The year is nearly over! Let's do something fun and post the name and link to your favorite story of mine from 2024 as a new comment and tell me why you chose it. I'll respond to as many as I can and rotate my favorites as pinned comments. Put 2024 in the comment so I can find as many as possible. Edit: I can only pin new comments, not replies to this one. 🙏
Who else wants a move made about MrBallen, and his life journey from teen trouble maker, to navy seal, to global TH-cam SENSATION!! Throat punch the like button if you agree.
Of all the daredevil stunts one can do, wedging yourself into a completely unknown crawlspace is the most insane to me. It has to be some sort of compulsive madness.
Yeah, imagine not finding your way back or dropping your flashlight or getting stuck? Panic and anxiety will definitely set in and may lead to a heart attack, or you will lose your mind as your air is running out, knowing your gonna die. It would be very traumatic. Even the thought can cause stress.
Ah, yes. My weekly reminder to not touch anything, not talk to anyone, and to stay in the house with my cellphone fully charged and tied around my wrist.
That is really good deal :D I was in caves before, but only those safe for public, and only on the safe routs. It was great experience and I would be happy to go to those caves again, but...only walking on a tourist route. There are many tunnels walking away from tourist rout, would never go inside one of them. Probably the most dangerous thing I ever did was walking inside abandoned buildings - although they were stable, not falling apart, at least not the major parts of the structure.
The frustration of thinking....if he was a dead man anyway, why didn't they proceed with the rope pull? Even if it cracked some bones or caused RIP. :(
This was a hard one for me to watch. I used to do a lot of exploring of tunnels and caves when I was a teenager then I was buried alive by a land slide. If it was not for my dog digging down enough to expose my head so I could breath I would have died, then my brother found me about an hour later and dug me the rest of the way out. Now I am very claustrophobic and get anxious when I hear stories like this one.
Omg that is crazy & super scary...and here I am severely claustrophobic from getting stuck in an elevator as a kid. I adore dogs, & your story is just another reason to why I love them so much❤❤❤
Currently sitting in the hospital with my mom while they treat her COPD & she instantly felt better when I told her Mrballen dropped a new video, glad we have the strange dark & mysterious to pass the time.
Hope your mom gets to feeling better .My step dad has been in the hospital for almost a month now with COPD and here I sit smoking 😮😮😮😮 Merry Christmas to you and your mom😊😊
Anyone else notice how much the quality has improved? Audio, visual, and green screen. Idk it just seems like it’s gotten so much clearer :) thanks for any upgrades you’ve done !
@@thirdmonkeyent_llc well even with his entire team he used to film on his iphone and recently mentioned he did in a live stream so I think he may have changed it since the quality got better :)
@@MohamadhoseinSabzevari omg I noticed it in the last video too !!! I didn’t see your comment tho, so I’m sorry I missed it 😭 I’m so happy to see that we notice the little things 😂
Me too! It’s making me feel like I’m in clothes that are too tight. I’m sick right now so it’s already hard to breathe, so that’s adding to stress and I’m not even in the cave.
He did a similar spelunking story like this before and I have the same feeling watching this, pure gut-wrenching anxiety 😂 Nothing like sending your brain into primordial fear for fun
Wishing everyone here including Mr Ballen a merry christmas. Thanks again Mr Ballen for your amazing story telling. This cave exploration story let's me know there are some exploration or curiousity that is not worth losing your life for. Tragically he finally had a cave named after him but posthumously.
It takes Mr ballen to tell you that,😂 I'm sorry not being a smart kunt, I just over think everything 😂, here is me lol just jokeing,you last year what's stupid mean?,this year found Mr ballen,ohhhhh STUPID people ohhhhh 😂😂😂
Refering to his nickname it's Mr.B, but that's basically a result of him using his full name on (i think it was) TikTok, where he could not separate it. John B. Allen. John Ballen. People just started thinking his last name was Ballen and wrote emails to him, calling him Mr. Ballen. I love this kind of backlore lol.
@Yamyatos I been a fan for meany years,can't tell you how long but years, I'm calling him Mr ballen,don't give a fuxk what you new Gen call him but fuxk off and cry to daddy, git a problem you know where to find me
I usually get bored with other storytellers because they drag things out or overhype, but you strike the perfect balance. You get right to the point while still including all the important details, and your videos are never clickbait. They always deliver exactly what you promise. Your storytelling skills and wording are so engaging; no one does it better!
True. So many content creators take a meandering, 'natural' approach, as if chatting to a friend. I too get bored with them. Mr Ballon is so professional and enjoyable.
I concur. But I do want to say - He is very good at gesticulating, too. Observe how he uses his hands etc. Not to take anything away from him, he's a GREAT storyteller.
Eric Moss is an angel for caring more about lives than his son's former body. All too many parents are willing, even eager to let people risk their lives for a dead form. RIP to his son. Please don't risk your life, people. Please just don't. There are ways to get adrenaline without taking huge risks. Remember Moss Chamber.
This. Having people risk their lives to rescue the dead body of a person who knew what they were getting into is just, sorry to say.. but stupid. Especially if it's ironic like this. I dont mean to be rude, but i mean.. he is buried underground and people are supposed to risk their lives to get him out there, just so he can be buried underground somewhere else? Ridiculous. Cave exploration and cave diving are so stupid hobbies to have. I get the thrill of wanting to explore something unknown, but risking your life is just not worth it. Intuitively i think cave diving is more dangerous, but i feel like cave explorers think the same and just make up for it by doing even riskier stuff...
The main issues I found were going to the pro’s and listening to their ego’s. One has pictures of a toddler in the cave I nearly died in with my brother. Saying that I’ve been since but use my own common sense and take proper safety precautions. Pridhamsleigh Cavern. Hmmmm… need to go back.
It's not a picture of the real tunnel. It's just for illustration purposes. Do you know how TH-cam videos (and other videos) are made? This is not a documentary. Paper Brain. American maybe?
As a kid growing up in Appalachia,i had no shortage of caves to explore and i went through them all...ive been in places so tight that i had to suck my gut in to squeeze through. Had I known about stories like this,i never would've went anywhere near those things
Even if you hadn't known about these kind of stories, had it never occured to you that you might get stuck? Like how come it isn't the first thing that comes to your mind? No offense, genuinely curious.
Rest in peace. Thats a mindset I cant even begin to comprehend. Finding an unexplored hole barely big enough fit in, climbing in, and then continuing to descend when it becomes even tighter is a legitimately terrifying thought. The walls were closing in on me as I was listening to this.
The thing I love about Mr. Ballen's storytelling is that you are not even consciously aware you are being told a story. It's like you are actually there and it is happening to you. That is a rare quality.
I agree. Mr. Ballen is the best that I have listened to. Each episode takes us on a different journey. I began listening to him when he first started posting and was hooked immediately. Now I am a long time top fan. 🩷🩷🩷😊
As a father, I know that his dad must've been crushed just sitting there knowing his son is alive but will be dying and not being able to just hug his son when he felt alone and trapped. Ugh I can't think of anything worse
Dude this whole story has me nauseated. I’m so claustrophobic I’m struggling just to listen without hyperventilating, but your storytelling is so enthralling, I can’t stop. Thanks for inspiring my nightmares. Love the channel.
