1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:04,542 - [Dan Aykroyd] Warning, what you are about to see 2 00:00:04,542 --> 00:00:06,875 could be disturbing to some viewers. 3 00:00:06,875 --> 00:00:09,167 (suspenseful music) 4 00:00:15,583 --> 00:00:19,917 Imagine an island so strange 5 00:00:19,917 --> 00:00:21,500 it drives a man insane. 6 00:00:22,625 --> 00:00:27,917 - He decides to pay homage to the deceased young girl 7 00:00:27,917 --> 00:00:31,500 with a shrine of thousands of dolls. 8 00:00:32,542 --> 00:00:35,208 - Or a village where, without warning, 9 00:00:35,208 --> 00:00:38,208 every living thing simply drops dead. 10 00:00:39,208 --> 00:00:42,375 - He begins seeing dead bodies around cooking fires, 11 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:44,625 dead bodies in their homes. 12 00:00:44,625 --> 00:00:45,917 - Everything looks fine 13 00:00:45,917 --> 00:00:49,042 other than this weird, silent death scene. 14 00:00:49,042 --> 00:00:50,708 - How about a mysterious lake, 15 00:00:50,708 --> 00:00:54,125 where unknown forces result in macabre collection? 16 00:00:54,125 --> 00:00:58,417 - [Hakeem] What this turns up is completely unexpected. 17 00:00:58,417 --> 00:01:01,167 - [Don] Skeletons upon skeletons upon skeletons. 18 00:01:01,167 --> 00:01:03,792 - These are the places so surprising, 19 00:01:03,792 --> 00:01:05,542 they are truly unbelievable. 20 00:01:05,542 --> 00:01:07,708 (dramatic music) 21 00:01:18,542 --> 00:01:21,958 We've all heard tales about the Bermuda Triangle, 22 00:01:21,958 --> 00:01:23,750 everything from magnetic anomalies 23 00:01:23,750 --> 00:01:26,333 to sea monsters and aliens, 24 00:01:26,333 --> 00:01:29,292 but could there be an even stranger place 25 00:01:29,292 --> 00:01:31,292 in our own backyard? 26 00:01:31,292 --> 00:01:33,875 (suspenseful music) (thunder rumbling) 27 00:01:33,875 --> 00:01:37,208 - The Lake Michigan Triangle is shaped like a dagger. 28 00:01:37,208 --> 00:01:39,833 This section of Lake Michigan has, over the centuries, 29 00:01:39,833 --> 00:01:41,500 earned a reputation for a place 30 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:43,250 where all kinds of weird things 31 00:01:43,250 --> 00:01:45,583 and disasters have taken place. 32 00:01:45,583 --> 00:01:48,208 - I mean, we're talking shipwrecks, drownings, 33 00:01:48,208 --> 00:01:51,708 disappearances, strange UFO sightings, and so forth. 34 00:01:51,708 --> 00:01:55,000 All of this is happening in an area that is minuscule 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:56,833 compared to the Bermuda Triangle, 36 00:01:56,833 --> 00:01:58,958 but equal in strangeness. 37 00:01:58,958 --> 00:02:00,792 - The first notable thing to happen 38 00:02:00,792 --> 00:02:02,292 in the Lake Michigan Triangle 39 00:02:02,292 --> 00:02:04,292 goes way back to 1679. 40 00:02:06,042 --> 00:02:09,083 Rene-Robert Cavelier is a fur trader. 41 00:02:09,083 --> 00:02:10,333 He builds the largest ship 42 00:02:10,333 --> 00:02:12,917 on Lake Michigan at the time, Le Griffon. 43 00:02:12,917 --> 00:02:14,333 - This is a huge ship. 44 00:02:14,333 --> 00:02:18,750 It is a 45-ton, seven cannon barque. 45 00:02:18,750 --> 00:02:21,292 - It's loaded with fur and he and the crew 46 00:02:21,292 --> 00:02:23,333 really think they're about to make bank. 47 00:02:24,375 --> 00:02:28,000 - It really indicates how rich this guy really wants to get. 48 00:02:29,042 --> 00:02:31,625 This is all about getting the furs out of the Midwest, 49 00:02:31,625 --> 00:02:34,167 up the St. Lawrence River, and back to Europe. 50 00:02:36,417 --> 00:02:37,917 So the ship's ready to set sail, 51 00:02:37,917 --> 00:02:39,500 but just before they go, 52 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:41,583 the Native Americans there warn them 53 00:02:41,583 --> 00:02:46,458 that the lake is known for these strange and sudden squalls. 54 00:02:46,458 --> 00:02:49,208 The weather can just come out of nowhere. 55 00:02:49,208 --> 00:02:50,667 They hear the warning, 56 00:02:50,667 --> 00:02:53,500 but they don't have time for this local superstition 57 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:55,333 and they're not gonna be held back. 58 00:02:57,208 --> 00:02:59,208 - [Dan] Cavelier ignores the warnings, 59 00:02:59,208 --> 00:03:01,208 ordering his loaded ship to set sail 60 00:03:01,208 --> 00:03:03,500 while he waits behind for more furs. 61 00:03:04,542 --> 00:03:09,500 Le Griffon heads off into the triangle and vanishes. 62 00:03:10,417 --> 00:03:12,000 - There's no evidence of a storm. 63 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,333 There's no evidence of weird weather taking the ship down. 64 00:03:14,333 --> 00:03:15,750 There's no evidence of piracy. 65 00:03:15,750 --> 00:03:17,875 - There's no wreckage. There are no survivors. 66 00:03:17,875 --> 00:03:19,042 It's gone. 67 00:03:19,042 --> 00:03:20,458 - Is there any evidence 68 00:03:20,458 --> 00:03:23,417 of this incredibly expensive load of furs anywhere? 69 00:03:23,417 --> 00:03:26,542 No, their disappearance is a total mystery. 70 00:03:26,542 --> 00:03:29,583 - That boat is gone and 340 years later, 71 00:03:29,583 --> 00:03:32,417 we still do not know what happened. 72 00:03:34,375 --> 00:03:36,208 - [Dan] Le Griffon may be the first ship 73 00:03:36,208 --> 00:03:38,667 to fall victim to the Michigan Triangle, 74 00:03:38,667 --> 00:03:41,708 but it's hardly the last or the strangest. 75 00:03:41,708 --> 00:03:43,833 (dramatic music) 76 00:03:45,958 --> 00:03:48,042 - In August of 1875, 77 00:03:48,042 --> 00:03:50,750 this hundred foot schooner, The Rosabelle, 78 00:03:51,708 --> 00:03:55,458 is found floating upside down in Lake Michigan. 79 00:03:56,458 --> 00:03:59,500 Hull in the air, no damage to the boat. 80 00:03:59,500 --> 00:04:02,958 The weird thing is the 11 man crew is gone, disappeared. 81 00:04:02,958 --> 00:04:06,875 No bodies in the water, they seem to just have vanished. 82 00:04:08,292 --> 00:04:10,625 - There's no evidence of any kind of foul play 83 00:04:10,625 --> 00:04:12,208 or bad weather. 84 00:04:12,208 --> 00:04:13,875 The ship is in such good condition, they're able 85 00:04:13,875 --> 00:04:16,250 to right The Rosabelle and put it back to work. 86 00:04:16,250 --> 00:04:19,000 - [Holly] And it has 50 years of fine service. 87 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,417 - [Dan] That is, until an unbelievable case of deja vu. 88 00:04:22,417 --> 00:04:25,042 - On October 30th, 1921, 89 00:04:25,042 --> 00:04:28,125 the ship is going out the next day with a load of lumber, 90 00:04:28,125 --> 00:04:29,750 but the captain, Ed Johnson, 91 00:04:29,750 --> 00:04:32,958 is having a premonition of something terrible happening. 92 00:04:34,125 --> 00:04:36,583 - So, the captain is filled with dread 93 00:04:36,583 --> 00:04:38,042 and doesn't wanna board the ship 94 00:04:38,042 --> 00:04:40,333 and decides he doesn't feel right, can't explain it, 95 00:04:40,333 --> 00:04:42,125 doesn't wanna get onboard the ship. 96 00:04:42,125 --> 00:04:44,083 - Less than 24 hours later, 97 00:04:44,083 --> 00:04:46,000 the ship is found floating upside down 98 00:04:47,208 --> 00:04:49,417 and the same exact thing happens. 99 00:04:49,417 --> 00:04:53,417 11 members are missing for the second time. 100 00:04:53,417 --> 00:04:56,042 - The odds of this particular event 101 00:04:56,042 --> 00:04:58,500 reoccurring, the same exact ship, 102 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:01,167 same situation, same circumstances, 103 00:05:01,167 --> 00:05:03,458 no evidence, crew disappears. 104 00:05:03,458 --> 00:05:05,458 I mean, that's just too uncanny. 105 00:05:05,458 --> 00:05:07,583 The odds are impossible. 106 00:05:07,583 --> 00:05:10,458 So when people start hearing about this particular event, 107 00:05:10,458 --> 00:05:12,708 even the skeptics are convinced. 108 00:05:12,708 --> 00:05:14,375 Something's going on out there. 109 00:05:14,375 --> 00:05:16,292 (loon calling) 110 00:05:16,292 --> 00:05:17,875 - Over the next hundred years, 111 00:05:17,875 --> 00:05:20,583 the triangle claims hundreds more ships, 112 00:05:20,583 --> 00:05:23,125 prompting countless searches for evidence, 113 00:05:23,125 --> 00:05:25,750 but resulting in no definite answers. 