When a solo adventure goes terribly wrong - The Emma Kelty Story

Emma Kelty was a 42 year old adventurer, explorer who loved life. She quit her dream job to pursue the adventure lifestyle full time. She ran multiple ultramarathons, skied solo for months in Antarctica, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail alone and so much more. She learned skills as she went and learned incredibly fast according to her mentors.

Then in 2017, Emma's took on her greatest challenge - paddling the Amazon River, ALONE. And this would be her last adventure. This is Emma's story.

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For educational, documentary and entertainment purposes only. Based on actual events. The authoritative sources used for this story include blogs, public social media accounts, interviews, newspaper articles, and TV news reporting meant to celebrate the lives of the people in the story and educate others.

Copyright © 2023 Adventures Gone Wrong. All rights reserved.

[adventuresgonewrong]

Sorry for the little spots of colour throughout the video, this is my first time working with a green screen! I think I was too close to it so it's coming through. Just think of them as an added bonus! Who doesn't love random bursts of COLOUR?!?! 😆

[shannoninalaska]

I think it is a shame that Emma didn’t heed the warning of the locals. When a local tells you that there is danger, they are not lying.

[Bruno-tmxo]

Norwegian saying : there is no shame in turning back.
This simple phrase, once applied, keeps you alive. Who cares that you didn’t go all the way. You proved your wisdom and not many people can claim that.

[virginiav.]

My experience has been that sometimes people who are from Western nations are overly naive when they travel to more dangerous countries. There are places in the world where life is cheap and desperation overrules morality. It is difficult to comprehend that your life is meaningless in some places.

[jakethesnake]

I can't understand how someone could ignore so many warnings from so many people. This wasn't an adventure, this was a suicide mission imo.

[Duckling]

I think she was seeking death, or near death experiences, so she could feel alive again. Having suffered major loss, I acted this same way, because I was deeply depressed and had no desire to live, since my loved one was gone. Solo trips can be healing, but they can also be a way out, I think sadly she opted for a way out, especially since she picked such a know dangerous area, I think maybe her other trips didn't provide the healing she was hoping for, so this one was her way back to her loved ones.

[DNTMEE]

Had she been taught the ins and outs of "cover and concealment" there is a good chance she would have made it. In a place like that you don't set up a tent. You sleep in a sleeping bag that you covered with vegetation to blend in with the surroundings. Covering your gear and kayak as well. You do it every time. No fires either. When possible you travel at night. And you travel as far as possible every day/night to get through that stretch as quickly as you can. No sightseeing. In this case, you could sleep in the kayak while floating on the water, tied to shore. Not at all comfortable, but pretty safe. When you're tired enough you can sleep in any position. Also start out with a kayak/boat that has a flat black finish and, of course, wear similar black clothes. You can bring along bright colored material to cover yourself and the kayak later on. All that's no doubt hard on a person but your life will depend on it in a place like that. Do what the rest of the creatures there do. Hide yourself from the predators.

[margiewinslow]

Emma's story hit close to home. I too backpacked alone in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego on the 1970s and 1980s. Low population density, no drugs, locals were incredibly kind and amused. Still, my years of thinking that a big smile and an American passport were talismans came to an end when a fisherman tried to get into my tent. I fought him off and fortunately his pals pulled him away, but I never could sleep a wink one in the wild. At least not for years. It could.have been worse, but shattering that illusion of safety was life changing. Became very careful, don't camp out alone. I miss the wonderful aloneness.

[CornCod]

I read a book about former president Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon expedition to completely unexplored parts of a branch of the Amazon. Teddy was a tough guy and experienced explorer and soldier. He went with a fully armed party of many expert resourceful guys with elaborate supplies and equipment. Numerous men died in the jungle and they were atracked frequently by natives. He came out of the Amazon on a stretcher, his heath broken and it took a lot of years off the back end of his life. The Amazon is no joke.

[Rendarth]

I think it's important for all adventurers to understand two things:

1) Local advice should always be taken seriously. Especially warnings of danger, because locals often downplay such things.

2) A positive, "can do" attitude won't stop a bullet or a machete.

[orsolyaritter]

Dying this way is terrible. 3 men attacking you, assalting you and dumping you in a river is not something you would not regret. You can be adventerous but never think you know things better than those who live there and never underestinate the dangers they warn you about. Appreciate their help, and appreciate you life.Thank you for your hard and professional work. Hope it will make other adventurers aware of reaility.

[nw]

As someone who has made a solo motorcycle trip from Deadhorse down to Peru, and as someone who has deployed to a war zone, and seen a few other things, there's a few things that stick out to me.
1 ) Being alone and in your own for a long time in your own thoughts, barely interacting with other humans takes a toll on most humans. Even loners.
2) Being utterly alone and vulnerable in a foreign land is incredibly stressful. It can lead to you to make decisions you wouldn't under ideal conditions.
3) Being sleep deprived and physically exhausted also leads to altered mental states and decision-making.

I think, from what her plans were pre-trip, what her preparations and past travels indicate about her character, and what little information there is on her adventures, I think that she had a solid plan to start, but she made poor choices as things wore on, more than likely driven by the intense stresses she was under at the time. I don't buy any "she was dumb, " "she was naive, " story. She unfortunately vastly miscalculated and paid the ultimate price.

[thesundreamers]

I never quite know how to feel about these stories. While I admire her sense of adventure, it feels like senseless death of an amazing person.

[cwpres]

When in an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous area, I always listen to the advice given by the local people. Taking risks is part of life, but it's important not to have too much confidence in your own ability and knowledge.

[David-mhjn]

Well done, I am now a subscriber. As a former Army Ranger and Chicago DEA agent I once crossed the Darien Gap, which connects North and South America and carries a reputation such as the "red zone."
I will tell you this quite simply. There is always safety in numbers, and going solo without a firearm, a dog, the self defense skills necessary to lower the potential threat, is suicidal. Even armed, had I been solo in that region, I would have been loath to sleep in the night. Your wonderful little doc pointed it out clearly, the very shoes on your feet make you a target in a land where life does not hold the value as it does from where you came.
So sad though, such a beautiful and alive lady.

[frankriding]

I'm glad you took the time to celebrate her life and achievements, some YouTubers jump straight to the unfortunate part.

[gabyluces]

I grew up in Venezuela and while listening to her story it brought back so many memories of feeling unsafe as a female alone just walking down the street in the city. And she decided to go solo across the Amazon river wow. I feel like there’s a mix of sheer determination with also being very naive to the dangers. There’s no amount of self defense training you can do to confront these pirates. I think she knew this on an intelectual level but being out there in that situation is on a whole different level. My heart aches to think what she went through and for her family that surely has been through a lot emotional pain dealing with what happened to her

[carolinem]

Your narration is so much better than most storytellers on YouTube. No up speak, or annoying, inflections, your sentence structure and the words you choose make the story and you, enjoyable, and very easy to listen to.
How refreshing!

[localbod]

I lived in Colombia for four years. I had some great experiences and met some lovely people. However, I was made aware that there are two or three areas where you shouldn't go alone or simply not go (as a foreigner) unless you want to get kidnapped and or murdered.

[nenaable]

It never ceases to amaze me the kinds of things people think of doing, and doing alone. A journey of a lonely female through the Amazon. I in the world could go wrong? I don't know. 🤔