Mysteries of the Deep (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Mummy on the Ghost Ship - full transcript

Wade: DO THE SOUNDS OF THE OCEAN
HOLD THE KEY

TO THE BIGGEST AVIATION
MYSTERY OF MODERN TIMES?

IF THE AIRPLANE IS THERE,
THEY'LL FIND IT.

Wade: WHAT'S BEHIND THE DISCOVERY
OF A BIZARRE BODY ON THE HIGH SEAS?

HOW CAN A MAN
BE MUMMIFIED ON A BOAT

DRIFTING IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE OCEAN?

Wade: AND IS A GHOSTLY ENTITY

APPEARING TO ADVENTURERS
IN EXTREME PERIL?

Tuttle: IS IT MAGIC?
IS IT FAITH?

WHAT IS IT?

Wade: THE UNDERWATER REALM
IS ANOTHER DIMENSION.



IT'S A PHYSICALLY HOSTILE PLACE,

WHERE DREAMS OF PROMISE
CAN SINK INTO DARKNESS.

I'M JEREMY WADE.

I'M SEARCHING THE WORLD
TO BRING YOU THE MOST ICONIC

AND BAFFLING UNDERWATER
MYSTERIES KNOWN TO SCIENCE.

SHIPWRECKS CAN'T JUST DISAPPEAR.

OR CAN THEY?

Wade: IT'S A DANGEROUS
UNEXPLORED FRONTIER

THAT SWALLOWS EVIDENCE...

WE KNOW MORE ABOUT
THE FACE OF MARS

THAN WE DO OUR DEEPEST OCEANS.

Wade:
...WHERE UNKNOWN IS NORMAL,

AND UNDERSTANDING IS RARE.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS



¶

ON MARCH 8TH, 2014,
MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 370

DEPARTS KUALA LUMPUR
WITH 239 PASSENGERS AND CREW

BOUND FOR BEIJING, CHINA.

IT NEVER ARRIVES.

YEARS LATER, THE FATE OF MH370
REMAINS A MYSTERY.

BUT NOW, PIONEERING SCIENCE
INVOLVING A NEW WAY

OF LISTENING TO THE OCEAN

OFFERS TO UNLOCK THE LOCATION
OF THE MISSING AIRCRAFT,

AND SOLVE THE GREATEST AVIATION
MYSTERY OF MODERN TIMES.

¶

THEY COMMUNICATED TO INDONESIAN
AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HANDED OFF
TO VIETNAMESE AIRCRAFT CONTROL.

AND IT JUST DISAPPEARED.

A REAL VEXING PART OF THIS
MYSTERY IS THAT THE PILOT SAYS,

"GOODNIGHT," BUT THEN,
THE PLANE TURNS OFF COURSE.

Elliott: THE TRANSPONDER
THEN GETS SWITCHED OFF,

AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT...
MH370...

FLIES ALONG SEAMS OF RADAR LINES
OUTSIDE OF RADAR COVERAGE.

Wright:
THERE'S NO DISTRESS CALL.

THERE ARE NO CALLS FROM
CELLPHONES FROM THE PASSENGERS.

JUST COMPLETE SILENCE.

Wade: WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE FLIGHT

HAS HAUNTED THE WORLD
EVER SINCE.

Clarke: WE'RE NOT USED TO
PLANES JUST DISAPPEARING.

IF THEY COME DOWN, WE EXPECT
TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT WHY.

Wade: AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM
OF RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT

WITH NAVAL SUPPORT
COMBS THE VAST INDIAN OCEAN

FOR SIGNS OF THE PLANE.

ANALYSIS OF SATELLITE DATA
AND DRIFT MODELING

IDENTIFIES AN AREA
OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

THAT SEARCHERS Dub
"THE SEVENTH ARC."

THE SEVENTH ARC IS DETERMINED
BY THE EXPERTS

TO BE THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE
A PLANE COULD'VE REACHED,

DEPENDENT ON THE FUEL
THAT WAS IN THE PLANE.

Wade: EXPERTS NARROW DOWN
THE HUNT TO A SECTION OF THE ARC

2,000 MILES OFF THE COAST
OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

BUT THE SEARCH TEAM
FACES HUGE CHALLENGES.

THE AVERAGE DEPTH OF THE INDIAN
OCEAN IS OVER 12,000 FEET.

Man: THE DEEP OCEAN
IS TRULY THE ABYSS.

WE OFTEN THINK OF THE LAND
AS BEING MOUNTAINOUS,

BUT THAT COMPARED TO THE OCEAN
IS A SMOOTH PEBBLE.

Wade: AND ALTHOUGH SATELLITES
AND RADAR

CAN AID IN THE SEARCH
FROM ABOVE,

THEY CAN'T PENETRATE
THE DEEP OCEAN.

ANYTHING DEEPER THAN 200 METERS
IS VERY POORLY EXPLORED.

IT'S HARD TO GET TO,
AND THERE'S NO LIGHT DOWN THERE.

WE DON'T HAVE ACCURATE MAPS
OF THE SEABED IN THAT AREA.

Wade: UNABLE TO SEE
IN THE DARK WATERS,

THE SEARCH TEAM ADOPTS
A DIFFERENT METHOD.

Higgs: ONCE YOU START TO LOOK
BELOW THE SURFACE,

REALLY SOUND IS THE BEST TOOL
THAT WE HAVE.

SO, WE HAVE TO CONVERT
THAT SOUND SEARCH

INTO A VISUAL PICTURE.

AND THAT'S EFFECTIVELY
WHAT SONAR IS DOING.

WE CALL IT "MOWING THE LAWN."

AND YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK
THOSE TRANSITS BACK AND FORTH,

BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH,
UNTIL YOU FIND SOMETHING.

Wade: AUTONOMOUS AND
REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLES

SWEEP THE OCEAN FLOOR
WITH SONAR,

LOOKING FOR THE STRICKEN PLANE.

Campbell: THEY ALLOW YOU TO GET
DEEP ENOUGH FOR LONG ENOUGH

TO MAP THE SEAFLOOR
AT INCREDIBLE DEPTHS.