114 00:05:25,750 --> 00:05:30,458 Then in 2007, archeologists make an astonishing discovery. 115 00:05:30,458 --> 00:05:32,458 (tense music) 116 00:05:32,458 --> 00:05:34,375 - A team of faculty and students 117 00:05:34,375 --> 00:05:37,458 from Northwest Michigan College begin doing sonar scans 118 00:05:37,458 --> 00:05:39,083 in order to find shipwrecks, 119 00:05:39,083 --> 00:05:41,958 but they find something they weren't looking for, 120 00:05:41,958 --> 00:05:45,208 a formation of rocks seemingly intentionally put there 121 00:05:45,208 --> 00:05:47,583 by people under 40 feet of water. 122 00:05:48,542 --> 00:05:50,125 - [Dan] What could these possibly be? 123 00:05:50,125 --> 00:05:53,500 - One of the stones appears also to have a carving on it 124 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:55,083 of a mastodon. 125 00:05:55,083 --> 00:05:57,875 Now, the mastodon went extinct about 10,000 years ago, 126 00:05:57,875 --> 00:06:00,958 which would suggest that this is a really old rock formation 127 00:06:00,958 --> 00:06:03,208 and that maybe in fact, even though it's underwater now, 128 00:06:03,208 --> 00:06:04,583 it might've been on the edge 129 00:06:04,583 --> 00:06:06,833 of what was Lake Michigan at the time. 130 00:06:06,833 --> 00:06:08,542 - [Dan] The discovery is a sensation. 131 00:06:08,542 --> 00:06:12,292 Some dub it America's Underwater Stonehenge. 132 00:06:12,292 --> 00:06:15,542 But who put these stones here and why? 133 00:06:15,542 --> 00:06:17,208 (thunder rumbling) 134 00:06:17,208 --> 00:06:19,875 - One theory put forward by paranormal investigators 135 00:06:19,875 --> 00:06:23,125 is that given the dark history of disasters in the lake, 136 00:06:23,125 --> 00:06:24,500 that this may be some sort of warning 137 00:06:24,500 --> 00:06:25,875 to people on shore. 138 00:06:25,875 --> 00:06:27,000 We don't know. 139 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,792 - It's not just the water that's strange here. 140 00:06:29,792 --> 00:06:32,000 The next time you head to Chicago, 141 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,667 you might want to check your flight path. 142 00:06:34,667 --> 00:06:37,000 (tense music) (thunder rumbling) 143 00:06:38,042 --> 00:06:43,458 - On June 23rd, 1950, Northwest Orient Flight 2501, 144 00:06:43,458 --> 00:06:46,417 carrying 55 passengers and three crew, 145 00:06:46,417 --> 00:06:50,208 leaves LaGuardia headed to Minneapolis. 146 00:06:50,208 --> 00:06:51,583 - And the weather is not so great. 147 00:06:51,583 --> 00:06:53,667 It's raining. It's a bit stormy. 148 00:06:53,667 --> 00:06:57,292 At about 11:00 PM, the captain radios air control and says, 149 00:06:57,292 --> 00:06:59,292 "I'd like to drop down to 2,500 feet." 150 00:06:59,292 --> 00:07:00,958 Essentially, come under the storm. 151 00:07:01,958 --> 00:07:04,458 - Not strange request, perfectly natural, 152 00:07:04,458 --> 00:07:06,375 but at that point, 153 00:07:08,042 --> 00:07:11,333 the DC-4 completely disappears off the radar. 154 00:07:11,333 --> 00:07:14,250 (dramatic music) (thunder rumbling) 155 00:07:14,250 --> 00:07:16,000 Local witnesses explained 156 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,708 that they had seen a huge flash in the night sky 157 00:07:19,708 --> 00:07:22,042 about the time when this would've happened. 158 00:07:22,042 --> 00:07:24,208 The Coast Guard goes out into Lake Michigan 159 00:07:24,208 --> 00:07:26,125 to find this plane has gone down. 160 00:07:26,125 --> 00:07:27,458 They see nothing. 161 00:07:27,458 --> 00:07:30,250 - And then, things start showing up, 162 00:07:30,250 --> 00:07:32,375 people's clothes, people's luggage. 163 00:07:32,375 --> 00:07:34,750 It gets a little grisly, because then bodies 164 00:07:34,750 --> 00:07:37,875 and moreover, parts of bodies start showing up. 165 00:07:37,875 --> 00:07:41,083 - [Dan] The one thing they never find, the plane. 166 00:07:41,083 --> 00:07:43,458 - What's weird is that we found the Titanic 167 00:07:43,458 --> 00:07:45,417 at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. 168 00:07:45,417 --> 00:07:47,208 This is only 60 feet deep. 169 00:07:47,208 --> 00:07:49,875 They can't find a jet airplane? 170 00:07:49,875 --> 00:07:52,917 - There's no fuselage, no chunk of wing anywhere. 171 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,667 It's just gone. 172 00:07:55,667 --> 00:07:57,375 - [Dan] Since flight 2501, 173 00:07:57,375 --> 00:07:59,750 dozens more planes have disappeared here. 174 00:08:00,708 --> 00:08:02,917 But if you think you can avoid the triangle's pull 175 00:08:02,917 --> 00:08:05,833 by staying on dry land, think again. 176 00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:08,250 - Stephen Kubacki, 23 year old college student, 177 00:08:08,250 --> 00:08:12,333 Hope College, is cross country skiing near Saugatuck. 178 00:08:12,333 --> 00:08:13,542 A couple hours later, 179 00:08:13,542 --> 00:08:17,583 some snowmobilists find his gear in the snow. 180 00:08:18,667 --> 00:08:21,250 The police show up, they arrive on the scene. 181 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:23,125 - They find footprints leading out 182 00:08:23,125 --> 00:08:25,208 onto the ice of Lake Michigan, 183 00:08:25,208 --> 00:08:27,375 but then they sort of disappear. 184 00:08:27,375 --> 00:08:28,667 So, they can only assume 185 00:08:28,667 --> 00:08:30,625 that he fell through the ice and drowned, 186 00:08:30,625 --> 00:08:33,667 but there's no sign of any broken ice. 187 00:08:33,667 --> 00:08:35,833 - [Sami] Stephen Kubacki is presumed dead. 188 00:08:37,042 --> 00:08:38,375 - There's memorial service 189 00:08:38,375 --> 00:08:41,708 and they decide to list him as an accidental drowning, 190 00:08:41,708 --> 00:08:45,167 even though the ice wasn't broken. 191 00:08:46,625 --> 00:08:48,583 - 15 months later, 192 00:08:49,792 --> 00:08:53,167 Stephen Kubacki awakens in a field 193 00:08:53,167 --> 00:08:57,417 in clothes that don't belong to him near his aunt's house, 194 00:08:57,417 --> 00:09:00,583 700 miles away in Massachusetts. 195 00:09:00,583 --> 00:09:02,875 (suspenseful music) 196 00:09:03,875 --> 00:09:07,250 He has no recollection of how he got there at all. 197 00:09:07,250 --> 00:09:08,875 - It's a very strange story 198 00:09:08,875 --> 00:09:11,250 and he does talk to the press, talks to the newspapers, 199 00:09:11,250 --> 00:09:13,833 but at a certain point decides to go into radio silence 200 00:09:13,833 --> 00:09:15,250 and never talk about it again. 201 00:09:15,250 --> 00:09:16,542 So, it remains one of these 202 00:09:16,542 --> 00:09:18,542 great Lake Michigan Triangle mysteries. 203 00:09:18,542 --> 00:09:20,917 (tense music) 204 00:09:22,458 --> 00:09:26,042 - Today, Steve lives a quiet life in the Pacific Northwest, 205 00:09:26,042 --> 00:09:30,625 thousands of miles away from Michigan's strange triangle. 206 00:09:35,625 --> 00:09:37,583 - The next stop on our strange places journey 207 00:09:37,583 --> 00:09:39,708 takes us just outside of Mexico City 208 00:09:39,708 --> 00:09:43,500 to an island overrun with... dolls? 209 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:46,167 (suspenseful music) 210 00:09:46,167 --> 00:09:47,500 - Outside of Mexico City 211 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:49,708 is one of the strangest places on Earth. 212 00:09:49,708 --> 00:09:55,458 Why? Because there are over 4,000 mutilated dolls 213 00:09:55,458 --> 00:09:58,167 tied to the fences, to the trees, 214 00:09:58,167 --> 00:10:01,167 and spread around everywhere on this island. 215 00:10:01,167 --> 00:10:03,000 - [Dan] But this area's strange origins 216 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,292 go back long before the dolls took over. 217 00:10:07,125 --> 00:10:09,958 - It's the 16th century 218 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,792 and the Spanish Conquistadors 219 00:10:13,792 --> 00:10:17,583 are invading the Aztec Empire. 220 00:10:17,583 --> 00:10:19,458 What's called Tenochtitlan, 221 00:10:19,458 --> 00:10:21,958 which would later become Mexico City, 222 00:10:21,958 --> 00:10:24,542 is the capital of the Aztec Empire. 