DIVERS REACT TO MR. BALLEN'S CLAUSTROPHOBIC HORROR STORY

DISCLAIMER: Before recording this video we reached out to Mr. Ballen and explained our intention with the video, and this was his response:

"For the upcoming reaction with Mike, just know I used what was publicly available to make the video and even though I may have embellished some details here and there to make the story more engaging, I certainly never intended to misrepresent Mike or anyone else in the video, hope he and you all see that! But please react however you see fit, I put it out there, so I can take whatever comes of that!"

We are sharing this because we want to make sure everyone watching this understands that we are BIG FANS of Mr. Ballen, and we understand that when he tells his stories he is relying on information available publicly. If that information is incorrect then of course his story will be incorrect. Everyone needs to understand that this is NOT his fault, and that we are NOT holding that against him.

We are huge fans of Mr. Ballen and we are very thankful that he agreed that this video should be recorded and released.

- - -

Month's ago I was watching a Mr. Ballen video titled Top 3 CLAUSTROPHOBIC horror stories | Part 1 and I was surprised to hear that one of the divers involved in one of these stories was our good friend and world-class cave explorer Mike Young.

I showed Mike the video and started asking some questions to gain more clarity into the story and that's when I learned that things didn't go down as told by Mr. Ballen.

So we knew we wanted to have Mike on the show to go over what really happened, and I was shocked to learn that the real story was even scarier than the one from Mr. Ballen's video!

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[MrBallen]

Wow, Mike, listening to you was so intense. This whole video flew by. Thank you for taking the time to clarify this story, and RIP Shane.

These videos are great, keep it up guys!

[elsaortega]

MrBallen's comment reflects a tone about his character. Instead of being on the defensive about being called out about reporting inaccurate details in the story, he was genuinely happy that the story was clarified. He's a great storyteller!

[SMAFIS]

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, one of Mr Ballens stories is told by a first hand account!!!! This is truly a gem for all the Mr Ballen fans.

[keananpaul]

Mike needs massive amounts of appreciation for coming onto the show and sharing this traumatic event with everyone. Not only did he live it but had the balls to come here and share it with everyone else.

[NASkeywest]

“I want to be a cave diver!”
*Watches video.*
“I want to snorkel in 3 meters of water!”

[yelshaamarie]

Mike, I imagine it has to be really traumatic to reflect on this and retell the story. I wanted to just say I am honored and humbled to witness you retell it. I am sorry for your loss and also my prayers are with you.

[militarymisfit]

As a Ballen fan, it's so gracious of you guys to clarify without being jerks to him about it.

[rmeredithm]

Mike, if you see this…. I hope, if you ever WERE pissed at Shane, that you never felt/feel guilty about it. Not only did he jeopardize his own safety by not listening to what he was told to do, but he also jeopardized your life. You have every right to be upset about that even as you mourn his death. ❤️

[Link_Says]

GOTTA love mr Ballen, I mean, if you like the dark and mysterious told in story format.

[addiegraves]

Having to re-tell a first hand account of the tragic death of a friend must have brought up alot of emotions. By doing so Mike very well could save future divers from accidental deaths, Thank you

[defiant_bard]

It greatly impresses me that Mike was not only able to calm himself, but keep himself present and in 'expert' mode when something so tragic and traumatic had happened. And to be able to retrieve the body, after all that had happened the day before - Mike is truly an excellent person.
I also appreciate that you two were so courteous with Mr Ballen, and that he has responded so well in return!

[sqche]

My second time watching this. The pain in Mike's voice, even after all these years, when he describes second guessing himself over all the things he might have been able to do differently says it all. Mike, you did all you could. RiP Shane.

[kat.w.RBF]

I could feel the panic rising in me as Mike told this story. I’ve never been scuba diving but I could feel what was at stake. Added so much to the video from Mr. Ballen. Wow. This is why you get training, run/lay lines, put arrows down, take all of the precautions…because this *could* be life or death. No one should attempt this without the training you need not to panic and to be safe. My heart goes out to the diver who didn’t come back up. So sad.

[Stinger]

It’s good to see that you guys took the time to explain that Mr. Ballen was only reporting on the info he had. Instead of trashing him for lying or calling him out. I’m a big fan of his and to also see him respond was cool to see! Keep up the great vids👍👍

[lissalives]

Whenever someone calls him out on something incorrect, John B. Allen, aka Mr.Ballen, is very humble and expresses gratitude for the corrections.

[bitrage.]

This dude literally has nerves of steel... I almost ran out of air listening to that story and im not even near any water...😳... RIP Shane

[playboy]

I at first thought “man they’re gonna be pausing a lot and it’s going to bore the heck out of me”, but as they kept pausing and talking more and more as to what actually happened, it made me realize how crazy the sequence of events Mike decided to choose, when one of those choices could’ve been very poor, meaning this video could not exist if it wasn’t for Mike’s every single decision along the dive. Amazing video and Rest In Peace Shane

[guywithatippmann]

Damn, you can see in Mike's eyes especially at the end of the video that even though he knows it wasn't his fault this will stick with him. I'm glad he shared the story and brought the facts to light I'm sure it was immensely difficult.

[cassiereroni]

Thank you for having Mike clarify the details of that dive. Mr Ballen did a decent job on telling the story and I think we all know that when you're telling a story from a second or third hand perspective there's always going to be some kind of "oopsie" somewhere. Sometimes it'll be something little and sometimes it'll be something major.

All of Mr. Ballen's fans know that he puts a lot of effort into the information he provides and we are ok if he makes a mistake here or there because he is honest about it and corrects it as soon as he can. I suspect that video will be edited with the correct information in the future.

Mr. Ballen has the best strange, dark and mysterious fandom on YouTube because he is trusted and respected that much. And now, so are you.

Now, on to watch another one of your videos.

[lobeckdr]

I learnt so much hearing how Mike can panic (cave divers are human after all!) but how training and experience can pull you back from the edge, and allow you to think through your plan and ultimately save your own life. As a recreational diver, this video is so intense!