Wade: THE TEAM COMBS AN AREA
OF 46,000 SQUARE MILES,

BUT NOTHING IS FOUND.

DR. USAMA KADRI, A MATHEMATICIAN
AND EXPERT IN FLUID DYNAMICS,

IS FRUSTRATED BY
THE LACK OF PROGRESS.

BUT HE HAS AN IDEA.

WHEN AN OBJECT
HITS THE SEA'S SURFACE,

IT CAUSES A SUDDEN CHANGE
IN WATER PRESSURE,

WHICH CREATES A SPECIAL TYPE
OF SOUND WAVE

CALLED AN
"ACOUSTIC GRAVITY WAVE."

IN ADDITION,
ACOUSTIC GRAVITY WAVES

CAN TRAVEL
MANY HUNDREDS OF MILES.

BY TRACKING THESE WAVES,
IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE

TO WORK OUT THE TIME
AN OBJECT STRUCK THE WATER,

AND POTENTIALLY ITS LOCATION
IN THE OCEAN.

SO, COULD AN ACOUSTIC
GRAVITY WAVE

CAUSED BY THE IMPACT OF MH370

UNLOCK THE SECRET
OF ITS FINAL RESTING PLACE?

ACROSS THE PLANET'S OCEAN FLOOR

LIE LISTENING POSTS
CALLED "HYDROPHONES."

THESE UNDERWATER MICROPHONES
CONVERT SOUNDS IN THE OCEAN

INTO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS
THAT CAN BE MEASURED.

THEY'RE USED FROM EVERYTHING
FROM TRACKING WHALES

TO TRACKING SUBMARINES.

Wade: SO, DID HYDROPHONES RECORD
AN ACOUSTIC GRAVITY WAVE

MADE BY MH370
WHEN IT HIT THE WATER?

Clarke: HYDROPHONES ARE
INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE.

SO, SOMETHING IMPACTS
THE SURFACE 1,000 MILES AWAY,

IT WILL STILL BE HEARD.

Wade: AND AS AN INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION THAT'S LISTENING,

THE CTBTO...

THE NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN
TREATY ORGANIZATION...

OPERATES HYDROPHONES STATIONS
AROUND THE WORLD,

LISTENING OUT 24/7 FOR EVIDENCE

OF UNSANCTIONED
NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING.

¶

DR. KADRI'S HOPE IS THAT
THEY MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY

CAPTURED THE IMPACT OF MH370.

ONE LISTENING STATION
SITS AT CAPE LEEUWIN,

ON THE SOUTHWEST TIP
OF AUSTRALIA,

CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL
SEARCH SITE.

FRUSTRATINGLY, THE SIGNALS
HE FINDS ARE VERY WEAK.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER CTBTO
STATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

WHOSE SIGNALS HAVE NOT YET
BEEN INVESTIGATED.

THIS IS OVER 3,000 MILES AWAY,
TO THE NORTHWEST,

ON THE TINY AND REMOTE
MILITARIZED ISLAND

OF DIEGO GARCIA.

IS THIS REALLY GONNA BE A WAY
THAT WE CAN TURN BACK THE CLOCK

TO THE ORIGIN
OF THE MH370'S LOSS AT SEA?

Wade: IT IS A LONG SHOT,
BUT DR. KADRI BELIEVES

THAT HYDROPHONE RECORDINGS
FROM DIEGO GARCIA

COULD HELP PINPOINT THE IMPACT
OF MH370 IN THE OCEAN,

AND THEREBY BE THE KEY
THAT OPENS UP THE INVESTIGATION

INTO THE MISSING AIRCRAFT.

BUT WHEN HE GETS HIS HANDS
ON THE RECORDINGS,

VITAL DATA IS MISSING.

¶

Wade: THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF FLIGHT MH370

HAS BAFFLED THE WORLD FOR YEARS.

BUT NOW, A RADICAL NEW TECHNIQUE

THAT HUNTS SOUND WAVES
UNDERWATER

COULD PINPOINT THE AIRCRAFT'S
IMPACT SITE IN THE OCEAN.

THE INITIAL SEARCH FOR MH370
IN THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN

HAS BEEN THE LARGEST
AND MOST EXPENSIVE IN HISTORY.

Tuttle: MILLIONS AND MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT,

THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF HOURS,

OF VESSELS, DOING SURVEY
IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

Wade: BUT WHAT IF THEY'VE BEEN
LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE?

NOW, A NEW THEORY IS POINTING
TO A DIFFERENT AREA

3,000 MILES AWAY,
WHERE UNDERWATER RECORDINGS

COULD HOLD THE KEY
TO THE MYSTERY.

BUT WHEN DR. KADRI
FINALLY GETS HIS HANDS

ON THE RELEVANT RECORDING DATA
FROM THE DIEGO GARCIA

LISTENING STATION,
CRUCIAL INFORMATION IS MISSING.

THERE'S A 25-MINUTE HOLE
IN THE RECORDINGS,

AND IT'S VITAL DATA
FROM RIGHT AROUND THE TIME

THAT THE PLANE DISAPPEARED.

Wright:
WAS THE HYDROPHONE TURNED OFF

DUE TO SOME TYPE OF TECHNICAL
ISSUE THAT WAS ANTICIPATED?

Wade: THE MISSING DATA HAS
OPENED UP A FURTHER MYSTERY,

AND YET MORE SPECULATION.

Wright:
WOULD THERE BE THE THREAT OF A
ROGUE NATION INTERCEPTING DATA?

Elliott:
COULD IT HAVE BEEN INTERFERENCE
FROM OTHER STATES WHO,

FOR THEIR OWN REASON,

ARE FINDING WAYS TO SWITCH OFF
THE HYDROPHONES?

Wade: REQUESTS FROM
DR. KADRI'S TEAM FOR ANSWERS

ARE MET WITH SILENCE.