223 00:10:24,542 --> 00:10:27,750 What we think of being in a high altitude basin 224 00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:31,958 is actually a massive lake with manmade islands, 225 00:10:31,958 --> 00:10:34,833 canals, and causeways all through it. 226 00:10:34,833 --> 00:10:36,625 (suspenseful music) 227 00:10:36,625 --> 00:10:38,375 - So, some of the earliest, darkest tales 228 00:10:38,375 --> 00:10:40,792 about these islands really emerge in this period, 229 00:10:40,792 --> 00:10:42,750 and they come from the Conquistadors 230 00:10:42,750 --> 00:10:44,875 who, when they fall off these islands, 231 00:10:44,875 --> 00:10:48,708 because of their heavy armor, sink, never to be seen again. 232 00:10:48,708 --> 00:10:51,250 And this leads to some of the mythology about them 233 00:10:51,250 --> 00:10:55,042 being haunted or spiritually guarded places. 234 00:10:55,042 --> 00:10:57,042 (tense music) 235 00:10:57,042 --> 00:10:59,042 By the 20th century, these islands are still attractive 236 00:10:59,042 --> 00:11:00,375 to people who want to be off the grid, 237 00:11:00,375 --> 00:11:03,667 and that's the case with Don Julian Santana Barrera, 238 00:11:03,667 --> 00:11:05,083 who has a falling out with his family 239 00:11:05,083 --> 00:11:07,833 and decides to go to one of these islands. 240 00:11:07,833 --> 00:11:11,208 - [Dan] And that's when things start to get a little weird. 241 00:11:11,208 --> 00:11:15,458 - The lore is that at some point, he finds the body 242 00:11:15,458 --> 00:11:18,292 of a drowned child, a drowned girl, 243 00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:23,792 but he also finds a doll nearby that he believes is hers. 244 00:11:23,792 --> 00:11:27,042 And he hangs the doll up as this way to honor her. 245 00:11:28,250 --> 00:11:30,292 - He doesn't stop at this one doll. 246 00:11:30,292 --> 00:11:36,083 He decides to pay homage to the deceased young girl 247 00:11:36,083 --> 00:11:41,000 with a shrine of thousands upon thousands of dolls. 248 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,542 - [Dan] Thousands of dolls hung from trees? 249 00:11:44,542 --> 00:11:47,042 What prompted this macabre memorial? 250 00:11:47,042 --> 00:11:50,375 - There is this sense that this discovery 251 00:11:50,375 --> 00:11:53,083 of a deceased child, which would be harrowing for anyone, 252 00:11:53,083 --> 00:11:55,583 is especially troubling to him 253 00:11:55,583 --> 00:11:57,917 and that this maybe has caused him 254 00:11:57,917 --> 00:11:59,750 to have some sort of break with reality 255 00:11:59,750 --> 00:12:01,333 or some sort of issue. 256 00:12:01,333 --> 00:12:05,250 He also is said to hear spirits, 257 00:12:05,250 --> 00:12:07,708 hers and possibly others. 258 00:12:07,708 --> 00:12:11,542 - He continues to hang dolls as part of superstition, 259 00:12:11,542 --> 00:12:15,292 or to honor this young girl, or to ward off evil spirits. 260 00:12:15,292 --> 00:12:19,708 He is so moved and scared of the bad omens 261 00:12:19,708 --> 00:12:21,958 that go with this tragedy 262 00:12:21,958 --> 00:12:24,542 that we assume he went absolutely crazy. 263 00:12:25,542 --> 00:12:28,208 - [Dan] Even stranger is what happens to Don Julian 264 00:12:28,208 --> 00:12:30,208 in April of 2001. 265 00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:33,375 - His nephew comes to visit him on the island 266 00:12:33,375 --> 00:12:37,500 and he finds Don Julian Barrera face down, 267 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,208 drowned in the canal at age 80 268 00:12:40,208 --> 00:12:43,083 in almost the same spot that he alleged 269 00:12:43,083 --> 00:12:47,125 that he found the original girl so many years before. 270 00:12:48,042 --> 00:12:49,750 - [Dan] After Julian's death, 271 00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:52,333 tourists keep his peculiar tradition alive 272 00:12:52,333 --> 00:12:54,875 by adding their own dolls to the collection. 273 00:12:55,792 --> 00:12:57,750 - Dolls are created in our image, 274 00:12:57,750 --> 00:13:00,875 so it doesn't matter what your belief system is, 275 00:13:00,875 --> 00:13:05,542 to see 4,000 mutilated dolls hanging from trees. 276 00:13:05,542 --> 00:13:08,750 An island full of that would drive anybody crazy. 277 00:13:09,875 --> 00:13:13,167 - Today, Gondola like boats called trajineras 278 00:13:13,167 --> 00:13:16,083 take the curious out for a closer look, 279 00:13:16,083 --> 00:13:18,458 but only during daylight hours. 280 00:13:18,458 --> 00:13:22,458 The island is strictly off limits to visitors after dark. 281 00:13:23,542 --> 00:13:27,375 If an island of Chuckys doesn't make your spine tingle, 282 00:13:27,375 --> 00:13:29,083 our next place will. 283 00:13:29,083 --> 00:13:32,042 20 miles off the coast of Brazil is an island 284 00:13:32,042 --> 00:13:35,125 that visitors are prohibited from setting foot on. 285 00:13:35,125 --> 00:13:36,542 Why? 286 00:13:36,542 --> 00:13:39,000 The answer is unbelievable. 287 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,958 (snakes hissing) (tense music) 288 00:13:40,958 --> 00:13:43,917 - There's approximately five snakes per square meter. 289 00:13:43,917 --> 00:13:46,042 That is a ton of snakes. 290 00:13:46,042 --> 00:13:47,458 - By all accounts, 291 00:13:47,458 --> 00:13:51,208 it is essentially a moving carpet of serpents. 292 00:13:51,208 --> 00:13:53,500 (snakes hissing) 293 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:58,042 - Snake Island is formed at the end of the last ice age 294 00:13:58,042 --> 00:14:02,958 when rising ocean waters isolate what had been a peninsula 295 00:14:02,958 --> 00:14:05,333 off the coast of Brazil and they make this island. 296 00:14:05,333 --> 00:14:09,458 And in doing so, they isolate a population of snakes. 297 00:14:09,458 --> 00:14:12,125 - [Dan] Specifically, one of the most venomous snakes 298 00:14:12,125 --> 00:14:15,333 in the world, the golden lancehead viper. 299 00:14:15,333 --> 00:14:16,958 - The golden lancehead population 300 00:14:16,958 --> 00:14:19,167 that's left on Snake Island 301 00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:22,042 quickly goes through all the available prey. 302 00:14:22,042 --> 00:14:24,042 And then, the only thing left to eat are birds, 303 00:14:24,042 --> 00:14:25,833 which they don't normally eat. 304 00:14:25,833 --> 00:14:27,375 And that forces them 305 00:14:27,375 --> 00:14:30,583 into some pretty tremendous evolutionary pathways. 306 00:14:30,583 --> 00:14:33,625 Now when a golden lancehead, which is a venomous snake, 307 00:14:33,625 --> 00:14:35,625 attacks its normal prey, a mammal, 308 00:14:35,625 --> 00:14:38,875 it bites it, the mammal walks away, doesn't get too far, 309 00:14:38,875 --> 00:14:40,417 and the snake can easily find it. 310 00:14:40,417 --> 00:14:43,208 But with birds, the bird can fly away 311 00:14:43,208 --> 00:14:44,792 and the snake doesn't get a meal. 312 00:14:44,792 --> 00:14:47,375 So, evolution favors golden lanceheads 313 00:14:47,375 --> 00:14:50,083 with more potent venom, so that they can bite a bird 314 00:14:50,083 --> 00:14:52,375 and have it die instantly. 315 00:14:52,375 --> 00:14:54,375 - The snakes on that island have a venom 316 00:14:54,375 --> 00:14:57,792 that is estimated to be five times as deadly 317 00:14:57,792 --> 00:15:00,833 as the venom for mainland snakes. 318 00:15:00,833 --> 00:15:02,875 - So, it's creating this kind of super snake 319 00:15:02,875 --> 00:15:05,000 on this island that can thrive. 320 00:15:06,292 --> 00:15:08,375 - [Dan] You would imagine no one in their right mind 321 00:15:08,375 --> 00:15:10,292 would ever set foot on this island. 322 00:15:10,292 --> 00:15:13,542 Rumor has it that sailors prefer to stay on burning boats 323 00:15:13,542 --> 00:15:17,500 rather than swim ashore here, but some have tried. 324 00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:19,708 (dramatic music) 325 00:15:19,708 --> 00:15:21,458 - And in the early 1900s, 326 00:15:21,458 --> 00:15:25,458 a group of entrepreneurial banana farmers 327 00:15:25,458 --> 00:15:27,542 go to Snake Island 328 00:15:27,542 --> 00:15:30,208 in the hopes of establishing a banana plantation. 