As a firefighter I’m not claustrophobic, but doing something like this would be a huge no from me Just to clarify I would go in to attempt a co-ordinated rescue, but cave diving in general absolutely not,
I was a tank driver and inside of the tank is really claustrophobic and I am 6'0 and I was 230 at the time and even then I would be like "nah I'm good"
One of the things about caves is simply air to breathe. The last rescuer who put rope around Neil's shoulders ... why could he not fix the oxygen mask to his face?
Some of the hardest Mr. Ballen stories ive ever listened to involve caves, or divers.....or both. Absolutely terrifying, and horribly sad. Such an awedful, and lonely way to go.
My dad died a week before xmas so this is a very rough time of year for me. Distractions are how I get through. Thanks MrB I really needed this right about now. ❤
My Dad died tragically right before Christmas in 2011. I was devastated. Now it seems that the holidays only being grief and sadness for me. So I know exactly how you feel. Distraction and my faith are what gets me thru. Plus, I know Daddy is always with his little girl
Reading so many comments from people who are struggling with bereavement at this time of year, please know you have my heartfelt condolences and love as a bereaved parent (12 years on from the loss of our 9-year-old daughter to acute myeloid leukaemia) and having lost my father to Covid in 2020 on 28 December (he was also a US Army veteran). May we all get through this holiday with as much peace as possible. Thank you, Mr Ballen, for your stories which help so many who are bereaved in their time of struggle.
@@alliterationUK My condolences on the loss of your father and daughter. My mother past on Dec. 11, 2019 right before the pandemic. I miss her so much and I'm trying my best not to go headlong into depression. All I can do is ask God to help me through it and I pray that you put your broken heart into his care and he'll mend your heart. Thank you Lord Jesus for blessing us all with another day so that we may show love to others in their time of need. It's in your name I pray, Amen
Hadn't heard this particular cave disaster before, damn, this was a hard one to watch. Forget serial killers, cannibals, or other gory stuff, claustrophobic tunnels where you're stuck for hours and the only thing you can do is just slowly suffocate until you die, that scares me more than anything else.
Or worse, if he had oxygen but simply had to wait for a long death. An absolute tragedy. Every adventure like that should be thought through as if it were only one person doing the cave exploring, because as in Neil's situation, it all depended on him to extricate himself. And it all depended on him to make judgements about the limits of a difficult exploration.
Mr.Ballen, this story has got to be the most terrifying for me and I believe my favorite of 2024. I had such anxiety that I had to stop and take a break 3 differant times because my chest was hurting from the anxiety. You are an excellent story teller. My family loves you so much. My sister was able to get your book last week! What a treat!! Merry Christmas Mr. Ballen and Happy New Year 🌟🫶🌟
Excellent video! A friend of mine goes caving and ive been in a few baby level caves with him as im partially disabled. Im talking you can walk through and maybe duck or climb over a small boulder from time to time. Even so we get the same talk every time. One of the most important rules. If you don't know where a cave goes NEVER EVER force yourself through a squeeze. Theres no garentee i get out
Mrballen is a hero when I was at a show in Medford, Massachusetts people were telling me how he has changed their lives. Some said he helped them get and stay clean and sober. Some say they helped him through their depression and for me, he helped the stress of being a single mother much easier and gives us all something to look forward to at the end of the week. We love you MrBallen . Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I'm sorry Mr. ballin but I could not finish this episode..I began feeling a tightness in my chest and I was beginning to drown in anxiety just listening to this story..this is literally my worst nightmare..on a different note: Merry Christmas to you and your family..may you all have a safe holiday
It's crazy that so many caving disasters are not about something going suddenly wrong, but people deliberately go into places where getting out has a smaller chance than getting stuck. Forcing himself to an unknown cave to the point he doesn't realize he can't move his arms up, rocks falling? After the turn his chances to survive were 0%.
22:12 Love The way John gets emotional Man i really just want to hug him everytime i hear him about to break down🫂🫂🫂🥹🥹🥹 John,you're an absolute Angel, Lysm and God bless you Brother❤️❤️❤️🥲🥲🥲
John thank you for your 😮storytelling. At 71 years old it's heartbreaking that families no longer participate in making sure they pass on the stories to new generations. There were 12 in our family and my dad was a master storyteller. It didn't matter if it was scary, sad or funny. We would all be on the edge of our seats not taking our eyes off him till the story was over. Such rich information and stories of where we all came from etc. So as someone who knows a good story teller imagine how thrilled I was to find you. As long as you’re around the rest of us can go back in time when this was something all families do. I hope you realize the impact this has for people like me to just for a moment travel back to that time I sat on my dad’s lap soaking in every word. It’s a precious gift you give and I wanted to thank you personally. 😊
I absolutely cannot fathom how anyone could willingly enter into some small, confined underground "mystery" tunnel & then voluntarily subject themselves to the extremely high likelihood of complete entrapment. For me, that's a torture worse than death! Sometimes, I'm simply amazed by the lengths to which people will go for the mere possibility of (even minimal) notoriety. 🤦♀SMH
People don't know the limits of their mortality until they push the bounds to the very edge. People have survived close to this, but unfortunately in this case, Neil went past his limit.
I believe it is exactly that. These challenges make you feel like you are alive and remind you of your morality. That feeling also really appeals to me. Tho I am not that extreme and prefer just to walk through wild nature, instead of claustrophobic stuff like this. XD @erayburn6354 @@ibm30rpg
I love all the stories I have heard, so it is hard to choose just one. "Never Ignore Native Wisdom" is one of my favorite stories. I listen to you on my way to work and on the way home. It makes the ride more enjoyable, especially when there's traffic on the way home. I hope to see you live if you do another tour. Happy New Year! 🖤😊
Same, my anxiety was raised listening to this story and imagining what it would be like if I was in Neil’s position. I couldn’t handle the climbing down and the idea of trying to squeeze and force my body down this tunnel is too scary for me.
All of us folks from different places and backgrounds, with sad stories or happy stories, all united together by the strange, dark, and mysterious. Thank you, MrBallen, for all you do for this storytime family you have inherited. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!!
What a devastating decision to have to make as a father. As a person in general, really. Another wonderful and respectful telling of someone’s last moments, Mr. Ballen! Always a pleasure hearing a tale from you.
What I wonder about most is the perspective and thought process of the father when he was letting his son crawl into the tight space. I am not a father, just an uncle and I do acknowledge that being overprotective at all times is a bad idea. But how does would I live with the burden that I let my family risk so much without putting a stop to it, or maybe even encourage it? I don’t want to be insensitive to someone who clearly has indured a painful loss. With that said, how isn’t it the father’s responsibility?
I've been caving in Peak Cavern. They didn't tell us about this entombed body of Neil before we went! We went into some really tight tunnels as well. Poor guy. Just when you think caving couldn't get any scarier, MrBallen pulls another caving tragedy from his hat.
when i was younger, i used to sleep in my parents room. each time i did, they would play either a childrens show, or, since i really liked history/horror/stuff of that nature, my dad used to put on mrballen. instantly fell in love. around 3 years ago, i FINALLY found his channel. i dont remember when i subscribed, but i know ive been a fan since mrballen's starting. i dont watch him often nowadays, since he rarely comes up on my fyp, but i still remember those days when id watch videos of car accidents, and mrballen with my dad. me and him dont really talk anymore.