THE MISSING 25 MINUTES
IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL BECAUSE,

IF WE HAVE THOSE 25 MINUTES,

THEN WE WOULD ACTUALLY KNOW,

ALMOST CERTAINLY, WHETHER WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT MH370.

Wade: UNDETERRED BY THE
UNFORESEEN SETBACK, DR. KADRI

DIGS INTO THE REMAINING DATA
FROM DIEGO GARCIA,

AND FINDS SOMETHING ASTONISHING

BURIED DEEP INSIDE
THE RECORDINGS.

ONE OF THESE MYSTERIES SIGNALS
COULD BE THE IMPACT OF MH370.

IF IT IS, IT MEANS THE PLANE
TOOK A ROUTE

NO ONE HAS YET EXAMINED,

AND IT COULD LAUNCH
A BRAND-NEW INVESTIGATION

INTO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
IN THE FINAL HOURS

OF THE ILL-FATED FLIGHT.

USAMA KADRI AND HIS COLLEAGUES
ARE GIVING US

A NEW PERSPECTIVE
ON THIS MYSTERY.

IF THE AIRPLANE IS THERE,
THEY'LL FIND IT.

Wade:
MUCH DETAILED DATA ANALYSIS
REMAINS TO BE DONE BY DR. KADRI

AND HIS TEAM.

BUT IN TIME, HIS INVESTIGATIONS
COULD TRIGGER A NEW SEARCH

IN A BRAND-NEW AREA,

BRINGING FRESH HOPE
TO THE FAMILIES OF THE MISSING,

AND PERHAPS FINALLY SOLVING
THIS TERRIBLE TRAGEDY,

ONE OF THE MOST ENDURING
MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP.

WHAT IS THE DISTURBING SECRET
BENEATH THE DECKS

OF A STRICKEN BOAT DRIFTING
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN?

HE WAS LITERALLY MUMMIFIED,
BASICALLY TURNED TO LEATHER.

WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAPTAIN?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VESSEL?

Wade: MY INVESTIGATIONS ON AN
UNDER THE WATER HAVE BROUGHT ME

FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE BIZARRE,

THE UNEXPLAINED,
AND THE DOWN-RIGHT HORRIFIC.

BUT JUST WHEN YOU THINK
YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL,

THE WATERS THROW UP AN EVEN MORE
DISTURBING PHENOMENON...

A MUMMIFIED MAN
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.

¶

JANUARY 31ST, 2016, THE CLIPPER
ROUND THE WORLD YACHT RACE

IS IN FULL FLOW
THROUGH THE WESTERN PACIFIC,

ON ITS FIFTH LEG
FROM AUSTRALIA TO VIETNAM.

LEADING THE PACK
IS THE LMAX EXCHANGE.

500 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF GUAM,

THEY COME ACROSS
A DISCONCERTING SIGHT.

THEY FIND A STRICKEN VESSEL
WITH A BROKEN MAST.

THERE'S A CODE OF THE SEA

THAT SAYS YOU DON'T LEAVE
YOUR FELLOW MARINER IN PERIL.

THEY WENT OVER TO SEE IF
THE VESSEL WAS IN DISTRESS.

NOBODY CAME OUT.

McKay:
THE OCEAN IS ALWAYS MOVING,
AND SO, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM

TO REALLY PULL UP
ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER.

SO, IT WAS NECESSARY
FOR THE CREW OF THE RACE BOAT

TO PULL UP NEARBY,
AND SEND SOMEONE TO SWIM ACROSS.

Wade: THE CREW MEMBER MANAGES
TO BATTLE HIS WAY

TO THE STRICKEN YACHT,
AND CLAMBER ABOARD.

WHAT HE FOUND WAS HORRIFIC.

Wade: A DEAD SAILOR
SLUMPED OVER HIS CHARTS,

SEEMINGLY FROZEN IN TIME.

Campbell:
I CAN'T IMAGINE CLIMBING ABOARD
A VESSEL TO OFFER ASSISTANCE,

AND FINDING
A DEAD PERSON ONBOARD.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN HORRIFYING.

HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN
SITTING THERE DEAD?

HOW DID HE DIE?
WAS IT FOUL PLAY?

WAS HE INJURED?

ONE THING THAT'S REALLY EERIE
IS THAT YOU LOOK AT THE WAY

THAT HE'S FROZEN
IN THE POSITION.

HE'S SLUMPED OVER THE TABLE.

HE MAY HAVE KNOWN HE WAS HAVING
SOME KIND OF MEDICAL ISSUE,

GOING FOR THE RADIO TO SAY,
"S.O.S. HELP."

Wade: THERE'S NO SIGN
OF A STRUGGLE OR INJURY,

AND CERTAIN OBVIOUS CLUES

THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON LAND
ARE MISSING.

OFTEN, THE FIRST THINGS
TO ARRIVE AT A DEAD BODY

WILL BE FLIES.

AND THEIR MAGGOTS CAN ACTUALLY
GIVE US A TIME LINE

FOR HOW LONG THAT BODY
HAS BEEN DEAD.

BUT IN THIS CASE,
WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN,
THERE AREN'T ANY FLIES.

Tuttle: THE RACE CREW
CALLED THE COAST GUARD.

THE COAST GUARD SAID
THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUE,

BASICALLY,
"RACE ON. WE'VE GOT THIS."

Wade: THE RACING YACHT
CONTINUES ON HER WAY,

BUT NO ONE COMES TO DEAL WITH
THE STRICKEN VESSEL.

FAST FORWARD 26 DAYS,

600 MILES AWAY,
NEAR THE PHILIPPINES.

A GROUP OF FISHERMEN
COME ACROSS THE VERY SAME BOAT.

THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS IN IT,
WHO EXPIRED,

WAS STILL IN HIS SAME POSITION.

Elliott: IT'S UNBELIEVABLE
THAT HE WAS DRIFTING

FOR SO LONG, AND SO FAR.

HOW HE WASN'T PICKED UP BY
THE AUTHORITIES, NO ONE KNOWS.