329 00:15:30,208 --> 00:15:32,750 They burn down a bunch of vegetation 330 00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:35,000 to plant the banana fields 331 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,833 and that's when they see all the snakes. 332 00:15:38,833 --> 00:15:41,250 They realize immediately this is not a place, 333 00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:43,125 not only not for a banana plantation, 334 00:15:43,125 --> 00:15:45,500 this is not a place for human beings to stay. 335 00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:48,542 - So in 1910, they decided to build a lighthouse 336 00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:51,667 to warn people to steer clear of this island. 337 00:15:51,667 --> 00:15:54,542 - It's probably a pretty difficult job description 338 00:15:54,542 --> 00:15:56,042 in that here you are invited 339 00:15:56,042 --> 00:15:59,208 to inhabit a very picturesque lighthouse on an island 340 00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:03,042 inhabited by one of the most venomous snakes in the world 341 00:16:03,042 --> 00:16:04,458 and a lot of them. 342 00:16:04,458 --> 00:16:06,208 - So, they do find a lighthouse keeper 343 00:16:06,208 --> 00:16:07,625 who's willing to take this job 344 00:16:07,625 --> 00:16:11,042 and he brings his family to Snake Island. 345 00:16:11,042 --> 00:16:13,875 - [Dan] According to local lore, life on Snake Island 346 00:16:13,875 --> 00:16:16,083 goes about as well as you think it would. 347 00:16:17,083 --> 00:16:19,583 - The legend is, one night, 348 00:16:19,583 --> 00:16:22,708 supposedly someone left a window open, 349 00:16:22,708 --> 00:16:26,833 the snake slithered in and killed the entire family. 350 00:16:26,833 --> 00:16:28,708 (snake hissing) 351 00:16:28,708 --> 00:16:33,917 Snake Island is basically communicating to mankind, 352 00:16:33,917 --> 00:16:35,667 "You are not welcome here. 353 00:16:35,667 --> 00:16:36,875 You will die here." 354 00:16:36,875 --> 00:16:38,542 (snakes hissing) 355 00:16:38,542 --> 00:16:40,875 - [Dan] The lighthouse on Snake Island still stands today, 356 00:16:40,875 --> 00:16:43,167 but it is automated, so no human 357 00:16:43,167 --> 00:16:45,500 has to set foot anywhere near it. 358 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:51,292 (snake hissing) 359 00:16:51,292 --> 00:16:54,375 - Caves, most people think of them as a fun place to visit, 360 00:16:54,375 --> 00:16:56,750 but the ancients believe they were portals 361 00:16:56,750 --> 00:16:59,500 connecting the living to the dead. 362 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:01,708 When it comes to one cave in New Zealand, 363 00:17:01,708 --> 00:17:03,875 the ancients may be right. 364 00:17:03,875 --> 00:17:06,208 (dramatic music) 365 00:17:07,292 --> 00:17:10,042 - If you were to look at the north island of New Zealand, 366 00:17:10,042 --> 00:17:14,708 you would see rolling hills, sheep pastures, 367 00:17:14,708 --> 00:17:17,333 essentially the landscape of "Lord of the Rings." 368 00:17:17,333 --> 00:17:21,208 However, just below the surface, there are a series 369 00:17:21,208 --> 00:17:25,375 of limestone caves known as the Waitomo Caves. 370 00:17:26,875 --> 00:17:31,083 - [Dan] In the light of day, it's lovely, almost inviting. 371 00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:33,375 - But when night falls, Waitomo Cave 372 00:17:33,375 --> 00:17:36,583 becomes an entirely different kind of atmosphere. 373 00:17:36,583 --> 00:17:39,625 Strange, blue, neon lights, one at a time, 374 00:17:39,625 --> 00:17:41,542 begin to shine on the walls 375 00:17:41,542 --> 00:17:44,542 until you're looking at millions of them. 376 00:17:44,542 --> 00:17:46,667 (gentle music) 377 00:17:48,208 --> 00:17:50,708 - [Dan] What could account for this unearthly glow? 378 00:17:50,708 --> 00:17:55,167 Is it a strange new power source or something more sinister? 379 00:17:56,208 --> 00:17:59,458 - Their scientific name really says it all. 380 00:17:59,458 --> 00:18:03,375 They are called Arachnocampa luminosa. 381 00:18:03,375 --> 00:18:05,750 - [Dan] Also known as the glow worm, 382 00:18:05,750 --> 00:18:07,833 larvae of the fungus gnat. 383 00:18:07,833 --> 00:18:11,333 Their bioluminescence may seem beautiful from afar, 384 00:18:11,333 --> 00:18:14,208 but up close, it's anything but. 385 00:18:14,208 --> 00:18:18,375 - They combine these enzymes in their abdomen 386 00:18:18,375 --> 00:18:21,208 to form a chemical reaction that creates 387 00:18:21,208 --> 00:18:26,208 this urine tinged goop with this greenish blue glow. 388 00:18:26,208 --> 00:18:30,542 And they lower down tentacles, if you will, 389 00:18:30,542 --> 00:18:33,917 of this goop, literally in the scientific literature 390 00:18:33,917 --> 00:18:35,708 are called fishing lines. 391 00:18:36,792 --> 00:18:41,083 And then if a fly or a moth or some other insect 392 00:18:41,083 --> 00:18:43,500 gets tangled up in those sticky lines, 393 00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:46,333 the grub reels the line in and devours them. 394 00:18:47,708 --> 00:18:52,208 - [Dan] Their radiance is quite literally captivating. 395 00:18:52,208 --> 00:18:55,167 - And I have to say that I think horror movie directors 396 00:18:55,167 --> 00:18:57,458 have missed a great opportunity here. 397 00:18:57,458 --> 00:19:01,167 They often rely on the sort of giant spider routine 398 00:19:01,167 --> 00:19:02,292 and the big web. 399 00:19:02,292 --> 00:19:03,917 That's nothing. 400 00:19:03,917 --> 00:19:09,042 Imagine a moth being dragged up to the ceiling of the cave 401 00:19:09,042 --> 00:19:12,167 to be eaten alive by a glowing worm! 402 00:19:12,167 --> 00:19:15,458 Now, that's truly horrifying. 403 00:19:17,667 --> 00:19:20,083 - Strange? I'd say so. 404 00:19:20,083 --> 00:19:21,708 But if you can believe it, 405 00:19:21,708 --> 00:19:24,708 this glowing death trap isn't the strangest cave out there. 406 00:19:24,708 --> 00:19:28,625 That honor belongs to a killer cave in Africa. 407 00:19:28,625 --> 00:19:30,417 (suspenseful music) 408 00:19:30,417 --> 00:19:32,292 - Situated between Kenya and Uganda 409 00:19:32,292 --> 00:19:35,083 is a volcano called Mount Elgon. 410 00:19:35,083 --> 00:19:36,708 At the base of this mountain, 411 00:19:36,708 --> 00:19:40,875 there is a lush, green jungle and the opening to a cave. 412 00:19:40,875 --> 00:19:42,417 This is Kitum Cave. 413 00:19:43,750 --> 00:19:47,292 The cave mouth is very wide, but this is totally deceiving 414 00:19:47,292 --> 00:19:50,708 because once you get inside, there are steep drops 415 00:19:50,708 --> 00:19:53,042 and low ceilings that make it very, very difficult 416 00:19:53,042 --> 00:19:54,292 to navigate. 417 00:19:54,292 --> 00:19:55,875 - When you walk into Kitum Cave, 418 00:19:55,875 --> 00:19:58,667 you're pretty much guaranteed to encounter wildlife, 419 00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:01,333 everything from leopards and hyenas 420 00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:04,708 to buffalo and even elephants. 421 00:20:04,708 --> 00:20:07,000 - [Dan] In fact, elephants are part of the reason 422 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,125 the cave is 700 feet deep. 423 00:20:09,125 --> 00:20:12,583 - Elephants have learned 424 00:20:12,583 --> 00:20:15,542 that Kitum Cave is a source of salt. 425 00:20:15,542 --> 00:20:18,583 And for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years now, 426 00:20:18,583 --> 00:20:21,042 they have visited that cave, 427 00:20:21,042 --> 00:20:26,208 raking their tusks against the walls to pry off these stones 428 00:20:26,208 --> 00:20:28,458 that are rich in salt to the degree 429 00:20:28,458 --> 00:20:31,708 that they have enlarged that cave. 430 00:20:31,708 --> 00:20:33,833 (suspenseful music) 431 00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:37,167 - [Dan] But something far more frightening than salt 432 00:20:37,167 --> 00:20:38,583 lurks in this cave. 433 00:20:39,833 --> 00:20:43,583 - In 1980, a 57 year old Frenchman visits the cave 434 00:20:43,583 --> 00:20:47,292 and leaves in awe of its beauty and grandeur. 