A video shared online has left viewers deeply concerned for a man’s wellbeing after he was filmed plunging into a small pool of water and failing to reemerge.
The clip, posted by a number of social media accounts, shows the unidentified man stepping off a low rockface into the bubbling blue hole, which sits beside a waterfall.
However, rather than resurface seconds later, as you would expect, the man fails to reappear.
Instead, the water briefly fizzes before returning to its previous state, as though nothing had happened.
Noticing his disappearance, three onlookers begin to sweep at the pool’s surface, as if to get a better look of his whereabouts. But their efforts are in vain.
Now, millions of people have been left asking: “Where did he go?”
Inevitably, countless viewers have shared their personal theories as to what befell the man.
One suggested that the pool contained a whirlpool, which she explained are “most likely to form when currents collide near narrow bodies of water, such as straits”.
She added: “Most whirlpools aren't cause for concern. However, those that are very large or powerful can pose a serious threat to anyone who comes too close,” before ending her tweet: “I [hope] he is safe.”
Another Twitter/X user noted more optimistically: “Water like this usually has another open end close by... he probably swam to that end.”
Nevertheless, most commentators were gloomier in their assessments, with one writing: “I couldn't find anything else about this video, but looking at all those bubbles being freed up when he jumped in might indicate a naturally ‘aerated’ pool of water.
“If so, he wouldn't be able to swim back up since the water's density is far too low.”
To the uninitiated, aerated water is water that has been infused with a large amount of gas or air. The air bubbles decrease the buoyancy of the liquid, meaning that it is virtually impossible to swim in it.
In other words, if you find yourself in an aerated pool you will almost certainly sink to the bottom and be unable get out.
It remains unclear who the man in the video is or, indeed, if he ever emerged from the water.
All we can say is, like countless viewers of the clip, we hope he is safe.
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