If you’ve ever had a nightmare about being sucked down a giant plughole, then Monticello Dam in California will bring you out in cold sweats. It may look like an optical illusion, but the dam has a giant spillway known as the ‘Glory Hole’ that can drain 48,400 cubic feet of water per second. The giant plughole provides a stunning spectacle when the dam is full, but the dangers of the ‘Glory Hole’ are all too real. Swimming is strictly prohibited near the spillway and tragedy struck in 1997 when Emily Schwalen was killed after she swam towards the hole and was sucked down the pipe.
The ‘Glory Hole’ only comes into action when the water levels are high enough