The fact that Christopher was more than willing to go back down that pipe to save his friends after barely making it out himself,speaks volumes to that man’s courage and willingness to save his friends.
He had to.. the guilt is there, he brought the pipe of death.. the rescue operation wasn’t granted because they rather have them dead than to do the rescue… these are the sad truth truth.
Jesus did say: "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."--- John 15:13 What's disgusting is that a company decided his gift wasn't worth giving. I hope they're fucking cursed.
This particular one angers me, greatly. Angry that they didn't even try to save them. So heartbreaking that he tried to go back for his friends. He has a truly amazing spirit.
@@302Camaro I am judging, my sister and I researched this and the company is grossly negligent as hell. That man will forever suffer PTSD as a result and the families of those that lost their lives are forever changed. Those two companies wasted precious time fiddle fkn around and men lost their lives as a result. It angers me, righteous anger! This was 1) avoidable 2) very possible to rectify. They would have sent a long cable with a radio and breathing tank down to the closest man, communicated and slowly pulled him out safely. Rinse repeat until all men were saved. Don't tell me not to judge!
@@brettsmith5030 Look, I get its disturbing that this happened, but that doesn't mean its ok to abandon rational thought. What if they didn't have certified divers? Would you rather they send more men down and more men get stuck?
@@whispofwords2590 research it. The men that saved the first guy were certified and went down there AGAINST the companies orders. This is a company that LITERALLY hires people to dive...no way they didn't have "certified divers" on tap. Also those men were there for MULTIPLE days and could be heard beating on the pipe they were trapped in. Days seems like ample. Time for certified divers to become available and ready for a rescue mission. As I said before, read my other comment. There were OTHER options than sending more. Men into that pipe.
I'm from Trinidad and Tobago where this disaster happened. The entire country was livid over this....The 5 divers who passed away, their families got TT$5 millions settlement each today 22nd January, 2024
5 mil is sure nice but not worth someone's life. It would've been completely covered up if Christopher didn't survive the accident. They had so much time to save those other guys but they didn't thats literally murder if you'd see a guy laying on a sidewalk and he was having a heart attack and you just walked by and didn't help him that would be considered a crime you must help in situations like this it's literally illegal to not. I hope they were severely punished for not launching the rescue mission those people could've been saved.
Every single one of us in Trinidad has been shaken up by this tragic incident, and even more appalled by the company's lack of accountability. I can speak on behalf of our entire island when i say, thank you for sharing this with the world, Christopher and our fellow Trini brothers deserve justice and peace.
That is what’s been going through my mind too. Lack of accountability. Those men were still alive and they abandoned them to die? Why to save money or something? It would be a slow, cold, blind, agonizing death. I was just shocked they didn’t try to save them…
@@yoyothemo3491I agree 💯! I mean what was the reasoning for not going in? With the technology available these days I feel there could have been some sort of way to get those men saved. I can’t imagine knowing someone is literally dy!ng a few feet from me screaming for help yet I don’t bother for 2 days!!!! So sad. Wish there would have been a way to reverse the vacuum effect or somehow suck the water out the tube? Anything really other than doing nothing at all
Thank you for covering this story. the worst part of it all, is that there were expert divers who were willing to risk their lives to save these men and the company and Coast Guards refused to permit it. I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and I can say the entire country grieved with Christopher. I pray justice is served.
This reminds me of that awful volcanic incident on the island off New Zealand. There were people trapped there and the authorities deemed it too dangerous to try a rescue operation even though there were emergency crew who were willing to go. What's the point of having Emergency Rescue if they aren't allowed to do their job ? They know it is dangerous, they want to try and help people.
@@timpatterson1945 @@timpatterson1945 my grandpa was on the bunker hill. The Japanese kamikaze pilots targeted the bunker hill. He said it was terrible on deck with lines snapping and cutting people I'm half. He also told me of the men in the boiler room. Who did not evacuate. They remained doing their jobs while the ship slowly sank. Which saved my grandpa and probably a thousand others. They sat in the dark musty room doing there jobs to keep the ship afloat as long as possible while they slowly drowned. My grandpa has a navy tattoo. And he had it at a time when people simply didn't do that. I always knew he was in the navy but he only told me ONE time his entire long life about it. He was drafted like his junior year in high school. Never finished school. Months before he died he was given an honorary diploma from his hs for his service. That's around the time I asked about his navy days. He was always ashamed of not getting that diploma. Men were simply different breed back then, even in old age right up til he died he would do his household duties fixing things and mowing. He even would mow for neighbors and family. The one thing that he explained to me about those navy days and the war was those men who died underdeck saving the rest of the crew
@Shawn Leider Thank you very much for sharing your Grandfather's story. I firmly believe that stories like that, and the one in this video, should be told so that we never forget the human cost in any situation. My grandfather was also in the Navy during World War II, but unfortunately he died when I was about 14 so I never got to talk to him about his experiences. And you're right, they don't really make men like the ones in the boiler room on your grandfather's ship anymore. I can pretty much guarantee that those men knew they would die if they stayed - but stayed anyway because it was their job and they knew their actions would save others. I hope your grandpa has been reunited with them and they're all at peace now 😌
They usually weigh the cost of any sort of intervention against the settlements that will have to be paid out for the loss of life and whichever is the more cost effective, they go with that
Hi. Trini born and raised here and I just want to say thank you for the way you handled this story with sensitivity and care. I can say that this rocked our little twin-island nation in a way I'm not certain it ever has before. We all keenly felt this loss and still do today. It is by God's grace this family carries on.
Jeez this is terrifying. These poor men. I would have mentally checked out and died. Christopher is truly heroic. He did all he could. Even trying to risk his life to go back in. How awful it must have been for the 4 men to know they were just left behind.
Seriously, and Christopher now has to live with the horror of the 4 men most likely dying thinking he abandoned them. What an awful tragedy. Screw that company.
At least the men didn't know Christopher made it out and didn't rescue them. I'm in no way blaming him I'm just saying that at least Christopher knows they don't know he made it out.
@@Douglas_I he told them he was going to come back for them. that's why when he wanted to go back in, security pulled weapons and threatened to harm him.
He's certainly a hero at the very least for trying his hardest to rescue his four friends/co-workers against the poor judgment of the local/company authorities.
I just wanted you to know that my husband of 41 years passed away last August & he watched your RUclips videos all the time & he really liked your unique narrative storytelling. He really liked you! He said you were a good man! He began listening to you after his leg was amputated in 2021 & he began spiraling out of control regarding his health. He no longer had mobility & he was only able to watch TV until his death. He was a Veteran like you & a retired Police Officer. I just thought you would appreciate being told how you helped fill a dying man’s time & diverted his anguish even if it was just for a little while! I felt compelled to let you know. Bless you & your family.
It's unbelievable that they didn't make an effort to rescue them considering they sent them. My heart goes out to their families and to the ones that lost their lives
I feel so bad for Christopher. Imagine surviving a horrible ordeal only to know that your friends are dying on you and that no one is willing to assist them. I can't imagine such a feeling, actually. I hope that this brave man does not have survivor's guilt as we all see you as a hero Chris. RIP to those who perished.
For real I don't understand y they couldn't rescue them like Chris did it with one air tank for SOME of the way I think other diving professionals could do it with proper equipment
@@I_am_a_cat_ to be fair it was an unknown situation so I reckon they would have thought Christopher didn't make it out, still sad but they probably knew the chances of him making it out were slim
What makes it an even greater tragedy is the fact the company would not perform that rescue operation. I feel for Chris, the Survivors Guilt must be soul crushing.
@@lou8853 99 percemt brick layers are farmers so no house without men. Almost all the dirty stuff cleaning of tanks, fixing of pipes are done by men. Without men their cars would not have been invented. Without their father they would not have existed in this world.
I am an Trinidadian and it took me over a year before I had the strength to watch this video and to hear the details of this event. When it happened I just could not being myself to do it. This story affected us all as a nation. These men go through years of EXPENSIVE training and study just to do these high paying high risk jobs just to give their families a good life. These companies only care about profits and not their own workers. Thank you for telling their story.
I am a Trinidadian. This was so tragic. The company doesn’t want to take responsibility for this tragedy. Thanks for covering this unfortunate incident
There has to be something that could have been done. Something. How in all the world was there nobody that could have solved this problem of getting those men out.
Why should they? The company didn't do it. The guy with the wrench did it. Let us not forget these jobs pay mid 6 figures a year. They are paid extremely well for little work because of the extreme risks. So, I don't feel sorry for them.
@@phillipstroll7385 Bro I think you are missing the point here. Mistakes are made we are all human. The fact that Paria did not send a rescue team is what they are not answering. I could understand your opinion but somehow I feel that it's because it wasn't your family in that pipeline is why you said what you said. Very insensitive choice of words. I live on the island that this happened on and it not as straight forward as you make it seem.
Christopher is a true and loyal friend, the fact the he wanted to go back into the pipes for his friends when no one else wanted to is REALLY heartbreaking. As a Trinidadian I'm now hearing the story in detail. That company is definitely to blame for there deaths. But no one likes to take blame at all. Thank you Mr Ballen...
I am a Trinidadian, thanks for a detailed explanation of what happened, and I am living here steups, I now understand what went on. thanks MrsBallen much appreciated 👍
"No one likes to take blame" This was a bad incident where people died. Fuck off if you like taking blame or not. Someone needs to be held accountable.
I'm tearing up all over again listening to this. I'm from Trinidad and we are still hurting from this. My prayers go out to the families affected. Thank you Mr. Ballen for doing this story.
I'm absolutely livid over what those people did to do nothing to help those men! 🤷🤦😤😡🤨. I had to stop crying long enough to write my comment I made on here, and that's been almost 2 hours after he posted this horrific story. I've been listening to the stories that Mr Ballen has been posting for a few years now. And this is the first one that's gotten me so mad! So heartbroken, because of the lack of empathy from any of those people in the decision to NOT help those men! And they absolutely have the means to get them out of there! If they say they don't! They are liars! I pray to the families that lost their loved ones and they Sue those that are wrong for doing nothing. And take every dime possible from them! 🤷🤦😤😡🤨. 🙋😓❤️🔥🙏🕊️
@@tammygeorge1638 do you really think they would just let 4 men die if they could do something to help? if the rescue mission has a chance of more than 50% that other people will die to they never would do something. and i cant see 1 way with a good chance to get these people out of there... (and they definetly thought more about it and more proffesional than we do)life isnt always that easy.
One of the most horrifying episodes you have shown. Maybe it is just me, but the diving episodes always terrify me. The thought of those poor guys trapped in that pipe for so long and no one would go help them. It is both scary, and deeply saddening. Great episode, sir!
Reminds me of the Uvalde ,Texas School Shooting , hundreds of police officers standing outside an unlocked door while children called 911 begging police to come to rescue them . the Texas Government's answer to this is to take cellphones from kids so if it happens again they can't call 911 because the phone calls to 911 was an embarrassment to the state .
As a Trinidadian I am so grateful you are covering this. Our country is a haven for corruption under its current government and this situation is a prime example of putting profit first before human life. This sad situation was totally salvageable but due to the inaction of those in authority with close ties to the government, 4 divers suffered a long slow death and the government is doing everything in its power to try to cover this up.
Sounds like all gov around the world are showing their true colors. I'm so very sorry this is a living nightmare, I can only imagine the PTSD this brave man still has to this very day. That is absolutely horrible
2 of my fears unite, drowning and trapped in a close space. I can't imagine what this man was going through. So sad and tragic, a truly horrific way to pass away
I cannot imagine the absolute grief Christopher must feel just for the simple fact he wasn’t able to rescue his friends no matter trying over and over again. I really hope he’s doing okay..
Yeah I would imagine the survivors guilt is intense for him. And then I could also imagine now angry he must be with all the people who just didn't even try to save them, it was clearly possible if he was able to get out. Hell they could have sent in air tube or something to even talk to the men, but instead waited for them to die so that they could open these pipes in such a way that might have even disgraced their bodies... Poor Christopher for sure, he might have also wish he just dragged his friends with him or been more forceful about them following.
It’s crazy they didn’t allow a rescue diver to go down with Christopher. I feel like there are a thousand different safety protocols they could of done. Like a rope line dropped down or cut the dam pipe. This breaks my freaking heart
So heartbreaking 💔 Christopher is a Hero! His heart and mind had the right intention. I hope he’s able to find the courage to move on knowing he did all he could 🙏
The fact that no rescue was attempted really makes me sick, there must've been some way to save those men! Christopher must be quite a guy for wanting to go back in and save everyone, I hope he is able to heal and recover from the trauma...I can't imagine what he is going through.
There were even professional divers from in country and around the world who were capable enough to carry out a rescue that were volunteering left and right and the coast guard and government wouldn't allow them.. its ridiculous
This is by far the most distressing video I’ve ever seen on RUclips. My heart is pounding so fast right now. As a scuba diver, this scared the heck out of me. May they rest is peace. I hope Christopher is able to physically and emotionally recover from this.
Im not claustrophobic and i happen to be a combat vet, but i would not have been able to emotionally or physically handle any of that. Everyone who was effected by this deserves more love and healing than ive ever wished on another human
Not sure being a combat vet has to do with this being a totally different situation but I see what you mean, my family is in the military and most military vets can't handle much of nothing. Hard for them to even get a job since nobody wants to deal with them and their ego. Understandable. But yeah I can imagine most if not all military personnel couldn't handle this situation.
@@kane6537 yeah being a combat vet means ive gone through shit and dont panic or scare easily, but i would completely break down in that situation. Not sure what job searching or egos were in reference to, but i dont think i disagree with anything you said.
This is absolutely heartbreaking and hearing them screaming knowing that no one cared enough to rescue them is horrible. I can’t imagine how traumatized Christopher is and how angry the families of those men are.
@King Tonsil Jockey I mean you certainly can't climb back in to rescue cause you'd be head first it's pointless. Only thing I can think of is to cut that pipe and give each guy a buoyancy pack.
@@jerryvandevort2366 Yup, and cutting the pipes would immediately let out the remaining air, right? After working some claustrophobic jobs myself, I understand the discomfort and limited maneuverability with equipment in that environment. Luckily never had anything critical happen to anyone though
The parent company for Paria Fuel is owned by the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Which is itself owned by Babylon, Mystery, Mother of All Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth. The lack of routine safety precautions followed by their indifference to human life stems from their abject materialism. It wasn't too dangerous to rescue those workers. It was too expensive. A Swiss company recently proposed to purchase Paria Fuel. Switzerland is Babylon the Great's banking capital.
Why didn’t they try to rescue them? I mean it’s not like they tried and they didn’t succeed, they literally didn’t even attempt to rescue them. Why did they do that?
@blak238 I'm guessing because it would be expensive to lose the pipe/oil. He said in the video it was because it was too dangerous but I have a feeling it has more to do with money..so tragic.
I can't even imagine the terror those men must've endured. Then for Christopher to get out seeking help, only for everyone to abandon his friends to die.... The survivor's guilt must be crushing. My heart goes out to him and the families.
@@Gavolak Not really since I just watched a video of these feminist insulting all men by saying, “men ain’t sh!t” and ironically MrBallen video came up. These men gave their lives for their families and communities yet I’m shocked some delusional imbeciles would insult their gender for it.
Poor Christopher, he swore he would get help for them and he meant it, he would have sacrificed himself to make sure the others got out. None of it was his fault, but he is probably still living with the trauma of not being able to save them, blaming himself for their deaths.
