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Premium Episode #40 - Ben McDaniel
🕑 Added 2025-10-25 08:01:46 +0000 UTCOn Friday, August 20 2010, officers from the Holmes County Sheriff's Department were called to Vortex Spring, a commercially operated dive park just outside the Florida town of Ponce de Leon. A 30-year-old scuba diver from Tennessee by the name of Ben McDaniel had failed to resurface after diving into the narrow cave network under the basin of the spring two nights earlier, and nobody had seen or heard from him since.
When a recovery mission failed to find any sign of Ben, his loved ones and members of the cave diving community were left in shock. Was Ben stuck in an unexplored part of the cave somewhere, or was something else entirely at play?
Team:
Anonymous Host - narration
Elsha McGill - research, writing
Milly Raso - creative direction
Mike Migas - production, music
Anthony Telfer - audio editing
Comments
Georgie
Holy guacamole. The details of how tiny those passages were made me feel claustrophobic.
Ashley White
Every single one of those points were covered in the episode. I could believe the writers used it we a reference even
Jordan Lowes
This case has really intrigued me though I can’t help but wonder why some very pertinent points weren’t covered (I don’t think) in this episode? Link below brings up some interesting information that make this story quite different https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/s/xAtHzldZe3
Suicide Sauce
Hey y'all, the holidays are coming up and it's a great chance to check up on your loved ones' mental health as well as your own. When you speak to a loved one who may need company, instead of just asking "how's it going?" try asking, "can I bring you a home-cooked meal?" Instead of saying, "you need to talk about your feelings," try saying, "I want to hear about how you feel." Reaching out for help is hard, hard, hard, and it'll be just as true for you as it is for others. You may not think that things are "that bad" for you, but depression doesn't always look like Bella staring at the wall for three months in Twilight. Do you get irritated more often? Are you in more pain than usual? Do you find yourself becoming exhausted doing routine things, or avoiding tasks or people because of how tiring they are? Check in with yourself the same way you would a cherished friend. How long has it been since you've eaten a good meal, taken a walk in the park, had a spa day or a long chat with someone you love? Suicidal thoughts can also be more insidious than sitting down to write a note or making concrete plans to self-harm. They may surface as thoughts like "I don't care what happens to me as long as X is okay" or "My problems are bothering everyone and there's no way to fix them." Again, they don't call me Suicide Sauce because I eat a lot of spicy tacos. I'm holding your hand. And here are a couple of things you can do if you think you're going down a dark tunnel: 1. Homeless Kitten Treatment. Make sure that you are fed, hydrated, clean, and have fresh bedding to lay in. 2. Get the thoughts out of your head by writing them down. For best results, write by hand to slow down your racing thoughts. Seal the papers in an envelope and destroy it (other people reading your private rantings sometimes leads to misunderstandings). 3. Tell someone close to you. If you're not sure where to begin, try "I think I need your help untangling some dark stuff I've been thinking about." Don't worry about whether or not you're "Bothering" them-- I promise you aren't, and they will want to do what they can. 4. If you live in the US and you think that you're in danger of harming yourself or someone else, you can call or text 988 any time of day or night to be put through to someone who can help you. Let them ask you questions if you're not sure what to say. I may just be the resident troll, but all of you are important to me. Experiencing depression and loneliness, especially around a holiday centered on family and joy, is a scary and painful thing and I don't wish it on anyone, least of all people I care about. I am holding your hands and squeezing them tight. I love you all. See you in March :)
