Drone Enthusiast Finds Mysterious Hole In A Lake In California
Lake Berryessa is one of the most popular lakes in Northern California. Situated in the middle of Napa County, it’s famous for not only picturesque scenery but also a mysterious hole right in the middle of the lake.
If you feel like you’ve seen this lake before, it may be due to its appearance in a James Bond flick. However, that’s not what it’s popular for. The lake’s main claim to fame is the mysterious hole in it.
A man recently discovered the hole and the discovery lead to a bunch of new discoveries:
The Unexpected Discovery
The hole was discovered by Evan K, a popular YouTuber and drone enthusiast.
One fine day, he was busy enjoying the beautiful lake when his drone identified the hole. He initially thought it was a glitch – how can there be a hole in the middle of a lake? – but the discovery was soon confirmed as he replayed the footage.
Evan works at a water sports rental store and is well aware of water bodies in the area. He was surprised that such a huge discovery stayed a secret for such a long period of time.
It Remained Unexplained
Evan was not sure of the hole at first. He thought it was a camera issue or he was imagining things. He did a double take to verify the presence of the hole and was quite shocked by what he saw.
It was a massive hole right in the middle of the lake. Evan scrutinized the shot from various angles in order to understand the cause of the hole but he could not reach a conclusion.
The image made no sense to him or others around him. Nobody had seen anything like this before and the hole remained a mystery.
A Natural Drain
According to Evan, the hole appeared like a natural drain, as if someone had pulled the plug but he could not explain where the water was going.
Being a curious person, Evan decided to study more about all the possibilities. He first had to be sure he was right about the presence of the hole.
He verified it by taking multiple shots from different angles and once he was sure he had discovered a hole in the lake, he was ready to know more about it.
All The Possibilities
There was no answer to the question, in the books or on the internet.
We have heard of the Bermuda Triangle but nobody has been able to explain it. This hole in the middle of Lake Berryessa was quite similar in nature.
Evan discussed the scenario with different people and they all had their own interpretation but most agreed that the scene was out of this world. It appears quite like something you’d see on the big screen in a sci-fi movie.
Since he couldn’t find any explanation to the hole’s existence, Evan decided to fly the drone one more time and inspect the hole from other sides. He had to get a better view of the hole, not only for himself but also for everyone else who was excited about the discovery.
After all, this finding was going to change the world. Scientists and experts finally had one more unexplained phenomenon to take care of.
Up, Close, and Personal
Evan wanted people to know about the existence of this mysterious hole in Lake Berryessa and he knew it would not be possible unless he had more proof and information on the hole.
He flew the drone over the top of the hole and was surprised at what happened next.
There’s a Barrier
It became impossible for Evan to take a closer look at the hole as his gadget malfunctioned just as he got right at the top of the hole. He was excited about being able to see the hole from a new angle but the screen suddenly went blank due to an equipment malfunction.
This was the first time Evan’s system had given such an error. It is normal for drones to give an error but Evan was sure there was a hidden cause to it.
Even could not afford to lose the drone. He had to quickly get it back to the shore but he had a lot of questions. Was this mysterious hole causing the drone to malfunction? What was inside the hole? Is it some kind of magic?
The Drone Survived
Evan was able to pilot his device back to the shore without any damage. He quickly inspected the drone for any sign of damage and was relieved as he saw no harm.
He checked the cause of the glitch and noticed that the unit was low on battery. However, he was sure that the glitch was due to some other reason. He believed that some force was pulling his device deeper into the hole.
He was hopeful of finding more clues in the footage and decided to view it.
Do It One More Time
Even was able to record a good portion of the hole from different angles before he had to pilot the unit back to the shore. While the footage provided some new angles it did not give Evan a view into the hole.
Since it was not possible and safe to swim to the hole or take a boat, Evan decided to fly his drone one more time. He loved his drone but he was willing to take the risk to find out more about the mysterious Lake Berryessa hole.
Preparing For the Next Adventure
Now that Evan was aware of the powers of the hole, he knew he had to do some preparations. He did not want the gravitational pull to suck in his drone.