I try not to be so harsh. Remember, this happened in 1959, long before accident/incident reports were widely published. I took up skydiving in the early 80s. Our sport parachute club required us to join the United States Parachute Association. The accident/incident reports in thei publication was instrumental in saving lives. I assume that might be the case with spelunking and other potentially hazardous sports. @aldiirsanmajid4235
@@aldiirsanmajid4235it is pretty funny how whenever someone dies people say how amazing they were, how kind they were to everyone, etc. I’m like there’s no way that’s true😅 most people are dumb and/or assholes
@@aldiirsanmajid4235 he was just doing what he did. You can't blame him for that. He did tight tunnels a thousand times and it worked out. I'm sure he didn't go into this thinking it would be his last. You don't have to be so harsh and judgmental.
I live 3km from where this happened in Castleton, High Peak. Tragic. Can never understand how people can enjoy being constricted underground in the dark. Its my worst nightmare!! 😫 RIP Neil. ❤ Eric was a real one for doing that too. 👏
2024 I just started listening to you in November and I have listened to Every. Single. Episode. And some of the podcast exclusives as well! I'm generally not a fan of scary stories, but your mix of strange, dark, and mysterious has me hooked. I'm a professional reader. I read for churches, and I read for the blind. Most people are not good readers (let alone storytellers), especially when they read aloud, because they don't understand delivery. You've got it down. Thanks for raising the bar.
@Paradigm-change Yes it was absolutely heartbreaking. I kept thinking of my sons and I can’t even begin to imagine how I would feel had it been one of them and I had to make such a gut wrenching decision. I just can’t even put myself in his father’s shoes… The pain he must’ve endured and carried for the rest of his life is just unimaginable.
I feel like people who look at holes in the ground and decide to go inside them, and especially ones who don’t go back out once they realize it’s getting smaller and tighter, and they’re having to contort their bodies to get through are highly lacking in intelligence and common sense. Because of one man’s foolish decision, all those other people risked THEIR lives and could have died because of him. It’s sad that he died, but he really should have known better.
I think the same... the hole was getting smaller and smaller and the guy just kept squeezing himself further down... sorry my friend you brought that to yourself...
He does have a good voice. I like the content of Mr. Ballen's main channel and his medical mysteries podcast better though. I gave Run Fool a try and it was too hard to believe the story.
@k.elysium6819 the stories are not real. They are told as if they happened for real but it's all folklore tales, monsters, haunted things. Like wendigos, spirits etc You're not supposed to believe I'm them.
@jet__girl I know they're not real, I'm just saying, I don't like that style. The reason my post was a bit ambivalent was because I've only heard one or two, so didn't know if there were other ones that were more real sounding. I like stories that are either true, or impossible to explain. Mr Ballen does a great job with his paranormal themed stories, because he doesn't tell them in a way that shows he believes there is no logical explanation, rather, he dubs them "unexplainable" and moves on.
@@ibm30rpg You forgot the part where they were able to wind a rope around his chest in the same space that's supposedly to narrow to put a mask on his face then..
making me choose a best mrballen story of 2024 isn’t fair, because every week i’m excited to see the new episode. i guess my favorite event was getting your graphic novel. love your stories man, keep up the good work!
Yeah, that one was terrible. I don't often think back on stories but that one stuck with me. Off topic, but one of the most brutal shark attacks that still haunts me at least a few times a month is Vladimir Popov. There is video footage of the attack off the coast of Egypt I believe.
No one else is getting nauseated listening to this story? Im only at 7:17 idk if i can keep going. Small spaces are very hard for me. On the other hand i love Mr. Ballen!
Just discovered this channel through “dairy of a CEO”. I have a lot of binge watching to do. Combining tragedy, heroism of rescuers, and the reality that sets in with the outcome. I’ll be checking out the podcasts too. 👍👍
4:00 - Wallow in Self Pity 4:30 - Stare Into The Abyss 5:00 - Solver World Hunger. Tell No One! 5:30 - Jazzercise 6:30 - Dinner With Me (I can't cancel that again!) 7:00 - Wrestle With My Self Loathing 8:00 - Watch Mr. Ballen I'm Booked!
I only recently found this channel and I've been binging your videos everyday for the past two weeks. You and Mr. Nightmare are the best story tellers on here.
At 9:47 I’m going dude just go back up! Like there is no morphine, no tranqs to help you as you leave this world. Nothing but absolute isolation & horrific terror.
Thats the EXACT same thing I was thinking. Common sense. Don't go into spaces smaller than your body. Nothing wrong with caving, but you HAVE to do it with logic and sense. Spelunking and cave diving are actually safe if all rules are followed and basic sense used, but we hear about deaths due to the fact that those things aren't done.
Mr. Ballen, my thought, before you mentioned breaking his collarbone, was they'd have to dislocate his shoulders. Visions of Riggs, from "Lethal Weapon" flashed through my mind.
"It's all we do" and "we upload once a week" hits the logic side of the mind hard after binging your older videos where it was 4 sometimes even 5 times a week 😂 But it just makes the new releases that much better 🔥❤️
They get an adrenaline rush out of it. The thrill of the unknown, and ultimately the idea of a death like this. They get closer and closer to it, squeezing in tighter and tighter as they gain experience in different cave systems until eventually it happens. They need to be rescued and most do, but not always. The peak of adrenaline, near death. It’s an addiction and you can find it everywhere. Skydiving, Scuba diving, cave exploration, the isle of man tt, mountain climbing, skyscraper climbing, there’s literally human beings right now addicted to playing Russian Roulette. I feel sympathy for them but at the end of the day you did it to yourself. It’s elegant suicide.
It used to be my absolute dream to find a cave, cave system or chamber of a known cave that was entirely undiscovered/unexplored. My immediate geographic vicinity doesn't have the right kind of topography though, but probably 30-40 miles north of where I live is pretty heavy karst. I also kind of dreamed of finding undiscovered cave paintings, ancient/native artifacts and/or perhaps a cave where someone had stashed some guns and supplies like 100+ years earlier. The reason I was stuck on the idea of finding guns was because someone discovered a Civil War gun cache just a little to the north of where I live. Kind of off-topic but all of that to say, I've always kind of wanted to be a spelunker - while avoiding death/deadly situations as much as possible.
They could have attached an air hose and dropped it down there to pump oxygen closer to Neil. They could also have poured grease down the hole to make it slick. Instead of a rope around Neil which would have applied too much pressure around his lungs; they could have used something thicker like a weight lifting belt to spread the pressure. Could have tried a lot of other things.
I’m actually having trouble finishing this one. Watched _a lot_ of other cave videos, all MrBs prior one’s, and this one’s just really spiking my anxiety.
I had no choice but to click MrBallen its like you have this effect on people and you truly are the only storyteller i can ever remember myself intrigued by the way you express emotion through detail, and accentuating your movement to make point of empathy towards the people you discuss and the horrible thing they went through. Were just lucky to have you man and these victims families are lucky you around to share their true TRUE story.
Didn't even know this video was up. My 3 year old ran up to me, saying Ballen, and handed me my phone. Maybe he'll be a fan of the strange dark and mysterious.