Wade: AND SOMETHING BIZARRE
HAS HAPPENED TO HIM

SINCE HE WAS LAST SCENE.

THIS IS WHERE THE MYSTERY
REALLY BEGINS,

BECAUSE THEY FIND HIM
AT THE TABLE SLUMPED OVER,

BUT HE LOOKS LIKE A MUMMY.

HE WAS LITERALLY MUMMIFIED,
BASICALLY TURNED TO LEATHER.

WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
WHAT HELPED TO THE CAPTAIN?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VESSEL?

Wade: THE MUMMIFIED SAILOR
IS BROUGHT ASHORE,

AND THE LOCAL POLICE
START SEARCHING FOR CLUES.

A FEW NEW PIECES OF INFORMATION
COME TO LIGHT.

THIS YACHTSMAN WAS VERY,
VERY EXPERIENCED.

HE'D GONE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

HE'D BEEN SAILING FROM 2008
ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY,

FIRST WITH HIS WIFE,
AND THEN ON HIS OWN.

Wade: THE AUTOPSY CONCLUDES THAT
THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF DEATH

WAS A HEART ATTACK.

BUT IT CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW THE
BODY HAS COMPLETELY DRIED OUT

JUST 3 FEET
FROM A VAST EXPANSE OF WATER.

THE FACT THAT HE WAS FOUND
IN THIS SORT OF MUMMIFIED STATE

IS A PRETTY CURIOUS THING.

WHEN WE THINK OF MUMMIFICATION,
WE, OF COURSE, THINK OF EGYPT.

Wade: CEREMONIAL MUMMIFICATION
WAS PRACTICED IN EGYPT

AND PARTS OF AMERICA AND ASIA
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

TO PREPARE A DEAD BODY
FOR THE AFTERLIFE,

INTERNAL ORGANS
AND ALL LIQUID WERE REMOVED

TO PREVENT ROTTING
AND AID PRESERVATION.

SO, BY REMOVING A LOT
OF THESE INTERNAL ORGANS,

YOU'RE ALSO REMOVING
THE MOISTURE.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE WAYS
THAT THEY TRIED TO SLOW DOWN

THE DECOMPOSITION PROCESS,
AND PROMOTE THE MUMMIFICATION.

Wade: THIS PROCESS TOOK MONTHS,
AND INVOLVED SURGERY,

ELABORATE RITUAL,

AND A WIDE RANGE
OF MINERALS AND OINTMENTS.

AND IT WAS CARRIED OUT IN
THE DRIEST PLACES ON THE PLANET.

SO WHAT MIRACLE CREATED
THIS MODERN-DAY MUMMY

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN
IN JUST 26 DAYS?

THIS HASN'T BEEN
OBSERVED BEFORE,

SO IT'S SOMETHING QUITE NEW
AND QUITE MYSTERIOUS.

Wade: HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN SO FAST?

A LONE SAILOR
HAS NATURALLY MUMMIFIED

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.

ALL WE KNOW IS THAT HE DIED
OF A HEART ATTACK,

AND THIS SHOCKING TRANSFORMATION
HAPPENED WITHIN A MONTH.

HOW ON EARTH CAN A PROCESS

WHICH NORMALLY TAKES TWICE
THAT TIME WITH ASSISTANCE

HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE OCEAN ON ITS OWN?

WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONS MUST
HAVE BEEN PRESENT ON THIS VESSEL

IN ORDER FOR HIM
TO BECOME MUMMIFIED?

Wade:
ON LAND, NATURAL MUMMIFICATION
CAN OCCUR IN EXTREMELY COLD

OR ARID ENVIRONMENTS, OR WHEN
A BODY IS DEPRIVED OF OXYGEN.

FAMOUS EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN FOUND
AROUND THE GLOBE.

THERE'S THE ICEMAN, BASICALLY
PRESERVED WITHIN THE ICE.

Wade:
FOR OVER 5,000 YEARS,
OTZI THE ICEMAN

LAY IN SNOW AND ICE
IN THE TYROL MOUNTAINS OF ITALY,

WHERE HIS BODY
SLOWLY DEHYDRATED.

OR THERE'S PEOPLE WHO
SINK DOWN INTO BOGS.

Wade: THE TOLLUND MAN
WAS FOUND BURIED IN PEAT

NEAR SILKEBORG IN DENMARK,

HIS HEAD STARTLINGLY
WELL-PRESERVED

AFTER MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS
IN AN OXYGEN-DEPRIVED BOG.

BUT FEW EXAMPLES EXIST
OF MUMMIFICATION

HAPPENING NATURALLY
WHEN SURROUNDED BY THE OCEAN.

THERE'S SORT OF A PRESERVATION
PROCESS HAPPENING.

SO, YOU NEED TO HAVE A SITUATION
WHERE INSECTS

AND THINGS THAT YOU NORMALLY
HAVE ON THE LAND

THAT WOULD PROMOTE DECOMPOSITION
AREN'T ACTUALLY THERE.

Wade: BUT THERE ARE OTHER, MUCH
MORE POWERFUL, FACTORS AT PLAY.

THE MUMMIFICATION PROCESS HERE

WAS LIKELY A COMBINATION
OF THE HEAT AND THE WIND.

WE KNOW THAT THE YACHT
WOULD'VE BEEN QUITE WARM,

AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT
THERE WAS A HATCH LEFT OPEN,

AND THERE WOULD'VE BEEN
A BIT OF A BREEZE

COMING THROUGH THE SHIP.

Higgs: IF YOU HAVE
A CONTAINED SPACE

THAT'S BEING HEATED UP
BY THE SUN,

THAT CAN BECOME INCREDIBLY HOT
AND POWERFUL,

WITH AIR CONTINUALLY
FLOWING THROUGH, WARMING UP,

AND DEHYDRATING THIS BODY
OVER TIME.

Wade: IN ADDITION TO HEAT
AND WIND, EXPERTS SPECULATE

THAT ANOTHER ELEMENT
MIGHT BE A FACTOR,

AND IT'S SOMETHING FOUND
IN ABUNDANCE IN THE SEA.