@@Justcarlosdiaz he DID mean it & he CARRIED IT OUT TOO!! @Carlos Diaz, you're a prime example of the WORST KIND OF IGNORANCE... The kind that thinks it's funny but only the idiot in YOU is laughing 🖕🏼
With as terrifying as the story was, what really takes it over the edge is that clip at the end.... just realizing what happened and how fast it happened makes you wonder how nobody was decapitated, and how everyone survived the initial problem.... props to Christopher for wanting to go after his friends, especially once he found out the company and the government weren't going to do anything
@@tristanrebeckyes.. God be with them that is a terrible way to do and despite it being the fault of the company and it being their own men they still just let it be that is absolutely nuts. I pray justice is served in this world before it has to be served on the other side which is much worse from what I hear
This is not the first time that the company "Paria" has gotten away with employees" death. But what can u do when u live in a country thats almost as corrupted as communism ?
Easy for you to say sitting safe at home. If the decision was up to you, would agree to send rescuers to a certain death to maybe just maybe save 4 mens?
@Timarc but it's not certain death...? the divers survived for at least two days, and clearly navigating the pipe was not impossible for a full grown man. it would be a matter of towing along oxygen tanks so the divers can have air while they're navigated back to the surface. the potential for death would be 100% on the divers as they could die from their injuries (or even be unable to move from wherever they are due to their injuries). it's not like the rescue workers would be entering a tricky pressure situation or some place that's really hard to get to. It's a consistent horizontal pipe.
you cant trade lives, rescue attempts that are likely to fail are almost never gone through with as your essential knowingly sending rescue workers to their deaths.
Did u also know the inside of the pipe was coated with a thick oil sludge and the air pockets contained toxic gases Chris crawled out with great difficulty completely covered in oil which was in his eyes nose and mouth as well? That adds another element of horror.
Holy shit I didn’t even think about that!! That makes me even more mad!!!! It takes a lot to get me mad and riled up, and while listening to this story, my own reawakened fear of suffocation was very quickly replaced with anger when I heard that the company didn’t deploy the rescue teams. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 THERE IS AN ENTIRE DOCUMENTARY FROM NAT GEO CALLED “The Rescue” IN WHICH SIMILAR EVENTS HAPPEN BUT IT IS HANDLED SO MUCH BETTER AND AT AN EVEN *HIGHER* RISK THAN WHAT THE RESCUE TEAM FROM THIS STORY WOULD’VE FACED!!!! I’m so mad.
I'm a loyal Mr Ballen supporter, and I have been a subscriber for quite some time now, so as I'm sure many (if not most or all of you) probably understand, once you've discovered this channel you go through a super deep dive/binge of ALL of the videos posted to the channel ... my point is, that I've seen each and every video that has been posted and THIS ONE, this particular one, is the ONLY one that actually haunts me. It'll pop into my head at strange times and when it does, I cannot stop thinking about it ... the though of being in that tube, of making the decision to push through the stagnant water ... man, what an ordeal. Truly scary.
I'm so mad for the divers who weren't rescued and for their families and friends. I understand the safety issues but I still feel like more could have been done. Unbelievable
@The Hike Chose Me The pipe would have flooded as soon as they started cutting. Those guys would have drowned long before they got it cut open, or even a hole big enough for them to get out
From Trinidad here, this case was one of the most horrifying and saddest things that's ever happened here, personally I hope Christopher could regain his strength and heal from this...as well as the family's whom lost their sons'...
@Deng Nicca so you chose to only respond to mine to let the world know u donated 50 Usd. Wow, that's going to bring back the lives of my fellow departed brothers. Your comment was very uncalled for. Learn to have a little tact na. Smh
The moment you explained what the habitat was, my heart just immediately sank and I knew what was going to happen. This is so tragic. The fact that it could have been so easily prevented with a little basic knowledge about physics makes it even sadder. RIP to those men. I hope Christopher gets the help and support he needs.
As a math and physics lover, I instantly knew that this would happen, but it broke my heart that no one but Christopher was willing to rescue the other 4. About equalizing and how easy it is to prevent this, not everyone knows how this works, so that's not to blame.
Imagine having the physical and mental fortitude it took for Christopher to crawl for hours underwater, in the dark to get help. Then being told they couldn't do anything for his friends. I wish him and his family peace and happiness.
They didn't even need to go in. They could've sent in a radio, flashlights, air hoses or tanks etc. Then had Christopher explain to them how to get out. They could've easily gotten them out without even actually having to physically enter the tube. This was total negligence and incompetence
@@jamesbroomfield7799 explain how to get out? All they had to do was crawl. The other one was doing the same thing but stopped. It's them panicking caused it
@@jamesbroomfield7799 If they could have "easily" gotten them out then they would have. Seems you think these tyoe of rescue missions are much easier than they really are.
I pray Chris is getting the support he needs. Sometimes survivor's guilt can affect a person way worst than the actual incident. Its something that stays with you and it's hard to shake.
That's by far the most terrifying case I watched on this channel. And I instantly get several ideas of rescue without putting anyone in danger. I can't believe they not even tried, just unbelievable...
My wife's been saying that she can't imagine any ways to rescue them (we're Trinidadian). I'm convinced that there are ways but admittedly I can't think of any outside of cutting the pipe but then they'd drown. What idea do you have mate?
@@theaudiophileshow4410 Although I am not part of a professionell rescue team and neither are You or youre wife I could never imagine that one of these would come up with some idea. However about thinking just half an hour my plan was this. I would push in there some hoses with oxygen, three to be exact, because they were three, with an attached notice that should pass these to the next when they got their own until they are all three provided with one. To give a sign, they could for instance pull a few times with the hose. Then I would start to pump away the water. That is because some people mentioned here you cant pump away the water immideately because the air bubbles they were breathing from would change their location and they would drown and I agree here. And then only thing left is to fiddle in a stiff metal wire where they can hold on and pulling them out. I want to remember that this came to my mind just after half an hour, just me, and of course I m not quite sure if that would work out but there is no way that specialists in a great number wouldnt come up with a dozen ideas, no one could convince me about that.
@@theaudiophileshow4410 Well I wrote an answer to youre question here in the comment section and now I cant find it anymore. Dont know if you got it but I dont want to write the whole thing again
The fact that the company sent them down, despite that only two members of the dive team were in possession of commercial diving certification. The remainder of the dive team was in possession of recreational scuba certification. Also that Paria’s personnel lacked the experience and competency in offshore subsea maintenance work, shows how incompetent the company was.
I'm a Trinidadian. When this incident happened a year ago, I was in so much distress. I can't even begin to imagine how the survivor feels or the family of those men that didn't make it.
Thank you for highlighting Christopher's story. I'm coming to tears because the audio which they released is haunting. The most horrific thing to happen in my country in years.
I'm so sorry, this was a tragedy and I'm in tears watching it, I'm so sorry it happened in your country. What was being said at the very very end, when he got sucked into the pipe
@@flyingorange2482 That's what op said - it's insane that all five divers survived getting sucked so rapidly into that pipe, from the sudden pressure change to the injuries sustained to the fact that they just conveniently happened to end up in an air pocket. The chances of them drowning or being beaten to death by debris while getting sucked down into the pipe were way higher.
I just cant... It's so hard not to cry for these poor souls. I think what hurts most is the fact there was no justice or accountability in the end... It was simply "Oh well, they're stuck... Nothing we can do". No one deserves to be left in a pipe to die on their own in the dark without any attempt to save them. They were relying on the kindness and bravery of other humans to save them and there were people ready and waiting to do just that but they got blocked from doing it.
None of the "investigations" are finished yet, so there may be justice and accountability. Nonetheless I understand what you mean. Absolutely the worst way to slowly die .
Wow.. I was literally on the edge of my seat with this one. Broke my heart that they wouldn't go in and save those guys. I can only imagine what the only survivor was feeling knowing his friends were trapped down there and weren't going to be helped. Truly sad.
I had I high school friend who became a deep water welder working in the Gulf. He was crippled by decompression sickness following an accident caused by human negligence. He lived in agony for almost a year following the accident before ending his own life by opioid overdose. He was one of the toughest, and kindest, people I knew back then. The bends is no joke.
@Shacthulhu, As you said, BENDS is no joke. That’s why I sincerely hope that the four of them passed away before the surface team removed the blind flange of the B5 riser at 05h00 on the Saturday morning, that’s to say after these poor divers stayed during 14 hours under the absolute pressure of 2,57 bars and 2,3 bars (51,6 & 42,8 ft. of water). Unfortunately I have some doubts they did, because bangs were still heard on the B5 side at 02h30 of that same night.
This is absolute horror. Poor men. I don't understand why no one, except Christopher, tried to save them. That is incredible. Thanks MrBallen for sharing your story telling talent :) You're gifted !
@@chelsehossain12 let's risk more people to save these guys from almost certain death when going in on its own is almost certain death. Makes sense to me
I'm from Trinidad , thank you do much for being respectful and covering this story . The families have not been able to move on and it's so terrible . I've always been a fan of the page so I thank you for this 🙏
Trinidad is in my prayers. My brother worked there many years ago helping to open a flour mill. He passed from a heart attack last year. He always loved your people. He said the people he worked with were very hard working and dedicated.
I'm a Retired US NAVY Diver, and this was the most disturbing video so far. I had goosebumps the entire 26 minutes. I genuinely feel for those guys that got left down there, gov't sucks.
@@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798 oh my God are you defending thr government? Lol wow and the audacity to think you know more than someone who worked for the government. I was in the army . Everything you know is a lie . But your such a coward you rather get mad at those for speaking the truth than those who enforce it and lie to you and make you a fuking slave to money and tax . God you have to be an complete nimrod to not only defend the government but do it when a former navy diver is saying the government sucks for not saving lives.
@@JohnDoe-vp1ib Paria Fuel failed in nearly every aspect of this job. I have done MANY pipeline commissions, as well as drain downs for repair. I'll try to think of a brief list... 1. You NEVER equalize a pipeline from the discharge side. Especially when it's submerged and you have the opportunity to CORRECTLY equalize the pressure from the manifold/intake that's in open air. I personally would've shut down the job. We call it "throwing the red flag." 2. The moment the diver came up to get a wrench, I personally would've shut it down and held an IMMEDIATE safety stand down. The job has clearly not been discussed at length so every individual involved is on the same page. Red flag moment. 3. The fact that there was no concurrent monitoring via radio or cameras of the habitat, I personally would've shut it down. The lack of immediate response tells me that no one was actually watching their video feeds. "Hole watch" is a boring job but EXTREMELY important. Red flag moment. 4. I didn't see any air/gas monitoring. The fact that the surface crew didn't immediately engage the situation is proof of that. Red flag moment. 5. You NEVER leave a crew in peril like that. There were still options to explore to extract those welders. They wouldn't give up on you, so it is your duty to not give up on them. Every single possibility or anything that can go wrong and how everyone's response to it should go HAS TO BE DISCUSSED at the pre-work safety briefing for this very reason. Emergency response should've already been there, been briefed, and standing fast in case they're needed. Red flag moment. These are just a few off the top of my head. If I spent more time on it, I could likely find a dozen others. The employees of Paria Fuel have an incredible amount of control and power over a job. It is pretty much an industry standard that ANYONE can throw a red flag, even the menial laborers. If the leadership of the company is pressuring because of deadlines, shut it down, sign off on the work permit, and demand the CEO themselves come and take over the job. They are very risk averse when their own asses are on the line. Make them do their job! This was 100% on the company's employees, safety officers, and management. I hope the victim's families and Christopher can get their due justice and find peace. This was an entirely preventable tragedy and everyone who signed off on this work should face manslaughter charges.
As a Trinidadian, i remember when this happened, the whole nation was grieving for the families but as always, nothing happened and noone was held accountable.... thank you for talking about this incident
@@KaiGaming84 I've already seen it! But I knew about that story, I live in Utah and those cave's are only a few hours away. I've even been in there before, when I was much younger and many years before they had to shut it down due to that tragic incident.
I’m from Trinidad and when this story happened, the country was in complete shock. Also, to add some extra minor details, Paria Fuel company is state owned. The government, the company and the coastguard all refused to even attempt rescuing these poor men. Truly a heartbreaking moment for my island
@kali doll have you been following the case locally? I mean. Let's be real. If the gov was involved directly they would have been dragged into it as well. Steady on
They probably weren't confident they could rescue them without killing them in the process or risking more lives. I don't know how a lawsuit against a state owned company would go either.
@Kraken the case is showing that they made no attempt and were more concerned with covering their assrs and keeping thier positions. They were trying their best to cover everything up
I'm a Trinidadian. I remember when this happened. The response of our politicians and this company during this horrific incident, as callous, cowardly and heartless as it was, doesn't surprise me. In comparison it equates to the contemptible actions of the Uvalde police department who, despite having guns, refused to engage the school shooter and they prevented those who were willing to risk their lives to save the lives of others from doing so.
Did they even try? I don’t understand why they couldn’t try to get them some kind of breathing apparatus or air then send down ropes and pull them from the other side?
OH MY GOD! A story from my country! Thanks for sharing this MrBallen! I kept watching this video's thumbnail and reading the title and thinking to myself: "No way it's what I think it is. There's no way." But, I finally clicked it and it is! This rocked our country. It was something we never thought would happen here. We have a saying in Trinidad and Tobago that "God is ah Trini" so we often think that things like industrual disasters, natural disasters and even serial killers will never occur on our shores. Boy were we wrong.
Finished the video. Again, thanks for bringing attention to this MrBallen. RIP and condolences to these men's relatives. I didn't know there was actual footage from one of the divers, since, when this happened, I really couldn't stand to watch the news. Hearing our Creole English "We get through!" when handed the wrench nearly made me cry. I hope they were spared from too much suffering.
I would straight up die from a heart attack. My chest tightened listening to this story. I can only imagine the fear the trapped men felt. Christopher must've felt like he betrayed them
that's why it's always men that do this dangerous work while feminist scream and complain about inequality crap, where are all the feminazis itching to have equal representation in jobs that are so dangerous that men ALWAYS do.
Which is so sad but I could understand why he might feel it. Obviously it was not his fault at all and he didn’t betray anyone but living with that survivors guilt has to be awful! I hope he’s getting the love and help he needs to deal with what happened and I hope the others are finally getting to rest in peace.
@@aResoluteProtectorsurvivors guilt has been plaguing me since 2006. Of those that made it out, I'm one of the only two that has managed to live this long with it. It's killed the rest, either through drinking, drugs, suicide, or other means. To be honest, I drank hard and used drugs for many years to help me cope with it, even made a few suicide attempts. I just happened to get into therapy, and have good enough luck so far. So yea, I'd say pretty bad is a massive understatement. But you aren't wrong.
Who would dare to visit Trinidad as a tourist, when a state and state-owned company does not care about human lives in accidents - godless inaction. Not to mention compensations for survivors. "Paria admitted they had no rescue plan, citing that they had 'no legal responsibility to rescue the men'."
This is probably one of the most heart breaking stories I’ve heard you tell. I cannot fathom the pain their families went through knowing all the details. I pray for their peace and also for justice to be served for them.
Imagine how sad Christopher felt, he was probably thinking that his friends thought he abandoned them even though he was risking his life to save his fellow friends Rest in Peace.
I hope it's true then that whatever we might have in terms of a soul that lives past the body even for a short while means they observed him trying to save them. That don't really believe in that myself but more than once I've received what could have been seen as a message and otherwise highly unlikely and even Slightly bizarre object in the context of an equally unusual events that occurred within just a few days of the person's passing while I still had a feeling of them being there. And when the feeling disappeared they seemed irretrievably long gone back into the ether or heaven or whatever the afterlife maybe. Which leads me to suspect that if there is such a thing it's a gradual reabsorbing into something like the big One-ness or the All. This would explain why there is at least literally a ghost of someone that fades but doesn't disappear. It could be that it's just rejoined the infinite something that we all come from and return to even if we eventually become something else. Because that life cycle is what happens here on Earth. There's not a single living object on the planet that didn't come from some minerals or other substances that originally derived from another living thing that has died. In that sense we're all reincarnated on this planet but if there's a bigger sense that is on a universal scale then perhaps something lives on long enough that his friends saw him going back down the pipe.
