It looks tempting. But it will kill you." Reminds me of my ex.

[@davidbillyard6629]

Only difference is that can kill you without emptying your bank account.

[@georginaK21]

@@davidbillyard6629 Could be talking about HIV or something though.

[@mountfairweather]

Hehehehe I'd take my chances with the river over my ex 😉

[@tomperkins5657]

@@davidbillyard6629 word

[@andreasrademacher5715]

Oh no! I ruined the count of the likes: "304"!

[@joanhammond1217]

When I was a child (under 10), we used to throw rocks into the Strid, to hear the THUNDERING noise they made going downstream. That was in the 1950s. There probably aren't any rocks left nearby!

[@SilverCipher00]

Thun- What? How loud is it? And what do you mean *thundering?*

[@1.4142]

you should record yourself doing it again.

[@SilverCipher00]

@@1.4142 That somethin I'd like to see.

[@susblasian1433]

ProxyAlpha 00 Joan died

[@SilverCipher00]

@@susblasian1433 Probably .

[@MrLaidback]

I can confirm, i jumped in and i didnt come out alive, you have been warned

[@pigeonite]

this would be a lot more ominous if you were a ghost who told me that in person

[@timfleet1084]

I actually went there for a day trip and I was so surprised by the title of the video because I never knew this and my dad jumped over it once

[@KeanuG95]

Thanks for the warning

[@tron.6041]

Me too, 7/10 would not be pulverized by hundreds of pointy rocks therefore becoming ground beef again.

[@moopstacoopsta5316]

Damn bro, get well soon.

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

Recently someone measured a section with sonar and found it was almost 60 meters / 196 foot deep!

[@tomscotland]

How do we know “it looks tempting, and it will kill you” weren’t his last words? Those crevices could be rammed full of dead tempted youtubers.

[@teh-maxh]

Because he's made hundreds of videos since then, including some on topics that wouldn't have been possible to pre-film.

[@tomscotland]

@@teh-maxh thanks, dad.

[@frankroberts9320]

The main danger is not a mystery at all and is plainly evident in your video. The water in the strid appears to have a high proportion of entrained air bubbles which greatly lowers its average density. A person jumping into the river upstream of the strid could immediately swim or be buoyed to the surface, then swim to the shallow water of the nearest shore. A person jumping into frothy water has practically zero buoyancy and will sink to the bottom like a stone with no possibility of keeping the head above water. The same effect has caused crew boats and drilling rigs to instantly plunge to the bottom of the sea following subsea gas well blowouts. The surrounding sea water suddenly becomes much less dense because of entrained gas bubbles and anything floating in it will suddenly fall to the sea floor like a greased manhole cover. Anybody entering the strid will be in for a nasty surprise as they find themselves in free fall into a very deep watery grave.

[@colinsmith1495]

Sorry, that alone isn't nearly enough danger. This thing tops over that 100 times. Besides, that visible bubbling portion is common to rapids and generally indicates high mixing, turbulent flow, but not necessarily high proportions of entrained bubbles. Still, in waters like that, they can be very dangerous. Some theories on the Bermuda Triangle says that large deposites of methane hydrate crystals on the ocean floor near there are periodically exposed, bubble up, end up lowering the density of large portions of the ocean as they rise, and any ship sailing through the area when that hits the surface suddenly just doesn't float any more. Not sure that would have any impact on aircraft, though.

[@henryjarnigan]

i was gonna say, it seems like if it was normal water one could just hop in, go a few meters down stream and climb out. But ur explanation proves otherwise. thanks

[@Curu82]

​@@colinsmith1495 The only thing special about the Bermuda Triangle is that it's a heavily traveled shipping lane and a tropical cyclone area. There's no higher frequency of disappearing ships or planes than any other random part of the the ocean with heavy traffic. It doesn't even rank in the top ten most dangerous waters. The myth relies of exaggeration, flawed information, and simple lies.