THE EGYPTIANS WOULD USE NATRON,
WHICH WAS A FORM OF SALT

THAT WOULD BE USED
TO PRESERVE THE BODY.

McKay: HE WAS IN
A SALTY ENVIRONMENT.

IF YOU'RE BATHING, USUALLY,
YOU'RE BATHING WITH SALT.

SO, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
THAT HE HAD SALT ON HIS SKIN.

AND PERHAPS THE SEA SALT BEHAVED
LIKE THE NATRON, IN THIS CASE.

Wade: BUT FOR THEIR
MUMMIFICATION PROCESS,

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS
WOULD COVER THE CORPSE

WITH LARGE QUANTITIES OF NATRON.

SO, COULD A MUCH SMALLER
QUANTITY OF SEA SALT

HAVE HAD THE SAME EFFECT?

AND ONE OTHER VITAL QUESTION
STILL REMAINS...

HOW COULD THIS TRANSFORMATION
HAPPEN IN JUST 26 DAYS,

LESS THAN HALF THE TIME
IT TOOK THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS?

IN JUST THE RIGHT CONDITIONS,

MUMMIFICATION CAN HAPPEN
QUITE QUICKLY.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT
THEY REFER TO AS

"PRECOCIOUS MUMMIFICATION."

Wade: PRECOCIOUS MUMMIFICATION
HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO OCCUR

IN CONFINED SPACES
AND SPECIFIC MICROCLIMATES.

MAYBE IT WAS A PERFECT STORM
OF CONDITIONS.

Wade: BUT EXACTLY HOW A PROCESS
THAT NATURALLY CAN TAKE A YEAR,

AND WITH ASSISTANCE SEVERAL
MONTHS, CAN HAPPEN IN WEEKS,

AND AT SEA, IS STILL UNCLEAR.

IT'S A MYSTERY
AS TO WHY THAT HAPPENED

OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME
THAT IT DID.

Wade: THE OCEAN USUALLY SWALLOWS
ITS VICTIMS WITHOUT A TRACE,

BUT THIS ONE IS PRESERVED
FOR THE ANNALS OF SCIENCE

BY A PROCESS THAT
MAY NEVER BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD.

MANY OF OUR GREATEST CITIES
WERE BORNE OUT OF THE OCEAN,

PORTS PROVIDING SAFE HAVEN
FROM STORMS,

ENEMIES, AND DEEP-SEA CREATURES.

SAN FRANCISCO HAS ALWAYS BEEN
FACED BY AN ADDITIONAL THREAT...

EARTHQUAKES.

NOW, AN AMAZING DISCOVERY
OF SHIPS UNDERGROUND

MAY MEAN THAT
THE CITY'S NAUTICAL PAST

COULD THREATEN ITS FUTURE
WHEN THE NEXT BIG ONE STRIKES.

DOWN BELOW,
THERE'S SOMETHING HIDDEN.

I THINK THE PEOPLE
WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

Wade: IN 1978,
WORKMEN DIGGING FOUNDATIONS

IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO
MAKE A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY...

AND IT'S THE FIRST OF MANY.

Campbell: WHEN CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS ARE DIGGING TUNNELS

FOR THE METRO, OR FOUNDATIONS
FOR LARGE BUILDINGS,

THEY'RE CONSTANTLY FINDING
THE REMAINS OF SHIPS.

Rondeau:
OVER 60 SHIPWRECKS ARE KNOWN
TO BE IN THE HARBOR AREA,

OR IN THE DOWNTOWN
BUSINESS CORE.

Wade: BUT WHERE HAVE THESE SHIPS
COME FROM?

YOU'RE FINDING RAZOR BLADES.
YOU'RE FINDING BOTTLES.

YOU'RE FINDING
ALL KINDS OF GOODS

THAT THESE PEOPLE
WERE TAKING WITH THEM.

Clarke:
IS THIS AN ANCIENT SHIPYARD?

IS THIS A BURIAL GROUND?

IT'S LIKE, "HOLY COW.
HOW'D THIS SHIP GET,

YOU KNOW,
THREE BLOCKS FROM THE SEA?"

Wade: SAN FRANCISCO
IS NOT THE ONLY COASTAL CITY

WHERE THIS PHENOMENON
HAS COME TO LIGHT.

IT'S HAPPENING IN CITIES
LIKE NEW YORK, FOR EXAMPLE.

WHEN THEY REBUILT
THE TWIN TOWER,

THEY ACTUALLY FOUND A SHIPWRECK
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NEW SITE.

THE SAME THING HAS BEEN
FOUND IN ISTANBUL,

AND IN PLACES
ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

WHAT IS UNIQUE
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO IS

YOU HAVE SO MANY.

IT'S REALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST
COLLECTIONS OF SHIPWRECKS

THAT HAVE SURVIVED
IN A LAND CONTEXT.

Wade: THE MORE SHIPS
ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND,

THE MORE THEY NOTICE
A STRANGE CONNECTION.

THEY ARE ALL FROM
THE SAME ERA...

170 YEARS AGO.

SO WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE MID-19TH CENTURY

THAT CREATED THIS EXTRAORDINARY
SHIP CEMETERY?

THE ANSWER IS GOLD.

JANUARY 24, 1848...

FLAKES OF GOLD ARE DISCOVERED
AT COLOMA, CALIFORNIA.

SAN FRANCISCO IS
THE NEAREST PORT

FOR THOUSANDS OF
WANNABE PROSPECTORS.

THE POPULATION OF SAN FRANCISCO

EXPLODED FROM 1,000 PEOPLE
TO 25,000 PEOPLE.

Rondeau: PEOPLE WERE COMING
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,

SO YOU HAD THIS RIVER OF MEN
FLOWING IN FROM THE OCEAN.

IT WAS LIKE A HUGE
PARKING PROBLEM.

Wade: THE DESIRE FOR GOLD IS
SO STRONG THAT THE NEW ARRIVALS,

INCLUDING MANY CREWS,
DESERT THEIR SHIPS,

AND HEAD STRAIGHT FOR
THE GOLD FIELDS.