This is a terrifying story. I refuse to believe this company could not do anything to save their lives. My heart goes out to Christopher; he is a hero for wanting to rescue these men. He survived, but knowing how his co-workers perished must be overwhelming. I felt claustrophobic just listening to this story. I can't even fathom the fear all of them experienced.
They should’ve let him go that’s what it is if he wanted to go back and they should’ve let him especially if they weren’t willing to go. They should let anybody get down there and try.
You can refuse to believe but you'd be wrong. Those men were stuck in an impossible situation. You can't cut the pipe, they would drown. One of the guys already panicked to the point of freezing up and refused to keep moving. He was blocking the way. Panic is what makes this too dangerous to put rescue divers in the pipe. If you don't believe me read up on cave rescue diving. Very rarely do they bring anyone out alive. One guy has 9 rescues and he's a legend in the field. Most of the time it's body recovery because someone panicked and blocked the way for other divers.
That’s so sad and terrifying that they can deem other peoples lives too risky to save. I come from a military family where it’s no man left behind and all efforts are expended to even recover a fallen. Chris probably relives this daily. Prayers to him and all the families of the fallen ones.
Thats just dumb lol certain situations you have no choice but abandon the fallen for the greater good. Your morals arent better then others its all subjective but its dumb because its not effective in sole situations i also come from a military family who successfully fought ght the british and americans and we dont believe in that . Guess it depends how youre brought up. No right answers
@@The_Cholo bodies are easy to get..if your alive...u can get greedy and drag other with u steal eguipments and alot of shit can happen ,nobody wants to die.
It was the lack of effort I was so struck with. Not even an attempt. Guess I’m cut from the old cloth. Not this new crap of me me me. Idk. But I think lives are worth being saved. ALWAYS. Call me dumb. Well done. Your opinion matters I guess now days
I love that Mr. Ballen is kind enough to "dumb it down" when he explains things so we can understand without actually knowing about the topic, like the habitat/bucket. Seriously helpful.
Absolutely! I wouldn't have been able to follow along without him "dumbing it down" for us. He does it so well that you don't feel dumb but just like you said, it helps you "understand without actually knowing about the topic."
As a Trini, thank you so much for this very comprehensive explanation of the events. As a whole, our people acknowledge Christopher as a hero and mourn for those tragically lost.
Bodies dont take air which would mean extra tanks which would exceed the limits of the pipe truly I wonder if people use their own brainpower anymore or if they react and act on emotion alone. This sucks, im not happy it happened but if anyone else were to go down that pipe to rescue those still alive there would have been one more death to the list at worst and no one saved at best. Seriously think about the dimensions of the pipe and the dimensions of a person with full scuba gear and then imagine them trying to save someone else while sharing gear, mathematically it doesn't work and theoretically its impossible. In my mind this is like asking why someone didn't go into a burning building to save someone when they were able to recover the remains instead.
No matter what. You do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to rescue the remaining divers. I send my deepest condolences to the families of those divers who shouldn't have died!
Some times that’s not the case if you’ve watched many of his videos. There’s cases where fiends tried to help their other friends and died right along with them. Like the cave exploring incident where the joy went down the side of a water fall in a cave to help his friend and got tangled and stuck under below freezer cold water and they both died of hypothermia
@@jaxsonnicholas1885 the difference is tho, some of those catastrophies were caused by people going/diving into places (mainly caves) that they weren't supposed to be anyhow. Illegal, prohibited, sealed off; some of those -thrillseekers- complete idiots put themselves at risk, for no real reason. What makes this so different is these men were doing their jobs, an act of service. There was absolutely no reason they couldn't have tried to save these men. Bare in mind I have ZERO clue how any of this work's but I would think they could have atleast snaked a camera down there to see where the men exactly were located and then could they not cut through the pipe somehow and pull them out or at the least send rescue divers down? This story is terrible
I live in Barbados my father and I like to listen to your stories hes blind he lost his sight was i was young and now we sit down and listen to your stories everyday
This is seriously one of the most horrific scenarios imaginable. I can’t even begin to fathom what these men went through. It gives me chills even envisioning what they endured. Christopher is a phenomenal human. I hope he’s able to heal from this trauma.
@@Cereal_Killer007 They did not want to risk the lives of anyone so no, they did nothing. Many people disagreed and demanded that the government did something but the risk was unfortunately too high.
@@MrBallen This is one of your most iconic narrations of a unique and frustrating situation. Your subtle nuances in your storytelling are shining through stronger than ever! I don't think any movie could tell this story as brilliantly and emotionally impactful as you delivered it. Keep it up!
You are an amazing story teller, community builder, and have such a bright aroura! Keep up the great work, I am so happy I came across your channel and you specifically.
So Heartbreaking, the Company didn't even try to save them!!! Unbelievable!!! Poor Families having nightmares over this!! 5 million does not compasate for loss. No Amount can!!!
@@theworkingmom18 is that the story with the guy that jumped into the airplane engine? I'm familiar with the incident but I may have missed his retelling.
I’m angry about the decision to not go back for survivors. They are one hundred percent at fault for the death of the other team members. But Christopher’s bravery and courage and loyalty to his team? Indescribable.
[I apologize for the wall of text but it is necessary. Several people in the comments are very upset with the company for not effecting a rescue. I intend to post and repost this post in an original thread and when I see comments about a lack of a rescue] I have actually been thinking this through throughly and I'm having a hard time coming up with a scenario that is feasible for an effective rescue. Take the following information into account. About BOTH known and unknown variables: [KNOWN VARIABLES] •They knew the other 4 men were all in the pipe (Chrostopher's accounting) • They knew (at the time) all 4 men were alive (Christopher's accounting) •They knew there were several objects (dive gear and stuff from the habitat) inside the pipe). •They know the 1,200 foot section is roughly 60 feet below the surface. •They know the pipe is not wide enough to send a single diver into, wearing their gear and that that diver would not be able to turn around or effectively do anything inside the pipe. •They know that any air inside the pipe is a very limited amount. And • (based on the banging noises) They know roughly where in the pipe the men are trapped. [UNKNOWN VARIABLES] •They do not know the extent of the trapped men's injuries •They do not know where all of the unrecovered debris/dive equipment is except to say that it is not closer to shore ahead of Kazim •While they do know that there is currently some air in the pipe, they do not know how much. Based on this information I only have been able to come up with a single solution and it would be A) very time consuming B) very dangerous and C) highly likely to fail anyway. I posit that this is what the company could have done (most likely to no avail anyway): Sending a diver into the pipe is absolutely a terrible idea. There is no room to work, even with lighting, visibility due to having to go feet first would have been almost nothing and if they got stuck, they would likely doom the men and themselves. So I would have suggested to send a small drone (availability ASAP if they did not have one) 2 drones (fixed with small (and I do mean small) air tanks and rebreathers)) One down each side of the pipe (assuming it was safe to open the seaside end of the pipe). Use these drones to see where the first man (Kazim) and the last man were along the pipe and *VERY IMPORTANT* find all the oxygen tanks. Once located, they would need to fix a plug to both drones that could be remotely inflated. Next plug both sides within a meter or 2 of the first and last man. This would once again make the tube airtight but I see this as the only possible way. A 1,200 meter section of pipe is far to cumbersome to lift even just 60 feet, so once resealed, they could cut the section of pipe that the men were all in. (Hopefully it would not be too long. Even a couple hundred feet and it would likely be impossible. Now they have to work as fast as possible because whatever air the pipe did have it now likely has less and it is once again air tight. Next, using a combination of hoists from as many ships as they could as well as a combination of flotation bags for large objects, raise the pipe section so it is completely out of the water. Finally cut into the pipe as far away from any of the men as possible (on the bottom) being sure to not hit the air tanks or an air pocket (hence cutting on the bottom) so they aren't cutting into a pressurized air source. Assuming this all went to plan and now fresh oxygen would be coming in..... after yet another pressure equalization) they could work a little more leisurely and carefully to remove the men. Now I am neither a dive expert nor an engineer but I can say with almost 100% certainty that (if this were even possible (again, not an expert)) this would be the only way to save these men to both minimize the risk to them as well as any rescuers working in the water. If it sounds like a hail Mary to end all hail marys..... that's because it is. A snowballs chance in Hell is a fitting term and there are risks in all stages of the operation to both the men in the pipe and the rescue personnel. I had time (something the company did not have) to think up this scenario and I did it with the assumption of unlimited resources. Barring this scenario any other types of rescue would be foolish as they would either A) kill the men inside the pipe faster or B) get rescuers killed. I know it sounds shitty. No one (I would at least hope not) ever wants to make the call to give up on a rescue effort.... especially one where they know for a fact that the victims are still alive. But I ask all of you, setting emotion aside, can you come up with any other effort (that would involve less risk to either party) that could be conducted in a timely matter that would stand a higher rate of success? I'm not saying that the company should do nothing. They probably did just what I did. They sat down and went over scenario after scenario and rejected them all due to either A) Increased risk to either party or B) Lack of resources or time. Keep in mind this is Trinidad, Not the U.S. or any other country nearby. Had they asked for Help from the U.S. it is unlikely a valid rescue plan could have been drafted and executed in time anyway. This is all just my opinion. But keep in mind that, while not an expert in the necessary fields for something of this nature, I am pretty knowledgeable of all matter of things to a common degree and I did think about this at length. The only words I really have to offer is that it was both tragic and unfortunate that it had to be in the environment it was and may they rest in peace. [Again, I apologize for the wall of text]
@@christopherjakel1049all they had to do was send somebody down the way that Christopher came out and try to get them out one at a time. I’m sure there were others willing to risk their lives to get them out. Why does the company and other entities get to dictate whether someone can go down or not to rescue them. Christopher himself was willing to go down himself even after being injured and traumatized. Any effort could have been made but we let companies call the shots who are only invested in themselves.
And the fact that they were able to hear them pounding inside the pipes for two days is absolutely horrific. How anybody could live with themselves after that is beyond me.
@@rbnrdz I promise you, there were not any divers on that site who were willing to dive feet first into a 2 ft pipe. I don't think y'all are really considering everything involved in rescuing 4 men from a 2 ft pipe....
Yes if they were not willing to be loyal to their brave and hard working employees then the company should be dismantled and destitute. All of their money should be given to the 4 victims families and the brave lone survivor.
As soon as you said "scuba diver" I knew this was going to be horrifying. There are no words for the level of fear, claustrophobia and pain those poor men must have experienced. So terribly sad 😔
As someone from Trinidad, hearing this all over again is even more difficult, this story shook us all and will continue to haunt our memories. Thank you for sharing this story and I really hope that these families affected gets the justice they deserve.
I was literally in tears...remembering and reliving this story....I knew One of them really well....and hearing his voice on the vid broke me...I 🙏 for his family every day😔😔😔😔 May they RIEP
They can send over 100 rescuers into the nutty putty cave for one person, they can send out search and rescue for people freezing to death in the remote wilderness at 30 below Fahrenheit, they can send a crew to the ISS and save endangered astronauts, yet they can't send a group of diver with lighting and an extra oxygen tank each for the victims. Absolute bullshit
Jesus Christ man. When he said that they survived the initial catastrophe I had hope. But when it was mentioned that there would be no rescue attempt I was shocked and pissed. RIP to those men and condolences to their families. Chris is a real one.
I live in the Caribbean and followed this story. However this is the first detailed explanation of what happened and why. It is truly scandalous that Paria oil did nothing to save those men. I hope they are made to pay for this tragedy.
[I apologize for the wall of text but it is necessary. Several people in the comments are very upset with the company for not effecting a rescue. I intend to post and repost this post in an original thread and when I see comments about a lack of a rescue] I have actually been thinking this through throughly and I'm having a hard time coming up with a scenario that is feasible for an effective rescue. Take the following information into account. About BOTH known and unknown variables: [KNOWN VARIABLES] •They knew the other 4 men were all in the pipe (Chrostopher's accounting) • They knew (at the time) all 4 men were alive (Christopher's accounting) •They knew there were several objects (dive gear and stuff from the habitat) inside the pipe). •They know the 1,200 foot section is roughly 60 feet below the surface. •They know the pipe is not wide enough to send a single diver into, wearing their gear and that that diver would not be able to turn around or effectively do anything inside the pipe. •They know that any air inside the pipe is a very limited amount. And • (based on the banging noises) They know roughly where in the pipe the men are trapped. [UNKNOWN VARIABLES] •They do not know the extent of the trapped men's injuries •They do not know where all of the unrecovered debris/dive equipment is except to say that it is not closer to shore ahead of Kazim •While they do know that there is currently some air in the pipe, they do not know how much. Based on this information I only have been able to come up with a single solution and it would be A) very time consuming B) very dangerous and C) highly likely to fail anyway. I posit that this is what the company could have done (most likely to no avail anyway): Sending a diver into the pipe is absolutely a terrible idea. There is no room to work, even with lighting, visibility due to having to go feet first would have been almost nothing and if they got stuck, they would likely doom the men and themselves. So I would have suggested to send a small drone (availability ASAP if they did not have one) 2 drones (fixed with small (and I do mean small) air tanks and rebreathers)) One down each side of the pipe (assuming it was safe to open the seaside end of the pipe). Use these drones to see where the first man (Kazim) and the last man were along the pipe and *VERY IMPORTANT* find all the oxygen tanks. Once located, they would need to fix a plug to both drones that could be remotely inflated. Next plug both sides within a meter or 2 of the first and last man. This would once again make the tube airtight but I see this as the only possible way. A 1,200 meter section of pipe is far to cumbersome to lift even just 60 feet, so once resealed, they could cut the section of pipe that the men were all in. (Hopefully it would not be too long. Even a couple hundred feet and it would likely be impossible. Now they have to work as fast as possible because whatever air the pipe did have it now likely has less and it is once again air tight. Next, using a combination of hoists from as many ships as they could as well as a combination of flotation bags for large objects, raise the pipe section so it is completely out of the water. Finally cut into the pipe as far away from any of the men as possible (on the bottom) being sure to not hit the air tanks or an air pocket (hence cutting on the bottom) so they aren't cutting into a pressurized air source. Assuming this all went to plan and now fresh oxygen would be coming in..... after yet another pressure equalization) they could work a little more leisurely and carefully to remove the men. Now I am neither a dive expert nor an engineer but I can say with almost 100% certainty that (if this were even possible (again, not an expert)) this would be the only way to save these men to both minimize the risk to them as well as any rescuers working in the water. If it sounds like a hail Mary to end all hail marys..... that's because it is. A snowballs chance in Hell is a fitting term and there are risks in all stages of the operation to both the men in the pipe and the rescue personnel. I had time (something the company did not have) to think up this scenario and I did it with the assumption of unlimited resources. Barring this scenario any other types of rescue would be foolish as they would either A) kill the men inside the pipe faster or B) get rescuers killed. I know it sounds shitty. No one (I would at least hope not) ever wants to make the call to give up on a rescue effort.... especially one where they know for a fact that the victims are still alive. But I ask all of you, setting emotion aside, can you come up with any other effort (that would involve less risk to either party) that could be conducted in a timely matter that would stand a higher rate of success? I'm not saying that the company should do nothing. They probably did just what I did. They sat down and went over scenario after scenario and rejected them all due to either A) Increased risk to either party or B) Lack of resources or time. Keep in mind this is Trinidad, Not the U.S. or any other country nearby. Had they asked for Help from the U.S. it is unlikely a valid rescue plan could have been drafted and executed in time anyway. This is all just my opinion. But keep in mind that, while not an expert in the necessary fields for something of this nature, I am pretty knowledgeable of all matter of things to a common degree and I did think about this at length. The only words I really have to offer is that it was both tragic and unfortunate that it had to be in the environment it was and may they rest in peace. [Again, I apologize for the wall of text]
@@christopherjakel1049thank you so much for explaining. When you put it into perspective like that, I can understand why the call was made to not attempt a rescue, as shitty as it is. No one wants to leave a life..let alone four lives, behind. Especially when you can hear them banging for help. But if the only way to save them was to essentially cut the piping, then there was no hope unfortunately. It sounds like it would’ve taken days to even organize the resources needed.
