Adventurer Alison Teal has again caused an outcry over one of her video undertakings.
In August, she paddled near a lava flow in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stirring up all kinds of anger toward her. This time she’s paddled through the catacombs of Paris.
The catacombs of Paris hold the remains of over 6 million people, essentially making it one of the world’s largest graveyards.
It is also illegal to travel through many portions of the catacombs, as only one area is open to the public. Teal sneaks in (she says in the video that the act was “highly forbidden and incredibly illegal”) and can be seen climbing over bones in the video, with the description she gives speaking to that:
“This clip is part of a larger film with an important message – human beings depend upon fresh water for survival AND the sea creatures depend upon a healthy ocean for survival – not to mention if the oceans die, we die. When I was invited to paddle through the Catacombs, coming upon the bones while we were in the old mining chamber was very unexpected and shocking to me and I did my best to keep my composure, not freak out, and follow those who did not speak my same language out of the claustrophobic maze. True survival. I meant no disrespect, and the last thing I wanted to do was climb over them to get out.”
But that didn’t really quell a good portion of people who felt this was disrespectful. While some viewers thought it was brave, many others disagreed with that assessment.
RELATED: Video: Adventurer paddles near lava flow, but not all are thrilled
One comment from Mark Hanson on YouTube says, “This isn’t and adventure … those are really human bones. It’s wrong.”
And JaneFerrier on Stuff from New Zealand said, “Why do the words ‘narcissistic’ and ‘deranged’ come to mind? Such people place egotism before all considerations of respect. They delight in the challenges of cultural tramping, quite literally walking on bones in this instance, pleasure and a warped sense of entitlement put ahead of the codes of decency most of us live by. I hope that Alison Teal does not come to New Zealand.”
Teal adds clarification within the YouTube comments, saying that she hopes it “brings attention to the sad situation and that the city provides a proper resting place and burial for those underground.”
Whatever your take on Teal’s Paris catacombs escapade, we can be certain that she was definitely the first person to paddle through them on a surfboard.
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