[@user-pe2yx9kt4e]

Me scared

[@bananya6020]

I mean-yes, but how many people have the common sense to think that right before they fall in? That's why people die, and that's why most people think it's safe. Just wanted to point that out to whoever reads this and immediately goes to send an angry email to Tom Scott. You aren't wrong, though. You can still see that.

[@AgusSimoncelli]

You suddenly made scared of every single river ever. Thanks Tom

[@barrettbarker8343]

Agustin Simoncelli this is the only river like this in the world, it's an anomoly. Normally streams that are a few feet wide are not more than a foot deep, this one goes down forever!

[@unf3z4nt]

@@barrettbarker8343 Imagine the Amazon river doing that. 100 kilometers funnelled down to just 20 centimeters.

[@obliviousotterI]

@@unf3z4nt The Amazon isn't 100 km wide

[@johnillingworth6567]

I jumped it during the drought of 1976. When the water is really low there are ledges lower down that are nearer together. Never told my folks though....

[@renskedunnewold1995]

It'd be so interesting to see what it looks like without water. How deep it is, what tunnels it has formed. Very cool

[@char_gards]

Living in Yorkshire, my school gave us traumatizing talks about this place for some reason

[@hha8356]

*bradford*

[@thebananamen1026]

@@hha8356 is a shithole. And I live here

[@hha8356]

@@thebananamen1026 depends where really..its not all bad

[@Virgil-Arcanum]

@@hha8356 i live in Bradford. It's crap.

[@Dave-hu5hr]

Best thing about Bradford is the roads out of it..

As someone who does parkour, and nature has always been my favorite playground, i'm glad i live very very far from that river.

[@tedwarden5803]

It’s easy to jump in fact no more than a long step in one direction down not so easy on the up:)

[@breadtailor4200]

Me too but I live in Yorkshire so I'm not that far from it and I'm tempted to jump it now

[@tedwarden5803]

@@breadtailor4200. Not when the river is as high as it is now. There’s a crossing point easy to jump down but not up. At this time of year it’s frozen mud and slime. If you go in at any time your not coming out. I’ve jumped it dozens of times but not in winter. You’d have to be suicidal or stupid.

[@fletchercobb4398]

So, like, proper parkour? Where do you train most often? What ability level are you at? And does it count as a kong centuple gainer precision if you do it from an airplane?

[@JastwatchingYT]

@@tedwarden5803 until MOSS happens

[@j.n.4806]

There's an old story saying it's at this exact place where our fish ancestors started to walk on land. They just gave up living in the water, the strid was too heavy for them.

[@jarnodatema]

If Game of Thrones taught me anything it’s don’t trust Boltons

[@avaius]

You're quite right about that, being from Bolton myself!

[@ste9474]

I can imagine moms telling their kids, if they've been naughty - "I'll throw you in The Strid if you don't behave" and it scaring them enough to make them cry It's like a villain that only Yorkshire people are scared of

[@SilverCipher00]

I'm frightened of it when I'm in America.

[@Aquascutum-gn2oe]

Hate to be a pedant but it’s *Lancashire ppl

[@nicholasgroves8478]

Aquascutum1851 Nah, he’s right it’s Yorkshire. Bolton is in Lancashire but the Strid is near Bolton Abbey, which is a different town in Yorkshire.

[@Aquascutum-gn2oe]

Nicholas Groves I stand corrected! Bolton Abbey isn’t actually in Bolton

[@lyrimetacurl0]

Sounds like a serial killer's dream

[@nytmare3448]

Poor Pete... Thought he could jump the river... now he is coloring the water brown... What? Oh peat? That's not so bad then...

[@Sammie1053]

Pete Stain? Used to sit behind me in history.