@@christopherjakel1049 I can understand your point of view, but here is my counter argument. First of all, they knew the other men were alive, not by Christopher's account as you so put, but it was CERTAIN because the sounds from them banging were still being picked up by the vehicles in the scene. This was NOT an account or an uncertainty. Second, they knew the exact state of the pipe all the way to where the men were, since Christopher had already passed through that place. Therefore, there was nothing stopping the way as an invariable. Was it still a dangerous operation? I have no doubts it was. But information here that was available due to Christopher having come out could definitively have been used to mount a rescue. Its incredible that ANYONE could believe there was no chance of rescuing this people after we have gone through an almost more impossible rescue operation for the Titan, with how incredibly huge the scope of the search had to be, in contrast to this point where they knew exactly where this men were. Like you, Im also no expert, but I believe that another option(not sure how dangerous it is though) was for another diver to go in, tied with communications and rope or some kind of mechanism that can be used to pull him up, to rescue one by one all the other divers. They had TWO freaking days to think up solutions. They chose to give up on the rescue on day one. There is absolutely no excuse or reasoning you can give me that explains that.
I got such severe anxiety hearing this story, I almost couldn't finish even listening to it. But, that's such a horrible thing for those poor men to realize, that they weren't going to be rescued. I don't understand why the authorities couldn't just cut through the pipe and get them out that way
From Trinidad, this case honestly was one of the most disturbing and horrifying things that has happened here. Honestly to this day people are still awaiting some form of justice and its very upsetting.
PLEASE tell me, that at the VERY least, the families of the victims received some kind of monetary compensation due to the deaths happening while on the job??? I don't know if state-run companies do things like that in Trinidad. However, I won't hold my breath on this. Since the men were obviously alive for days after and NOBODY attempted to save them, I can't say I'd expect the families to receive any compensation 😭😭
This was one of the most horrific stories I’ve ever heard. I audibly gasped when I heard they were not going to attempt. This is so awful. I think it was the fact that there was nothing that could be done from the trapped people besides wait for the help that decided not to come. Horrific.
It makes me so angry that Christopher is the only one that attempted to save his friends and he was forcibly prevented from doing so. I hope he has plenty of emotional support.
@@PaperMakersAdeludedbroad I understand that but it sure seems like they could have tried something. Send some kind of mechanical device down there to pull them out. Something. I don't know.
@@raf9ooo9a IKR! I think I would rather die quickly getting removed from the pipe if that's what would happen rather than wait to suficate or drown. Even if there was some kind of pressure that could push them out of the pipe so that no one else was risked. It seems like something happening quickly would just be a better way to go then to just slowly die in the dark.
im from trinidad..this is one of the most sad events in my country..the authorities didnt give a crap about them and up to now hasnt reached out to the family..thank you for covering it although i wasnt able to listen it out..really sad memories..
I'm from Trinidad and this story truly broke our nation. Christoher's story and ongoing survivor's guilt are really heartbreaking. Thank you for covering it so delicately.
I live in Trinidad and this truly has been a tragedy to our nation, we’ve lost our brothers in the most inhumane way, my heart is broken for their families and for Christopher, thank you for covering it in your way 🇹🇹
Amen. God bless you all, this is so very sad. From the USA to you guys, we send our prayers. This is absolutely devastating and I would have never known if it wasn't for this channel. I know what it's like to lose loved ones in the blink of of an eye. My only sister (sibling), 2 nieces and unborn nephew were murdered by my ex brother in law. My heart really goes our to you all. God bless their families
@@frankierzucekjr still idk why Americans need to praise a false god, explain literally everything that’s obvious and then make it about them. Jeesh dude I’m sorry and all that but it’s unsolicited 🥴
My jaw dropped when they said they wouldn’t go back for his colleagues and they stayed there stuck in that pipe for their final moments 💔 truly horrific and my condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy
If Christopher was going to be traumatised for life by the incident the company made sure he would be by forcing him to then endurethe knowing ofthe horror of his mates hellish deaths.
@@captainblacksand8484 yes mate it's almost like you cant just rush in and send people to get them striaght away you melt. Rescue operations take more than just brave men to get people back you need to have a plan
Timeline of the Paria Delta P Incident February 25, 2022 14:40: Four divers are working in a hyperbaric chamber over a 30” riser at an absolute pressure of 1.45 bars. 14:43: A fifth diver arrives with a wrench for the team. 14:45: One diver deflates the plug in the riser, causing the delta P. All five divers are sucked into the riser/pipeline. 14:46: Suction ends. 14:50: A rescue diver enters the hyperbaric chamber, finding it empty and noting the water level in the riser matches the chamber's lower level. The alert is raised. 16:00: Banging sounds are heard in the pipeline. 16:25: Diver Christopher B. resurfaces but cannot exit the water, taps and shouts for help. 16:45: Two rescue divers help Christopher B. out of the riser. He mistakenly believes he does not need decompression stops. Afternoon and Evening of February 25, 2022 17:00: Based on Christopher B.'s information, the surface team prepares the hookah. 17:45: Diver M.K, assisted by divers C.C & R.R, enters the riser but finds no one. 18:00: The team revises the dive plan, preparing to send a scuba diver with a bottle equipped with 2 regulators. 18:25: Christopher B., assisted by M.K & R.R, are ready to dive but abort due to concerns over M.K’s condition. 18:30: Another commercial diver arrives with proper gear and a 91 m (300 ft.) umbilical. They plan to send a diver down the pipeline to tie a rope to a missing diver for retrieval. 19:00: The client bans further diving, awaiting inspection with ROV or crawler due to delta P concerns. 20:00: Banging is heard near riser B5. 20:30 - 22:00: Divers install the B6 upper riser extension to prevent possible filling of the riser and chamber if the compressor fails. 22:10: A company is contacted to provide a crawler. 23:00: Removal of the blind flange from the habitat reduces the pressure in the pipeline by +/- 0.2 bars but complicates decompression efforts. February 26, 2022 02:30: Final bangs are heard near riser B5. 03:00: The crawler's first intervention from the B6 riser side. It encounters a scuba tank but can only move it slightly. 05:00: The ICT decides to send the crawler to the other side of the pipeline and authorizes the removal of the B5 riser blind flange. 06:00: Removal of the blind flange lowers the water level by about 11 m in B6 riser, drastically dropping the pressure in the pipeline to atmospheric levels, causing fatal decompression to the divers.
The fact that Christopher was more than willing to go back down that pipe to save his friends after barely making it out himself,speaks volumes to that man’s courage and willingness to save his friends.
He had to.. the guilt is there, he brought the pipe of death.. the rescue operation wasn’t granted because they rather have them dead than to do the rescue… these are the sad truth truth.
Jesus did say:
"There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."--- John 15:13
What's disgusting is that a company decided his gift wasn't worth giving.
I hope they're fucking cursed.
@@ujayet"he brought the pipe of death"? It wasn't his fault and doesn't need to feel guilty.
Right? Talk about survivors guilt
@@frickfrack7075 it’s called survivor’s guilt
This particular one angers me, greatly. Angry that they didn't even try to save them. So heartbreaking that he tried to go back for his friends. He has a truly amazing spirit.
We don't know the discussions that took place. I certainly would have tried to get them out but not being there, we shouldn't judge.
@@302Camaro I am judging, my sister and I researched this and the company is grossly negligent as hell. That man will forever suffer PTSD as a result and the families of those that lost their lives are forever changed. Those two companies wasted precious time fiddle fkn around and men lost their lives as a result. It angers me, righteous anger! This was 1) avoidable 2) very possible to rectify.
They would have sent a long cable with a radio and breathing tank down to the closest man, communicated and slowly pulled him out safely. Rinse repeat until all men were saved. Don't tell me not to judge!
@@302Camaro or maybe we should because they just let four people die.
@@brettsmith5030 Look, I get its disturbing that this happened, but that doesn't mean its ok to abandon rational thought. What if they didn't have certified divers? Would you rather they send more men down and more men get stuck?
@@whispofwords2590 research it. The men that saved the first guy were certified and went down there AGAINST the companies orders. This is a company that LITERALLY hires people to dive...no way they didn't have "certified divers" on tap. Also those men were there for MULTIPLE days and could be heard beating on the pipe they were trapped in. Days seems like ample. Time for certified divers to become available and ready for a rescue mission. As I said before, read my other comment. There were OTHER options than sending more. Men into that pipe.
Sad thing is, if Christopher didn't survive to tell the tale the company probably would have covered the entire incident up / lied about it.
Right!!! 😭😭😭
I think we can be pretty sure about that, yes.
Just make you question how many of this incident happening tha that got burried
Didn’t you see the video? When Christopher surfaced the coast guard and emergency services were already there. You can’t cover that up.
Good point
I'm from Trinidad and Tobago where this disaster happened. The entire country was livid over this....The 5 divers who passed away, their families got TT$5 millions settlement each today 22nd January, 2024
Can't believe it's been 2 years
So scary
Did the company shutdown?
@@joey2765: I'm American and the company should be shutdown. Not to rise again under a different name but to be COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.
5 mil is sure nice but not worth someone's life. It would've been completely covered up if Christopher didn't survive the accident. They had so much time to save those other guys but they didn't thats literally murder if you'd see a guy laying on a sidewalk and he was having a heart attack and you just walked by and didn't help him that would be considered a crime you must help in situations like this it's literally illegal to not. I hope they were severely punished for not launching the rescue mission those people could've been saved.
Every single one of us in Trinidad has been shaken up by this tragic incident, and even more appalled by the company's lack of accountability. I can speak on behalf of our entire island when i say, thank you for sharing this with the world, Christopher and our fellow Trini brothers deserve justice and peace.
That is what’s been going through my mind too. Lack of accountability. Those men were still alive and they abandoned them to die? Why to save money or something? It would be a slow, cold, blind, agonizing death. I was just shocked they didn’t try to save them…
It's MURDER!
@@yoyothemo3491I agree 💯! I mean what was the reasoning for not going in? With the technology available these days I feel there could have been some sort of way to get those men saved. I can’t imagine knowing someone is literally dy!ng a few feet from me screaming for help yet I don’t bother for 2 days!!!! So sad. Wish there would have been a way to reverse the vacuum effect or somehow suck the water out the tube? Anything really other than doing nothing at all
@@yoyothemo3491 Something definitely could have been done.
Yea
Thank you for covering this story. the worst part of it all, is that there were expert divers who were willing to risk their lives to save these men and the company and Coast Guards refused to permit it. I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and I can say the entire country grieved with Christopher. I pray justice is served.
This reminds me of that awful volcanic incident on the island off New Zealand. There were people trapped there and the authorities deemed it too dangerous to try a rescue operation even though there were emergency crew who were willing to go. What's the point of having Emergency Rescue if they aren't allowed to do their job ? They know it is dangerous, they want to try and help people.
@@chriswebb7968 look up sailors who were left to drown at pearl harbor in a ship that sunk it's worse than this story
@@timpatterson1945 I'm pretty sure Ballen also did that story.
@@timpatterson1945 @@timpatterson1945 my grandpa was on the bunker hill. The Japanese kamikaze pilots targeted the bunker hill. He said it was terrible on deck with lines snapping and cutting people I'm half. He also told me of the men in the boiler room. Who did not evacuate. They remained doing their jobs while the ship slowly sank. Which saved my grandpa and probably a thousand others. They sat in the dark musty room doing there jobs to keep the ship afloat as long as possible while they slowly drowned. My grandpa has a navy tattoo. And he had it at a time when people simply didn't do that. I always knew he was in the navy but he only told me ONE time his entire long life about it. He was drafted like his junior year in high school. Never finished school. Months before he died he was given an honorary diploma from his hs for his service. That's around the time I asked about his navy days. He was always ashamed of not getting that diploma. Men were simply different breed back then, even in old age right up til he died he would do his household duties fixing things and mowing. He even would mow for neighbors and family. The one thing that he explained to me about those navy days and the war was those men who died underdeck saving the rest of the crew
@Shawn Leider Thank you very much for sharing your Grandfather's story. I firmly believe that stories like that, and the one in this video, should be told so that we never forget the human cost in any situation. My grandfather was also in the Navy during World War II, but unfortunately he died when I was about 14 so I never got to talk to him about his experiences. And you're right, they don't really make men like the ones in the boiler room on your grandfather's ship anymore. I can pretty much guarantee that those men knew they would die if they stayed - but stayed anyway because it was their job and they knew their actions would save others. I hope your grandpa has been reunited with them and they're all at peace now 😌
As we all know, big companies see us as replaceable and this story proves that.
Rest in peace and condolences to the families.
yeah, how dare they try and rescue the divers, even worse how dare they attempt to do anything like Idk how but rescue them
Always.
We're no more than a number. Doesn't matter what company you talk about
Criminal investigation into the oil company. Imprison executives.
They usually weigh the cost of any sort of intervention against the settlements that will have to be paid out for the loss of life and whichever is the more cost effective, they go with that
@@pixiepaws99 For what exactly?
Hi. Trini born and raised here and I just want to say thank you for the way you handled this story with sensitivity and care. I can say that this rocked our little twin-island nation in a way I'm not certain it ever has before. We all keenly felt this loss and still do today. It is by God's grace this family carries on.
I hope everyone remembers Christopher’s strength for trying to get back to help the others. I’m stunned, this was insane.
He had heart for sure. Im glad he survived, he took a leap of faith.
I hope everyone remembers the oil company letting those poor souls suffocate for 2 days in the dark without help.
He is a national hero, his family is in line for several million dollars when this is settled.
proof that cops are useless......you remember that when sitting on jury
I hope everyone remembers how horrible government AUTHORITY
and "keeping people safe" really is.
Jeez this is terrifying. These poor men. I would have mentally checked out and died. Christopher is truly heroic. He did all he could. Even trying to risk his life to go back in. How awful it must have been for the 4 men to know they were just left behind.
Seriously, and Christopher now has to live with the horror of the 4 men most likely dying thinking he abandoned them. What an awful tragedy. Screw that company.
At least the men didn't know Christopher made it out and didn't rescue them. I'm in no way blaming him I'm just saying that at least Christopher knows they don't know he made it out.
No feminist was harmed in this tragedy because feminist WON’T do any of these incredible and dangerous jobs that men do for our society.
;)
@@Douglas_I he told them he was going to come back for them. that's why when he wanted to go back in, security pulled weapons and threatened to harm him.
@@thinkbeforeyoutype7106 ironic screen name
I am Trinidadian and this was a terrible, tragic situation for us. Thank you for covering it, Mr. Ballen. Christopher is a hero!
He's certainly a hero at the very least for trying his hardest to rescue his four friends/co-workers against the poor judgment of the local/company authorities.
