River Monsters

MY NAME IS JEREMY WADE --

FRESHWATER DETECTIVE, EXPLORER, AND ANGLER.

I'VE BEEN FISHING THE WORLD FOR DECADES,

BUT IT'S THE AMAZON THAT KEEPS CALLING ME BACK.

NOW I'M RETURNING TO SOUTH AMERICA

ON THE MISSION OF A LIFETIME --

TO SPEND AN ENTIRE YEAR GOING FURTHER, DEEPER,

AND MORE REMOTE THAN I'VE EVER BEEN BEFORE,

IN SEARCH OF THE RIVER MONSTERS OF THE AMAZON.

I'VE UNCOVERED REPORTS OF THREE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS

IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE AMAZON.

IN EACH CASE, THE LIFELESS BODY WAS RECOVERED

WITH STRANGE INJURIES.

LOCALS ARE POINTING THE FINGER OF SUSPICION

AT SOMETHING LIVING IN THE WATER.

BUT ON THE LAWLESS FRONTIER BETWEEN COLOMBIA AND BRAZIL,

IS IT REALLY A FISH THAT'S RESPONSIBLE?

I'M ON A MISSION TO FIND THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MYSTERY,

ON A RIVER SYSTEM...

THAT FORCES ME TO QUESTION EVERYTHING I KNOW.

WHOA. AAH!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

I'VE BASED MY CAREER

ON INVESTIGATING EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

PACK HUNTER MASSACRES...

UNDERWATER FLESH-RIPPERS...

EVEN TALES OF MEN SWALLOWED WHOLE.

BUT NOWHERE SEEMS TO HOLD AS MUCH INTRIGUE AND MYSTERY

AS RIGHT HERE IN THE AMAZON.

THREE BODIES IN THREE AMAZON COUNTRIES.

THREE UNEXPLAINED DEATHS. ONE DEADLY SIGNATURE.

BUT WHAT WAS RESPONSIBLE?

THE THREE ATTACKS OCCURRED IN THE REGION OF THE AMAZON

WHERE BRAZIL, PERU, AND COLOMBIA MEET.

LEAVING MY BOAT IN THE BRAZILIAN PORT OF TABATINGA,

I'M ON THE TRAIL OF MY FIRST CASE --

A BIZARRE DEATH AT A RURAL SCHOOL JUST 10 MILES AWAY.

ORIGINALLY

A PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENT AND MILITARY OUTPOST,

TABATINGA NOW LAYS DUBIOUS CLAIM TO BEING

THE MAIN ENTRY POINT FOR COLOMBIAN COCAINE INTO BRAZIL.

I'M ON MY WAY TO MEET AN EYEWITNESS TO THIS INCIDENT

THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT.

THIS IS SOMEONE WHO APPARENTLY RETRIEVED THE TEACHER'S BODY

FROM THE WATER.

BUT TO MEET HIM, I'VE GOT TO CROSS THE BORDER

INTO LETICIA IN COLOMBIA.

THERE'S A HEAVY MILITARY PRESENCE.

AND MY CLAIM THAT I'M CROSSING THE BORDER IN SEARCH OF A FISH

RAISES SOME EYEBROWS.

I'M ALLOWED TO PASS...

AND CONTINUE TO THE SCHOOL WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED,

WHERE A MAN NAMED WALTER IS WAITING FOR ME.

WALTER WAS JUST A BOY WHEN IT HAPPENED.

THE MAN WHO DIED WAS HIS TEACHER.

AND WALTER LEADS ME DOWN TO THE RIVERBANK

WHERE THE BODY WAS RECOVERED.

THERE WERE 20-ODD LADS PLAYING FOOTBALL IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.

AND AT THE END OF THE GAME, TO COOL OFF,

THEY CAME DOWN HERE WITH THE TEACHER.

IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE IT HAPPENED.

BUT AS WALTER TALKS,

IT'S ALMOST AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY.

THE TIME OF YEAR THAT IT HAPPENED WAS HIGH WATER.