AND I THINK, AT ONE POINT,
THERE WERE OVER 900 VESSELS

JUST ABANDONED
IN SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR.

IT MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE
HUNDREDS OF TREES

WITHOUT ANY LIMBS.

Wade: BUT HOW DID THEY END UP
CREATING NEW LAND?

SCUTTLING SHIPS IS THE
PURPOSEFUL SINKING OF VESSELS.

OFTEN, THEY'RE FILLED
WITH ROCKS,

OR THEY'RE FILLED WITH SEDIMENT,

OR THEY HAVE BIG PILES
DRIVEN THROUGH THEM,

IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE.

McKay: THEY STARTED TO FILL
THE IN-BETWEEN SPACES IN

WITH REFUSE, AND DIRT,
AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS

TO BASICALLY FILL IN THE AREA

AROUND AN IN
BETWEEN THE SHIPS TO MAKE LAND.

Tuttle: STARTING FROM SHORE,

THEY WOULD JUST CREEP OUT
ANOTHER VESSEL,

ANOTHER VESSEL, ANOTHER VESSEL.

Wade: AND THANKS TO A LOOPHOLE
IN SAN FRANCISCO LAW,

IF YOU SANK A SHIP,
YOU COULD CLAIM IT AS LAND.

AND BOOM, YOU OWN A PIECE
OF WATERFRONT PROPERTY

IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Wade: 170 YEARS LATER,
THESE BOATS ARE NOW

THE SKELETONS
OF THE CITY'S PAST,

AND THE FOUNDATIONS
OF A 21ST-CENTURY GOLD RUSH.

IT IS ONE OF THE TECH CENTERS
OF THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT REGION.

Wade: BUT IS THERE A DOWNSIDE
TO THIS URBAN EXPANSION?

WHEN YOU BUILD A CITY
LIKE SAN FRANCISCO

ON FILL THAT'S COMPRISED
OF OLD SHIPWRECKS,

IT'S NOT
THE MOST STABLE PLATFORM.

AND WHAT ALSO ADDS
TO THE CHALLENGE

IS WHEN YOU'RE LIVING NEAR
AN ACTIVE FAULT LINE,

LIKE THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT LINE.

YOU START THINKING ABOUT,
"HANG ON.

IS THIS GONNA HOLD UP
IN THE NEXT SEISMIC EVENT?"

YEAH, I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE
THERE FOR THE NEXT BIG ONE.

SHIPWRECKS UNDERWATER
ARE AMAZING TO DIVE.

THEY'RE EERIE PLACES
THAT ECHO THEIR TRAGIC PASTS.

BUT IN SAN FRANCISCO,
BURIED SHIPWRECKS UNDERGROUND

MAY POINT TO A TRAGIC FUTURE.

IT'S NOT THE MOST
STABLE PLATFORM,

ESPECIALLY FOR BIG,
MODERN BUILDINGS.

THIS IS JUST SEDIMENT.

Clarke: THIS IS JUST TIMBERS
WHICH HAVE ROTTED AWAY.

THIS IS JUST SHIPS
WHICH HAVE SLOWLY COLLAPSED DOWN

INTO THE GROUND,
OR BEEN SWALLOWED BY MUD.

YOU CAN LIVE ON IT
WITH NO PROBLEM,

UNTIL THERE'S A PROBLEM.

¶

Campbell: SAN FRANCISCO
IS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE MOST

SEISMICALLY ACTIVE PLACES
IN THE WORLD.

Wade: THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT
LIES 3 MILES FROM SAN FRANCISCO,

RUNNING THROUGH DEEP WATER
JUST OUTSIDE THE BAY.

Campbell: THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT
IS THE BOUNDARY

BETWEEN THE PACIFIC PLATE
AND THE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE.

IT RUNS PARALLEL
TO SAN FRANCISCO,

WHICH MAKES THE CITY SUSCEPTIBLE
TO DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES.

Wade: THE FAULT HAS SHOWN
ITS DEADLY FORCE MANY TIMES,

MOST DESTRUCTIVELY IN 1906,

WHEN OVER 4 SQUARE MILES
OF THE CITY WERE LEVELED,

AND THE INFERNO THAT FOLLOWED
DESTROYED SOME 28,000 BUILDINGS.

3,000 PEOPLE
ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED.

A CENTURY LATER, THERE REMAINS
A 72% PROBABILITY

OF THE CITY BEING HIT BY
A HIGH-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE

IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS.

AND SUCH A LARGE SECTION
OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA

IS BUILT ON SAND AND SHIPS.

Wade: AS WELL AS THE OBVIOUS
DAMAGE ABOVEGROUND,

EARTHQUAKES CAN HAVE A DRAMATIC
IMPACT BENEATH OUR BUILDINGS.

LIQUEFACTION IS THE PROCESS

WHERE BY VIBRATIONS FROM AN
EARTHQUAKE LIQUEFY THE SEDIMENTS

DEPOSITED IN AN AREA, MAKING IT
ACT AS THOUGH IT IS WATER.

HEAVIER STRUCTURES THAT ARE
SITTING ON TOP OF THAT LAND

THAT'S UNCONSOLIDATED,

THEY CAN ACTUALLY SINK
INTO THE SEDIMENTS.

Wade:
A CITY CONSUMED BY LIQUEFACTION
IS NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

THERE'S THE CASE OF
PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA.

IN A SINGLE MORNING,
IT WENT FROM A VIBRANT CITY

INTO SUBMERGED INTO THE OCEAN
SEVERAL METERS.

THAT WAS LIQUEFACTION.

Wade: THE AREA OF SAN FRANCISCO
WHERE THE SHIPS HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED

IS ONE OF THE MOST PRONE
TO LIQUEFACTION

IN THE WHOLE OF CALIFORNIA.

BUT DO THE BURIED SHIPS MAKE
THIS NATURAL INSTABILITY WORSE?