Why didn't the rescuers pump the water out from one of the two ends of the tube?
@peki100 good question. Questions we will probably never have answers to in our lifetime.
Bureaucrats have no common sense or empathy. They will always F things up.
@@peki100 powers that be considered them expendable i guess
I just wanted you to know that my husband of 41 years passed away last August & he watched your RUclips videos all the time & he really liked your unique narrative storytelling. He really liked you! He said you were a good man! He began listening to you after his leg was amputated in 2021 & he began spiraling out of control regarding his health. He no longer had mobility & he was only able to watch TV until his death. He was a Veteran like you & a retired Police Officer. I just thought you would appreciate being told how you helped fill a dying man’s time & diverted his anguish even if it was just for a little while! I felt compelled to let you know. Bless you & your family.
I agree with your husband, may God bless you
I really hope @MrBallen sees this!!❤
Cool story bro
@@johnn7478 isnt human connection beautiful ❤
RIP. I hope he is in peace. Stay strong ❤
It's unbelievable that they didn't make an effort to rescue them considering they sent them. My heart goes out to their families and to the ones that lost their lives
And to Christopher 😢
They at first lied and said they tried but failed 😢
It sounds rough. But you dont want those rescue people to also get stuck.
@@rubikfan1 feel like they could have put a tube in the pipe to suck the water out so they could get them
Only to families? I’m more sad for the forsaken in the pipe.
I feel so bad for Christopher. Imagine surviving a horrible ordeal only to know that your friends are dying on you and that no one is willing to assist them. I can't imagine such a feeling, actually. I hope that this brave man does not have survivor's guilt as we all see you as a hero Chris. RIP to those who perished.
Failing to attempt a rescue amounts to culpability.
For real I don't understand y they couldn't rescue them like Chris did it with one air tank for SOME of the way I think other diving professionals could do it with proper equipment
Dude honestly I think I'd go on a warpath
What I think makes it worse is his friends who died probably thought he abandoned them. That would tear me up inside
@@I_am_a_cat_ to be fair it was an unknown situation so I reckon they would have thought Christopher didn't make it out, still sad but they probably knew the chances of him making it out were slim
The picture of Christopher over the casket is truly haunting. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain he feels not being able to save his friends.
What makes it an even greater tragedy is the fact the company would not perform that rescue operation. I feel for Chris, the Survivors Guilt must be soul crushing.
No feminist was harmed in this tragedy because feminist WON’T do any of these incredible and dangerous jobs that men do for our society.
;)
People die everyday b it hurts at first but hell b alright at the end of the day .
@@lou8853 99 percemt brick layers are farmers so no house without men.
Almost all the dirty stuff cleaning of tanks, fixing of pipes are done by men.
Without men their cars would not have been invented.
Without their father they would not have existed in this world.
@@lou8853 Thank God for men. We cant live without them .
I am an Trinidadian and it took me over a year before I had the strength to watch this video and to hear the details of this event. When it happened I just could not being myself to do it. This story affected us all as a nation. These men go through years of EXPENSIVE training and study just to do these high paying high risk jobs just to give their families a good life. These companies only care about profits and not their own workers. Thank you for telling their story.
I am a Trinidadian. This was so tragic. The company doesn’t want to take responsibility for this tragedy. Thanks for covering this unfortunate incident
Well the guys fucked up
There has to be something that could have been done. Something. How in all the world was there nobody that could have solved this problem of getting those men out.
@@BillHawkins0318 they could they just didn't want to risk their lives doing it.
Why should they? The company didn't do it. The guy with the wrench did it.
Let us not forget these jobs pay mid 6 figures a year. They are paid extremely well for little work because of the extreme risks. So, I don't feel sorry for them.
@@phillipstroll7385 Bro I think you are missing the point here. Mistakes are made we are all human. The fact that Paria did not send a rescue team is what they are not answering. I could understand your opinion but somehow I feel that it's because it wasn't your family in that pipeline is why you said what you said. Very insensitive choice of words. I live on the island that this happened on and it not as straight forward as you make it seem.
Christopher is a true and loyal friend, the fact the he wanted to go back into the pipes for his friends when no one else wanted to is REALLY heartbreaking. As a Trinidadian I'm now hearing the story in detail. That company is definitely to blame for there deaths. But no one likes to take blame at all. Thank you Mr Ballen...
One of the saddest parts is all of his friends died thinking he was a scum, a coward and a traitor who abandoned them. :-(
Check out TTT Live Online (RUclips channel)
There are several videos, titles being “Commission Of Inquiry Into Paria-LMCS Diving Tragedy”.
There are some videos made by expert divers out there. Glad the lawyers of the families are tearing the company apart in the courts
I am a Trinidadian, thanks for a detailed explanation of what happened, and I am living here steups, I now understand what went on. thanks MrsBallen much appreciated 👍
"No one likes to take blame" This was a bad incident where people died. Fuck off if you like taking blame or not. Someone needs to be held accountable.
I am from Trinidad an this was such a sad tragedy that devastated our country and am so happy that you covered it...thank you Mrballen
Yes it was am from st Vincent and I was following sad
I can’t imagine watching it unfold in real time, it must have been heartbreaking! I’ve sobbed listening to the story here. 😢
I love your name! That is beautiful!! Is is pronounced NAY-line or NAH-line
How far do you live from where it happened ??😮
Has the company been screwed ?
As a rescue diver this story is absolutely terrifying.
Thank you Diver Dave for talking me out of doing commercial diving.
I doubt it. You're a woman.
I'm tearing up all over again listening to this. I'm from Trinidad and we are still hurting from this. My prayers go out to the families affected. Thank you Mr. Ballen for doing this story.
I'm absolutely livid over what those people did to do nothing to help those men! 🤷🤦😤😡🤨. I had to stop crying long enough to write my comment I made on here, and that's been almost 2 hours after he posted this horrific story. I've been listening to the stories that Mr Ballen has been posting for a few years now. And this is the first one that's gotten me so mad! So heartbroken, because of the lack of empathy from any of those people in the decision to NOT help those men! And they absolutely have the means to get them out of there! If they say they don't! They are liars! I pray to the families that lost their loved ones and they Sue those that are wrong for doing nothing. And take every dime possible from them! 🤷🤦😤😡🤨. 🙋😓❤️🔥🙏🕊️
I’m from Trinidad as well but this is not his first story of here though 😂
@Hunter Vonnegut grow up
@@tammygeorge1638 do you really think they would just let 4 men die if they could do something to help? if the rescue mission has a chance of more than 50% that other people will die to they never would do something. and i cant see 1 way with a good chance to get these people out of there... (and they definetly thought more about it and more proffesional than we do)life isnt always that easy.
@@tammygeorge1638 it is sad but when you think about it, it’s also risking the rescuers lives as well.
One of the most horrifying episodes you have shown. Maybe it is just me, but the diving episodes always terrify me. The thought of those poor guys trapped in that pipe for so long and no one would go help them. It is both scary, and deeply saddening. Great episode, sir!
I couldn't think of a more terrifying scenario . Knowing you are going to die and nothing can be done for you.
I feel the same way!!
Reminds me of the Uvalde ,Texas School Shooting , hundreds of police officers standing outside an unlocked door while children called 911 begging police to come to rescue them .
the Texas Government's answer to this is to take cellphones from kids so if it happens again they can't call 911 because the phone calls to 911 was an embarrassment to the state .
Are you kidding Mr? There's not enough $$$ to cover their lives. Didn't the company have a plan B? It's BS!
As a Trinidadian I am so grateful you are covering this. Our country is a haven for corruption under its current government and this situation is a prime example of putting profit first before human life. This sad situation was totally salvageable but due to the inaction of those in authority with close ties to the government, 4 divers suffered a long slow death and the government is doing everything in its power to try to cover this up.
I totally agree with your statement. I am feeling so bad for these people.
Huh, sounds like the U.S. government regarding the East Palestine train derailment....🤔
@@janedoe-hq9vn💯
Sounds like all gov around the world are showing their true colors. I'm so very sorry this is a living nightmare, I can only imagine the PTSD this brave man still has to this very day. That is absolutely horrible
Sadly most of the world puts money before human life.
2 of my fears unite, drowning and trapped in a close space. I can't imagine what this man was going through. So sad and tragic, a truly horrific way to pass away
I can’t imagine the survivors guilt Christoper is experiencing. I hope he has a lot of support around him right now.
They wanted to stay.
@@juanduenas1943 they didn't want to drown, and they were extremely distressed. Your comment is ignorant.
I hope he gets revenge.
I like to stay on land for a reason.
He doesn't and paria is tryna shift blame on to the divers
I cannot imagine the absolute grief Christopher must feel just for the simple fact he wasn’t able to rescue his friends no matter trying over and over again. I really hope he’s doing okay..
They should have went with him. They paid for it. No way I'd stay put on the pipe and not get out or die trying
Yeah I would imagine the survivors guilt is intense for him. And then I could also imagine now angry he must be with all the people who just didn't even try to save them, it was clearly possible if he was able to get out. Hell they could have sent in air tube or something to even talk to the men, but instead waited for them to die so that they could open these pipes in such a way that might have even disgraced their bodies... Poor Christopher for sure, he might have also wish he just dragged his friends with him or been more forceful about them following.
It’s crazy they didn’t allow a rescue diver to go down with Christopher. I feel like there are a thousand different safety protocols they could of done. Like a rope line dropped down or cut the dam pipe. This breaks my freaking heart
ruclips.net/video/SEJWFkdK3wA/видео.html&ab_channel=TTTLiveOnline
Just part of his testimony. heartbreaking 😢
So heartbreaking 💔 Christopher is a Hero! His heart and mind had the right intention. I hope he’s able to find the courage to move on knowing he did all he could 🙏
The fact that no rescue was attempted really makes me sick, there must've been some way to save those men! Christopher must be quite a guy for wanting to go back in and save everyone, I hope he is able to heal and recover from the trauma...I can't imagine what he is going through.
It's MURDER!
Wholeheartedly agree!! 😢
There were even professional divers from in country and around the world who were capable enough to carry out a rescue that were volunteering left and right and the coast guard and government wouldn't allow them.. its ridiculous
@Zach Mcginnis straight up corruption
If they could recover the bodies posthumously they could have recovered the bodies while they were still living.
This is by far the most distressing video I’ve ever seen on RUclips. My heart is pounding so fast right now. As a scuba diver, this scared the heck out of me. May they rest is peace. I hope Christopher is able to physically and emotionally recover from this.
Im not claustrophobic and i happen to be a combat vet, but i would not have been able to emotionally or physically handle any of that. Everyone who was effected by this deserves more love and healing than ive ever wished on another human
Not sure being a combat vet has to do with this being a totally different situation but I see what you mean, my family is in the military and most military vets can't handle much of nothing. Hard for them to even get a job since nobody wants to deal with them and their ego. Understandable. But yeah I can imagine most if not all military personnel couldn't handle this situation.
@@kane6537 yeah being a combat vet means ive gone through shit and dont panic or scare easily, but i would completely break down in that situation.
Not sure what job searching or egos were in reference to, but i dont think i disagree with anything you said.
@@kane6537 This situation would challenge the hearts and souls of the bravest men and women on the planet.
Was thinking the same, i was in Iraq and hurt badly by an IED, the sheer horror of this story far far out ways anything i can imagine!
@@ahh_yes_mr_bax he’s insulting veterans.
This is absolutely heartbreaking and hearing them screaming knowing that no one cared enough to rescue them is horrible. I can’t imagine how traumatized Christopher is and how angry the families of those men are.
But how could anyone have saved them? Cut those pipes with a torch maybe but then they'd drown anyway. Going down the pipes is suicide.
@@jerryvandevort2366 Yeah...that must be a heavy choice to call 😮💨 broken limbs, underwater, tight spaces...hell
@King Tonsil Jockey I mean you certainly can't climb back in to rescue cause you'd be head first it's pointless. Only thing I can think of is to cut that pipe and give each guy a buoyancy pack.
@@jerryvandevort2366 Yup, and cutting the pipes would immediately let out the remaining air, right? After working some claustrophobic jobs myself, I understand the discomfort and limited maneuverability with equipment in that environment. Luckily never had anything critical happen to anyone though
@@jerryvandevort2366 Maybe a sub/diving bell attached and pressurized against the pipe and then cut it open?
Those poor men. It's so infuriating that no one would rescue them it's literally rage inducing. I can't imagine how helpless Christopher felt.
The parent company for Paria Fuel is owned by the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Which is itself owned by Babylon, Mystery, Mother of All Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth. The lack of routine safety precautions followed by their indifference to human life stems from their abject materialism. It wasn't too dangerous to rescue those workers. It was too expensive. A Swiss company recently proposed to purchase Paria Fuel. Switzerland is Babylon the Great's banking capital.
Why didn’t they try to rescue them? I mean it’s not like they tried and they didn’t succeed, they literally didn’t even attempt to rescue them. Why did they do that?
It angers me how much power someone has sitting behind a desk over people out there making them money.
@blak238 I'm guessing because it would be expensive to lose the pipe/oil. He said in the video it was because it was too dangerous but I have a feeling it has more to do with money..so tragic.
Mate why would they needlessly risk lives to save already doomed men
Mr Ballen reminds me of my 6th grade science teacher. He was an awesome teach because I’m 42 and still remember him.
I can't even imagine the terror those men must've endured. Then for Christopher to get out seeking help, only for everyone to abandon his friends to die.... The survivor's guilt must be crushing. My heart goes out to him and the families.
Exactly! No feminist was harmed in this tragedy because feminist WON’T do any of these incredible and dangerous jobs that men do for our society.
;)
@@thinkbeforeyoutype7106 👍👍👍
@@thinkbeforeyoutype7106 a horrific workplace tragedy and you had to go and make it about feminism…
Korean Oil needs to be mailed some boom boom packages.
@@Gavolak Not really since I just watched a video of these feminist insulting all men by saying, “men ain’t sh!t” and ironically MrBallen video came up. These men gave their lives for their families and communities yet I’m shocked some delusional imbeciles would insult their gender for it.
Poor Christopher, he swore he would get help for them and he meant it, he would have sacrificed himself to make sure the others got out. None of it was his fault, but he is probably still living with the trauma of not being able to save them, blaming himself for their deaths.
Survivors guilt
In a way Christopher did help them by telling the story and surviving, he can ensure this doesn’t happen to other divers in the future.
He didn't mean it haha
@@Justcarlosdiaz he DID mean it & he CARRIED IT OUT TOO!!
@Carlos Diaz, you're a prime example of the WORST KIND OF IGNORANCE... The kind that thinks it's funny but only the idiot in YOU is laughing 🖕🏼
@@Justcarlosdiaz 😂😂😂
Christopher is the epitome of what it means to be selfless and courageous. I'd follow him into battle any day❤
yep , me too
Same here..God bless him and those men that had to die that way 🥺
A man of faith, I understand. The inactive leaders should have followed his example: MARK 9: 24 "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."
This made me cry! Those poor men, I’m sending condolences to their families! Such a shame. 😢😢
With as terrifying as the story was, what really takes it over the edge is that clip at the end.... just realizing what happened and how fast it happened makes you wonder how nobody was decapitated, and how everyone survived the initial problem.... props to Christopher for wanting to go after his friends, especially once he found out the company and the government weren't going to do anything
@@tristanrebeckyes.. God be with them that is a terrible way to do and despite it being the fault of the company and it being their own men they still just let it be that is absolutely nuts. I pray justice is served in this world before it has to be served on the other side which is much worse from what I hear
Inexcusable not to try a rescue attempt. They should be held accountable!