@ 6:56 all I could say is "NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!" If I was him it would be at that point I'm shimmering my big ass back up that ladder as quick as possible. Coward? Maybe, Stupid? Absolutely not. 😂
This one has me in tears the second he mentioned Neils Dad. It's heartbreaking what must've been going on in him through this. Was really hoping for a different ending but real life isn't as simple. 🥺
The year is nearly over! Let's do something fun and post the name and link to your favorite story of mine from 2024 as a new comment and tell me why you chose it. I'll respond to as many as I can and rotate my favorites as pinned comments. Put 2024 in the comment so I can find as many as possible.
Edit: I can only pin new comments, not replies to this one. 🙏
th-cam.com/video/RZA7BqNO-YU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ISQMp-DjuUAYI6Kg
Bells Canyon is probably my all time favourite. I've listened to it several times and it still gives me chills.
Do you know the way to Bells Canyon..... 😂❤
All of them
Who else wants a move made about MrBallen, and his life journey from teen trouble maker, to navy seal, to global TH-cam SENSATION!!
Throat punch the like button if you agree.
Of all the daredevil stunts one can do, wedging yourself into a completely unknown crawlspace is the most insane to me. It has to be some sort of compulsive madness.
See, now we can use cameras to look first into places like this. To me, that would be the most sensible first step to exploring such places.
Yeah, imagine not finding your way back or dropping your flashlight or getting stuck? Panic and anxiety will definitely set in and may lead to a heart attack, or you will lose your mind as your air is running out, knowing your gonna die. It would be very traumatic. Even the thought can cause stress.
@@gabriellashimone6546
That's what I say. Put a swimming drone in there first
Thank you! I said similar, it's just so difficult for others to understand why you would do such a thing?
@@gabriellashimone6546yeah well there weren’t really good tiny cameras. I believe now we have tiny cameras.
Mr. Ballen is basically my weekly reminder of how precious life is and why we shouldn’t push past the thin border between adventure and stupidity.
Dropped the mic ❤
Ah, yes. My weekly reminder to not touch anything, not talk to anyone, and to stay in the house with my cellphone fully charged and tied around my wrist.
Adventure and Stupidity is mixed but I loved to lives that kind of life...
And never leave the house lol
So much pure stupidity going around 😮
I got a deal with caves. I remain away from them, and they do not kill me.
That is really good deal :D I was in caves before, but only those safe for public, and only on the safe routs. It was great experience and I would be happy to go to those caves again, but...only walking on a tourist route. There are many tunnels walking away from tourist rout, would never go inside one of them. Probably the most dangerous thing I ever did was walking inside abandoned buildings - although they were stable, not falling apart, at least not the major parts of the structure.
*sinkhole opens under house* “DANG YOUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
Excellent arrangement 🤣
I can't believe you're leaving normal comments with what's linked in your bio. 😅😅😅😂
😂😂
These cave stories are the hardest for me to get through. The wincing intensified with each passing minute.
@@budgiebirdy I start to have difficulty breathing
@@KittyKat1Me too 😰
The frustration of thinking....if he was a dead man anyway, why didn't they proceed with the rope pull? Even if it cracked some bones or caused RIP. :(
don't worry, it's hard for them to get through, too. lmao
I’m 12 minutes in and have paused it 6 times already. Not sure I’ll be able to finish this one
Poor Neil. I can never understand the thrill one gets from putting oneself in such a situation.
Adrenaline is a hell of a drug ( paraphrasing)
Same. I truly don’t understand
Thankful I'm too chubby
I get nauseated just listening to these stories sometimes 😭
This is why women live longer than men.
This was a hard one for me to watch. I used to do a lot of exploring of tunnels and caves when I was a teenager then I was buried alive by a land slide. If it was not for my dog digging down enough to expose my head so I could breath I would have died, then my brother found me about an hour later and dug me the rest of the way out. Now I am very claustrophobic and get anxious when I hear stories like this one.
Omg that is crazy & super scary...and here I am severely claustrophobic from getting stuck in an elevator as a kid.
I adore dogs, & your story is just another reason to why I love them so much❤❤❤
Lesson learned. Good dog.
Is anyone else thinking this needs to be a Mr. Ballen episode. What a cool story!
I just read this and now I'm gonna pause the video and go give my dog a hug
O.M.G this is my worst fear being burried alive. Dogs are amazing😭❤️
Currently sitting in the hospital with my mom while they treat her COPD & she instantly felt better when I told her Mrballen dropped a new video, glad we have the strange dark & mysterious to pass the time.
Oh man I am so sorry-I hope she gets better quickly
Praying for your mom ♥️ my mom had COPD too & it can get really rough
🥰
Tell your mom I hope she feels better and gets to listen to the next video with you at home. Be well.🙏
Hope your mom gets to feeling better .My step dad has been in the hospital for almost a month now with COPD and here I sit smoking 😮😮😮😮 Merry Christmas to you and your mom😊😊
Anyone else notice how much the quality has improved? Audio, visual, and green screen. Idk it just seems like it’s gotten so much clearer :) thanks for any upgrades you’ve done !
@@cassykissess yes honey
Me 😂♥️
@@cassykissess Actually I was the first one to notice and I also commented on his previous video about the quality
😎🤣
Yeah. Because he's actually an entire company now with a team haha
@@thirdmonkeyent_llc well even with his entire team he used to film on his iphone and recently mentioned he did in a live stream so I think he may have changed it since the quality got better :)
@@MohamadhoseinSabzevari omg I noticed it in the last video too !!! I didn’t see your comment tho, so I’m sorry I missed it 😭 I’m so happy to see that we notice the little things 😂
There is absolutely no way in hell I would EVER go into a cave. That poor young man’s death is horrific. RIP
You Crack ne up with the like button sayings😂😅
My caving experience is limited to Mammoth Cave.
From one Holly to another… NEVER go into a man cave! It’s nothing but dirty dishes, stinky socks, and electronic trip wires.
@@hollyperrin7353 yup that’s prolly a death sentence too 🤪🤣😳
@@pioneercynthia1Me too! A Kentucky 5th Grade traditional field trip 😂
Big Props to the father saving anyone else from potentially being killed.
"Todays story is a claustrophobic nightmare" - me knowing I'm going to get anxiety - "Let's do this" ▶️
SAME, I can't breathe listening to this...
Me too! It’s making me feel like I’m in clothes that are too tight. I’m sick right now so it’s already hard to breathe, so that’s adding to stress and I’m not even in the cave.
I thought it was just me.
Me too 😬
He did a similar spelunking story like this before and I have the same feeling watching this, pure gut-wrenching anxiety 😂 Nothing like sending your brain into primordial fear for fun
Wishing everyone here including Mr Ballen a merry christmas. Thanks again Mr Ballen for your amazing story telling. This cave exploration story let's me know there are some exploration or curiousity that is not worth losing your life for. Tragically he finally had a cave named after him but posthumously.
Merry Christmas
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! 🎄🤍🕊️
@@magicman9321 thanks same to you.
@@CheesyFrog merry christmas to you too.
Merry Christmas
I have Nutty Putty Cave flashbacks as you're telling this story. My stomach feels twisty, and my face is contorting into various expressions of oh no.
agreed
I also thought about Nutty Putty.
When did you go there?
Yeah Nutty Putty cave is synonymous with claustrophobia to me. Also the first story that made me feel claustrophobic.
