"Adventures With a Purpose" Dangerous Behavior

[SlugLife]

Adventures With a Purpose is a YouTube channel focused on missing-person cases, primarily searching for cars underwater containing deceased individuals. They've solved a few dozen cold-cases, in terms of finding missing-persons, perhaps weeks or decades after the person went missing.

While I appreciate their cause, I can't help but notice them engaging in dangerous behavior from a Scuba perspective. Dive Talk covered one such incident here (below). The basic story is they sent a diver (I believe open-water certified) to 100ft for the first time, with multiple pieces of unfamiliar and untrained equipment including a pony-bottle and full-face-mask. Even before they got in the water, I must have been yelling "no" at my poor computer a dozen times. The short version is the diver ran out of air, made a failed attempt to switch regulators, and did an emergency ascent.

The entire video is rather long, but I found it engaging. I also have some slight skepticism about whether he really tried to switch or not, but that's not important.


They also do a lot of vehicle-recovery work, and I believe have zero commercial dive training. In plenty of their videos they talk about how something they're doing is dangerous but worth it for a good cause, and I can only think to myself "it doesn't have to be."

Anyway, today I'm watching another one of their videos. Around the 10.5 minute mark (below), they send an untrained diver down with a pony-tank strapped to his back. This untrained diver is even uncomfortable with the idea, but the two trained divers continue to encourage him until he does. This guy is diving solo, under parked boats, messing with sunken cars in murky waters, with zero dive training. A lot of bad things could easily happen including disorientation, running out of air, entanglements, lung-expansion injuries, panic, running into objects, and more.


I believe the main AWP guy has been critical of the industry of trying to sell you a cert and class for everything, and I too have made similar critiques.
However, much of this comes across as dangerous and irresponsible. Even worse, a good percentage of their audience appears to be non-divers, and something like this gives the impression that it's safe to strap on a pony-tank and head underwater for a few minutes, skipping the expensive $500 intro scuba-class.

AWP seem like good people and I wish them the best. It's just that an accident could easily get someone killed, or shut down their efforts entirely.

 

[Cthippo]

I've actually worked with Jared on a recovery and one thing you have to keep in mind is that his background is in producing reality TV. The reality of what they do is far far less dramatic than what you see in the finished videos. That said, the recovery I worked on was very simple (20 FFW) and was back when he was working with Sam, before their split. For myself, I would be comfortable diving with them.

I don't know what they are up to now or what happened on a particular operation, but I would take what you see on the screen with a grain of sodium chloride.

 

[SlugLife]

I've actually worked with Jared on a recovery and one thing you have to keep in mind is that his background is in producing reality TV. The reality of what they do is far far less dramatic than what you see in the finished videos. That said, the recovery I worked on was very simple (20 FFW) and was back when he was working with Sam, before their split. For myself, I would be comfortable diving with them.

I don't know what they are up to now or what happened on a particular operation, but I would take what you see on the screen with a grain of sodium chloride.

Some of what they do is clearly dramatization or edits, and I get that, in particular when they verbally say something is super-dangerous. Technically, all scuba is really dangerous, but also completely not-dangerous at the same time if done properly (training, equipment, experience, etc). I suspect scuba-divers aren't their target audience; the sappy music drives me nuts and I groan my way through that to get to the interesting parts.

That said, I do see them sending an untrained diver underwater with compressed air, and giving their audience the impression that kind of activity is safe and reasonable to do.

I'm sure I'd get along with Jared just fine and dive with him any day, but I also have a solo-dive mentality, where I'm 100.0% responsible for my safety at all times.

 

[Vicko]

What they do is incredible and I have 0 problems with them making a living out of doing something to help people.

That said, the amount of times I seen them stand in the whiplash zone of the cables, under booms or even under hanging loads is insane, they have 0 safety consciousness and have very little idea about recovering the cars correctly and safely.
And they suck at diving, the deep dive training was a coprophiliacs wet dream.

Someone's gonna get hurt sooner or later.

 

[El Diablo]

Adventures With a Purpose is a YouTube channel focused on missing-person cases, primarily searching for cars underwater containing deceased individuals. They've solved a few dozen cold-cases, in terms of finding missing-persons, perhaps weeks or decades after the person went missing.

While I appreciate their cause, I can't help but notice them engaging in dangerous behavior from a Scuba perspective. Dive Talk covered one such incident here (below). The basic story is they sent a diver (I believe open-water certified) to 100ft for the first time, with multiple pieces of unfamiliar and untrained equipment including a pony-bottle and full-face-mask. Even before they got in the water, I must have been yelling "no" at my poor computer a dozen times. The short version is the diver ran out of air, made a failed attempt to switch regulators, and did an emergency ascent.

The entire video is rather long, but I found it engaging. I also have some slight skepticism about whether he really tried to switch or not, but that's not important.


They also do a lot of vehicle-recovery work, and I believe have zero commercial dive training. In plenty of their videos they talk about how something they're doing is dangerous but worth it for a good cause, and I can only think to myself "it doesn't have to be."

Anyway, today I'm watching another one of their videos. Around the 10.5 minute mark (below), they send an untrained diver down with a pony-tank strapped to his back. This untrained diver is even uncomfortable with the idea, but the two trained divers continue to encourage him until he does. This guy is diving solo, under parked boats, messing with sunken cars in murky waters, with zero dive training. A lot of bad things could easily happen including disorientation, running out of air, entanglements, lung-expansion injuries, panic, running into objects, and more.