This is not the first time that the company "Paria" has gotten away with employees" death. But what can u do when u live in a country thats almost as corrupted as communism ?
Easy for you to say sitting safe at home. If the decision was up to you, would agree to send rescuers to a certain death to maybe just maybe save 4 mens?
@Timarc but it's not certain death...? the divers survived for at least two days, and clearly navigating the pipe was not impossible for a full grown man. it would be a matter of towing along oxygen tanks so the divers can have air while they're navigated back to the surface. the potential for death would be 100% on the divers as they could die from their injuries (or even be unable to move from wherever they are due to their injuries). it's not like the rescue workers would be entering a tricky pressure situation or some place that's really hard to get to. It's a consistent horizontal pipe.
you cant trade lives, rescue attempts that are likely to fail are almost never gone through with as your essential knowingly sending rescue workers to their deaths.
@@timarc9895 Yes, it's also not a "certain death"
Did u also know the inside of the pipe was coated with a thick oil sludge and the air pockets contained toxic gases Chris crawled out with great difficulty completely covered in oil which was in his eyes nose and mouth as well? That adds another element of horror.
Holy shit I didn’t even think about that!! That makes me even more mad!!!! It takes a lot to get me mad and riled up, and while listening to this story, my own reawakened fear of suffocation was very quickly replaced with anger when I heard that the company didn’t deploy the rescue teams. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
THERE IS AN ENTIRE DOCUMENTARY FROM NAT GEO CALLED “The Rescue” IN WHICH SIMILAR EVENTS HAPPEN BUT IT IS HANDLED SO MUCH BETTER AND AT AN EVEN *HIGHER* RISK THAN WHAT THE RESCUE TEAM FROM THIS STORY WOULD’VE FACED!!!! I’m so mad.
I'm a loyal Mr Ballen supporter, and I have been a subscriber for quite some time now, so as I'm sure many (if not most or all of you) probably understand, once you've discovered this channel you go through a super deep dive/binge of ALL of the videos posted to the channel ... my point is, that I've seen each and every video that has been posted and THIS ONE, this particular one, is the ONLY one that actually haunts me. It'll pop into my head at strange times and when it does, I cannot stop thinking about it ... the though of being in that tube, of making the decision to push through the stagnant water ... man, what an ordeal. Truly scary.
Christopher is an ace friend to his buddies. Brave beyond words for his attitude to get back in there to save them.
I'm so mad for the divers who weren't rescued and for their families and friends. I understand the safety issues but I still feel like more could have been done. Unbelievable
There’s investigations on who made the call, but politics about “high” places
ya like dive down and cut the pipe from the outside. have tanks waiting for them. like do something!
@The Hike Chose Me The pipe would have flooded as soon as they started cutting. Those guys would have drowned long before they got it cut open, or even a hole big enough for them to get out
@@mommy2libras they could have just cut it at one of the places that’s lower. the air pocket would’ve still stayed
Thank you for covering this story.
From Trinidad here, this case was one of the most horrifying and saddest things that's ever happened here, personally I hope Christopher could regain his strength and heal from this...as well as the family's whom lost their sons'...
@Deng Nicca why would you ask that?
@dengnicca9494 Take your problems elsewhere.
@Deng Nicca 😕 Why ask this?
@Deng Nicca how much did YOU donate? If you have nothing good to say hush!!
@Deng Nicca so you chose to only respond to mine to let the world know u donated 50 Usd. Wow, that's going to bring back the lives of my fellow departed brothers. Your comment was very uncalled for. Learn to have a little tact na. Smh
The way that you broke this story down so that we could envision what occurred and how is IMMACULATE! Thank you❤
The moment you explained what the habitat was, my heart just immediately sank and I knew what was going to happen. This is so tragic. The fact that it could have been so easily prevented with a little basic knowledge about physics makes it even sadder. RIP to those men. I hope Christopher gets the help and support he needs.
🙏🏼
What specifically has to be done to equalize the pressure? Just curious.
As a math and physics lover, I instantly knew that this would happen, but it broke my heart that no one but Christopher was willing to rescue the other 4. About equalizing and how easy it is to prevent this, not everyone knows how this works, so that's not to blame.
Same.
It was pretty obvious what was going to happen...
Imagine having the physical and mental fortitude it took for Christopher to crawl for hours underwater, in the dark to get help. Then being told they couldn't do anything for his friends. I wish him and his family peace and happiness.
He definitely has a heroes spirit.
They didn't even need to go in. They could've sent in a radio, flashlights, air hoses or tanks etc. Then had Christopher explain to them how to get out. They could've easily gotten them out without even actually having to physically enter the tube. This was total negligence and incompetence
@@jamesbroomfield7799 explain how to get out? All they had to do was crawl. The other one was doing the same thing but stopped. It's them panicking caused it
@@jamesbroomfield7799 If they could have "easily" gotten them out then they would have. Seems you think these tyoe of rescue missions are much easier than they really are.
Wasn’t the last diver still wearing scuba gear? Yeah, they could of least get tiny diver to bring them flashlights and breathing apparatus
I pray Chris is getting the support he needs. Sometimes survivor's guilt can affect a person way worst than the actual incident. Its something that stays with you and it's hard to shake.
That's by far the most terrifying case I watched on this channel. And I instantly get several ideas of rescue without putting anyone in danger. I can't believe they not even tried, just unbelievable...
My wife's been saying that she can't imagine any ways to rescue them (we're Trinidadian). I'm convinced that there are ways but admittedly I can't think of any outside of cutting the pipe but then they'd drown. What idea do you have mate?
@@theaudiophileshow4410 Although I am not part of a professionell rescue team and neither are You or youre wife I could never imagine that one of these would come up with some idea. However about thinking just half an hour my plan was this. I would push in there some hoses with oxygen, three to be exact, because they were three, with an attached notice that should pass these to the next when they got their own until they are all three provided with one. To give a sign, they could for instance pull a few times with the hose.
Then I would start to pump away the water.
That is because some people mentioned here you cant pump away the water immideately because the air bubbles they were breathing from would change their location and they would drown and I agree here.
And then only thing left is to fiddle in a stiff metal wire where they can hold on and pulling them out.
I want to remember that this came to my mind just after half an hour, just me, and of course I m not quite sure if that would work out but there is no way that specialists in a great number wouldnt come up with a dozen ideas, no one could convince me about that.
@@theaudiophileshow4410 Well I wrote an answer to youre question here in the comment section and now I cant find it anymore. Dont know if you got it but I dont want to write the whole thing again
@@theaudiophileshow4410 Pump the water out of the pipe from the air pocket. Initiate rescue. Please tell me why this won't work?
It was so deeply upsetting that they chose to let those men suffer and die like that. 💔
It really is.. I can't even imagine the feeling once they realized that they weren't coming for them. 🥺
Cash over lives, it's the corporation way
The fact that the company sent them down, despite that only two members of the dive team were in possession of commercial diving certification. The remainder of the dive team was in possession of recreational scuba certification. Also that Paria’s personnel lacked the experience and competency in offshore subsea maintenance work, shows how incompetent the company was.
Just like all those kids on that ferry in Korea in 2014.
I'm a Trinidadian. When this incident happened a year ago, I was in so much distress. I can't even begin to imagine how the survivor feels or the family of those men that didn't make it.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for highlighting Christopher's story. I'm coming to tears because the audio which they released is haunting. The most horrific thing to happen in my country in years.
It's absolutely heartbreaking
Horrific to hear them banging the pipe for help and nobody came for them. I hated this, so sad.
I'm so sorry, this was a tragedy and I'm in tears watching it, I'm so sorry it happened in your country.
What was being said at the very very end, when he got sucked into the pipe
The fact that any of them survived getting sucked that fast into the pipe is insane.
Pretty sure they survived getting sucked? I remember seeing something about them dying of lack of oxigen, so they were stuck there slowly dying
@@flyingorange2482 That's what op said - it's insane that all five divers survived getting sucked so rapidly into that pipe, from the sudden pressure change to the injuries sustained to the fact that they just conveniently happened to end up in an air pocket. The chances of them drowning or being beaten to death by debris while getting sucked down into the pipe were way higher.
I live in Trinidad and this was really one of the most horrible tragedies to happen to our island . Thanks for sharing the story ❤️
Our condolences and love are with you
@@athirarajan187 I sure hate their bravery was over taken
Our condolences 🙏🏾🙏🏾
So sorry this happen to your people.
I'am a 20 year old guy and i grew up without a father
I just cant... It's so hard not to cry for these poor souls. I think what hurts most is the fact there was no justice or accountability in the end... It was simply "Oh well, they're stuck... Nothing we can do". No one deserves to be left in a pipe to die on their own in the dark without any attempt to save them. They were relying on the kindness and bravery of other humans to save them and there were people ready and waiting to do just that but they got blocked from doing it.
None of the "investigations" are finished yet, so there may be justice and accountability. Nonetheless I understand what you mean. Absolutely the worst way to slowly die .
Or “They should’ve balanced the air pressure first” I’m like really, you’re blaming the victims? 🤦♀️
Wow.. I was literally on the edge of my seat with this one. Broke my heart that they wouldn't go in and save those guys. I can only imagine what the only survivor was feeling knowing his friends were trapped down there and weren't going to be helped. Truly sad.
agreed, the survivor's guilt has to be overwhelming
I was on edge of toilet
Why...They murdered the other 4-divers.
Really appreciate you spoiling the story wtf man
@@JustinWallis-oe2cf Uh, what kinda dork reads the comment section before watching the video? That'd be your own fault, sir.
I had I high school friend who became a deep water welder working in the Gulf. He was crippled by decompression sickness following an accident caused by human negligence. He lived in agony for almost a year following the accident before ending his own life by opioid overdose. He was one of the toughest, and kindest, people I knew back then. The bends is no joke.
@Shacthulhu, As you said, BENDS is no joke.
That’s why I sincerely hope that the four of them passed away before the surface team removed the blind flange of the B5 riser at 05h00 on the Saturday morning, that’s to say after these poor divers stayed during 14 hours under the absolute pressure of 2,57 bars and 2,3 bars (51,6 & 42,8 ft. of water).
Unfortunately I have some doubts they did, because bangs were still heard on the B5 side at 02h30 of that same night.
This is absolute horror. Poor men. I don't understand why no one, except Christopher, tried to save them. That is incredible. Thanks MrBallen for sharing your story telling talent :) You're gifted !
I'm sure they didn't want the other ones to survive because then that's more people you have to pay off
Alot of people wanted to help, the company didn't allow them!!!
@@chelsehossain12 let's risk more people to save these guys from almost certain death when going in on its own is almost certain death. Makes sense to me
@@BOBCAT4224 They could have just cut the pipe in half/disassembled the pieces and gotten the men out that way
@@mz.yumyum1461they would have to pay more to the family if they died tho
I'm from Trinidad , thank you do much for being respectful and covering this story . The families have not been able to move on and it's so terrible . I've always been a fan of the page so I thank you for this 🙏
Trinidad is in my prayers. My brother worked there many years ago helping to open a flour mill. He passed from a heart attack last year. He always loved your people. He said the people he worked with were very hard working and dedicated.
This story is so horrible. I feel so terribly for those families ❤
why would he not be respectful??? this post screams attention smh
@@kingfancy7317 Why you gotta be like this?
@Centrell Nichols Your comment screams for negative attention. Chill.
I'm a Retired US NAVY Diver, and this was the most disturbing video so far. I had goosebumps the entire 26 minutes. I genuinely feel for those guys that got left down there, gov't sucks.
Course...as you know as a navy diver..
They sure chucked all the gov regulations/ protocols when they did this dive...
The company had the final say to send a rescue team
@@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798 oh my God are you defending thr government? Lol wow and the audacity to think you know more than someone who worked for the government. I was in the army . Everything you know is a lie . But your such a coward you rather get mad at those for speaking the truth than those who enforce it and lie to you and make you a fuking slave to money and tax . God you have to be an complete nimrod to not only defend the government but do it when a former navy diver is saying the government sucks for not saving lives.
@@JohnDoe-vp1ib Paria Fuel failed in nearly every aspect of this job. I have done MANY pipeline commissions, as well as drain downs for repair. I'll try to think of a brief list...
1. You NEVER equalize a pipeline from the discharge side. Especially when it's submerged and you have the opportunity to CORRECTLY equalize the pressure from the manifold/intake that's in open air. I personally would've shut down the job. We call it "throwing the red flag."
2. The moment the diver came up to get a wrench, I personally would've shut it down and held an IMMEDIATE safety stand down. The job has clearly not been discussed at length so every individual involved is on the same page. Red flag moment.
3. The fact that there was no concurrent monitoring via radio or cameras of the habitat, I personally would've shut it down. The lack of immediate response tells me that no one was actually watching their video feeds. "Hole watch" is a boring job but EXTREMELY important. Red flag moment.
4. I didn't see any air/gas monitoring. The fact that the surface crew didn't immediately engage the situation is proof of that. Red flag moment.
5. You NEVER leave a crew in peril like that. There were still options to explore to extract those welders. They wouldn't give up on you, so it is your duty to not give up on them. Every single possibility or anything that can go wrong and how everyone's response to it should go HAS TO BE DISCUSSED at the pre-work safety briefing for this very reason. Emergency response should've already been there, been briefed, and standing fast in case they're needed. Red flag moment.
These are just a few off the top of my head. If I spent more time on it, I could likely find a dozen others. The employees of Paria Fuel have an incredible amount of control and power over a job. It is pretty much an industry standard that ANYONE can throw a red flag, even the menial laborers. If the leadership of the company is pressuring because of deadlines, shut it down, sign off on the work permit, and demand the CEO themselves come and take over the job. They are very risk averse when their own asses are on the line. Make them do their job! This was 100% on the company's employees, safety officers, and management. I hope the victim's families and Christopher can get their due justice and find peace. This was an entirely preventable tragedy and everyone who signed off on this work should face manslaughter charges.
I bet the saw it as a money issue. More money to save them and not have a lawsuit versus just letting them die.
As a Trinidadian, i remember when this happened, the whole nation was grieving for the families but as always, nothing happened and noone was held accountable.... thank you for talking about this incident
Dude, this story has to be one of the most anxiety inducing stories you have ever told on here. Well done sir.
For real! I had to actually take several breaks and just walk around before I could finish
@@erin_upsidedown2149 Seriously! Anything to do with tight spaces and I'm squirmish.. Add water to that equation and it's game over lol.
Ok in that case don't watch the one where the guy gets trapped to death upside down inside a cave.
@@KaiGaming84 john jones nutty putty cave 2009
@@KaiGaming84 I've already seen it! But I knew about that story, I live in Utah and those cave's are only a few hours away. I've even been in there before, when I was much younger and many years before they had to shut it down due to that tragic incident.
I’m from Trinidad and when this story happened, the country was in complete shock. Also, to add some extra minor details, Paria Fuel company is state owned. The government, the company and the coastguard all refused to even attempt rescuing these poor men. Truly a heartbreaking moment for my island
It wasn't directly the government that made the decisions. It was the Paria Board that kept back the coast guard
Was the govt privy to what transpired while it was taking place? Dont be ridiculous & bring the foolishness on YT pls
@kali doll have you been following the case locally? I mean. Let's be real. If the gov was involved directly they would have been dragged into it as well. Steady on
They probably weren't confident they could rescue them without killing them in the process or risking more lives. I don't know how a lawsuit against a state owned company would go either.
@Kraken the case is showing that they made no attempt and were more concerned with covering their assrs and keeping thier positions. They were trying their best to cover everything up
I cannot believe the company did what it did after Christopher had clearly proven that a rescue was possible!