SO, THE SHIP STRUCTURES
MIGHT ACTUALLY BE BETTER

THAN JUST FILL, BECAUSE
YOU STILL HAVE ALL THE FILL,

BUT THEN, ALSO,
THE SHIP STRUCTURES.

McKay: I DON'T KNOW THAT IT
BEING BUILT ON TOP OF OLD SHIPS

IS GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE,

GIVEN THE FACT THAT
THOSE HIGH-RISES

ARE BURIED INTO BEDROCK.

Wade: BEDROCK IS HARD ROCK
BENEATH SURFACE SOIL

AND SUBSTRATA THAT CAN HELP
SUPPORT LARGE STRUCTURES.

BUT IN THE HEART OF THE CITY,
CRACKS HAVE ALREADY APPEARED.

Goodhan: THE MILLENNIUM TOWER,
WHICH WAS ONLY BUILT IN 2009,

HAS ALREADY SUNK 16 INCHES,
AND IS LEANING ABOUT 2 INCHES.

Wade: THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE
CITY'S THIRD TALLEST SKYSCRAPER

WERE INSTALLED IN DENSE SAND
80 FEET DOWN.

THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT IS OF SERIOUS CONCERN

FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE.

Wade: THE SKYSCRAPER HAS BEEN
CERTIFIED AS SAFE,

BUT THE NEXT BIG ONE...
A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE

WITH THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER
TO BRING DOWN BUILDINGS...

HAS LONG BEEN FEARED BY
THE CITIZENS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

THE QUESTION IS,
WHEN WILL IT COME?

IT'S A HUGE MYSTERY WHEN
THESE EARTHQUAKES WILL OCCUR.

AND EVEN IF WE COULD
PREDICT THEM,

WE'D BE POWERLESS
TO PREVENT THEM.

SO, A CITY BORNE OF THE SEA
IS STILL IN ITS GRIP.

BUT HOW MUCH SAN FRANCISCO'S
HIGH-TECH FUTURE

WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN
TO THE EARTH

BY THE SKELETONS
OF ITS MARITIME PAST,

WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

BEING OUT IN THE VASTNESS OF THE
OCEAN ALONE CAN BE A DISTURBING

AND SOMETIMES
TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE,

BUT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
TO BE A SOLO SAILOR

AFTER WEEKS OUT ON THE WATER,
AND TO SUDDENLY BE OVERCOME

BY THE SENSATION
THAT YOU'RE NOT, IN FACT, ALONE?

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED
TO A MAN IN THE 1970s

AS HE BATTLED A MASSIVE STORM.

1973, CAPE HORNE, CHILE...

CAUGHT IN TREACHEROUS CONDITIONS
IN NOTORIOUS SEAS

IS WORLD-FAMOUS 63-YEAR-OLD
YACHTSMAN BILL KING.

HE'S ATTEMPTING TO
CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE GLOBE SOLO,

BUT A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME STORM
IS THREATENING

TO TAKE HIM AND HIS BOAT DOWN.

ENCOUNTERING STORMS AT SEA
IS TERRIFYING,

AND IT'S PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTING.

YOU'RE UP FOR HOURS ON END,

AT THE WHEEL,
IN HEAVY CONCENTRATION.

Tuttle: WHAT DO YOU DO?
YOU'RE IN A STRESSFUL SITUATION,

AND IT'S JUST LIKE,
HOW DO YOU GET THROUGH IT?

Wade: AFTER 2 DAYS,
HE'S ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE,

WHEN SOMETHING
REMARKABLE HAPPENS...

SOMETHING OTHERWORLDLY.

Rondeau: IT'S PRETTY DIRE.

AND THEN, HE FEELS THE PRESENCE
OF SOMEBODY THERE WITH HIM,

WHICH GIVES HIM
THE REASSURANCE TO GO BELOW,

AND BE ABLE TO CHECK HIS
POSITION, AND CHART HIS COURSE.

Wade: BUT THIS INCREDIBLE TALE
IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

EXPLORERS ACROSS THE WORLD
AND THROUGHOUT TIME

CLAIM A GUARDIAN ANGEL
HAS APPEARED,

AND GUIDED THEM TO SAFETY.

TO MODERN RESEARCHERS,

THIS PHENOMENON IS KNOWN
AS "THE THIRD MAN."

SHACKLETON EXPERIENCED IT
ON HIS ESCAPE FROM ANTARCTICA.

HE REPORTED THERE WAS
ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL

THAT GAVE HIM
THE COURAGE TO SURVIVE,

AND TO ESCAPE WITH HIS COMRADES.

Wade: ERNEST SHACKLETON'S
EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY

TO HAVE HIS ENTIRE STRANDED CREW

IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST
HEROIC SURVIVAL STORIES

OF THE MODERN ERA.

SO, WHO OR WHAT IS THE STRANGE
APPARITION THAT APPEARED TO HIM

AND TO SAILOR BILL KING?

McKay: IS IT AN IMAGINARY FRIEND

THAT WE CREATE
TO HELP COMFORT OURSELVES?

IS IT A HALLUCINATION
FROM NOT SLEEPING?

WHAT ARE THEY? WHO KNOWS?

IS IT MAGIC? IS IT FAITH?

WHAT IS IT?

IN 1973, SAILOR BILL KING
IS LOSING A LIFE-OR-DEATH SOLO

STRUGGLE AGAINST AN EPIC STORM
WHEN HE EXPERIENCES

A MYSTERIOUS BEING
THAT SCIENCE CANNOT EXPLAIN.

THIS FEELING OF PRESENCE IS
KNOWN TODAY AS "THE THIRD MAN."

EVEN THOUGH HE'S ALONE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN,

AND HE KNOWS HE'S ALONE,
MENTALLY,

HE'S GOT THIS IDEA THAT,
WHEN HE'S NOT ON DECK,

SOMEBODY ELSE
IS WATCHING THE SHIP.