435 00:20:47,292 --> 00:20:49,250 He also leaves with something else. 436 00:20:49,250 --> 00:20:51,167 (dramatic music) (coughing deeply) 437 00:20:51,167 --> 00:20:54,958 - In a couple days time, he starts feeling intensely sick 438 00:20:56,750 --> 00:20:59,875 and he starts noticing facial paralysis. 439 00:20:59,875 --> 00:21:04,625 In seven days, he starts vomiting a black bile. 440 00:21:04,625 --> 00:21:06,833 (dramatic music) 441 00:21:07,875 --> 00:21:11,750 His nose, ears, and eyes start bleeding uncontrollably. 442 00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:15,375 So, he immediately hops on a plane to Nairobi, 443 00:21:15,375 --> 00:21:18,333 the nearest major hospital. 444 00:21:18,333 --> 00:21:20,625 (suspenseful music) 445 00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:25,958 - He somehow manages to get to the hospital 446 00:21:25,958 --> 00:21:28,875 where he starts just vomiting up massive amounts of blood 447 00:21:29,958 --> 00:21:31,583 and finally dies. 448 00:21:33,458 --> 00:21:35,708 - [Dan] His devastating symptoms are consistent 449 00:21:35,708 --> 00:21:37,667 with those caused by a rare virus, 450 00:21:37,667 --> 00:21:39,875 one even deadlier than Ebola, 451 00:21:39,875 --> 00:21:43,167 the Marburg virus, named after the German City 452 00:21:43,167 --> 00:21:44,792 where it was first found. 453 00:21:44,792 --> 00:21:47,042 - Marburg is a viral hemorrhagic fever. 454 00:21:47,042 --> 00:21:49,208 In fact, Marburg is one of the deadliest viruses 455 00:21:49,208 --> 00:21:50,708 known to mankind. 456 00:21:50,708 --> 00:21:53,417 And in the military oftentimes, they refer 457 00:21:53,417 --> 00:21:56,542 to Marburg and Ebola viruses as crash and bleed. 458 00:21:56,542 --> 00:21:59,750 Meaning that it is such a dangerous virus 459 00:21:59,750 --> 00:22:05,000 that it has the ability for you to bleed out, essentially. 460 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,542 - Every doctor is terrified that this could spread. 461 00:22:09,542 --> 00:22:13,208 Medical authorities retrace the Frenchman's steps 462 00:22:13,208 --> 00:22:16,167 and they lead it back to Kitum Cave. 463 00:22:16,167 --> 00:22:19,417 - Investigators visit the cave, but they can't find any clues. 464 00:22:19,417 --> 00:22:21,917 They can't find any indication of a virus. 465 00:22:23,625 --> 00:22:26,083 And the trail goes cold. 466 00:22:26,083 --> 00:22:28,208 (suspenseful music) 467 00:22:28,208 --> 00:22:30,333 - Flash forward seven years, 468 00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:34,083 it's 1987 and a very similar thing is happening. 469 00:22:35,250 --> 00:22:37,000 - [Dan] A Danish boy living in Kenya 470 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,958 mysteriously bleeds to death. 471 00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:42,208 When he dies, scientists retrace his movements. 472 00:22:42,208 --> 00:22:45,083 They learn he was a recent visitor to, 473 00:22:45,083 --> 00:22:47,208 you guessed it, Kitum Cave. 474 00:22:47,208 --> 00:22:49,917 (suspenseful music) 475 00:22:49,917 --> 00:22:51,750 - All the ailments line up 476 00:22:51,750 --> 00:22:55,500 and medical authorities are again perplexed and terrified 477 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:58,417 that we've got an infectious disease on our hands. 478 00:22:58,417 --> 00:23:00,417 - [Dan] A team is sent to investigate. 479 00:23:00,417 --> 00:23:03,042 Can they find out what's happening inside Kitum Cave 480 00:23:03,042 --> 00:23:06,333 without contracting whatever's inside Kitum Cave? 481 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:10,292 - Just picture this job. 482 00:23:10,292 --> 00:23:14,375 I mean, you're suiting up in a biohazard suit 483 00:23:14,375 --> 00:23:15,875 to go look for evidence 484 00:23:15,875 --> 00:23:20,458 of perhaps the most dangerous illness known to mankind 485 00:23:20,458 --> 00:23:22,458 inside of a cave. 486 00:23:22,458 --> 00:23:25,708 - Rocks and caves tend to come in two types, 487 00:23:25,708 --> 00:23:27,958 super slippery and super sharp. 488 00:23:27,958 --> 00:23:31,375 So, think about what could happen to a hazmat suit. 489 00:23:31,375 --> 00:23:35,333 The risk is just very high being on this team. 490 00:23:35,333 --> 00:23:37,292 - [Dan] And it isn't just scientific experts 491 00:23:37,292 --> 00:23:39,208 putting their lives on the line. 492 00:23:39,208 --> 00:23:41,917 - In addition to gathering samples, 493 00:23:41,917 --> 00:23:45,708 the scientists leave behind literal guinea pigs, 494 00:23:45,708 --> 00:23:49,333 hoping that perhaps they will contract this virus. 495 00:23:49,333 --> 00:23:50,500 - [Dan] After seven days, 496 00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:52,875 the team leaves Kitum Cave unscathed. 497 00:23:53,958 --> 00:23:56,042 - This is a good news, bad news scenario. 498 00:23:56,042 --> 00:23:59,792 On one hand, nobody on the team has contracted Marburg. 499 00:23:59,792 --> 00:24:02,208 The bad news is they couldn't find any evidence 500 00:24:02,208 --> 00:24:03,792 of the disease inside the cave. 501 00:24:05,792 --> 00:24:08,542 - [Dan] For 20 years, the source of this deadly virus 502 00:24:08,542 --> 00:24:09,792 remains a mystery. 503 00:24:10,917 --> 00:24:14,792 Until 2007, when miners near Kitum gets sick. 504 00:24:15,792 --> 00:24:19,000 - The Kitaka Mine joins Kitum Cave. 505 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,042 So there, all of a sudden, we've got it. 506 00:24:22,042 --> 00:24:23,500 Finally, scientists go in 507 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:26,500 and they find a species of Egyptian bat 508 00:24:26,500 --> 00:24:29,333 whose waste holds this virus. 509 00:24:29,333 --> 00:24:31,250 (dramatic music) 510 00:24:31,250 --> 00:24:32,625 - [Dan] As it turns out, 511 00:24:32,625 --> 00:24:37,042 the mysterious killer at Kitum is bat poop. 512 00:24:37,042 --> 00:24:39,208 - In the depths of the cave, 513 00:24:39,208 --> 00:24:42,875 there is a roosting site for the Egyptian fruit bat. 514 00:24:42,875 --> 00:24:45,292 It looks sort of like a flying teddy bear, 515 00:24:45,292 --> 00:24:50,208 but it's also potentially a host for the Marburg virus. 516 00:24:50,208 --> 00:24:52,042 And it seems possible then 517 00:24:52,042 --> 00:24:55,000 that people might contract the virus 518 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,583 by inhaling the desiccated droppings of these bats. 519 00:25:01,583 --> 00:25:04,125 - [Dan] And there may be more killers inside the cave. 520 00:25:05,125 --> 00:25:07,208 - There's a lot of unknowns in Kitum Cave. 521 00:25:07,208 --> 00:25:10,417 We have no idea, you know, what other viruses, 522 00:25:10,417 --> 00:25:12,625 or bacteria, or fungi live there 523 00:25:12,625 --> 00:25:14,708 that we are yet to discover. 524 00:25:14,708 --> 00:25:18,250 It is a cave that many call the hellhole for a reason. 525 00:25:19,833 --> 00:25:22,917 - Believe it or not, guided tours of Kitum are available, 526 00:25:22,917 --> 00:25:26,250 But if you do plan a visit, bring a hazmat suit. 527 00:25:29,125 --> 00:25:29,833 - Believe it or not, guided tours of Kitum are available, 528 00:25:30,125 --> 00:25:31,875 Do you believe in ghosts? 529 00:25:31,875 --> 00:25:34,208 For me, it's never been a question. 530 00:25:34,208 --> 00:25:37,875 My great-grandfather was a spiritualist psychic researcher 531 00:25:37,875 --> 00:25:40,667 and my father wrote a book about mediumship. 532 00:25:40,667 --> 00:25:42,000 It's what inspired me 533 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,292 to write the screenplay for "Ghostbusters." 534 00:25:44,292 --> 00:25:46,375 I've had my own weird experiences, 535 00:25:46,375 --> 00:25:50,083 but none compare to a place in Louisville, Kentucky, 536 00:25:50,083 --> 00:25:53,417 dubbed the most haunted building in America. 537 00:25:53,417 --> 00:25:55,708 (suspenseful music) 538 00:25:58,167 --> 00:26:01,042 - The Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built in 1910 539 00:26:01,042 --> 00:26:04,000 and it's one of many such sanatoriums across the country, 540 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,875 because it deals with patients suffering from tuberculosis. 