Explorers dropped their GoPro into America's deepest pit — what they found was just unsettling
Although scientists have traveled a long way into space and dived down unimaginable depths of the sea, there are still a lot of places that lie unexplored and remain mysterious for human beings. The @ActionAdventureTwins, a YouTube content creator duo, famous for their heart-pounding adventures, dropped a GoPro into one of the deepest caves in the U.S., known as the Fantastic Pit in Ellison's Cave, Georgia. The jaw-dropping footage has since gone viral, leaving viewers both mesmerized and uneasy for those who are claustrophobic.
The Fantastic Pit, the deepest free-fall pit in the lower 48 states, features a mind-boggling 586 feet drop. It is roughly double the height of the Statue of Liberty. The ActionAdventureTwins duo also ventured deep into this vast cave, spending more than 12 hours inside the cave. With the help of their GoPro, they explored depths that were too difficult for them to reach directly. At the beginning of the footage, one of them said, "We're gonna rappel down like 128 feet, and we're gonna see the deepest cave in America, and we're gonna drop a GoPro down it." In the video, they stood at the rugged entrance of the pit, their clothes filled with dirt, and their surroundings seemed chaotic, with dense underbrush, and decaying leaves. The GoPro was hanging from a long cable, slowly descending into the pitch-black abyss below.
Tension filled the air as if a huge monster might suddenly emerge out of the darkness. However, to the spectators' relief, the GoPro descends to 714 feet below the surface of the Earth without any frightening surprises. Many who watched felt their spines tingle at the eerie, gloomy images of the abyss. One YouTube user, @bombud1, commented, “I’m not going to lie when it got to the bottom I was anxious for a second. I saw one of those white rocks and was like... omg is that a ghost." Similarly, another person, @trilfiger448, said, “The muffled descending sound was terrifying! And the spinning...I was just waiting for something to jump-scare me.”
Then user @PaulMillard1973, chimed in and said, "Totally blown away by the footage! I got very squeamish because of the long drop of oblivion, but I'm just glad that there are pros like you guys, to show this stuff to the masses." Adding to it, bridgettesitton7018 commented, "I got dizzy but I couldn't take my eyes off. I was waiting for a person or something to come into view lol. It's very cool it was so beautiful coming up as well. Thanks for sharing with us." Both the audio and visuals gave the footage a distinctly eerie, almost horror-film vibe. Deep down, a small yet beautiful waterfall was also captured.
Not everyone is brave enough to explore the depths of the pit, but the ActionAdventureTwins returned for a second daring descent in November 2023, going to the bottom themselves. These two thrill-seekers have also tackled other hidden river caves, and ancient limestone mines, and even ventured into a hole atop a mountain. Humans have always been drawn to the most unwelcoming corners of the Earth, seeking out the deepest, darkest cave networks that have remained untouched for years. Caving, as extreme as it is, isn’t for the faint-hearted, but for those who are captivated by the unknown, these dark, mysterious depths offer an irresistible challenge.