Who is Mickey Grosman? | As featured on Expedition From Hell: The Lost Tapes

Who is Mickey Grosman?

Expedition From Hell: The Lost Tapes is a new documentary streaming on Max and the Discovery Channel from May 12, 2024.

The doc tells the story of a doomed expedition into the Amazon led by a man named Mickey Grosman.

The amateur adventurers who followed Grosman into the South American jungle, for a trek that covered 5,000 miles, were under the impression that it was for a fundraiser to support people with cancer. This appeared to be a worthy cause but those who experienced the trip had good reason to regret their decision to embark on the Amazonian adventure.

Expedition From Hell takes us into the heart of the terrifying events that unfolded on Grosman’s trip. The president of Discovery Networks, Howard Lee, had this to say about the docuseries. 

“Pulled from hundreds of hours of footage, every episode of this compelling docuseries includes terrifying obstacles endured by those who chose to join the expedition. As we dug deeper to understand the motives behind those who took part in this doomed adventure, even we were surprised by what we saw.” (source)

So, what happened on that trip? And who is Mickey Grosman? Let’s take a closer look.

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What happened on the trip?

Back in 2012, a man named Mickey Grosman organized a 5,000-mile hike across South America in a bid to raise money for cancer research. Joining him on the trip was a group of thrill-seekers who had no idea what they were letting themselves in for.

Grosman filmed the trip, the footage of which fell into the hands of documentary filmmakers Erin Gamble and David Freid who combed through “the lost tapes” for the new docuseries that is available to watch on Max and Discovery. 

The doc sheds light on the harrowing journey that the group went on. Many of them had no training for what Grosman put them through, from rappelling down waterfalls to swimming through raging rivers. 

They had to deal with dangerous wildlife too, as well as armed guerrillas. They also had to put up with Grosman, who seemed all too keen to put their lives at risk. 

Only Grosman finished the 5,000-mile trek, or so we have been led to believe. So, what happened to the people who followed him into the jungle? Did they all make it out of there alive? Tune into the documentary to learn more.

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Who is Mickey Grosman?

According to Grosman’s personal bio, he is a wilderness survivalist, cancer survivor, and an Israeli Special Forces Veteran. He also promotes himself as a demolition expert. 

After surviving his battle with Melanoma cancer at the age of 64, Grosman strove to create global awareness about the disease. The ‘Amazon 5000’ expedition in 2012 was part of this goal. In his bio, he says:

“By succeeding where legendary Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Orellana failed roughly 500 years ago, I am on a life mission to show others that seemingly impossible battles always can be won!” 

While Groman’s mission is honourable, it would appear there is more to the man than meets the eye. Outside of what is publically known about him, his name has also been tied to a prison escape, a kidnapping, and even a missing persons case.

Those who embarked on the Amazon journey knew little about their adventure leaders’ secret past. But there’s a chance more will be revealed when this nerve-wracking documentary airs. We aim to fill in the blanks when we know more. 

So, who is Mickey Grosman? And what were his real motives for the expedition? This is currently unclear. But one thing’s for sure, if you’re about to sign up for an adventure-filled fundraiser, you might want to do a background check on the person in charge of your upcoming mission.

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Will you be watching the Discovery documentary? What do you think about Mickey Grosman? Let us know in the comments below.