Popular underwater content creator Jake Koehler, known as “DALLMYD” or “Scuba Jake,” has been confirmed alive and well, putting to rest a disturbing viral rumour that falsely claimed his death in a shark attack.
A graphic video, which purported to show the YouTuber being attacked by a shark while diving off the coast of Florida, spread rapidly across social media platforms, causing significant alarm and grief among his millions of followers. However, authorities and trusted news outlets have verified that the sensational footage is an AI-generated fabrication, a sophisticated and malicious hoax designed to spread misinformation.
The video, which circulated widely over the past couple of weeks, depicted a life-threatening encounter that was quickly debunked by its own digital anomalies and the lack of any credible, official confirmation. No reports from law enforcement, hospitals, or the YouTuber’s family corroborated the claims of an incident or death. The footage, upon closer inspection, exhibited the telltale signs of a deepfake—technology used to create hyper-realistic, yet entirely synthetic, media. Experts suggest the video took genuine footage of one of Koehler’s scuba diving adventures and digitally inserted the shark and the subsequent attack using Artificial Intelligence.
The incident is a stark reminder of the growing danger of AI-generated content and its power to sow confusion and panic online. In an era where digital tools can create incredibly convincing synthetic media, the public is urged to exercise extreme caution and critical thinking when encountering shocking, unverified news, especially those that originate from unestablished or satirical social media accounts.
Jake Koehler, who has built a massive following on platforms like YouTube by documenting his underwater exploration, treasure hunting, and recovering lost items from rivers and lakes, has been the subject of public interest recently, including his connection to the ill-fated Titan submersible, which he narrowly missed traveling on. This recent, entirely false death hoax underscores the vulnerability of public figures to targeted misinformation campaigns.
Fans can be assured that the well-known diver, who has not publicly addressed the rumor at the time of this report but remains active, is safe. This latest viral event serves as a critical warning about the need for immediate fact-checking and reliance on official, authoritative sources to combat the accelerating threat of deepfake technology.