[@elijahsinclair7219]

This is honestly terrifying. It looks so calm and innocent

[@tomanderson3608]

I visited here a few days ago. Looks scarier when you're there. Throw a stick in and it gets sucked to the rocks at the edges and then sucked underwater

[@otter1268]

Looks like not even a lego helicopter can save a person drowning in this river

[@joeyhardin5903]

hey

[@luiseduardofontes33]

@@joeyhardin5903 build the rescue helicopter

[@pinkajou656]

Lmto

[@user-md2jd8bm8r]

Unless you have a water breathing powers

[@AdamSeiler]

Thank god this isn't in LEGO City.

[@SallyLePage]

Has anyone dropped a crash dummy into it to record the forces underwater? I'd love to try that! (to the dummy, not myself!!!)

[@EeDog2]

+Sally Le Page Or use sonar to map out a small section to see under the water

[@callofdutymuhammad]

+Sally Le Page He's obviously using hyperbole. I think if you had half a brain you'd cling onto a rock (not in the rapids)

[@Blue_]

+Teh Beast The rocks are mostly covered in moss, and the river will suck you down, it would not be easy to hang on at all.

[@Blue_]

Teh Beast He's not. There's other stuff about it on websites and stuff. Just look it up, you're bound to find something.

[@tomwoolski8557]

Sally Le Page, Great idea!!!

[@jackieking1522]

It was 63 years ago..... we were totally unsupervised, walking from Appletreewick to Bolton Abbey and "take a wee detour to see the Strid" which we did and wondered why. Nothing to see here as we jumped back and forth, showing off to each other. Coulda lost the entire troop if we had tried to rescue each other. As far as my ancient memory goes there were no notices, no warnings.

[@Burntayo]

My parents had to swim through here to get to school

[@briant7265]

Uphill both ways?

[@hanreality.7266]

Don’t even say that.

[@maxliu7576]

@@hanreality.7266 ?

[@spankeyfish]

I used to live near this and visited it loads of times (yes, I'm alive). Nobody's been drowned by it for a several years, I suspect that's 'cos there's a load of warning signs around it now but before that someone wound up in it every couple of years. You don't even have to fall into it, the 'pavement' around it is often overtopped by floods and a few of the drownings were people caught out by flash floods that way. The bodies usually turn up between Addingham and Ilkley.

[@corqondisplay6743]

good to know it wasnt your ghost typing that comment

[@JoanDarc1984]

Nice to know you’re not dead

[@wompbozer3939]

Welcome back from the grave.

[@jasonreed7522]

Genuine question, is there any reason not to make it safe by collapsing it? I assume it has to be cheaper than any one of hundreds of road cuts through granite near me, and don't see any reason to want to let people anywhere near it. Just from the video it looks tempting to swim, obviously it's sucide to and parts of it look turbulent enough to scare you off but its danger is that it looks safe while being 100 fatal. (Niagra falls looks like it will kill you and as such nobody is willing to go in/over it)

[@xsp1160]

I don't think anyone would volunteer to cut the rock in which they could fall in tho

[@cryptfire3158]

My uncle drowned when my mother was young, sucked down. My mom made sure to make us fear the river.

[@ilikepigeons6101]

Wow. I'm so sorry for you

[@DoubleBourbonBaconCheeseBurger]

F

[@nelsonnicholson6175]

I can't believe your mom threw your uncle into that river just to make you fear it...

[@cryptfire3158]

@@nelsonnicholson6175 haha!

[@ilikepigeons6101]

@@nelsonnicholson6175 xD

[@Alex-tx6hd]

Visited this stretch of river yesterday, can confirm it's truly terrifying

[@javimelecio]

this is the video that made me aware of Tom Scott years ago. loved seeing it again today :) ...and thanks to this, I won't be going anywhere near that water!

[@mikeskydev]

So i find this out AFTER jumping over it... won't be doing that again any time soon

[@RinoaL]

+Mikesky hahaha

[@sugarfrosted2005]

+Mikesky Good job.

[@Matdogg2k]

You'll be knighted soon

[@louisbaker999]

Seems legit.