I'm a Trinidadian. I remember when this happened. The response of our politicians and this company during this horrific incident, as callous, cowardly and heartless as it was, doesn't surprise me. In comparison it equates to the contemptible actions of the Uvalde police department who, despite having guns, refused to engage the school shooter and they prevented those who were willing to risk their lives to save the lives of others from doing so.
This was a suicide mission. Lmao.
they didnt follow protocol
Did they even try? I don’t understand why they couldn’t try to get them some kind of breathing apparatus or air then send down ropes and pull them from the other side?
@@justme8274 Or they could bring water pump to suck sea water from the pipe and giving them rope to get out of the pipe
OH MY GOD! A story from my country! Thanks for sharing this MrBallen!
I kept watching this video's thumbnail and reading the title and thinking to myself: "No way it's what I think it is. There's no way." But, I finally clicked it and it is!
This rocked our country. It was something we never thought would happen here. We have a saying in Trinidad and Tobago that "God is ah Trini" so we often think that things like industrual disasters, natural disasters and even serial killers will never occur on our shores. Boy were we wrong.
Finished the video. Again, thanks for bringing attention to this MrBallen. RIP and condolences to these men's relatives.
I didn't know there was actual footage from one of the divers, since, when this happened, I really couldn't stand to watch the news. Hearing our Creole English "We get through!" when handed the wrench nearly made me cry. I hope they were spared from too much suffering.
"If God is ah trini, then he from south"
Nope. This basically happened in South.
I would straight up die from a heart attack. My chest tightened listening to this story. I can only imagine the fear the trapped men felt. Christopher must've felt like he betrayed them
that's why it's always men that do this dangerous work while feminist scream and complain about inequality crap, where are all the feminazis itching to have equal representation in jobs that are so dangerous that men ALWAYS do.
Which is so sad but I could understand why he might feel it. Obviously it was not his fault at all and he didn’t betray anyone but living with that survivors guilt has to be awful! I hope he’s getting the love and help he needs to deal with what happened and I hope the others are finally getting to rest in peace.
Survivors guilt is real. It's pretty bad i hear.
@@aResoluteProtectorsurvivors guilt has been plaguing me since 2006.
Of those that made it out, I'm one of the only two that has managed to live this long with it.
It's killed the rest, either through drinking, drugs, suicide, or other means. To be honest, I drank hard and used drugs for many years to help me cope with it, even made a few suicide attempts. I just happened to get into therapy, and have good enough luck so far.
So yea, I'd say pretty bad is a massive understatement. But you aren't wrong.
Who would dare to visit Trinidad as a tourist, when a state and state-owned company does not care about human lives in accidents - godless inaction. Not to mention compensations for survivors. "Paria admitted they had no rescue plan, citing that they had 'no legal responsibility to rescue the men'."
This is probably one of the most heart breaking stories I’ve heard you tell. I cannot fathom the pain their families went through knowing all the details. I pray for their peace and also for justice to be served for them.
Imagine how sad Christopher felt, he was probably thinking that his friends thought he abandoned them even though he was risking his life to save his fellow friends
Rest in Peace.
Imagine his ptsd....heartbreaking
I hope it's true then that whatever we might have in terms of a soul that lives past the body even for a short while means they observed him trying to save them. That don't really believe in that myself but more than once I've received what could have been seen as a message and otherwise highly unlikely and even Slightly bizarre object in the context of an equally unusual events that occurred within just a few days of the person's passing while I still had a feeling of them being there. And when the feeling disappeared they seemed irretrievably long gone back into the ether or heaven or whatever the afterlife maybe. Which leads me to suspect that if there is such a thing it's a gradual reabsorbing into something like the big One-ness or the All. This would explain why there is at least literally a ghost of someone that fades but doesn't disappear. It could be that it's just rejoined the infinite something that we all come from and return to even if we eventually become something else. Because that life cycle is what happens here on Earth. There's not a single living object on the planet that didn't come from some minerals or other substances that originally derived from another living thing that has died. In that sense we're all reincarnated on this planet but if there's a bigger sense that is on a universal scale then perhaps something lives on long enough that his friends saw him going back down the pipe.
@@myfirstnamemylastname2994 there is no short wile the soul lives forever not short will
Maybe but i think its more likely that they thought he would either drown trying to get out or not be able to make it far
@@myfirstnamemylastname2994 .n. tr4t
The fact Christopher escaped, is literal proof it could’ve been done, especially with equipment…
This is a terrifying story. I refuse to believe this company could not do anything to save their lives. My heart goes out to Christopher; he is a hero for wanting to rescue these men. He survived, but knowing how his co-workers perished must be overwhelming. I felt claustrophobic just listening to this story. I can't even fathom the fear all of them experienced.
They should’ve let him go that’s what it is if he wanted to go back and they should’ve let him especially if they weren’t willing to go. They should let anybody get down there and try.
You can refuse to believe but you'd be wrong. Those men were stuck in an impossible situation. You can't cut the pipe, they would drown. One of the guys already panicked to the point of freezing up and refused to keep moving. He was blocking the way. Panic is what makes this too dangerous to put rescue divers in the pipe. If you don't believe me read up on cave rescue diving. Very rarely do they bring anyone out alive. One guy has 9 rescues and he's a legend in the field. Most of the time it's body recovery because someone panicked and blocked the way for other divers.
Reminds me of the Russian sub on the ocean floor . Russia was too proud to accept outside help as they suffocated
WWgdcfxf😢
i mean they could have cut the pipe honestly if anyting
That’s so sad and terrifying that they can deem other peoples lives too risky to save. I come from a military family where it’s no man left behind and all efforts are expended to even recover a fallen. Chris probably relives this daily. Prayers to him and all the families of the fallen ones.
But they go in after they are dead to get their bodies.... same risk right?
@@The_Cholo that's similar to what I just commented. I can't grasp that mentality.
Thats just dumb lol certain situations you have no choice but abandon the fallen for the greater good. Your morals arent better then others its all subjective but its dumb because its not effective in sole situations i also come from a military family who successfully fought ght the british and americans and we dont believe in that . Guess it depends how youre brought up. No right answers
@@The_Cholo bodies are easy to get..if your alive...u can get greedy and drag other with u steal eguipments and alot of shit can happen ,nobody wants to die.
It was the lack of effort I was so struck with. Not even an attempt. Guess I’m cut from the old cloth. Not this new crap of me me me. Idk. But I think lives are worth being saved. ALWAYS. Call me dumb. Well done. Your opinion matters I guess now days
I love that Mr. Ballen is kind enough to "dumb it down" when he explains things so we can understand without actually knowing about the topic, like the habitat/bucket. Seriously helpful.
Thanks!!!
Absolutely! I wouldn't have been able to follow along without him "dumbing it down" for us. He does it so well that you don't feel dumb but just like you said, it helps you "understand without actually knowing about the topic."
Christopher is an amazing person. I'm mindblown by his courage and his other good qualities. I hope he's doing okay!
As a Trini, thank you so much for this very comprehensive explanation of the events. As a whole, our people acknowledge Christopher as a hero and mourn for those tragically lost.
So they were able to recover their bodies. Yet couldn’t go down and get them? I couldn’t imagine how terrifying this must of been for them!
That's exactly what I was thinking!!!l like wtf?
That’s what I was thinking! Why couldn’t they just do the rescue if they recovered the bodies later!?!
It's easier to retrieve a dead body vs one that is alive. If they wouldve cut the tube, they would have died anyway.
Bodies dont take air which would mean extra tanks which would exceed the limits of the pipe truly I wonder if people use their own brainpower anymore or if they react and act on emotion alone. This sucks, im not happy it happened but if anyone else were to go down that pipe to rescue those still alive there would have been one more death to the list at worst and no one saved at best. Seriously think about the dimensions of the pipe and the dimensions of a person with full scuba gear and then imagine them trying to save someone else while sharing gear, mathematically it doesn't work and theoretically its impossible. In my mind this is like asking why someone didn't go into a burning building to save someone when they were able to recover the remains instead.
@@nikkirex20
How would you have saved them?
No matter what. You do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to rescue the remaining divers. I send my deepest condolences to the families of those divers who shouldn't have died!
Some times that’s not the case if you’ve watched many of his videos. There’s cases where fiends tried to help their other friends and died right along with them. Like the cave exploring incident where the joy went down the side of a water fall in a cave to help his friend and got tangled and stuck under below freezer cold water and they both died of hypothermia
wtf no you literally do not XD You do what can be done safely. You going off and ALSO getting trapped/injured/lost doesnt help jack shit.
Nice dog 👍
@@jaxsonnicholas1885 the difference is tho, some of those catastrophies were caused by people going/diving into places (mainly caves) that they weren't supposed to be anyhow. Illegal, prohibited, sealed off; some of those -thrillseekers- complete idiots put themselves at risk, for no real reason. What makes this so different is these men were doing their jobs, an act of service. There was absolutely no reason they couldn't have tried to save these men. Bare in mind I have ZERO clue how any of this work's but I would think they could have atleast snaked a camera down there to see where the men exactly were located and then could they not cut through the pipe somehow and pull them out or at the least send rescue divers down? This story is terrible
@@jaxsonnicholas1885 I'd rather die trying to save my friend than live with the guilt of not trying
I live in Barbados my father and I like to listen to your stories hes blind he lost his sight was i was young and now we sit down and listen to your stories everyday
This is seriously one of the most horrific scenarios imaginable. I can’t even begin to fathom what these men went through. It gives me chills even envisioning what they endured. Christopher is a phenomenal human. I hope he’s able to heal from this trauma.
It's MURDER!
@@yuiopoli9601 what?
@@leafpaw1182 I assume leaving the 4 men to die is what he is calling murder.
@@caloreen1992 christopher or the authorities
@@leafpaw1182 The "authorities".
I'm from Trinidad and it was seriously a tragedy. Thank you Mr. Ballen for covering this story.
Were the people in a uproar about not saving them?
wow you're from there, big whoop, f them... less indo-trinis the better
@@extremeking425 Really? C'mon, I understand you dont want anymore people going there but is this really necessary?
@@Cereal_Killer007 They did not want to risk the lives of anyone so no, they did nothing. Many people disagreed and demanded that the government did something but the risk was unfortunately too high.
This man can talk about a map and I’d understand it better than looking at it. The world building in your storytelling is PHENOMENAL
🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@MrBallen This is one of your most iconic narrations of a unique and frustrating situation. Your subtle nuances in your storytelling are shining through stronger than ever!
I don't think any movie could tell this story as brilliantly and emotionally impactful as you delivered it.
Keep it up!
You are an amazing story teller, community builder, and have such a bright aroura! Keep up the great work, I am so happy I came across your channel and you specifically.
The photo of Christopher crying over Kazim’s casket broke my heart 😔 what a tragic, tragic event!
So Heartbreaking, the Company didn't even try to save them!!! Unbelievable!!! Poor Families having nightmares over this!! 5 million does not compasate for loss. No Amount can!!!
Never thought I'd see a story from my country covered here. Thank you for keeping their memory alive ❤🇹🇹
There’s other stories from Trinidad he’s covered, there’s one from the airport, that one was crazy
🇹🇹 🇹🇹 🇹🇹
@@theworkingmom18 is that the story with the guy that jumped into the airplane engine? I'm familiar with the incident but I may have missed his retelling.
Yea
I’m angry about the decision to not go back for survivors. They are one hundred percent at fault for the death of the other team members. But Christopher’s bravery and courage and loyalty to his team? Indescribable.
[I apologize for the wall of text but it is necessary. Several people in the comments are very upset with the company for not effecting a rescue. I intend to post and repost this post in an original thread and when I see comments about a lack of a rescue]
I have actually been thinking this through throughly and I'm having a hard time coming up with a scenario that is feasible for an effective rescue. Take the following information into account. About BOTH known and unknown variables:
[KNOWN VARIABLES]
•They knew the other 4 men were all in the pipe (Chrostopher's accounting)
• They knew (at the time) all 4 men were alive (Christopher's accounting)
•They knew there were several objects (dive gear and stuff from the habitat) inside the pipe).
•They know the 1,200 foot section is roughly 60 feet below the surface.
•They know the pipe is not wide enough to send a single diver into, wearing their gear and that that diver would not be able to turn around or effectively do anything inside the pipe.
•They know that any air inside the pipe is a very limited amount.
And
• (based on the banging noises) They know roughly where in the pipe the men are trapped.
[UNKNOWN VARIABLES]
•They do not know the extent of the trapped men's injuries
•They do not know where all of the unrecovered debris/dive equipment is except to say that it is not closer to shore ahead of Kazim
•While they do know that there is currently some air in the pipe, they do not know how much.
Based on this information I only have been able to come up with a single solution and it would be
A) very time consuming
B) very dangerous and
C) highly likely to fail anyway.
I posit that this is what the company could have done (most likely to no avail anyway):
Sending a diver into the pipe is absolutely a terrible idea. There is no room to work, even with lighting, visibility due to having to go feet first would have been almost nothing and if they got stuck, they would likely doom the men and themselves. So I would have suggested to send a small drone (availability ASAP if they did not have one) 2 drones (fixed with small (and I do mean small) air tanks and rebreathers)) One down each side of the pipe (assuming it was safe to open the seaside end of the pipe). Use these drones to see where the first man (Kazim) and the last man were along the pipe and *VERY IMPORTANT* find all the oxygen tanks. Once located, they would need to fix a plug to both drones that could be remotely inflated. Next plug both sides within a meter or 2 of the first and last man. This would once again make the tube airtight but I see this as the only possible way. A 1,200 meter section of pipe is far to cumbersome to lift even just 60 feet, so once resealed, they could cut the section of pipe that the men were all in. (Hopefully it would not be too long. Even a couple hundred feet and it would likely be impossible. Now they have to work as fast as possible because whatever air the pipe did have it now likely has less and it is once again air tight.
Next, using a combination of hoists from as many ships as they could as well as a combination of flotation bags for large objects, raise the pipe section so it is completely out of the water. Finally cut into the pipe as far away from any of the men as possible (on the bottom) being sure to not hit the air tanks or an air pocket (hence cutting on the bottom) so they aren't cutting into a pressurized air source. Assuming this all went to plan and now fresh oxygen would be coming in..... after yet another pressure equalization) they could work a little more leisurely and carefully to remove the men.
Now I am neither a dive expert nor an engineer but I can say with almost 100% certainty that (if this were even possible (again, not an expert)) this would be the only way to save these men to both minimize the risk to them as well as any rescuers working in the water.
If it sounds like a hail Mary to end all hail marys..... that's because it is. A snowballs chance in Hell is a fitting term and there are risks in all stages of the operation to both the men in the pipe and the rescue personnel.
I had time (something the company did not have) to think up this scenario and I did it with the assumption of unlimited resources. Barring this scenario any other types of rescue would be foolish as they would either A) kill the men inside the pipe faster or B) get rescuers killed.
I know it sounds shitty. No one (I would at least hope not) ever wants to make the call to give up on a rescue effort.... especially one where they know for a fact that the victims are still alive. But I ask all of you, setting emotion aside, can you come up with any other effort (that would involve less risk to either party) that could be conducted in a timely matter that would stand a higher rate of success? I'm not saying that the company should do nothing. They probably did just what I did. They sat down and went over scenario after scenario and rejected them all due to either
A) Increased risk to either party or
B) Lack of resources or time.
Keep in mind this is Trinidad, Not the U.S. or any other country nearby. Had they asked for Help from the U.S. it is unlikely a valid rescue plan could have been drafted and executed in time anyway.