He planned to use his drone in a clever manner and not let it go out of control.
A Little Bit of Knowledge
Even decided to study more about Lake Berryessa. He was curious about the hole.
He wondered if anyone had seen it before or if it had recently appeared. Questions like these were all over his head, hence he decided to check the internet and clear his confusions.
It Gets Deeper
Evan was quite disappointed as he could find nothing about the hole on the internet. There was no image that matched the hole he had seen. He also studied the presence of other similar holes in the world but found no answers to his questions.
In order to gain more knowledge, he then moved to study the lake in detail. He found a lot of background information about the lake including a piece of information that he could connect to the hole.
Finding Answers in the Past
Evan read about a woman, Emily Schwalek, who went to take a swim in the lake and never came back. This happened in 1997 and nobody could explain her disappearance.
Most people believed she was sucked into a hole. This discovery was spine chilling but it motivated Evan to continue his search and find more about the hole.
He knew the hole had existed for a long time but he still wasn’t sure why it was there. He was eager to get answers.
Time for Another Flight
With more information than ever, Evan decided to fly his drone across the lake one more time. His aim was to get as close to the hole as possible but without causing any damage to his drone.
He knew it was going to be a difficult mission due to the hole’s gravitational pull but he had to get it done.
Finally Some More Data
Evan’s drone trip was a success and he was able to get some good pictures. He estimated the hole to be about 72 feet in diameter.
The figure left Evan astonished but he still wondered about its depth and origin.
He decided to continue his search and find more information about the hole. Like his previous mission, his next one also proved to be quite a success.
The Word Was Out
While the most curious of souls, Evan was not the only one who was interested in the hole.
The word had gotten out and the hole was getting a lot of attention from locals and tourists who visited the site to witness it in person.
Another drone enthusiast, Kevin King, was also interested in the discovery. He was in the same business as Evan and had a deep interest in flying drones.
Making the Matter Official
The news spread like wildfire and soon authorities jumped the bandwagon. There were dozens of drones flying above the hole, belonging to visitors and officials.
Evan was excited about the latest developments. He thought he’d finally be able to know what was causing this mysterious hole.
It All Began to Make Sense
California is a dry state with a few natural water resources. The government has built several artificial lakes in and around the state to provide residents with water. Lake Berryessa is one such lake.
The vortex was the result of great engineering. The engineers who had designed the lake in conjunction with Monticello Dam designed the hole – and it served a major purpose.
It Leads Somewhere
Flooding can cause a lot of damage. The engineers had to reduce the risk and the best way to do so was to build a hole in the middle of the lake.
Scientifically known as a spillway, the hole is set into the dam’s walls. However, due to the position of the lake, it was not feasible to build a typical dam wall. Therefore, the engineers had to come up with a unique solution.
Bridging the Gap
Engineers had to make sure there was always enough water in the lake but never too much of it. They had to keep the water flowing, out of the lake and into Putah Creek. This was important for the functioning of the nearby regions.
The system had to be foolproof, hence the engineers created a funnel that connected between Putah Creek and Lake Berryessa.
The hole had always been there but it was rarely sighted before because….
The Climate Is to Be Blamed
Lake Berryessa’s water normally stayed low and never flooded into the spillway. Hence, the mouth of the funnel almost always stayed visible. In fact, many skateboarders used the entrance for practice.
Things changed when California received a huge amount of rain and the water level was suddenly above the entrance level, making the entrance disappear out of sight and appearing like a huge hole sucking in water. This happens when the water level goes above 440 feet.
Draught
Since California is a dry state, such situations rarely occur, but if the hole wasn’t there to safeguard the locals, things would’ve gone messy.
So, the hole, after all, turned out to be a man-made gem. It may not be a magical hole but it’s still quite mystical and makes for a nice view.
Make sure to see this beauty if you’re ever in town. Experts say the hole is not a threat due to its weak pull but you should never swim too close to it.
Even’s photos became major news as he was able to record a rare architectural occurrence – bell mount spillways. It happens when large amounts of water funnels at a steady flow. They’ll forever be etched in his memory.