I lived in Fairfield and we used to go to the Nutty Putty’s and all the old mines out there all the time when I was young. No way I could do it now
Mr. Ballen always reminds me that not doing stupid stuff is generally the best way to stay alive.
Thanks, Mr. B. 🙌
It takes Mr ballen to tell you that,😂 I'm sorry not being a smart kunt, I just over think everything 😂, here is me lol just jokeing,you last year what's stupid mean?,this year found Mr ballen,ohhhhh STUPID people ohhhhh 😂😂😂
Very sad story.i hope next year mr.ballen tell da story of mysterious drone in new jersey😅😅😅
@@ericbernardo9161 jersey devil lol 😆 wait,I'm wrong so very wrong thats lost tapes
Refering to his nickname it's Mr.B, but that's basically a result of him using his full name on (i think it was) TikTok, where he could not separate it. John B. Allen. John Ballen. People just started thinking his last name was Ballen and wrote emails to him, calling him Mr. Ballen. I love this kind of backlore lol.
@Yamyatos I been a fan for meany years,can't tell you how long but years, I'm calling him Mr ballen,don't give a fuxk what you new Gen call him but fuxk off and cry to daddy, git a problem you know where to find me
I usually get bored with other storytellers because they drag things out or overhype, but you strike the perfect balance. You get right to the point while still including all the important details, and your videos are never clickbait. They always deliver exactly what you promise. Your storytelling skills and wording are so engaging; no one does it better!
True. So many content creators take a meandering, 'natural' approach, as if chatting to a friend. I too get bored with them. Mr Ballon is so professional and enjoyable.
I concur. But I do want to say - He is very good at gesticulating, too. Observe how he uses his hands etc.
Not to take anything away from him, he's a GREAT storyteller.
Young, reckless, overconfident, desperate to seek glory and prestige and a cave. What could possibly go wrong?
Eric Moss is an angel for caring more about lives than his son's former body. All too many parents are willing, even eager to let people risk their lives for a dead form.
RIP to his son. Please don't risk your life, people. Please just don't. There are ways to get adrenaline without taking huge risks. Remember Moss Chamber.
Spoiler ☹️
This. Having people risk their lives to rescue the dead body of a person who knew what they were getting into is just, sorry to say.. but stupid. Especially if it's ironic like this. I dont mean to be rude, but i mean.. he is buried underground and people are supposed to risk their lives to get him out there, just so he can be buried underground somewhere else? Ridiculous.
Cave exploration and cave diving are so stupid hobbies to have. I get the thrill of wanting to explore something unknown, but risking your life is just not worth it. Intuitively i think cave diving is more dangerous, but i feel like cave explorers think the same and just make up for it by doing even riskier stuff...
The main issues I found were going to the pro’s and listening to their ego’s. One has pictures of a toddler in the cave I nearly died in with my brother. Saying that I’ve been since but use my own common sense and take proper safety precautions. Pridhamsleigh Cavern.
Hmmmm… need to go back.
@@k.elysium6819then don’t read the comments before watching the video.
Or Nutty Putty Caves
Dude one look at the tunnel and I already knew that this was gonna be one of the toughest MrBallen eps to go through
One look and I decided I'm NOT watching this one!
Absolutely
Yep I’m at work trying not to cry ffs
It's not a picture of the real tunnel. It's just for illustration purposes. Do you know how TH-cam videos (and other videos) are made? This is not a documentary. Paper Brain. American maybe?
I'm not claustrophobic, but this nearly threw me into a panic attack
As a kid growing up in Appalachia,i had no shortage of caves to explore and i went through them all...ive been in places so tight that i had to suck my gut in to squeeze through. Had I known about stories like this,i never would've went anywhere near those things
well, i glad u didn't get stuck or smtg
I'm glad you didn't learn the same way Neil did! Hopefully, you're being more careful these days!
@@drake6sermos665 absolutely! I seriously doubt that I'd even go in a cave period these days,I can't imagine a more terrifying fate
My Mom is Appalachian and she wouldn't even jump off the trestle into the water with her brothers 😂
Even if you hadn't known about these kind of stories, had it never occured to you that you might get stuck? Like how come it isn't the first thing that comes to your mind? No offense, genuinely curious.
Rest in peace. Thats a mindset I cant even begin to comprehend. Finding an unexplored hole barely big enough fit in, climbing in, and then continuing to descend when it becomes even tighter is a legitimately terrifying thought. The walls were closing in on me as I was listening to this.
Everyone gangster til the strange dark and mysterious is delivered in story format
🏆
😂😂😂
The thing I love about Mr. Ballen's storytelling is that you are not even consciously aware you are being told a story. It's like you are actually there and it is happening to you. That is a rare quality.
That is a excellent way to describe Mr. Ballens story telling. You really do feel like it is happening to you and you are there
Ikr its crazy
I agree. Mr. Ballen is the best that I have listened to. Each episode takes us on a different journey. I began listening to him when he first started posting and was hooked immediately. Now I am a long time top fan. 🩷🩷🩷😊
I disagree, he just sounds like a very good story teller.
For me, more of a campfire type story telling, if that makes sense
As a father, I know that his dad must've been crushed just sitting there knowing his son is alive but will be dying and not being able to just hug his son when he felt alone and trapped. Ugh I can't think of anything worse
I'm a mother of a little boy and this made me cry xx
and that is why this kind of thing is super selfish with no reason or gain only dumb
Dude this whole story has me nauseated. I’m so claustrophobic I’m struggling just to listen without hyperventilating, but your storytelling is so enthralling, I can’t stop. Thanks for inspiring my nightmares. Love the channel.
As a firefighter I’m not claustrophobic, but doing something like this would be a huge no from me
Just to clarify I would go in to attempt a co-ordinated rescue, but cave diving in general absolutely not,
You’re a hero anyway for being willing to save lives ❤
Yeah this would be a "Sorry, you gonna die, son" from me. Not a firefighter.
Hey firefighter, do you know Bigfoot stories?
I was a tank driver and inside of the tank is really claustrophobic and I am 6'0 and I was 230 at the time and even then I would be like "nah I'm good"
One of the things about caves is simply air to breathe. The last rescuer who put rope around Neil's shoulders ... why could he not fix the oxygen mask to his face?
Oh how sad that poor young man and how thoughtful and brave of his father to stop anyone else risking their life trying to retrieve his sons body.
Some of the hardest Mr. Ballen stories ive ever listened to involve caves, or divers.....or both. Absolutely terrifying, and horribly sad. Such an awedful, and lonely way to go.
I got it when you said, “ amateur explorers!” Nothing good can come after that description! 😮
My dad died a week before xmas so this is a very rough time of year for me. Distractions are how I get through. Thanks MrB I really needed this right about now. ❤
I’m sorry for your loss
Sorry for your loss☹️
God bless
My Dad died tragically right before Christmas in 2011. I was devastated. Now it seems that the holidays only being grief and sadness for me. So I know exactly how you feel. Distraction and my faith are what gets me thru. Plus, I know Daddy is always with his little girl
Sorry for your loss. I lost my dad in December too. It's a difficult time for some.
