WARNING: This article contains graphic content that may not be suitable for all ages.

A video circulating the Web for years appears to show a female escape artist drown in a bathtub while practicing an escape trick

The video appears to have first started circulating in 2009 but has resurfaced many times over the years since

There is no supporting evidence the video is real or fake and some have even speculated it is actually a man in the video

There is a video that has circulated the darker side of the Internet for many years showing what appears to be an up and coming female escape artist drown in a bathtub while practicing a trick.

Run The Gauntlet

The video ended up making it on “Run The Gauntlet.” A website dedicated to hosting some of the most disturbing videos on the Web. To progress on to the next vile video you must watch the video that is playing through to the end. Each video gets progressively more twisted as you “Run The Gauntlet.”

The video we are focusing on starts with a woman submerged in a bathtub. The woman is on her back with her legs bound at the ankles and sticking straight out of the water. Her hands are handcuffed behind her legs. The woman begins struggling more and more frantically until she comes to a stop. The 2:20 long video ends with the woman appearing to be lifeless in the tub.

WARNING: The following video contains content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

Did An Escape Artist Drown, Was It A Hoax, Or Something More Sinister

The origin and validity of the video have been debated for years in different forums and comment sections across the underbelly of the Web. Many believe the video is an escape artist that attempted to perform a trick that backfired. However, that does not appear to be the case. The person in the tub does not seem to be attempting to escape or showing that they have any training or experience what-so-ever as an escape artist.

Others have argued the film is likely a porn fetish video and that the person in the bathtub is actually an Asian male, which could explain the bizarre mask the person appears to be wearing. Going along with the same general theme, some believe it is an infamous “Paper Bag Asphyxiation porn model from Japan.” While many people have claimed the video was done as an asphyxiation fetish video, there does not seem to be any evidence backing that claim. Some have said the fact that she does not simply sit up is proof enough the video is fake. However, starting at the 1:27 mark, you can very clearly see the person’s feet are bound together but also appear to be tied to something keeping their legs above them and preventing the person from sitting up out of the water.

The Video Appears To Have Originated In 2009

The video has circulated for years but one of the oldest uploads appears to be to LiveLeak in 2009 by “Thickhanger.” The video was titled “Bathtub Escape Trick Turns Deadly.” The description reads, “A woman attempts to film herself performing a magic trick. Unfortunately for her the camera is still rolling as the trick goes from bad to worse.” The site Documenting Reality also began hosting the video around the same time.

In 2013 a discussion about the video popped up on the Mixed Martial Arts forum. In 2014 a thread on r/WTF titled “Escape artist drowns after not being able to escape” shared the video. On both sites, users shared the common arguments of the video being real or fake with no evidence to back either side.

Unsolved Mystery

Unlike many videos that have been around on the Web as long as this one has, there is surprisingly not a solid backstory. One version of the story that gained little traction claims the woman in the video was murdered by her boyfriend in Canada. She was allegedly given the option of being shot or drowned. There does not seem to be any supporting evidence readily available to support that backstory either.

It is not fully clear if the person in the video lived or died or if they are even male or female. This is one of the few videos that appears to remain a total mystery across areas of the Web normally known for eventually providing a backstory. As far as answering the initial question of this article, it is not clear if a female escape artist did drown in a bathtub while practicing a trick.