Local Diver Reaches Billions

from The LocaL, February-March 2022

THE DEEP, MUSICAL MAGIC OF ~ WOLF & CLOVER

While Exploring a Hidden World Beneath the River

By Natalie Downey

**Jake Koehler DALLMYD**
taken by videographer - Justin Graham

A world of hidden mysteries lies beneath the reflective surface of the Chattahoochee River, and Jake Koehler has spent the past five years uncovering it a little at a time.

**Jake Koehler at Ginnie Springs FL**
Taken by Joseph Talerico

Originally from California, Jake moved to Columbus with his family many years ago.

Pursuing his lifelong dream of being a YouTube influencer, Jake had spent several years developing a channel focusing on gaming videos, but decided to get out and try something new after he moved to Columbus. He felt drawn to the water and began surfing and fishing in the Chattahoochee. It wasn’t long before Jake realized his opportunity to transition from gaming to fishing videos.

As Jake spent time fishing, he lost a lot of lures due to the rocks, so one day he decided to bring a pair of goggles and do some diving in the river to try to recover the lures. What he saw on his first dive in the Chattahoochee inspired him to begin the river treasure hunting he is known for today.

“It opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed,” he explained. “The whole floor of the river was covered with fishing lures, iPhones, and all kinds of interesting finds,” Jake said, which inspired him to dive again the next day, and the next, as curiosity developed into a passion for finding treasures in the river.

In 2016, Jake began to shift his channel’s focus to river treasure hunting, using a mask and fins, and inviting some friends to go along with him. At first his equipment was makeshift and simple. He brought his mom’s kitchen scissors to cut fishing lines under the water, and used a GoPro he found during one of his dives to make his videos.

**Left to Right - Brandon Jordan, Tristan Yaptengco, & Jake Koehler**

Jake didn’t know where this new venture would take him, but he took it one day at a time. “I was obsessed,” he said, “I just loved being under the water, I started going every day.” It didn’t take long for Jake to realize he had found an idea that appealed to many. What IS beneath the surface of the river? A lot of people wanted to know. Views on Jake’s channel, named DALLMYD, continued to increase, inspiring him to keep diving and making videos.

**Finding Drone Under Water Under Wake Compound In Valdosta**

River treasures tell a story, and one of Jake’s first finds was a handgun. Working closely with the local police, he reported the find and made a video about it, which went viral, resulting in over a million views. “My life changed,” Jake remembers. “Everyone started sharing it, and millions of people saw what I was doing in Columbus.” Jake used the hype to keep going, and made it his goal to be in the water every day no matter what.

**Finding High Point Pistol By Pedestrian Bridge**

**Local Police Officers, Taken After Jake Found His first gun in Columbus, Ga**

“For me, the treasure is putting the videos together. These are memories. I love looking back at the videos, seeing my friends smiling,” Jake says. “That’s the number one reason I started doing it.”

After the gun video, Jake’s subscribers went from 200,000 to a million in two weeks, and as his support grew, he was able to invest in equipment and produce better videos.

After several years, Jake began branching out, making videos of him diving in places such as Florida, opening a whole new genre to his channel as he discovered springs and beautiful new spots to explore. He also helped other people close to him launch and grow their own channels. “For me, it’s always been about helping people,” he explained.

**During US Navy Collab**
Taken by Justin Graham

When asked about the most interesting things he’s found, Jake just laughs. The quiet world beneath the surface of the water contains some pretty intense secrets, it would seem. One of the strangest finds for Jake was a box of human ashes, discovered in real time in a video, catching Jake off guard. Working with the police, Jake was able to respectfully resolve the find and return the ashes to the river. Another time, a potential human leg bone was found under Dillingham Bridge.

Guns are always an interesting find for Jake, generating a lot of interest, because there’s a lot of curiosity surrounding the reason the guns are thrown into the river. “I never censor or set up anything. What we find is what we find, we always try to locate the original owner so we can give back what they have lost.” Jake says. “It’s rewarding when it brings closure to families, which is even bigger than finding a gun.”

**Medal Detecting In Oahu, Rescue Mission Returning Lost Items To Owners**

Along with lost phones, the occasional gun, fishing lures, and knives, Jake finds a lot of trash in the river. He makes a point to remove it when he finds it, but wants to encourage the local community to help him out by being careful not to let trash enter the river, and by cleaning it up when they see it there. “The undertone of what we’re doing is just cleaning the waterways in our local communities,” he said.

Along with his sense of adventure, one thing that really stands out about Jake is his positive attitude. “Life’s a treasure hunt,” he says, smiling, his eyes shining with stories of underwater adventures. Always looking for another big story, trying to think outside the box, Jake dreams of future discoveries as he chases his passion and inspires others to get outside and explore.

I think about how long the Chattahoochee River has flowed through the city of Columbus, a whole world hidden under its blanket of water, and how so few people have wondered what that world was like. Jake’s curiosity has led to an interest in the water, the river, and the city of Columbus. And he speaks highly of the city he now calls home. “This is the best spot,” he says, “If you love water activities, the river can occupy you forever. This city has built me up to be the man I am today.” Jake always shows an appreciation for local support as well as a passion for encouraging others to do whatever they want, even if it means thinking outside the box.

As for the future? Jake looks forward to more adventures, more discoveries, more river treasure, and more memories. “You can never find everything,” he said. The potential finds are as infinite as the water itself, and Jake intends to keep exploring for as long as he’s able to.