[@kalebbruwer]

now the fatality rate is 99%

[@davewhittaker3498]

This footage was taken after a spell of dry weather, you should see it after rainfall, it's twice as angry and hostile, this place does not take any prisoners, it's a location of No Quarter, it can keep you down there for as long as it feels like it, and, once it's bored with you, it spits you out like a piece of chewing gum, merciless

[@Thoraldar]

Never even spits you out, it just swallows you after chewing you up for a while

[@Spacegoat92]

Poetic, yet metal....

[@Sableagle]

Always fun on a visit there to admire the Strid for a while then turn round and notice the ENTIRE TREE that's been washed down by a flood and lodged well above where you're standing.

[@blakkdeaff4460]

Well it's a lot slippier after rainfall

[@ostarring]

well said u should write.

[@grapetoad6595]

It's weird seeing this, I remember going as a kid, and when I went there I remember being warned and told about it because a couple got married at the abbey and then tried to jump across and drowned. Also, when you actually look at it you can see how stupid you would have to be to try to jump it

[@ShutterGuts]

This little piece of information probably saved my life one day of that of my dogs! I always let them jump in any water that seam suitable for the application. This kind of small stream just seams to be perfect for a little swimming fun.😱

[@iabervon]

I'm imagining the possibility that you accidentally filmed a completely innocuous creek that just looks exactly like the super-deadly one, and then had to redo the video by the correct waterway.

[@colinfurze]

good job i have my hoverbike, i'll fly over it......then probably crash and slip in it backwards.........dam i need to get better at stuff

[@evangibeau4489]

xD

[@bencarter8324]

haha hey colin!

[@tlico3973]

*Damn

[@maxwellssilverhammer]

+colinfurze I would sure hate to see you in the headlines Furze. That hoverbike is pretty damn genius!

[@mixtermuxter8602]

+colinfurze you could do something underwater next! I don't care what exactly

[@Bgshaw-dq1mg]

I actually remember seeing the ambulances in the car park of bolten abbey back in 2010 when the young boy drowned. Its a vert hazey memory as i was only 5/6 at the time and luckily couldn’t see the poor child but even so its very eerie knowing such a dangerous place is only roughly a 20 minute drive from me

[@fusixnrwicnwiejciwj8925]

Did they manage to get him out of the water?

[@questionsonchristianity8204]

His body was found downstream the day after. Nobody should swim or even paddle in the river wharfe.

[@TheMugwump1]

Someone with too much $$ and no sense needs to send some type of remote LIDAR scanning balls of different buoyancies down that "river" to get an idea of the geometry. Sounds terrifying.

[@NJgamer1505]

They’re like those one block ravines in Minecraft you accidentally fall into and lose all your diamonds

[@tripleo4255]

That's really funny and relatable

[@Alexander-ty9ix]

They're

[@tripleo4255]

@@Alexander-ty9ix Theyr'e*

[@rivaldealer__]

Benjamin Gearig the’yer’yerth’ther’ere

[@dreadfulbadger]

*theryr

[@gepardipoju]

This is literally a half hour drive from me, and I've stood where Tom was many a time. He's right, it does look deceptively tame, mostly because it's so narrow but also because the water is so dark that you can't see the vicious undercurrents that would just pull you under if you fell in.

[@jakejake708]

Toss a chicken or a pig in there.. You know for science 😂

[@toasterhavingabath6980]

@@jakejake708 or, you know, a stick.

[@narcowake]

Why hasn’t the local government placed warning signs or barricades there ?

[@TorrentUK]

After watching this I visited and pushed a number of unsuspecting passers by in. He's right. None of them came back up!

[@garygalt4146]

Great walk from the abbey. I remember honeymoon couple. In 90. Never found. Would always keep the dog on tight lead. Just because

[@worm9407]

Never seen something like this but the way the water swirls at 1:00 is something I HAVE seen. Terrifying looking at it in such an innocent seaming stream

[@natesmodelsdoodles5403]

@Arid very deep river with high-speed currents and aerated water. entering the water means getting sucked straight down and shredded against sharp rocks like an overripe banana in a blender.