541 00:26:07,875 --> 00:26:10,042 - TB is a bacterial disease, 542 00:26:10,042 --> 00:26:13,708 and so before the invention of antibiotics, 543 00:26:13,708 --> 00:26:15,875 the treatment was to isolate people. 544 00:26:15,875 --> 00:26:18,917 - They don't have an effective vaccine for tuberculosis 545 00:26:18,917 --> 00:26:20,958 and so, they have these sanatoriums 546 00:26:20,958 --> 00:26:23,833 that are set up to essentially isolate 547 00:26:23,833 --> 00:26:26,708 and quarantine individuals that have tuberculosis. 548 00:26:26,708 --> 00:26:28,625 Give them rest and fresh air 549 00:26:28,625 --> 00:26:30,583 that they consider treatment back then. 550 00:26:31,583 --> 00:26:34,458 - Because tuberculosis has a 50% mortality rate, 551 00:26:34,458 --> 00:26:38,083 tens of thousands of people will take their last breath 552 00:26:38,083 --> 00:26:39,458 at Waverley Sanatorium. 553 00:26:39,458 --> 00:26:41,750 (tense music) 554 00:26:43,125 --> 00:26:45,625 - Some days are so bad at the sanatorium 555 00:26:45,625 --> 00:26:48,625 that six people a day are dying. 556 00:26:48,625 --> 00:26:50,917 - [Dan] With statistics like these, 557 00:26:50,917 --> 00:26:52,833 death is a constant presence. 558 00:26:54,458 --> 00:26:57,083 - When people die from tuberculosis, 559 00:26:57,083 --> 00:27:00,958 the staff carts the bodies through a particular tunnel 560 00:27:00,958 --> 00:27:03,708 to keep them out of sight from all the other patients 561 00:27:03,708 --> 00:27:05,833 so as to not lower morale. 562 00:27:07,208 --> 00:27:10,000 - And this underground tunnel is given the name 563 00:27:10,917 --> 00:27:14,542 the body chute, or death tunnel. 564 00:27:14,542 --> 00:27:17,250 It is a downhill sloping tunnel 565 00:27:17,250 --> 00:27:21,042 and it is about 500 yards long. 566 00:27:21,042 --> 00:27:24,875 Essentially taking the dead bodies from the morgue 567 00:27:24,875 --> 00:27:27,750 to where they are going to be disposed. 568 00:27:27,750 --> 00:27:31,292 And that tunnel sees 569 00:27:31,292 --> 00:27:34,208 thousands of dead bodies 570 00:27:34,208 --> 00:27:38,125 moving through it throughout the TB outbreak. 571 00:27:38,125 --> 00:27:40,458 - [Dan] This probably doesn't shock anybody, 572 00:27:40,458 --> 00:27:45,042 but an abandoned hospital with a body count of more than 6,000 573 00:27:46,250 --> 00:27:49,625 is the perfect recipe for one hell of a haunted house. 574 00:27:49,625 --> 00:27:51,875 (tense music) 575 00:27:53,167 --> 00:27:58,375 - The belief is that there is so much psychological trauma 576 00:27:58,375 --> 00:28:00,792 trapped by these dead souls 577 00:28:00,792 --> 00:28:05,208 that they now haunt the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. 578 00:28:05,208 --> 00:28:08,917 People who go there report seeing shadow people, 579 00:28:08,917 --> 00:28:11,125 seeing apparitions. 580 00:28:11,125 --> 00:28:13,792 - There are people who say that they see orbs 581 00:28:13,792 --> 00:28:15,167 that they've witnessed. 582 00:28:15,167 --> 00:28:17,917 That there are these strange spirits lurking around. 583 00:28:17,917 --> 00:28:21,333 And there are even reports that the lights are coming on 584 00:28:21,333 --> 00:28:23,625 at a time when there isn't working electricity 585 00:28:23,625 --> 00:28:24,875 in the building. 586 00:28:27,083 --> 00:28:29,625 - [Dan] But that is just a small sampling of the hauntings 587 00:28:29,625 --> 00:28:31,000 at the sanatorium. 588 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,250 Depending on what you're into, 589 00:28:33,250 --> 00:28:36,917 room 502 is a place you either want to visit 590 00:28:36,917 --> 00:28:38,667 or avoid like the plague. 591 00:28:40,458 --> 00:28:41,875 - You have the case of Mary Lee. 592 00:28:41,875 --> 00:28:44,417 She's a nurse at Waverley Hills at the sanatorium. 593 00:28:44,417 --> 00:28:46,542 She contracts tuberculosis. 594 00:28:46,542 --> 00:28:49,917 She also becomes pregnant by one of the hospital's doctors 595 00:28:49,917 --> 00:28:53,083 and she can't cope with the fact that she's sick 596 00:28:53,083 --> 00:28:55,917 and the fact that she's also with child, 597 00:28:55,917 --> 00:28:58,958 and so she ends up hanging herself in room 502. 598 00:28:58,958 --> 00:29:01,958 Mary Lee's body is not found for days. 599 00:29:03,083 --> 00:29:05,167 Two years later, there's another nurse 600 00:29:06,208 --> 00:29:09,500 that jumps to her death from the window of room 502. 601 00:29:10,625 --> 00:29:14,625 So, people that are studying hauntings at Waverly Hills 602 00:29:14,625 --> 00:29:16,833 say that room 502 is the epicenter 603 00:29:16,833 --> 00:29:18,667 of a lot of this negative energy. 604 00:29:18,667 --> 00:29:21,000 (tense music) 605 00:29:21,875 --> 00:29:23,625 - There was a photo taken 606 00:29:23,625 --> 00:29:26,292 and standing in the doorway of room 502 607 00:29:26,292 --> 00:29:31,375 is the figure of a woman looking baleful and scary, 608 00:29:32,708 --> 00:29:34,458 maybe even a little angry. 609 00:29:35,667 --> 00:29:38,292 And the resemblance to Mary is uncanny. 610 00:29:39,292 --> 00:29:42,167 - [Dan] If you prefer your ghosts a little less frightening 611 00:29:42,167 --> 00:29:45,375 and a little more friendly in a creepy sort of way, 612 00:29:46,667 --> 00:29:49,167 there's always Timmy. 613 00:29:49,167 --> 00:29:51,083 (tense music) 614 00:29:51,083 --> 00:29:53,958 - Timmy's appeared in two different photos 615 00:29:53,958 --> 00:29:58,375 and people report hearing child's laughter. 616 00:29:58,375 --> 00:30:01,958 People report hearing a ball bouncing. 617 00:30:01,958 --> 00:30:05,792 If you go there and bring a rubber ball 618 00:30:05,792 --> 00:30:08,125 and roll it down a hallway, 619 00:30:09,083 --> 00:30:12,167 Timmy will supposedly roll it back to you. 620 00:30:13,333 --> 00:30:15,083 - [Dan] Is it possible these encounters 621 00:30:15,083 --> 00:30:16,917 with Timmy and Mary are real? 622 00:30:18,875 --> 00:30:22,042 - There is a theory that some physicists posit 623 00:30:22,042 --> 00:30:25,917 that human beings are these bio electromagnetic beings 624 00:30:25,917 --> 00:30:28,917 and that our bodies, when we're in a place, 625 00:30:28,917 --> 00:30:33,458 leave a sort of marker or shadow behind. 626 00:30:33,458 --> 00:30:36,625 - Maybe what are perceived as ghosts or spirits and things 627 00:30:36,625 --> 00:30:38,458 are actually just sort of residuals 628 00:30:38,458 --> 00:30:39,750 from that electrical activity. 629 00:30:39,750 --> 00:30:41,125 That's what they say. 630 00:30:41,125 --> 00:30:42,542 Even if people don't believe in all that stuff, 631 00:30:42,542 --> 00:30:44,875 it certainly is a place that if you were to walk into, 632 00:30:44,875 --> 00:30:46,458 it would give you a funny feeling. 633 00:30:46,458 --> 00:30:49,167 - There's a reason so many years later, 634 00:30:49,167 --> 00:30:52,292 paranormal investigators are drawn to spaces like Waverly. 635 00:30:52,292 --> 00:30:55,042 People want to know, if there's an afterlife, 636 00:30:55,042 --> 00:30:57,167 where's the best place to uncover it 637 00:30:57,167 --> 00:30:59,417 and it's generally at sites of mass death. 638 00:31:00,875 --> 00:31:04,042 - Now, that's a place I genuinely wanna visit. 639 00:31:04,042 --> 00:31:06,958 I'll just need to remember my proton pack and a trap. 640 00:31:13,208 --> 00:31:16,042 - It's September, 1942, and high up in the Himalayas, 641 00:31:16,042 --> 00:31:18,833 Indian Forest Ranger H.K. Madhwal 642 00:31:18,833 --> 00:31:21,542 is collecting samples of local flowers. 643 00:31:21,542 --> 00:31:25,625 That's when he stumbles on a small, glacial lake. 644 00:31:25,625 --> 00:31:27,833 (dramatic music) 645 00:31:29,917 --> 00:31:32,708 - As the lakes water has receded, 646 00:31:32,708 --> 00:31:36,375 this Indian forest officer noticed bones, 647 00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:38,875 and then more bones. 648 00:31:40,042 --> 00:31:42,000 - He's seeing skulls. He's seeing hands. 649 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,250 He's seeing all kinds of features 650 00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:48,000 and he realizes he's looking at human skeletons. 