Goodhan: FOR A FEW DAYS, HE'S
SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITIES

WITH THIS PERSON
THAT HE FEELS IS THERE,

UP TO A POINT WHERE
HE EVEN GOES TO SLEEP,

AND HE ACTUALLY TRIES
TO STAY QUIET

WHEN HE THINKS
THE OTHER PERSON IS RESTING.

ONCE HE GOT THROUGH
THIS STRESSFUL SITUATION,

THE SENSATION LEFT,
AND HE WAS ON HIS OWN AGAIN.

IS THIS PRESENCE
A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION?

WHO OR WHAT IS IT?

IS IT MIND-GENERATED?
IS IT PHYSICAL?

Wade:
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT ISN'T
JUST EXPERIENCED ON THE SURFACE.

Rondeau: THE OCEAN IS
A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT,

AND IT PUSHES PEOPLE
TO THE LIMIT,

WHETHER YOU'RE RACING AROUND
THE WORLD ON A SAILBOAT,

OR WHETHER YOU'RE DIVING.

Wade: IN 1997,
STEPHANIE SCHWABE,

A WORLD-RENOWNED DIVER,

FOUND HERSELF MINUTES
FROM RUNNING OUT OF AIR

WHEN DIVING OFF THE BAHAMAS.

SHE DESCRIBES FEELING
THE PRESENCE OF HER DEAD HUSBAND

COMING TO HER AID, AND HELPING
HER TO THE SURFACE JUST IN TIME.

IMAGINE WHAT A RELIEF
THAT MIGHT BE,

IF YOU'RE OFF
IN THE OCEAN BY YOURSELF.

Tuttle:
THESE PEOPLE HAD THE PRESENCE,
THE THIRD-MAN PRESENCE,

UNTIL THEY KNEW
THEY WERE GOING TO BE SAFE.

AND IT WAS LIKE,
AFTER THEY'RE SAFE,

BOOM, GONE.

Wade: AS WELL AS APPEARING
TO ADVENTURERS

IN EXTREME SITUATIONS,

THE THIRD MAN
HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED

BY PEOPLE GOING THROUGH
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORDEAL,

INCLUDING BRAIN INJURY
AND BEREAVEMENT.

IF YOU ARE OVERTIRED, HUNGRY,
COLD, HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR HOURS,

AND YOU HAVE BUILT UP STRESSES,

AND THE HUMAN BODY REACTS
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND NOT ONLY IN THE BODY,
THE HUMAN MIND.

Wade: IN LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND,
A TEAM OF NEUROSCIENTISTS

ARE PIONEERING ATTEMPTS
TO UNDERSTAND THE THIRD MAN

WITH A UNIQUE EXPERIMENT.

A BLINDFOLDED PARTICIPANT
RIGGED TO A ROBOT

MAKES MOVEMENTS WITH HIS FINGER.

THESE PATTERNS ARE THEN
REPLICATED BY A ROBOTIC ARM

ON THE PERSON'S BACK
WITH A SMALL TIME DELAY.

THE SCIENTISTS ARE OBSERVING
THEIR SUBJECTS HAVE A DISCONNECT

BETWEEN WHERE THAT SENSATION
IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM.

Wade: THE RESEARCHERS BELIEVE
THAT THE ILLUSION OF FEELING

ANOTHER PERSON NEARBY
IS CAUSED BY US

MISPERCEIVING THE SOURCE AND
IDENTITY OF SOME BRAIN SIGNALS.

AND THIS CAN RESULT IN
AN UNSETTLING EXPERIENCE.

SOME OF THEM ASK TO STOP
BEING PART OF THE STUDY

BECAUSE IT FREAKED
THEM OUT SO MUCH.

Tuttle: THEY DIDN'T WANT TO
CONTINUE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE,

"WHAT THIS
OUTSIDE-MY-BODY EXPERIENCE?"

Wade: EVEN THOUGH TEST SUBJECTS
KNOW A ROBOT

IS PRESSING ON THEIR BACK,

THE FEELING OF PRESENCE
IS STILL EXPERIENCED,

JUST LIKE BILL KING
KNEW HE WAS ALONE

BUT STILL FELT ANOTHER BEING
ON THE BOAT.

BUT WHY DOES THIS PHENOMENON
FEEL BENEVOLENT TO THOSE

IN THE WILD, YET DISTURBING
IN THE LABORATORY?

Goodhan: CAN SCIENTISTS REALLY
RECREATE THE SITUATION

IN A LAB ENVIRONMENT?

Man: CAN THEY RECREATE
THE GHOSTLY PRESENCE?

CAN THEY RECREATE THE STRESS?

BECAUSE ULTIMATELY,
THE PERSON IN THE LAB

KNOWS THEY'RE IN THE LAB,

NOT IN A BOAT ALONE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN,

FACING MOTHER NATURE'S FURY.

Wade: PERHAPS IN A
LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION,

STRESS SHATTERS OUR NORMAL
UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY,

CAUSING A KIND OF GUARDIAN ANGEL
TO APPEAR WHEN WE NEED IT MOST.

THERE ARE STILL MANY
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.

WHY CAN'T WE SUMMON
THE THIRD MAN AT WILL?

AND WHY DOESN'T EVERY PERSON
IN EXTREME DANGER

EXPERIENCE THE HELPING HAND
OF THIS BENIGN ENTITY?

Man: MANY PEOPLE JUST FREAK OUT,
AND DIE,

AND NEVER HAVE THIS
THIRD-MAN EXPERIENCE.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE EQUATED THIS
TO GHOSTS AND APPARITIONS,

AND MARINERS
ARE SUPERSTITIOUS BY NATURE.

IS IT EVIDENCE
OF SOMETHING BIGGER?

PERHAPS.

WHAT THAT IS, IS A MYSTERY.

PART OF ME HOPES THAT I WILL
NEVER EXPERIENCE THE THIRD MAN,

BUT ANOTHER PART IS NOT SO SURE.

THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH IT

GIVE US HOPE THAT,
DEEP WITHIN US,

THERE IS A POWER TO SURVIVE
THE MOST EXTREME SITUATIONS

WE COULD EVER IMAGINE.