[@andyman8630]

@@johnperic6860 swim upwards all you like, but your hands/arms will gain almost zero 'purchase' on the aerated water and down you go like a stone

[@hanreality.7266]

It’s not a stream. It’s one of the biggest rivers In Yorkshire.

[@ride0RgetR0DE0n]

I can't tell if he is young and looks old or is old and looks young

[@SquidCashFilms]

Its called being 40

[@mmabennyj]

No one knows

[@jahninapamintuan1849]

Why do I feel the same

[@DarkenedSilhouette]

Such an original comment

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Young and looks old.

[@tom201090]

Extremely interesting. If I came across that, while walking, I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it. In times passed I've waded across rivers (with caution) etc and probably wouldn't have thought any different of this.

[@perciusmandate]

America: "I will see your Strid, and raise you one electrified canal that is so dangerous that it is the only body of water in the world which the US Coast Guard has officially stated they will not even attempt to rescue anyone who falls in."

[@daerdevvyl4314]

What canal and where?

[@CoBroRl]

@@daerdevvyl4314 it is human made, though. It’s electrified to keep fish populations in another lake steady among other reasons. I think this river is scarier because of the unknown. The electric canal is heavily marked with warning signs and fencing so as to not attract visitors, along with jail time and fines.

[@Case_]

@@daerdevvyl4314 Kyle Hill has a video about it.

[@BirivaMartirizado]

"Local person doesn't die in river." ~Scott, Tom

[@Lee-bv7tj]

I can't confirm, I did not die in this river as a child

[@iamtyler11]

I'm never stepping into an innocent looking narrow river ever again.

[@KitKalvert]

There is something very dark and almost terrifying about this particular river... it really does freak me out

[@scrapheap339]

I've visited Bolton Abbey before and I had a bit of a paddle... In another part of the river, of course. Also the stepping stones are fun on the right day.

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

Wow! This genuinely surprised me. The water looked so calm and tranquil like the half meter deep streams I grew up playing around and swimming in. Its amazing how something with such deadly potential can seem so mundane and well, safe. I would love to see this strid drained and mapped with a 3d scanner so we could see how deep it truly goes and what may have settled to the bottom.

[@jimcook1161]

Even if it were possible Hunts By Chainsaw, it wouldn't be allowed. The Strid and the surrounding Strid Wood are an SSSI (Special Site of Scientific Interest). Don't know if you're in The UK, but SSSI's are the highest legal environmental protections over here.

[@King_Flippy_Nips]

240 feet in some sections, someone used a sonar buoy to map the depth in some sections not long ago

[@Zerbey]

That's why it's killed so many, people think "oh that's not so bad they're exaggerating!". Then they make a deadly mistake.

[@breadandcircus1]

It's about 5 meters deep

[@yodasmomisondrugs7959]

@@breadandcircus1 Plus 60!

[@Pratchettgaiman]

I'm terrified, and I'm all the way in the US

[@kangaxx4396]

+David Lev The land of the braves...

[@TheXNoLimiTatioNx]

+kangaxx No body's brave over here.

[@supercool1312]

+Hal White they are mostly lazy

[@TheXNoLimiTatioNx]

sonicj Polygon Well, we are one of the biggest countries, but we are far from the best. Our government is so messed up.

[@stercola956]

I live nearby, and all my life my parents have been telling me never to jump that gap.

[@bigsidrealprisontalk9173]

This scares the crap out of me

[@WangleLine]

same here

[@nedstarkravingmad1799]

I have been searching for this for years, I remember hearing about this and remembered and wanted to know more. After listening for a bit, I realize this video is where I heard of it! :D

[@Balen-]

Glad you finally found it!