Reading so many comments from people who are struggling with bereavement at this time of year, please know you have my heartfelt condolences and love as a bereaved parent (12 years on from the loss of our 9-year-old daughter to acute myeloid leukaemia) and having lost my father to Covid in 2020 on 28 December (he was also a US Army veteran). May we all get through this holiday with as much peace as possible. Thank you, Mr Ballen, for your stories which help so many who are bereaved in their time of struggle.
Wishing you peace joy and happiness during this tough time
I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter and father. All the best wishes to you and your family.
Just geose to show that being a us army veteran don’t mean you can survive Covid
❤
@@alliterationUK My condolences on the loss of your father and daughter. My mother past on Dec. 11, 2019 right before the pandemic. I miss her so much and I'm trying my best not to go headlong into depression. All I can do is ask God to help me through it and I pray that you put your broken heart into his care and he'll mend your heart. Thank you Lord Jesus for blessing us all with another day so that we may show love to others in their time of need. It's in your name I pray, Amen
Hadn't heard this particular cave disaster before, damn, this was a hard one to watch. Forget serial killers, cannibals, or other gory stuff, claustrophobic tunnels where you're stuck for hours and the only thing you can do is just slowly suffocate until you die, that scares me more than anything else.
Or worse, if he had oxygen but simply had to wait for a long death. An absolute tragedy. Every adventure like that should be thought through as if it were only one person doing the cave exploring, because as in Neil's situation, it all depended on him to extricate himself. And it all depended on him to make judgements about the limits of a difficult exploration.
I mean all you have to do to avoid this happening is not be a dumbass.
Mr.Ballen, this story has got to be the most terrifying for me and I believe my favorite of 2024. I had such anxiety that I had to stop and take a break 3 differant times because my chest was hurting from the anxiety. You are an excellent story teller. My family loves you so much. My sister was able to get your book last week! What a treat!! Merry Christmas Mr. Ballen and Happy New Year 🌟🫶🌟
Excellent video! A friend of mine goes caving and ive been in a few baby level caves with him as im partially disabled. Im talking you can walk through and maybe duck or climb over a small boulder from time to time. Even so we get the same talk every time. One of the most important rules. If you don't know where a cave goes NEVER EVER force yourself through a squeeze. Theres no garentee i get out
As a father myself, this story crushed me and now I'm crying. Can we get a strange dark and mysterious story with a happy resolution soon please?
It's strange, dark, and mysterious not strange, happy, and mysterious.
That’s right mate , and I know it too.
Unfortunately most are tragic
There are some, but they’re few and far between
Terrible to think of the anguish that man must have gone through. Not just while it was happening, for the rest of his life.
My main goal in life is to never be a victim in these situations or stories just a listener only!!
Okay you're still gonna get got my colon cancer or something.
Sounds like a guaranteed way to have a boring life in vain
I feel you
ngl id never wanna be in one of these stories but at the same time if mr.ballen told my story id be so honored
You're a very sensible person. 🤗
Mrballen is a hero when I was at a show in Medford, Massachusetts people were telling me how he has changed their lives. Some said he helped them get and stay clean and sober. Some say they helped him through their depression and for me, he helped the stress of being a single mother much easier and gives us all something to look forward to at the end of the week. We love you MrBallen . Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I'm sorry Mr. ballin but I could not finish this episode..I began feeling a tightness in my chest and I was beginning to drown in anxiety just listening to this story..this is literally my worst nightmare..on a different note: Merry Christmas to you and your family..may you all have a safe holiday
Same, 11 mins in and I just can’t handle my claustrophobia listening to it.😅
Merry Christmas 😊
He makes it out alive
@@judyt1204he makes it out alive
@@judyt1204 same - not enjoyable for me to think about, I'm out - poor guy (I rock climb, sky dive, etc - but the cave stuff is not for me
The way Mr ballen tells stories makes me get chills every single time
Yup, heard the Neil Moss story several times but i still had to hear the Ballen rendering
It's crazy that so many caving disasters are not about something going suddenly wrong, but people deliberately go into places where getting out has a smaller chance than getting stuck. Forcing himself to an unknown cave to the point he doesn't realize he can't move his arms up, rocks falling? After the turn his chances to survive were 0%.
This happened like 70 years ago.😢
Interesting, please share your source if you can! You can, right?
@@tonn333 source: listening to Mr. Ballen's stories, where he describes the conditions of the caves people went despite it being an unknown cave.
@@elinakeranen4499 do you see how that can be misleading? You're making conclusions on incomplete data
@@tonn333 "so many" is not a statistical claim.
22:12 Love The way John gets emotional
Man i really just want to hug him everytime i hear him about to break down🫂🫂🫂🥹🥹🥹
John,you're an absolute Angel,
Lysm and God bless you Brother❤️❤️❤️🥲🥲🥲
John thank you for your 😮storytelling. At 71 years old it's heartbreaking that families no longer participate in making sure they pass on the stories to new generations. There were 12 in our family and my dad was a master storyteller. It didn't matter if it was scary, sad or funny. We would all be on the edge of our seats not taking our eyes off him till the story was over. Such rich information and stories of where we all came from etc. So as someone who knows a good story teller imagine how thrilled I was to find you. As long as you’re around the rest of us can go back in time when this was something all families do. I hope you realize the impact this has for people like me to just for a moment travel back to that time I sat on my dad’s lap soaking in every word. It’s a precious gift you give and I wanted to thank you personally. 😊
I completely felt this. Have a peaceful evening.
These stories give me the worst gut wrenching anxiety just listening!! I can't even imagine what makes people want to do this stuff for fun!!
I absolutely cannot fathom how anyone could willingly enter into some small, confined underground "mystery" tunnel & then voluntarily subject themselves to the extremely high likelihood of complete entrapment. For me, that's a torture worse than death! Sometimes, I'm simply amazed by the lengths to which people will go for the mere possibility of (even minimal) notoriety. 🤦♀SMH
People don't know the limits of their mortality until they push the bounds to the very edge. People have survived close to this, but unfortunately in this case, Neil went past his limit.
I believe it is exactly that. These challenges make you feel like you are alive and remind you of your morality. That feeling also really appeals to me. Tho I am not that extreme and prefer just to walk through wild nature, instead of claustrophobic stuff like this. XD @erayburn6354 @@ibm30rpg
I love all the stories I have heard, so it is hard to choose just one.
"Never Ignore Native Wisdom" is one of my favorite stories.
I listen to you on my way to work and on the way home. It makes the ride more enjoyable, especially when there's traffic on the way home.
I hope to see you live if you do another tour. Happy New Year! 🖤😊
I’m so claustrophobic, that I could never even try to go in this tunnel.
me too
Same, my anxiety was raised listening to this story and imagining what it would be like if I was in Neil’s position. I couldn’t handle the climbing down and the idea of trying to squeeze and force my body down this tunnel is too scary for me.
That, my portly shape and heart condition make it a hard no for me too!
I'm not claustrophobic but that tunnel, nope.
Yup. I'd be too claustrophobic just looking at the opening of the tunnel and I am not even claustrophobic. 😮
All of us folks from different places and backgrounds, with sad stories or happy stories, all united together by the strange, dark, and mysterious. Thank you, MrBallen, for all you do for this storytime family you have inherited.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!!
What a devastating decision to have to make as a father. As a person in general, really.