I believe the main AWP guy has been critical of the industry of trying to sell you a cert and class for everything, and I too have made similar critiques.
However, much of this comes across as dangerous and irresponsible. Even worse, a good percentage of their audience appears to be non-divers, and something like this gives the impression that it's safe to strap on a pony-tank and head underwater for a few minutes, skipping the expensive $500 intro scuba-class.

AWP seem like good people and I wish them the best. It's just that an accident could easily get someone killed, or shut down their efforts entirely.

I saw the video when originally published. It blew my mind... these guys are lucky to still be alive and the hosts of Dive Talk were IMO too nice with their criticism... This is the kind of stuff statistics are made of.

Funny detail - that I believe went unnoticed - is that from the description of the 'victim', it seems that when switching from the full mask to the second stage, he tried to purge it without having the actual reg on his mouth lol

 

[SlugLife]

Someone's gonna get hurt sooner or later.

Exactly, the whole reason I posted this is because I don't want them to get hurt!

As far as "lucky to be alive" it's like Russian Roulette. Just because you've pulled the trigger once or twice and lived, doesn't mean you'll be so lucky next time.

I saw the video when originally published. It blew my mind... these guys are lucky to still be alive and the hosts of Dive Talk were IMO too nice with their criticism... This is the kind of stuff statistics are made of.

Funny detail - that I believe went unnoticed - is that from the description of the 'victim', it seems that when switching from the full mask to the second stage, he tried to purge it without having the actual reg on his mouth lol

I had the same impression, I felt Dive Talk was far, far, far, far too nice. Don't get me started on a rant ... or do!

That's a good observation. My take, is I don't believe him. I'm not saying he's a bad person, but rather in an extremely embarrassing situation, stressed, narcd, etc tried to tell the least-embarrassing story. I get it, because I've been there, done that, and maybe didn't share accurate details at the time. I had a situation where a regulator hose came unscrewed underwater and I was too embarrassed to let anyone know for over a year.

Here's what I think actually happened:

• He's completely disoriented and possibly narc'd, going to 100ft at the first time in completely unfamiliar equipment.
• He's not used to how quickly you go through air at depth, made worse by his fast breathing rate. He's out of air without having checked his air once.
• When he runs out of air, he needs air NOW. He thinks to switch regulators, and then realizes he doesn't even know where his alt is (it's a new setup) or how to use it (Air2) or what to do with his full-face-mask.
• Rather than figure out how to switch as he runs out of air, he decides the simplest and safest option is to go for an emergency-ascent.
• Embarrassed, he lied about his attempt to switch.

IMO, he actually made the right call in the moment, choosing the most reliable option to live another day. However, he and Jared made a LOT of bad calls before they even got into the water.

Even if he is telling the truth, we still have a situation where he dove to 100ft the first time with a bunch of equipment he had zero practice with and didn't know how to use well enough to handle a minor situation.

That first story aside, where I get really nervous is that this 2nd video strongly suggests they appear to have not learned their lesson around ignoring basic scuba-safety rules, and getting divers to do things well beyond their training. It's one thing to make a mistake, but you "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Like that regulator-unscrewing story; I immediately started researching redundant air, had a spare-air a week later (they're garbage, stay away), and a pony-setup a couple weeks after.

 

[lostsheep]

Not sure where this should go but sounds like these guys found Kiely Rodni yesterday.

 

[wnissen]

It's a shame because they apparently did a lot of good in this recent missing person case.

The Kiely Rodni case stumped police for weeks. YouTubers found her body in less than 48 hours

The Oregon company Adventures With Purpose travels around recovering missing persons and property and earns money from donations, sponsors and YouTube.

www.sfchronicle.com

However, the nonprofit organization that puts all its focus on the mission, rather than balancing the well being of the folks doing the work, is an old story. EDIT: Apparently they're not a nonprofit. Though they are soliciting "donations".

 

[lostsheep]

I don't know much about them but I am not following what is supposed to be shamed here? Their unsafe diving practices?

If that's the case, yeah, they kinda suck as divers but it sounds like they all do it of their volition. In this case they produced results so I'm gonna cut them some slack.

 

[SlugLife]

I don't know much about them but I am not following what is supposed to be shamed here? Their unsafe diving practices?

If that's the case, yeah, they kinda suck as divers but it sounds like they all do it of their volition. In this case they produced results so I'm gonna cut them some slack.

The point of posting this was not shame, ridicule, or to attack them. They appear to have turned what seems to be a noble cause into something profitable or self-funding. As a "capitalist" of sorts, I fully support them bringing value to the world (missing persons, entertainment, etc) in a way that also allows them to (hopefully) recoup costs and earn a living.

What I have a problem with is:

• Their diving practices at times have been unsafe in ways that are completely unnecessary. A scuba-accident could severely impact their ability to continue the above.
• Some of their unsafe diving practices may communicate to the audience that kind of scuba-behavior is okay/safe. Specifically, the incident where they send an untrained and apprehensive swimmer down with a pony-bottle.

The only thing I'm advocating for is that they reconsider and improve their safety practices.