651 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,500 Skeletons upon skeletons upon skeletons. 652 00:31:52,042 --> 00:31:55,292 - Eventually, about 500 skeletons 653 00:31:55,292 --> 00:31:57,917 are discovered in Roopkund Lake. 654 00:31:57,917 --> 00:31:59,208 - [Dan] From this moment on, 655 00:31:59,208 --> 00:32:02,125 Roopkund Lake is forever known as Skeleton Lake 656 00:32:03,042 --> 00:32:05,792 for 500 obvious reasons. 657 00:32:05,792 --> 00:32:07,625 But that still leaves one question. 658 00:32:08,792 --> 00:32:10,958 How on Earth did the bodies get there? 659 00:32:10,958 --> 00:32:13,333 - When he reports back that he's found this, 660 00:32:13,333 --> 00:32:15,042 the first thing people start thinking 661 00:32:15,042 --> 00:32:18,333 is that this is a Japanese invasion force. 662 00:32:18,333 --> 00:32:20,083 This is a time when Great Britain 663 00:32:20,083 --> 00:32:22,167 is still in control of India. 664 00:32:22,167 --> 00:32:25,042 So, the thinking is that the Japanese were attacking India 665 00:32:25,042 --> 00:32:27,042 as a way to strike Great Britain. 666 00:32:27,042 --> 00:32:28,625 But that doesn't really hold up, 667 00:32:28,625 --> 00:32:31,125 because when you actually look at the various accoutrements 668 00:32:31,125 --> 00:32:32,208 that are with these skeletons, 669 00:32:32,208 --> 00:32:35,208 they're not contemporary military gear. 670 00:32:35,208 --> 00:32:37,792 - It doesn't look like modern tools or modern clothing. 671 00:32:37,792 --> 00:32:41,458 There's these leather slippers, there are these spearheads. 672 00:32:41,458 --> 00:32:44,458 What army is using spears in World War II? 673 00:32:45,375 --> 00:32:47,125 - [Dan] As the war comes to an end, 674 00:32:47,125 --> 00:32:48,500 investigators turn their attention 675 00:32:48,500 --> 00:32:51,875 back to the skeletons in Skeleton Lake. 676 00:32:51,875 --> 00:32:55,875 - The first serious study of what these skeletons are 677 00:32:55,875 --> 00:32:58,417 really happens in the 1950s after the war. 678 00:32:58,417 --> 00:33:01,000 The first theory is that these are some sort of holy men 679 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,167 who committed a mass suicide. 680 00:33:03,167 --> 00:33:04,875 But when they look closer at the bones, 681 00:33:04,875 --> 00:33:06,583 I mean these are men, women, and children, 682 00:33:06,583 --> 00:33:08,292 so that's not likely. 683 00:33:09,333 --> 00:33:11,750 - There is also an idea that these people 684 00:33:11,750 --> 00:33:14,333 were all part of some huge epidemic 685 00:33:14,333 --> 00:33:16,250 and that they are trying to stay away 686 00:33:16,250 --> 00:33:19,083 from the rest of the population for everyone else's safety 687 00:33:19,083 --> 00:33:21,458 by all moving to this lake area. 688 00:33:22,750 --> 00:33:24,083 This doesn't really hold up either 689 00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:26,750 because none of the evidence on those skeletons 690 00:33:26,750 --> 00:33:29,500 suggest the kind of, like, degradation or disease 691 00:33:29,500 --> 00:33:31,333 that would've been part of that story. 692 00:33:31,333 --> 00:33:34,292 So, that's one more that we can, (clicks) right out the window. 693 00:33:34,292 --> 00:33:36,958 - Based on an evaluation of some of the skulls, 694 00:33:36,958 --> 00:33:38,542 they showed damage, 695 00:33:38,542 --> 00:33:43,083 unhealed wounds that happened to the skull. 696 00:33:43,083 --> 00:33:45,292 - A theory that's a little more lore bound 697 00:33:45,292 --> 00:33:49,208 that adds a layer to that is that the goddess Nanda Devi 698 00:33:49,208 --> 00:33:52,083 strikes down pilgrims, who were not behaving 699 00:33:52,083 --> 00:33:55,000 and that this is evidence of her wrath. 700 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,167 - Perhaps there was a once in a century, 701 00:33:57,167 --> 00:34:01,375 once in millennium hailstorm of giant hail 702 00:34:01,375 --> 00:34:03,292 and people were just caught out in the open 703 00:34:03,292 --> 00:34:04,917 and they were hit on the head 704 00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:06,583 by these giant hailstorms and passed away. 705 00:34:06,583 --> 00:34:08,708 - [Dan] What caused these mysterious deaths 706 00:34:08,708 --> 00:34:11,542 remains, well, a mystery. 707 00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:15,792 Then in 2019, investigators tried DNA testing, 708 00:34:15,792 --> 00:34:17,375 hoping for answers. 709 00:34:17,375 --> 00:34:21,167 - What this turns up is completely unexpected. 710 00:34:22,458 --> 00:34:25,417 It turns out that their origins were from widespread places 711 00:34:25,417 --> 00:34:28,333 across the globe, Southeast Asia, India, 712 00:34:28,333 --> 00:34:31,167 around the Mediterranean, Greece. 713 00:34:31,167 --> 00:34:35,042 The other problem, it stretched over centuries. 714 00:34:35,042 --> 00:34:37,708 - The biggest mystery of Skeleton Lake 715 00:34:37,708 --> 00:34:42,000 is the fact that this wasn't one mass death event, 716 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:43,667 but numerous events 717 00:34:43,667 --> 00:34:46,542 spread across as long as a thousand years, 718 00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:51,042 involving people from as far away as Southeast Asia, 719 00:34:51,042 --> 00:34:53,333 as well as people from several locations 720 00:34:53,333 --> 00:34:55,208 in the Island of Crete. 721 00:34:55,208 --> 00:34:57,375 - [Dan] Rather than solving the mystery, 722 00:34:57,375 --> 00:34:59,958 the results just deepen it. 723 00:34:59,958 --> 00:35:01,458 - So, what is it about Skeleton Lake 724 00:35:01,458 --> 00:35:04,667 that made this strange phenomenon happen? 725 00:35:04,667 --> 00:35:06,000 Why did these people come 726 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,875 and why did all these skeletons 727 00:35:07,875 --> 00:35:10,458 end up at the bottom of this lake? 728 00:35:10,458 --> 00:35:13,125 - In the world of science and engineering, we have a phrase, 729 00:35:13,125 --> 00:35:15,083 data solves argument. 730 00:35:15,083 --> 00:35:16,375 Not here. 731 00:35:16,375 --> 00:35:18,458 The data has only made it a deeper mystery. 732 00:35:18,458 --> 00:35:22,625 So if you have any ideas, please let us know. 733 00:35:23,708 --> 00:35:26,625 - [Dan] Even after 70 years of speculation, 734 00:35:26,625 --> 00:35:30,083 Skeleton Lake defies explanation. 735 00:35:33,542 --> 00:35:37,250 - Sunday, July 13th, 1980, Nottinghamshire, England, 736 00:35:37,250 --> 00:35:41,708 a seemingly normal place on a seemingly normal day. 737 00:35:41,708 --> 00:35:45,375 That is, until something bizarre begins to unfold. 738 00:35:45,375 --> 00:35:47,875 (suspenseful music) 739 00:35:47,875 --> 00:35:49,375 - On this particular Sunday, 740 00:35:49,375 --> 00:35:51,958 they're having a marching band competition. 741 00:35:51,958 --> 00:35:53,208 This is a mining community, 742 00:35:53,208 --> 00:35:55,208 so there's hundreds of people there. 743 00:35:55,208 --> 00:35:58,125 Families having picnics, hanging out with each other. 744 00:35:58,125 --> 00:35:59,750 It's a joyous gathering. 745 00:35:59,750 --> 00:36:02,167 - And all of a sudden, some of the young people 746 00:36:02,167 --> 00:36:05,042 start to feel sick and to faint. 747 00:36:05,042 --> 00:36:07,542 First, it's one or two children, 748 00:36:07,542 --> 00:36:10,083 but then, it really picks up. 749 00:36:10,083 --> 00:36:11,792 - It's men, it's women, 750 00:36:11,792 --> 00:36:14,708 and it's children fainting all at once. 751 00:36:15,708 --> 00:36:18,375 - People start dropping right there in the field. 752 00:36:18,375 --> 00:36:20,833 Four, five, six people just fall to the ground 753 00:36:20,833 --> 00:36:22,750 and this starts to happen more and more. 754 00:36:22,750 --> 00:36:25,042 No one really understands what's happening, 755 00:36:25,042 --> 00:36:27,417 but people keep fainting all over the place. 756 00:36:28,875 --> 00:36:32,375 - [Dan] What could possibly be causing these fainting fits? 757 00:36:32,375 --> 00:36:34,542 - 300 people faint overall 758 00:36:34,542 --> 00:36:37,417 and 259 of them have to go to the hospitals. 