Another wonderful and respectful telling of someone’s last moments, Mr. Ballen! Always a pleasure hearing a tale from you.
What I wonder about most is the perspective and thought process of the father when he was letting his son crawl into the tight space.
I am not a father, just an uncle and I do acknowledge that being overprotective at all times is a bad idea. But how does would I live with the burden that I let my family risk so much without putting a stop to it, or maybe even encourage it?
I don’t want to be insensitive to someone who clearly has indured a painful loss. With that said, how isn’t it the father’s responsibility?
2024 my favorite will always be " Bells Canyon"!! For obvious reasons, its so iconic!!❤❤ much love John, Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!🎉
And of course the creepy voice over "do you know how to get to bells canyon"😩😭🥴😳🫣
@shaybaeXx1989 Yesssss♥️
The best part about spelunking is that you don’t have to do it. RIP Neil
This episode had a bigger effect on me than any other episode…. Wow man that’s just… terrible. You did this story such justice.
I've been caving in Peak Cavern. They didn't tell us about this entombed body of Neil before we went! We went into some really tight tunnels as well. Poor guy. Just when you think caving couldn't get any scarier, MrBallen pulls another caving tragedy from his hat.
I have no idea how you could ever go into such small spaces😮
when i was younger, i used to sleep in my parents room. each time i did, they would play either a childrens show, or, since i really liked history/horror/stuff of that nature, my dad used to put on mrballen. instantly fell in love. around 3 years ago, i FINALLY found his channel. i dont remember when i subscribed, but i know ive been a fan since mrballen's starting. i dont watch him often nowadays, since he rarely comes up on my fyp, but i still remember those days when id watch videos of car accidents, and mrballen with my dad. me and him dont really talk anymore.
What I find the most disturbing is the superlong death struggle. Heartbreaking.
Poor Neil, I cant imagine the pain he had to go through. This is so heartbreaking 💔
poor? he hinself decided to do such dumb things. why would they put themselves in such dangerous place just for the praise from other people? lmao 😂
I try not to be so harsh. Remember, this happened in 1959, long before accident/incident reports were widely published. I took up skydiving in the early 80s. Our sport parachute club required us to join the United States Parachute Association. The accident/incident reports in thei publication was instrumental in saving lives. I assume that might be the case with spelunking and other potentially hazardous sports. @aldiirsanmajid4235
@@aldiirsanmajid4235it is pretty funny how whenever someone dies people say how amazing they were, how kind they were to everyone, etc. I’m like there’s no way that’s true😅 most people are dumb and/or assholes
@@aldiirsanmajid4235 he was just doing what he did. You can't blame him for that. He did tight tunnels a thousand times and it worked out. I'm sure he didn't go into this thinking it would be his last. You don't have to be so harsh and judgmental.
@@avalon4693I know! In every story about someone dying, they were always loved by everyone, kind, intelligent, and amazing. 😅 Sure, they all were.
I live 3km from where this happened in Castleton, High Peak. Tragic. Can never understand how people can enjoy being constricted underground in the dark. Its my worst nightmare!! 😫
RIP Neil. ❤ Eric was a real one for doing that too. 👏
As someone with claustrophobia, this is pure nightmare fuel
2024 I just started listening to you in November and I have listened to Every. Single. Episode. And some of the podcast exclusives as well! I'm generally not a fan of scary stories, but your mix of strange, dark, and mysterious has me hooked.
I'm a professional reader. I read for churches, and I read for the blind. Most people are not good readers (let alone storytellers), especially when they read aloud, because they don't understand delivery. You've got it down. Thanks for raising the bar.
He's got a podcast channel here on TH-cam too
@@sarasmr4278 I thought he was going to add those into this channel. What's the name of the podcast channel?
@pioneercynthia1 It's called MrBallen Podcast, is the name of the channel on TH-cam.
I am living for these Saturday uploads, Mr. Ballen!! They are amazing!! I designate Saturday as house cleaning day, and it’s always a nice companion.
24:24 they could have spelt 'Neil' properly on the memorial...
Both ways are correct lol
@@matthewsmith6821both ways are not correct, one is his name and other is a different name
Poor Neil, I kept hoping for a happy ending. Such a heartbreaking story.
me too. that was really sad 😢
@Paradigm-change Yes it was absolutely heartbreaking. I kept thinking of my sons and I can’t even begin to imagine how I would feel had it been one of them and I had to make such a gut wrenching decision. I just can’t even put myself in his father’s shoes… The pain he must’ve endured and carried for the rest of his life is just unimaginable.
Idk why but I just can't seem to feel bad for him
@@Spammer_the_hedgehog I don’t know why either.
@@Spammer_the_hedgehog me neither he did that to himself
I feel like people who look at holes in the ground and decide to go inside them, and especially ones who don’t go back out once they realize it’s getting smaller and tighter, and they’re having to contort their bodies to get through are highly lacking in intelligence and common sense. Because of one man’s foolish decision, all those other people risked THEIR lives and could have died because of him. It’s sad that he died, but he really should have known better.
I think the same... the hole was getting smaller and smaller and the guy just kept squeezing himself further down... sorry my friend you brought that to yourself...
Ostrich brains.
Rodney, from Run Fool, has the perfect voice for scary stories. Not exaggerated. It sounds like he is telling things that actually happened. So good.
He does have a good voice. I like the content of Mr. Ballen's main channel and his medical mysteries podcast better though. I gave Run Fool a try and it was too hard to believe the story.
@k.elysium6819 the stories are not real. They are told as if they happened for real but it's all folklore tales, monsters, haunted things. Like wendigos, spirits etc You're not supposed to believe I'm them.
@jet__girl I know they're not real, I'm just saying, I don't like that style. The reason my post was a bit ambivalent was because I've only heard one or two, so didn't know if there were other ones that were more real sounding. I like stories that are either true, or impossible to explain. Mr Ballen does a great job with his paranormal themed stories, because he doesn't tell them in a way that shows he believes there is no logical explanation, rather, he dubs them "unexplainable" and moves on.
I get claustrophobic when im takin a tee shirt off and sometimes it gets stuck or whatever coming up over my neck & head.. God this is beyond horrible
Poor man. What a terrible way to die. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones.
play stupid games win stupid prizes sadly
I really don't understand why they didn't put the oxygen mask on him when they were able to crawl down close enough to touch him.
Yea, that bit wad never explained, and it bothered me too
You forgot the part where the cave is so narrow that there's not space around you to push the mask down.
It was in 1959. The technology wasn't as good, and oxygen tanks were probably a lot harder to come by.
@@ibm30rpg You forgot the part where they were able to wind a rope around his chest in the same space that's supposedly to narrow to put a mask on his face then..
To make the agony longer?..
making me choose a best mrballen story of 2024 isn’t fair, because every week i’m excited to see the new episode. i guess my favorite event was getting your graphic novel. love your stories man, keep up the good work!
No video about clostraphobia will ever compare to those men who got sucked into the oil pipe out in the middle of the ocean.
Ya that ones messed up.
Yeah, that one was terrible. I don't often think back on stories but that one stuck with me.
Off topic, but one of the most brutal shark attacks that still haunts me at least a few times a month is Vladimir Popov. There is video footage of the attack off the coast of Egypt I believe.
Whats the name of that video?