[@19822andy]

Behold! For I am a survivor of the Stride. I jumped across but then slipped on the wet moss. I was sucked underneath. Just as I felt my life fading I floated up into a dark cave. I heard scurrying in the dark and then passed out. As I awoke I saw what I can only describe as "Mole People"" They had made a fire out of wood that sometimes washes into the cave system. Their language was different but eerily recognisable. Their ancestors were humans that had been sucked underneath the Strid. Apparently they were descended from royalty but I found that hard to believe.

[@evilcam]

+19822andy My god. How ever did you get out? Did you harrow the waters again and make it to the surface? Some sort of Mole Person engineered secret passage? Coming down and getting out of that K-hole? We must know.

[@19822andy]

+evilcam Are you mad? If the Mole People had an escape passage they wouldn't be down there. Anyway.....After 3 days I started to miss my family. Plus I wasn't keen on the diet of moss, algae and the occasional trout. I decided I would try and swim out or die trying. I said my goodbyes to the molies. It was a tearful encounter especially with my future Mole wife that I had nicknamed molette. I stood by the raging waters and jumped in. After about 30 seconds I panicked. I was trapped underneath a rocky ledge. The instinct to breathe in got the better of me. I remember everything going dark. The next thing I remember is being naked by the river. For some reason I was surrounded with empty beer cans, salvia smoking paraphernalia and empty druggie bags. It was 3 days later and because of the state the police found me in I was never believed. I hope this ending to my journey satisfies you dear reader.

[@19822andy]

+Mapuia Pachuau What do you mean? Have you been into the molies' cavern underneath the Strid? No you haven't. I have.

[@evilcam]

A harrowing tale, to be sure. You should write it down in a book and publish it. Then school children will all know the dangers of the Stride, but also be intensely curious at the same time.

[@19822andy]

+evilcam To this day I think back and remember Molette. If things were different maybe it could have worked out with her.

[@xXChemikerXx]

hold my beer and give me my swim pants

[@MephLeo]

+Chemiker _extends a pair of red dotted white boxers_

[@boyactress6143]

+Leopoldo Aranha takes sippy cup

[@DKRCecer]

+Theodore King Grats! You just gained a free beer. It's not like you'll ever need to give it back ;)

[@Autotrope]

you're not going to need the pants

[@anarchyantz1564]

Autotrope - He will but only if they are the brown pants.

[@AHeadC]

I remember visiting here as a child, hearing the horror stories of people dragged under.

[@Benjy52]

I used to live around 6 miles away from Bolton Abbey. Thanks for the memories. ☺️

[@sethskullsberg7787]

Mob Boss: "Bloody Christ he's giving away our dumping ground."

[@daniellinklater9478]

Seth Skullsberg I read that as Bob Ross

[@moneyman5037]

Quick Throw him in!

[@koosvanzyl2605]

Bloody Christ???????

[@truthfilter]

they beat the devil out of them before throwing them in

[@jason-ge5nr]

Oh come on! Its just a bunny...

[@timothyclark5900]

But it's got a vicious streak a mile wide!

[@parkourperson28]

+Tommy Bowles And He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!

[@jason-ge5nr]

2 people got it! im giddy

[@timothyclark5900]

Albion Laster :D

[@asphaltb8115]

Monty python's holy grail?

[@JixieDyeAuthor]

Been to Bolton Abbey. I think my mum jumped successfully accross that stretch too. But I never would, and now I am glad.

[@Dr_Callidus_Corvus]

Hey I know that river! I once went picnic there with my 3 sons. Now I have 2 sons.

[@grantcook5376]

Legend has it that the stig was conceived on the banks of the strid .

[@nicom4996]

I see the reference there

[@barbonson_richards]

Some say*

[@revimfadli4666]

Not the overhangs, but the actual banks down there?

[@allie-ontheweb]

And here I thought this video was going to just be a nice little interesting video. But no. 'If you miss that jump, it'll kill you.' 'A deep, boiling mass of fast and deadly currents.' 'Falling in has a 100% fatality rate.' 'A young boy... died trying to jump across.' 'Anyone that falls in... could just get pulverised against the rocks underwater, over and over.' 'A young child drowned, back in 2010.'