This is all just my opinion. But keep in mind that, while not an expert in the necessary fields for something of this nature, I am pretty knowledgeable of all matter of things to a common degree and I did think about this at length.
The only words I really have to offer is that it was both tragic and unfortunate that it had to be in the environment it was and may they rest in peace.
[Again, I apologize for the wall of text]
@@christopherjakel1049all they had to do was send somebody down the way that Christopher came out and try to get them out one at a time. I’m sure there were others willing to risk their lives to get them out. Why does the company and other entities get to dictate whether someone can go down or not to rescue them. Christopher himself was willing to go down himself even after being injured and traumatized. Any effort could have been made but we let companies call the shots who are only invested in themselves.
And the fact that they were able to hear them pounding inside the pipes for two days is absolutely horrific. How anybody could live with themselves after that is beyond me.
@@rbnrdz I promise you, there were not any divers on that site who were willing to dive feet first into a 2 ft pipe. I don't think y'all are really considering everything involved in rescuing 4 men from a 2 ft pipe....
Yes if they were not willing to be loyal to their brave and hard working employees then the company should be dismantled and destitute. All of their money should be given to the 4 victims families and the brave lone survivor.
The video of the end of the Caribbean disaster was the cherry on top of the story awesome content love everything you do
As soon as you said "scuba diver" I knew this was going to be horrifying. There are no words for the level of fear, claustrophobia and pain those poor men must have experienced. So terribly sad 😔
As someone from Trinidad, hearing this all over again is even more difficult, this story shook us all and will continue to haunt our memories. Thank you for sharing this story and I really hope that these families affected gets the justice they deserve.
It's MURDER!
I was literally in tears...remembering and reliving this story....I knew One of them really well....and hearing his voice on the vid broke me...I 🙏 for his family every day😔😔😔😔 May they RIEP
They can send over 100 rescuers into the nutty putty cave for one person, they can send out search and rescue for people freezing to death in the remote wilderness at 30 below Fahrenheit, they can send a crew to the ISS and save endangered astronauts, yet they can't send a group of diver with lighting and an extra oxygen tank each for the victims. Absolute bullshit
Jesus Christ man. When he said that they survived the initial catastrophe I had hope. But when it was mentioned that there would be no rescue attempt I was shocked and pissed. RIP to those men and condolences to their families. Chris is a real one.
Thank you soooo much for explaining Discord. I'm here for it. Love you Ballen.
I live in the Caribbean and followed this story. However this is the first detailed explanation of what happened and why. It is truly scandalous that Paria oil did nothing to save those men. I hope they are made to pay for this tragedy.
It makes my blood boil, whoever made that decision should be in prison, of course we all know that will never happen
[I apologize for the wall of text but it is necessary. Several people in the comments are very upset with the company for not effecting a rescue. I intend to post and repost this post in an original thread and when I see comments about a lack of a rescue]
I have actually been thinking this through throughly and I'm having a hard time coming up with a scenario that is feasible for an effective rescue. Take the following information into account. About BOTH known and unknown variables:
[KNOWN VARIABLES]
•They knew the other 4 men were all in the pipe (Chrostopher's accounting)
• They knew (at the time) all 4 men were alive (Christopher's accounting)
•They knew there were several objects (dive gear and stuff from the habitat) inside the pipe).
•They know the 1,200 foot section is roughly 60 feet below the surface.
•They know the pipe is not wide enough to send a single diver into, wearing their gear and that that diver would not be able to turn around or effectively do anything inside the pipe.
•They know that any air inside the pipe is a very limited amount.
And
• (based on the banging noises) They know roughly where in the pipe the men are trapped.
[UNKNOWN VARIABLES]
•They do not know the extent of the trapped men's injuries
•They do not know where all of the unrecovered debris/dive equipment is except to say that it is not closer to shore ahead of Kazim
•While they do know that there is currently some air in the pipe, they do not know how much.
Based on this information I only have been able to come up with a single solution and it would be
A) very time consuming
B) very dangerous and
C) highly likely to fail anyway.
I posit that this is what the company could have done (most likely to no avail anyway):
Sending a diver into the pipe is absolutely a terrible idea. There is no room to work, even with lighting, visibility due to having to go feet first would have been almost nothing and if they got stuck, they would likely doom the men and themselves. So I would have suggested to send a small drone (availability ASAP if they did not have one) 2 drones (fixed with small (and I do mean small) air tanks and rebreathers)) One down each side of the pipe (assuming it was safe to open the seaside end of the pipe). Use these drones to see where the first man (Kazim) and the last man were along the pipe and *VERY IMPORTANT* find all the oxygen tanks. Once located, they would need to fix a plug to both drones that could be remotely inflated. Next plug both sides within a meter or 2 of the first and last man. This would once again make the tube airtight but I see this as the only possible way. A 1,200 meter section of pipe is far to cumbersome to lift even just 60 feet, so once resealed, they could cut the section of pipe that the men were all in. (Hopefully it would not be too long. Even a couple hundred feet and it would likely be impossible. Now they have to work as fast as possible because whatever air the pipe did have it now likely has less and it is once again air tight.
Next, using a combination of hoists from as many ships as they could as well as a combination of flotation bags for large objects, raise the pipe section so it is completely out of the water. Finally cut into the pipe as far away from any of the men as possible (on the bottom) being sure to not hit the air tanks or an air pocket (hence cutting on the bottom) so they aren't cutting into a pressurized air source. Assuming this all went to plan and now fresh oxygen would be coming in..... after yet another pressure equalization) they could work a little more leisurely and carefully to remove the men.
Now I am neither a dive expert nor an engineer but I can say with almost 100% certainty that (if this were even possible (again, not an expert)) this would be the only way to save these men to both minimize the risk to them as well as any rescuers working in the water.
If it sounds like a hail Mary to end all hail marys..... that's because it is. A snowballs chance in Hell is a fitting term and there are risks in all stages of the operation to both the men in the pipe and the rescue personnel.
I had time (something the company did not have) to think up this scenario and I did it with the assumption of unlimited resources. Barring this scenario any other types of rescue would be foolish as they would either A) kill the men inside the pipe faster or B) get rescuers killed.
I know it sounds shitty. No one (I would at least hope not) ever wants to make the call to give up on a rescue effort.... especially one where they know for a fact that the victims are still alive. But I ask all of you, setting emotion aside, can you come up with any other effort (that would involve less risk to either party) that could be conducted in a timely matter that would stand a higher rate of success? I'm not saying that the company should do nothing. They probably did just what I did. They sat down and went over scenario after scenario and rejected them all due to either
A) Increased risk to either party or
B) Lack of resources or time.
Keep in mind this is Trinidad, Not the U.S. or any other country nearby. Had they asked for Help from the U.S. it is unlikely a valid rescue plan could have been drafted and executed in time anyway.
This is all just my opinion. But keep in mind that, while not an expert in the necessary fields for something of this nature, I am pretty knowledgeable of all matter of things to a common degree and I did think about this at length.
The only words I really have to offer is that it was both tragic and unfortunate that it had to be in the environment it was and may they rest in peace.
[Again, I apologize for the wall of text]
@@christopherjakel1049thank you so much for explaining. When you put it into perspective like that, I can understand why the call was made to not attempt a rescue, as shitty as it is. No one wants to leave a life..let alone four lives, behind. Especially when you can hear them banging for help. But if the only way to save them was to essentially cut the piping, then there was no hope unfortunately. It sounds like it would’ve taken days to even organize the resources needed.
@@christopherjakel1049 I can understand your point of view, but here is my counter argument. First of all, they knew the other men were alive, not by Christopher's account as you so put, but it was CERTAIN because the sounds from them banging were still being picked up by the vehicles in the scene. This was NOT an account or an uncertainty. Second, they knew the exact state of the pipe all the way to where the men were, since Christopher had already passed through that place. Therefore, there was nothing stopping the way as an invariable.
Was it still a dangerous operation? I have no doubts it was. But information here that was available due to Christopher having come out could definitively have been used to mount a rescue. Its incredible that ANYONE could believe there was no chance of rescuing this people after we have gone through an almost more impossible rescue operation for the Titan, with how incredibly huge the scope of the search had to be, in contrast to this point where they knew exactly where this men were.
Like you, Im also no expert, but I believe that another option(not sure how dangerous it is though) was for another diver to go in, tied with communications and rope or some kind of mechanism that can be used to pull him up, to rescue one by one all the other divers.
They had TWO freaking days to think up solutions. They chose to give up on the rescue on day one. There is absolutely no excuse or reasoning you can give me that explains that.
What they needed was a type of pipe snake...you'd think that there would be something like that in that type of environment
Relaying the story to my husband and emphasizing that they didn’t rescue the 4 others, he just says, “wow, that sounds like murder.”
Yeah it really does sound like murder,that gave me goosebumps x
I got such severe anxiety hearing this story, I almost couldn't finish even listening to it. But, that's such a horrible thing for those poor men to realize, that they weren't going to be rescued. I don't understand why the authorities couldn't just cut through the pipe and get them out that way
Because the pipe would fill with water as soon as they started to cut the pipe and drown the men
From Trinidad, this case honestly was one of the most disturbing and horrifying things that has happened here. Honestly to this day people are still awaiting some form of justice and its very upsetting.
PLEASE tell me, that at the VERY least, the families of the victims received some kind of monetary compensation due to the deaths happening while on the job??? I don't know if state-run companies do things like that in Trinidad. However, I won't hold my breath on this. Since the men were obviously alive for days after and NOBODY attempted to save them, I can't say I'd expect the families to receive any compensation 😭😭
It's MURDER!
@@LetsSingTheDoomSongsomebody answer him please 🙏🏽 ⬆️
Mrballen marathon!! Seein how many vids i can watch all day
This was one of the most horrific stories I’ve ever heard. I audibly gasped when I heard they were not going to attempt. This is so awful. I think it was the fact that there was nothing that could be done from the trapped people besides wait for the help that decided not to come. Horrific.
Like couldn't send a hose with air using a robot or Anything?! It's unbelievable they couldn't get creative to save these guys.
@@kaitb07 oh wow, sending a hose with air is actually genius, I never would've thought of that
It makes me so angry that Christopher is the only one that attempted to save his friends and he was forcibly prevented from doing so. I hope he has plenty of emotional support.
IKR. I can only imagine the survivers guilt he carries. 😢
No reason to add more people to the list of people that die. It's completely understandable when you look at it logically
And they waited for them to die to then get them out of the pipe. What the hell is that. Makes me so angry and so sad
@@PaperMakersAdeludedbroad I understand that but it sure seems like they could have tried something. Send some kind of mechanical device down there to pull them out. Something. I don't know.
@@raf9ooo9a IKR! I think I would rather die quickly getting removed from the pipe if that's what would happen rather than wait to suficate or drown. Even if there was some kind of pressure that could push them out of the pipe so that no one else was risked. It seems like something happening quickly would just be a better way to go then to just slowly die in the dark.
im from trinidad..this is one of the most sad events in my country..the authorities didnt give a crap about them and up to now hasnt reached out to the family..thank you for covering it although i wasnt able to listen it out..really sad memories..
insane this happened in the Caribbean, first time hearing about it.
You are an amazing story teller. Gosh, one edge of my seat the entire time. So stressful. Makes my stomach have cramps.
I'm from Trinidad and this story truly broke our nation.
Christoher's story and ongoing survivor's guilt are really heartbreaking. Thank you for covering it so delicately.
Your coast guard and rescue crews are a joke. They had days to send a guy down with an oxygen source and a rope.
@@tylerseabook9423 very true. was absolutely abhorrent
@@tylerseabook9423but tell me how they get the tanks to them?
@@tylerseabook9423 their paychecks come from lobbying from these exact corporations, they are bribed to stand down.
@@ellzedd4113 they didn’t, the officials of Paria prevented any rescue attempts and instead sealed the pipe
I live in Trinidad and this truly has been a tragedy to our nation, we’ve lost our brothers in the most inhumane way, my heart is broken for their families and for Christopher, thank you for covering it in your way 🇹🇹
Amen. God bless you all, this is so very sad. From the USA to you guys, we send our prayers. This is absolutely devastating and I would have never known if it wasn't for this channel. I know what it's like to lose loved ones in the blink of of an eye. My only sister (sibling), 2 nieces and unborn nephew were murdered by my ex brother in law. My heart really goes our to you all. God bless their families
@@frankierzucekjr still idk why Americans need to praise a false god, explain literally everything that’s obvious and then make it about them. Jeesh dude I’m sorry and all that but it’s unsolicited 🥴
@@raede2533 Theres other people that praise americas "false God" not just americans, you must be a muslim.
@@olivia0G “must be a Muslim” jeesh how did you arrive there?
My jaw dropped when they said they wouldn’t go back for his colleagues and they stayed there stuck in that pipe for their final moments 💔 truly horrific and my condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy
If Christopher was going to be traumatised for life by the incident the company made sure he would be by forcing him to then endurethe knowing ofthe horror of his mates hellish deaths.
Yeah, holding off for enough time to assess the situation is reasonable. But two whole days, especially knowing they were still alive? Sue their asses
Mine did as well. It’s horrific and heartbreaking, and they should absolutely be sued.
They were able to get their bodies but couldn't get them while they were still alive??? Such an awful tragedy
@@captainblacksand8484 yes mate it's almost like you cant just rush in and send people to get them striaght away you melt. Rescue operations take more than just brave men to get people back you need to have a plan
Timeline of the Paria Delta P Incident
February 25, 2022
14:40: Four divers are working in a hyperbaric chamber over a 30” riser at an absolute pressure of 1.45 bars.
14:43: A fifth diver arrives with a wrench for the team.
14:45: One diver deflates the plug in the riser, causing the delta P. All five divers are sucked into the riser/pipeline.
14:46: Suction ends.
14:50: A rescue diver enters the hyperbaric chamber, finding it empty and noting the water level in the riser matches the chamber's lower level. The alert is raised.
16:00: Banging sounds are heard in the pipeline.
16:25: Diver Christopher B. resurfaces but cannot exit the water, taps and shouts for help.
16:45: Two rescue divers help Christopher B. out of the riser. He mistakenly believes he does not need decompression stops.
Afternoon and Evening of February 25, 2022
17:00: Based on Christopher B.'s information, the surface team prepares the hookah.
17:45: Diver M.K, assisted by divers C.C & R.R, enters the riser but finds no one.
18:00: The team revises the dive plan, preparing to send a scuba diver with a bottle equipped with 2 regulators.
18:25: Christopher B., assisted by M.K & R.R, are ready to dive but abort due to concerns over M.K’s condition.
18:30: Another commercial diver arrives with proper gear and a 91 m (300 ft.) umbilical. They plan to send a diver down the pipeline to tie a rope to a missing diver for retrieval.
19:00: The client bans further diving, awaiting inspection with ROV or crawler due to delta P concerns.
20:00: Banging is heard near riser B5.
20:30 - 22:00: Divers install the B6 upper riser extension to prevent possible filling of the riser and chamber if the compressor fails.
22:10: A company is contacted to provide a crawler.
23:00: Removal of the blind flange from the habitat reduces the pressure in the pipeline by +/- 0.2 bars but complicates decompression efforts.
February 26, 2022
02:30: Final bangs are heard near riser B5.
03:00: The crawler's first intervention from the B6 riser side. It encounters a scuba tank but can only move it slightly.
05:00: The ICT decides to send the crawler to the other side of the pipeline and authorizes the removal of the B5 riser blind flange.
06:00: Removal of the blind flange lowers the water level by about 11 m in B6 riser, drastically dropping the pressure in the pipeline to atmospheric levels, causing fatal decompression to the divers.