@@Joyangel278”The Caribbean Disaster”
Oh God..yeah.. beyond anything I can ever imagine..
No one else is getting nauseated listening to this story? Im only at 7:17 idk if i can keep going. Small spaces are very hard for me. On the other hand i love Mr. Ballen!
literally me rn at 7:15 BRO TURN BACK
Dang I noticed this and stopped at 7:18.
im literally having a small anxiety attack
Me too! 7:25
Suffering the same dude. Strength in numbers 🤟🏽🫶🏽
Wartime Stories is incredibly cool. It is the perfect companion for Happen stories.
Just discovered this channel through “dairy of a CEO”. I have a lot of binge watching to do. Combining tragedy, heroism of rescuers, and the reality that sets in with the outcome. I’ll be checking out the podcasts too. 👍👍
I'm jealous 😅 I always look for new ones with hope! You are in for a ride ... enjoy.
4:00 - Wallow in Self Pity
4:30 - Stare Into The Abyss
5:00 - Solver World Hunger. Tell No One!
5:30 - Jazzercise
6:30 - Dinner With Me (I can't cancel that again!)
7:00 - Wrestle With My Self Loathing
8:00 - Watch Mr. Ballen
I'm Booked!
Wow, you do all that in 4 minutes?
And you still have time to steal Christmas.
But WHAT will I WEAR?!?
Ahh the Grinch
Love having MrBallen as a part of my Saturday routine 🙌🏽💖
I only recently found this channel and I've been binging your videos everyday for the past two weeks. You and Mr. Nightmare are the best story tellers on here.
This is scaring me. I can't believe someone would do this. Great show through. Merry Christmas.
Thanks to this channel I’ll never mess around in caves
This is exactly the kind of dude that would’ve watched mrballen. Strange dark and mysterious caves were his thing. Damn shame he didn’t have TH-cam.
At 9:47 I’m going dude just go back up! Like there is no morphine, no tranqs to help you as you leave this world. Nothing but absolute isolation & horrific terror.
Thats the EXACT same thing I was thinking. Common sense. Don't go into spaces smaller than your body. Nothing wrong with caving, but you HAVE to do it with logic and sense. Spelunking and cave diving are actually safe if all rules are followed and basic sense used, but we hear about deaths due to the fact that those things aren't done.
Mr. Ballen, my thought, before you mentioned breaking his collarbone, was they'd have to dislocate his shoulders. Visions of Riggs, from "Lethal Weapon" flashed through my mind.
Thank you so much MrBallen for dedicated your time just to satisfy us😊
Thanks for making my day Mr. Ballen. I got surgery yesterday so I wasn’t feeling too great, but I’m always in a good mood when you post.
Heyy man all good now?
Yeah, definitely have pain and swelling, but no anesthesia awareness. So it’s all good lol
@@SaturnWhiskey aww take caree
Hope you heel quickly!! ❤❤ Hope you have a good Christmas with your family…Love and prayers from Dublin
Was the surgeon strange, dark and mysterious?
"It's all we do" and "we upload once a week" hits the logic side of the mind hard after binging your older videos where it was 4 sometimes even 5 times a week 😂
But it just makes the new releases that much better 🔥❤️
Niels father is a truly heroic man for making the decision to stop the rescue efforts. I’m never touching a cave in my life because of this channel
seriously how can someone find pleasure in going to such narrow places inside tunnels??!! This is Madness! Poor Neil. Very sad.
They get an adrenaline rush out of it. The thrill of the unknown, and ultimately the idea of a death like this. They get closer and closer to it, squeezing in tighter and tighter as they gain experience in different cave systems until eventually it happens. They need to be rescued and most do, but not always. The peak of adrenaline, near death. It’s an addiction and you can find it everywhere. Skydiving, Scuba diving, cave exploration, the isle of man tt, mountain climbing, skyscraper climbing, there’s literally human beings right now addicted to playing Russian Roulette. I feel sympathy for them but at the end of the day you did it to yourself. It’s elegant suicide.
High risk, low reward.
One of the most saddest claustrophobia stories MrBallen has ever covered. The way he makes the ending so good is just jawdropping. RIP.
Claustrophobia is another level of horrifying
I could NEVER explore caves like this. I get claustrophobic in a sleeping bag.
Anxiety is through the ROOF even listening to this. Poor Neil 😢
It used to be my absolute dream to find a cave, cave system or chamber of a known cave that was entirely undiscovered/unexplored. My immediate geographic vicinity doesn't have the right kind of topography though, but probably 30-40 miles north of where I live is pretty heavy karst. I also kind of dreamed of finding undiscovered cave paintings, ancient/native artifacts and/or perhaps a cave where someone had stashed some guns and supplies like 100+ years earlier. The reason I was stuck on the idea of finding guns was because someone discovered a Civil War gun cache just a little to the north of where I live. Kind of off-topic but all of that to say, I've always kind of wanted to be a spelunker - while avoiding death/deadly situations as much as possible.
They could have attached an air hose and dropped it down there to pump oxygen closer to Neil. They could also have poured grease down the hole to make it slick. Instead of a rope around Neil which would have applied too much pressure around his lungs; they could have used something thicker like a weight lifting belt to spread the pressure.
Could have tried a lot of other things.
I wonder if grease would have worked?
I never thought of that until reading your comment.
Wouldn't the grease make it a problem for rescuers when they're getting out of the cave?
Water bases lubricant would of worked well. Alot of it
I’m actually having trouble finishing this one. Watched _a lot_ of other cave videos, all MrBs prior one’s, and this one’s just really spiking my anxiety.
I lost it when they came back & still heard Neil breathing knowing he was at the end... they stayed until they knew he was gone
I had no choice but to click MrBallen its like you have this effect on people and you truly are the only storyteller i can ever remember myself intrigued by the way you express emotion through detail, and accentuating your movement to make point of empathy towards the people you discuss and the horrible thing they went through. Were just lucky to have you man and these victims families are lucky you around to share their true TRUE story.
A personal submarine imploding, ski diving parachute doesn’t open, bungee jumping cord snaps, Neil🤦🏽♂️ I will NEVER understand why, I love living…
Some people are most happy doing crazy dangerous things🤷🏽♀️
So do I, but I'm pretty sure reincarnation is real, so if you mess up, it's okay.
"The tunnel curves after 12 feet, Noone knows what's down there"
That's called a grave folks, a grave.
Didn't even know this video was up. My 3 year old ran up to me, saying Ballen, and handed me my phone. Maybe he'll be a fan of the strange dark and mysterious.
Awwww! 😊
You are blessed with such a smart child. Kids do love a good story but he's way ahead if he already knows "Ballen"!
@ 6:56 all I could say is "NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!" If I was him it would be at that point I'm shimmering my big ass back up that ladder as quick as possible. Coward? Maybe, Stupid? Absolutely not. 😂
20:45 if the guy reached him, why didn’t he put the mask on??
I was just thinking that when this comment popped up. Are we missing something here?
Came to ask the same thing. If they could get a rope around his chest and take it off why couldn’t they get the mask to his face?
My exact thoughts
Legend has it that his spirit still haunts that cave till today
This one has me in tears the second he mentioned Neils Dad. It's heartbreaking what must've been going on in him through this.
Was really hoping for a different ending but real life isn't as simple.
🥺