759 00:36:37,417 --> 00:36:41,167 The symptoms are almost as strange as the fainting itself, 760 00:36:41,167 --> 00:36:43,875 vomiting, sore throat, irritated eyes. 761 00:36:43,875 --> 00:36:47,250 Some kids report that they can't feel their bones. 762 00:36:47,250 --> 00:36:49,792 - Even paralysis is described. 763 00:36:49,792 --> 00:36:53,042 - [Dan] At around 1:00 PM, people stopped collapsing 764 00:36:53,042 --> 00:36:54,833 almost as suddenly as they started. 765 00:36:56,083 --> 00:36:58,500 Terrified locals want to know why. 766 00:36:58,500 --> 00:37:01,667 - One theory is that there were pesticides that were in use 767 00:37:01,667 --> 00:37:03,625 that could have caused people to faint 768 00:37:03,625 --> 00:37:05,917 from inhaling the fumes of the pesticide. 769 00:37:07,208 --> 00:37:09,375 - Another theory has to do with the fact 770 00:37:09,375 --> 00:37:12,833 that Nottinghamshire is an old mining area 771 00:37:12,833 --> 00:37:16,250 and there are a number of old abandoned mines. 772 00:37:16,250 --> 00:37:19,833 These mines sometimes have gasses in them 773 00:37:19,833 --> 00:37:21,625 and the gases can escape 774 00:37:21,625 --> 00:37:24,875 and make people feel sick and pass out. 775 00:37:24,875 --> 00:37:26,917 - Another theory was that it had something to do 776 00:37:26,917 --> 00:37:29,667 with the portable toilets that were in the field. 777 00:37:29,667 --> 00:37:34,458 Maybe a mixture of cleaning supplies created some toxic gas 778 00:37:34,458 --> 00:37:36,375 that led to people fainting. 779 00:37:36,375 --> 00:37:39,375 People are affected across the entire field, 780 00:37:39,375 --> 00:37:40,667 not just near the toilets. 781 00:37:40,667 --> 00:37:42,875 So, that doesn't make any sense either. 782 00:37:42,875 --> 00:37:46,417 - [Dan] Even stranger, it happens just once. 783 00:37:46,417 --> 00:37:49,625 Is there something about the field itself that's to blame? 784 00:37:49,625 --> 00:37:51,750 - They still don't know what has happened 785 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:54,583 and there's no real, satisfying answer. 786 00:37:55,958 --> 00:37:59,875 - [Dan] Our final strange place is beside a beautiful lake, 787 00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:01,792 one hiding a deadly secret. 788 00:38:03,958 --> 00:38:05,708 - It's a pretty average day 789 00:38:05,708 --> 00:38:08,583 for this young Cameroonian on his bicycle 790 00:38:08,583 --> 00:38:12,083 riding from his village to the neighboring village of Nyos. 791 00:38:12,083 --> 00:38:15,042 Well, he's riding down the road with his wagon behind him 792 00:38:15,042 --> 00:38:16,542 and he encounters a dead antelope 793 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:18,083 right in the middle of the road. 794 00:38:18,083 --> 00:38:20,750 "Great," he thinks, "That's free meat to feed my family." 795 00:38:20,750 --> 00:38:23,667 Straps it to his wagon, continues on his way, 796 00:38:23,667 --> 00:38:26,292 only to encounter another dead antelope, 797 00:38:26,292 --> 00:38:29,500 and then dead rats, and dead cows, 798 00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:32,292 and all kinds of livestock are dead all around him 799 00:38:32,292 --> 00:38:34,458 and this isn't looking right at all. 800 00:38:34,458 --> 00:38:36,375 - And as he approaches the village, 801 00:38:36,375 --> 00:38:39,375 he realizes that it is freakishly silent. 802 00:38:39,375 --> 00:38:41,292 - So, he goes into one of the neighbor's houses 803 00:38:41,292 --> 00:38:43,250 and finds that all those people are dead. 804 00:38:43,250 --> 00:38:45,042 He goes to another house, same thing. 805 00:38:45,042 --> 00:38:48,875 - He begins seeing dead bodies around cooking fires, 806 00:38:48,875 --> 00:38:53,500 dead bodies sitting at tables, dead bodies in their homes. 807 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:55,708 - He rides his bike to Lake Nyos, 808 00:38:55,708 --> 00:38:57,500 where that village is named for, 809 00:38:57,500 --> 00:39:00,042 and finds hundreds of dead bodies 810 00:39:00,042 --> 00:39:01,708 lying along the lake shore. 811 00:39:01,708 --> 00:39:03,042 (dramatic music) 812 00:39:03,042 --> 00:39:07,375 - Stranger still, there are no flies buzzing around. 813 00:39:07,375 --> 00:39:08,833 They're completely gone. 814 00:39:08,833 --> 00:39:11,375 - The buildings are all intact, everything looks fine 815 00:39:11,375 --> 00:39:13,917 other than this weird, silent death scene. 816 00:39:16,875 --> 00:39:21,375 - What you find here is 1,700 dead people, 817 00:39:21,375 --> 00:39:23,458 thousands of dead livestock. 818 00:39:23,458 --> 00:39:25,000 There's nothing left living, 819 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:30,083 and even the tiny insects that feast on the dead 820 00:39:30,083 --> 00:39:31,708 are not even present. 821 00:39:31,708 --> 00:39:33,500 Everything has been killed off. 822 00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:35,833 What can you imagine is going on here? 823 00:39:35,833 --> 00:39:38,625 Has there been some sort of new weapon tested 824 00:39:38,625 --> 00:39:40,250 that does not leave a trace, 825 00:39:40,250 --> 00:39:42,125 but yet kills every living thing? 826 00:39:42,125 --> 00:39:43,708 It's the stuff of science fiction. 827 00:39:44,833 --> 00:39:47,708 - [Dan] Scientists from across Africa, the U.S., 828 00:39:47,708 --> 00:39:49,750 and France are sent to investigate. 829 00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:53,958 What could cause such mass casualties? 830 00:39:55,083 --> 00:40:00,333 - Lake Nyos is sitting on top of a magma pool 831 00:40:00,333 --> 00:40:04,375 where carbon dioxide is venting continuously 832 00:40:04,375 --> 00:40:07,583 into the waters in the depths of the lake 833 00:40:07,583 --> 00:40:10,917 and reaching super high concentrations. 834 00:40:10,917 --> 00:40:13,542 - All these incredibly deadly gases 835 00:40:13,542 --> 00:40:16,417 are trapped in the more dense cold water 836 00:40:16,417 --> 00:40:17,875 at the bottom of the lake. 837 00:40:17,875 --> 00:40:20,875 There is a layer on top of that of warm water, 838 00:40:20,875 --> 00:40:22,542 which is less dense, 839 00:40:22,542 --> 00:40:25,667 but it acts like a cork sealing a bottle. 840 00:40:25,667 --> 00:40:29,250 - [Dan] Until something causes that cork to pop. 841 00:40:29,250 --> 00:40:32,208 - So, what happens at Lake Nyos is that there's a landslide 842 00:40:32,208 --> 00:40:36,125 and the landslide displaces some of the water at the surface 843 00:40:36,125 --> 00:40:39,750 allowing the carbon dioxide that's trapped below to escape. 844 00:40:39,750 --> 00:40:44,208 - That's what causes a limnic eruption to occur. 845 00:40:44,208 --> 00:40:46,250 Limnic meaning a lake eruption. 846 00:40:46,250 --> 00:40:50,292 And then, all of that trapped gas surges to the surface 847 00:40:50,292 --> 00:40:55,375 and suffocates any living thing that's caught in the cloud. 848 00:40:55,375 --> 00:40:57,667 (tense music) 849 00:40:57,667 --> 00:40:59,042 - [Dan] But what are the chances 850 00:40:59,042 --> 00:41:01,208 a tragedy like this could happen again? 851 00:41:01,208 --> 00:41:06,042 Experts worry that it's a question of not if, but when. 852 00:41:07,042 --> 00:41:08,958 - There's another lake, Lake Kivu, 853 00:41:08,958 --> 00:41:12,667 that has 2 million people living around it. 854 00:41:12,667 --> 00:41:15,917 - If a similar disaster occurs there, 855 00:41:15,917 --> 00:41:18,625 estimates state that it could result 856 00:41:18,625 --> 00:41:22,125 in the deaths of 4 million people. 857 00:41:23,625 --> 00:41:26,167 Lake Kivu is without question 858 00:41:26,167 --> 00:41:30,833 and in no exaggerated terms, a ticking time bomb. 859 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:35,542 - Yet another reminder that the world we live in 860 00:41:35,542 --> 00:41:38,083 can be as dangerous as it is fascinating. 861 00:41:38,083 --> 00:41:41,083 In fact, all these places trigger curiosity. 862 00:41:41,083 --> 00:41:44,583 We find ourselves drawn to the strange, the peculiar, 863 00:41:44,583 --> 00:41:46,583 and the downright unbelievable.