The FREAKIEST Man in Black Water!*
About this video
Ritland recounts a story about his former swim buddy, a contractor in Iraq who had a ‘cut here’ tattoo around his neck. The guest describes how this individual survived an IED attack in Mosul, was blown from his vehicle, sustained a neck wound near the tattoo, and managed to fight off insurgents despite severe injuries while his teammates were killed.
Key takeaways
- Ritland’s swim buddy survived an IED attack with follow-on ambush in Mosul while working as a contractor
- According to Ritland, the survivor was wounded in the neck near his ‘cut here’ tattoo, fought back with an AK-47 despite burns and injuries, and was the sole survivor of his vehicle
- The account illustrates the chaotic and deadly nature of contractor work in Iraq during the conflict
Episode details: published May 28, 2026 · 68.4K views · 1:11 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.
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