SO THE WATER WAS ACTUALLY UP AROUND HERE.

WALTER AND HIS FRIENDS SWAM FOR A WHILE

BEFORE VENTURING INTO THE FOREST,

LEAVING THEIR TEACHER IN THE WATER.

THEY DIDN'T SEE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

AND THEY FOUND HIS BODY RIGHT HERE.

Sí.

HE SAID THE FIRST THING THAT THEY NOTICED WAS THIS

DARK MARK ON HIS CHEST.

WAS THAT ALMOST LIKE A BRUISE?

LIKE SOMETHING HIT HIM?

NO.

HE SAID IT WAS MORE LIKE A BURN.

UM, ALMOST FROM FRICTION POSSIBLY, BUT -- BUT A BURN

RATHER THAN A BRUISE.

TEMBLON?

NOW, TO ME, THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN ELECTRIC EEL.

I'VE COME ACROSS THOSE BEFORE.

I KNOW THAT THEY CAN KILL PEOPLE.

BUT THERE'S ONE DETAIL HERE THAT DOESN'T REALLY STACK UP.

THE STRANGE DARK MARK ON THE TEACHER'S CHEST.

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF AN ELECTRIC EEL CAUSING SUCH WOUNDS.

COULD THE TRAUMA ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF FOUL PLAY,

OR PERHAPS SOME OTHER KIND OF CREATURE?

BUT WHAT LIVES IN THE WATER THAT CAN BURN YOU?

WITH THE HELP OF A LOCAL BOATMAN,

I HEAD OUT ONTO THE WATER.

COULD WHATEVER'S RESPONSIBLE BE ONE OF THE DOZENS

OF NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED EACH YEAR

IN THE TEEMING WATERS OF THE AMAZON?

WITHIN MINUTES, THERE'S ACTIVITY.

RIGHT. THAT WAS A TUG.

AND THAT'S NOW MISSING ITS TAIL.

THAT WAS A PIRANHA. HE'S TAKEN THAT OFF.

PIRANHAS ARE AN ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR PROBLEM

WHEN FISHING THE AMAZON.

BUT I HAVE A SOLUTION.

I SWITCHED TO A TOUGH PLASTIC LURE.

HOPEFULLY, I'LL HAVE MORE LUCK WITH THIS.

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,

MY CHANGE IN TACTICS IS REWARDED.

VERY AGGRESSIVE PIRANHA THERE.

TAKING THIS VERY NOISY, LARGE LURE ON THE SURFACE.

IT'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EXPERIMENT.

RIGHT.

I'M JUST GONNA SEE IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE

HOW SHARP THOSE TEETH ARE.

THIS IS 300-POUND BREAKING STRAIN KEVLAR,

THE SAME MATERIAL USED TO MAKE BULLETPROOF VESTS.

JUST GET SOME IN HERE.

EH?

THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

ITS TEETH SLICE EFFORTLESSLY THROUGH THE KEVLAR.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WOVEN STEEL?

HUH.

IT'S A SOBERING REMINDER OF THE FLESH-SLICING POTENTIAL

OF THESE PROLIFIC PREDATORS.

ON THOSE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN PIRANHAS DO ATTACK,

IT'S DEATH BY 1,000 CUTS.

WALTER DESCRIBED HIS TEACHER'S WOUNDS IN QUITE SOME DETAIL,

AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF BITE MARKS, BLOOD,

OR INJURY DEALT BY HUMAN HAND.

THIS IS JUST FLESH AND BONE.

IT JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT AN ARMS RACE

IT IS UNDER THE WATER HERE.

COULD THAT ARMS RACE HAVE PRODUCED A FISH

CAPABLE OF INFLICTING THESE MYSTERIOUS INJURIES?

I'VE HEARD ABOUT A SECOND UNUSUAL DEATH,

THIS ONE MORE RECENT.

TOMORROW, I'LL TRACK DOWN THE WITNESS.

