The Near-Fatal Dive Accident That Made This SEAL Quit

About this video

A former Navy SEAL recounts to host Mike Ritland the near-death diving accident that led him to leave the teams and start a humanitarian organization. The guest describes how he and three others went hypoxic during a dive in San Diego Bay due to contaminated oxygen tanks, resulting in him passing out, seizing, and being unconscious for 4-5 minutes. The guest explains that during his ambulance ride, realizing he felt apathetic about possibly dying made him recognize his severe depression and need for greater purpose, ultimately leading him to found Stronghold Rescue and Relief, which embeds former special operations personnel with local forces in conflict zones like Burma and Venezuela to protect civilians.

Key takeaways

• The guest experienced a near-fatal diving accident when oxygen tanks contaminated with ambient air caused him and three others to go hypoxic underwater, leaving him unconscious and temporarily paralyzed
• The guest states that his apathy toward potentially dying in the ambulance revealed severe depression and prompted him to leave the SEALs to find greater purpose through humanitarian work
• The guest describes founding Stronghold Rescue and Relief, which he says brings small teams of special operations veterans to train local forces and protect civilians in conflict zones, operating primarily defensively in areas like Burma, Venezuela, and Colombia

Episode details: published March 30, 2026 · 10.2K views · 25:55 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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