[@jacksouthgate4354]

In all fairness the video was called the most dangerous stretch of water in the world

[@allie-ontheweb]

Jack Southgate Yeah, I know. It just sounded so dark. I did enjoy it, though

[@diamondstrings5212]

Fun fact: drowning is a very, very painful death

[@slc679]

Yay

[@jankisi]

Aren't fun facts supposed to be fun?

[@baitedlol6972]

I'd love to know what it looks like without water. How the caves and systems intertwine

[@philo-]

"It looks safe. It looks tempting. And it'll kill you." So the strid is my ex?

[@Mureirsa]

Blake Rhoades why do men always say that that about women and u ain’t see the reverse

[@oskarasplund274]

@@Mureirsa its because women could have a replacement the same night they'd break up. for men its a lot tougher

[@alexbennet4195]

Oskar Asplund: uhhh what?

[@philo-]

@@alexbennet4195 The views of Oskar Asplund(*) do not reflect the views of Blake Rhoades Incorporated

[@glitchinthematrix555]

ジュン潤Kun: うるお.う、 うるお.す、 うる.む tell me how you’ve never seen the reverse. I’ll grab some popcorn.

[@AnsonsLP]

I live about 5 miles from here. Bolton Abbey is a really nice looking place but in primary school, I was told about this place and to never cross that strid.

[@willwhite5848]

My GF and I are locals, it is very dangerous. Didn't stop my GF's year 3 primary school teacher taking her and her class mates to Strid Woods and, one by one, dangling each child over the edge of the bank by their hands so they could get closer looks at the water. True story, apparently.

[@tomthumb1322]

The kings of Scotland just can't catch a break, can they?

[@jakestockton4808]

There's a river like this in northern California (Consumes River). It's not as deadly, but it has similar features. The spinning currents pick up cobblestones and grind out large round holes through the rocks. If you fall in, you get pulled into one of those holes and can never escape. Fortunately, in the summer, the water level is much lower, so it's swimmable for half the year. It also makes the tunnels visible, so you can get an idea of just how deadly it can be when it's full of water.

[@onlinemoneymonkey9097]

Of all the "most dangerous places to swim" videos I've seen, Bolton Strid tops the list and this video explains why.

[@Unhingedjabroni]

I love how far back the history goes in the uk everything has a story to it.

[@MrMoriarty100]

I visited the place a few years ago and was so tempted to jump over it. Very glad I resisted that temptation.

[@bartram33]

I've been there and stood on the edge of that small waterfall and believe me you do get the urge to jump, it looks so easy, but then a massive gloop ( trapped air )comes up from the depths and you realise just how dangerous it really is. The depth of the water by the falls is 30 feet apparently.

[@PrincessOzaline]

It's like an actual siren call.

[@Dr.HooWho]

I dont get the urge to jump, I get the urge to stay far and close to flat ground

[@bartram33]

@@Dr.HooWho Good point😊

[@trentontuttle3250]

Another youtuber measured it w sonar and it is deeper than 200’

[@walthanas]

Some guy on YT took a sonar probe to it and it was 65m (~220ft) deep in some places!

[@MicroBlogganism]

And now I know where to dump a body, should I ever need to. Thanks Tom!

[@MIQofDMC]

+MicroBlogganism Too much work. Bring the sucker "camping" there.

[@yaseen157]

+MIQofDMC even better, challenge them to jump over the water, and push them when they're on the edge

[@chriscox3458]

About an hour ago I told someone how much I hate water. KZbin heard me expressing my fears and decided this video was just what I needed.

[@chloewebb94]

The Ichetucknee river in Florida is a perfect example of a river looking perfectly safe. It flows from a spring at 2-3 miles per hour.. seems ok. Well... I have personally been swept off the platform and could not get back on because of the weight of the current. I just hung on like a flag in the wind until I could get help. There are no personnel there to help or keep watch for anyone in danger. There are a few near drownings every year.