DAYBREAK, I LEAVE COLOMBIA,

AND TAKE A BOAT INTO PERUVIAN TERRITORY...

TO THE ISLAND OF SANTA ROSA, WHERE LAST YEAR,

ANOTHER ATTACK OCCURRED BEARING THE SAME DEADLY SIGNATURE.

THE VICTIM WAS THIS MAN'S YOUNGER BROTHER.

JACK LEADS ME TO THE REAR OF THE FAMILY HOME.

THIS IS WHERE THEY FOUND THE BODY.

IT WAS A NORMAL DAY, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER.

***

HIS BROTHER WAS TOLD BY HIS FATHER TO GO AND CHECK

A FISHING NET THAT WAS SET SOME WAY AWAY.

IT WAS HIGH WATER, AND HE LEFT THE HOUSE BY CANOE.

IT WAS THE LAST TIME ANYONE SAW HIM ALIVE.

AND THEN SOME TIME LATER, THE REST OF THE FAMILY

JUST REALIZED IT'S BEEN A WHILE, HE SHOULD BE BACK BY NOW.

THE FAMILY BECAME WORRIED.

CRISTIáN!

JACK SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT THE CANOE WAS FLOATING EMPTY.

AS HE PULLED HIS BROTHER'S BODY FROM THE WATER...

CRISTIáN!

HE MADE A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

CRISTIáN!

HE BORE AN UNUSUAL BLACK MARK ACROSS HIS CHEST.

MARKA NEGRA. Sí.

SO, WHAT DID THE HOSPITAL ACTUALLY SAY?

ES TEMBLON.

TEMBLON.

JACK ALSO SEEMS TO BE DESCRIBING AN ELECTRIC EEL.

PEOPLE HERE ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THESE BLACK BURN MARKS

ARE THE WORK OF THE TEMBLON.

BUT I'M FINDING IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTRIC EEL'S

BRIEF SHOCKS COULD CAUSE SUCH TERRIBLE WOUNDS.

WHAT CREATURE LURKS IN WATER THAT CAN SCORCH HUMAN FLESH?

I'M IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE AMAZON

INVESTIGATING THREE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS

IN THREE SEPARATE COUNTRIES.

SO FAR, I'VE SPOKEN WITH WITNESSES

TO ATTACKS IN COLOMBIA AND PERU.

BOTH DESCRIBED FINDING THE VICTIM'S BODY LIFELESS

IN THE WATER WITH A STRANGE BLACK MARK ACROSS THE TORSO.

WAS THAT ALMOST LIKE A BRUISE?

LIKE SOMETHING HIT HIM?

NO.

THE WITNESSES BLAME A FISH THEY CALL THE TEMBLON.

NOT ONLY IS THIS A NEW NAME TO ME,

BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A FISH CAPABLE OF BURNING HUMAN SKIN.

DID YOU ACTUALLY SEE ANYTHING IN THE WATER YOURSELF?

BUT NEITHER WITNESS ACTUALLY CAUGHT SIGHT

OF THE CREATURE RESPONSIBLE.

STILL WITHOUT A SOLID LEAD,

I DO WHAT I KNOW BEST AND GET OUT ONTO THE WATER,

WHICH HAS NOW RECEDED FROM AROUND THE HOUSES.

WHAT MONSTERS COULD BE HIDING HERE?

THINGS ARE STRANGELY QUIET IN THIS OPPRESSIVE HEAT.

ALL I'M MANAGING TO ATTRACT ARE BUTTERFLIES LURED IN

BY THE SALT IN MY SWEAT.

PLENTY OF ACTIVITY ABOVE THE WATER AT THE MOMENT.

I JUST WISH THE SAME WAS TRUE UNDERNEATH THE WATER.

COULD WHATEVER'S ON MY LINE...

SHED LIGHT ON THE STORIES

I'VE BEEN HEARING?

WHAT WAS I SAYING?

THAT'S QUITE SURPRISING.

WHAT'S THAT

GOOD.

THIS IS CALLED A SILVER BREAM.