Who is Jake Koehler? Man recalls close call with death after trip to Titanic wreck via OceanGate submersible axed due to 'malfunctions'
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA: Jake Koehler, better known on YouTube as Dallmyd, recently recounted a terrifying event involving a near-death encounter while on a tour to investigate the Titanic ship wreck. OceanGate, a business that specializes in submersible dives, recently witnessed a tragedy by losing its submersible after an underwater implosion with its CEO and four other crew had arranged the expedition.
However, it was unexpectedly canceled owing to alleged "malfunctions." Jake, a self-described treasure hunter, had previously taken the Titan submersible on a brief test dive that went down to a depth of 3,000 feet. He was not given the chance to investigate the famous wreck which was 13,000 feet below the surface, he explained in over a 26-minute long video.
'It's crazy to think...my fate could've been just like the five'
Jake voiced his relief as he thought back on the incident, realizing the unfortunate fact that he had been dangerously close to experiencing catastrophe. "It's crazy to think...my fate could've been just like the five who had lost their lives on that same submarine," he said in the video. On a regular dive, engineers found problems with one of the control computers which signaled the start of problems. Jake's dive was ultimately postponed due to poor weather and communication issues with the mother ship, reported Daily Mail.
'If the fog didn't roll in and cancel the dive, who knows... and maybe we would've imploded'
Jake recounted the experience, stating, "If the fog didn't roll in and cancel the dive, who knows, maybe we would've left that platform, and maybe we would've imploded." He expressed gratitude for dodging the danger and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased divers whom he had grown fond of during his brief interaction with them. Notably, Jake did not purchase a ticket for the trip; instead, he was invited to share his experience with his extensive YouTube following of 13.4 million subscribers. Jake who feels to have dodged a bullet says, "I didn't know these people too well, but they treated me very nicely, and I lost a few friends.'
Jake's close encounter is not an isolated incident
Jake's close encounter is not an isolated incident as British documentary maker Ross Kemp declined the opportunity to join the expedition. Kemp's television company deemed the vessel "unsafe on every level" after comprehensive evaluations. The deaths of the Titanic five included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, 19, as they came to be known, occurred when the submersible they were in suffered a catastrophic implosion just 1,600 feet from the bow of the ocean liner wreck. Despite intensive search and rescue efforts, their remains are unlikely to be recovered, given the challenging and unforgiving conditions at the depths of the ocean floor.
