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- You know, I've been around for a while.
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Met some interesting people.
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Done some crazy things.
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So, you just might think
that there's not much
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that can take me by surprise.
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You'd be wrong.
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The world is full of stories.
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Science and things that
amaze and confound me.
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Every single day, incredible
mysteries that keep me
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awake at night.
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Some, I can answer.
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Others just defy logic.
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Does the human body contain
inexplicable mysteries?
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Beyond the reach of medical science.
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In Arkansas, a sky diver
plummets to the earth
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from over 11,000 feet.
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(screaming)
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And, somehow, survives.
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How?
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In New York, a man is
vaporized as he lies in bed.
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Can humans spontaneously combust?
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- I've been through fires before, too,
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but nothing like that.
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- [William] And in England,
a young girl becomes
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super charged with electricity.
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Is she a walking power grid?
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- She wouldn't touch
me if she was switching
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the light switch on because
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a jolt of electricity
would go through her.
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- Yeah.
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It's a weird world.
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And I love it.
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(mysterious music)
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The human body.
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Remarkable, isn't it?
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Well this one is, anyway.
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Just a candid shot of me at the beach.
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But this is what we all
look like underneath.
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Unless you believe in reincarnation,
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we only get one of these.
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But do we really appreciate
just how incredible
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these things that carry us around are?
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Or do we take them for granted?
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You see, many believe
that we are more than just
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skin and bones.
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That there's things going on
inside us that modern medicine
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may never be able to explain.
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Is it true?
(objects falling)
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Do you think they can help
me with my indigestion?
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(banjo music)
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October 9, 2005.
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Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
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- [Rick] Hi, what's your name?
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- You know my name.
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Adrenaline junkie Shayna Richardson, 21,
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is about to attempt
her first solo skydive.
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- (laughing)
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- [Rick] Alright, Shayna.
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- [William] Shayna's
husband, Rick West was also
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her jump instructor.
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- I was very confident that
she was well prepared for this.
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- [William] Rick has a helmet camera
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- Hi Shayna.
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to capture Shayna's jump.
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Together, they will free fall
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from an altitude of 11,000 feet,
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more than two miles high.
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At first, things go great.
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- We exited the plane well.
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And she did a perfect dive.
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- [William] Rick and Shayna
are plummeting to earth
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at terminal velocity.
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120 miles per hour.
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After 30 seconds of free fall,
Shayna pulls the ripcord.
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- And as you see in the video, I say
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"Woo! Good job, Shayna!
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"Yeah, that's my girl."
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And I had no idea at this time,
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that she was in any kind of trouble.
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Until I look up.
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- [William] What Rick sees
fills him with horror.
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On her very first jump, his wife's
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main parachute has failed.
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Desperate, Shayna releases
it and tries her reserve.
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- And then her reserve
didn't work out so well.
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- [William] Unable to help,
Rick realizes he is watching
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what will be his wife's final moments.
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- Shayna is spinning out of control.
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(Rick yelling on footage) Shayna!
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- [William] 8,000 feet from the ground,
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Shayna's reserve parachute is tangled.
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She is now plummeting
uncontrollably towards the ground
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at over 70 feet per second.
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- Panic sets in.
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(Rick yelling on footage) Shayna!
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She kept spinning and kept
spinning and spinning.
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And the closer and closer we get,
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I'm seeing cars, semis,
the road, buildings,
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she was heading right into.
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(Rick yelling on footage) Shayna!
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- [William] Helpless, Rick
can only watch as Shayna spins
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toward certain death.
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- It was horrible for me.
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It was just a sickening feeling.
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(Rick yelling on footage) Shayna! Shayna!
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- [William] To Rick's
horror, Shayna slams directly
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into a parking lot.
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- I was sure she was dead or
going to be dead really quick.
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As soon as I landed, I
turned the camera off.
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And I was just trying
to get to her in time.
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To tell her that I love her and I'm sorry.
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She was actually laying
in a pool of blood.
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Her bottom lip had been
busted, peeled out, split.
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Above her nose was wide open.
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You could almost see the bone.
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- [William] But something
miraculous has happened.
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- I really did firmly believe
that I was going to die.
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- [William] Despite smashing into asphalt
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from a height of two miles,
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Shayna is somehow alive.
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- My face hit a split second
before the rest of my body did.
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The doctors described my facial fractures
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as kind of an egg shell effect.
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(splattering)
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I broke, pretty much
every bone in my face.
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My ocular sockets, my sinus cavity.
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I knocked out the front
five teeth in my mouth.
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So they had to completely rebuild my face.
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I broke my pelvis in three places.
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I broke my right leg.
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- [William] Shayna's
doctors can't comprehend how
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she survived her fall.
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But then their jaws drop even lower.
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Shayna's not the only survivor.
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- The very first thing I
remember hearing from the doctors
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was about the baby.
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- [William] Unknown to
both Shayna and Rick,
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she's pregnant.
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Miraculously, both
mother and baby survived.
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Their son, Tanner, is now five.
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Somehow, this remarkable
story has a happy ending.
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But the doctors are still
trying to figure it out.
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- The doctors in that hospital
just said "This is amazing.
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" This is a miracle. I don't understand."
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- [William] So how are
Shayna and her unborn child
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able to survive such an unbelievable fall?
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What had happened that saved their lives?
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Doctor Chris Hart is an expert
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in aviation accident investigation.
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He's extensively studied
Shayna's accident.
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And has reached a
controversial conclusion.
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- I think the way she hit
the ground is critically
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important for why she survived.
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- [William] It's believed that Shayna
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face planted into the ground.
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But Hart disagrees.
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- Looking at the video, I don't believe
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she hit the ground face first.
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Clearly, she's at about
a 45 to 60 degree angle.
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So when she finally makes
contact with the ground,
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she contacts feet first,
then legs, then side,
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and then finally head.
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The injuries to her pelvis and to her legs
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are very common when
someone lands feet first.
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If it's a head first
injury, you typically don't
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see those types of injuries.
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- [William] Hart believes that
the angle of Shayna's fall
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was critical to her survival.
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As it enabled her to
inadvertently perform a
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skydiving safety technique.
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- I think just the laws
of physics dictated that
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the way her body hit was very similar to
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a parachute landing fall.
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The parachute landing fall is a technique
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for improving the odds of
surviving a hard landing
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without injury.
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The technique is essentially
to distribute the force
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of impact over five body points.
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You start with contacting
on the balls of the feet.
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And then the calves.
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Then the thighs.
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Then the hips.
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And then the side of the back.
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You can think of the
parachute landing fall
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as almost being like a bumper on a car.
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The head is what you want to protect.
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The body acts as the shock absorber.
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- [William] But what about
the damage to Shayna's face?
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How could a successful
parachute landing fall
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have resulted in such horrific injuries?
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- Even though she didn't hit face first,
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her body was traveling at
a very high rate of speed.
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She sustained injuries
to every part of her body
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that hit the ground.
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Her face was probably the
last thing to hit the ground.
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But it was still moving
fast enough to cause
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some pretty serious injuries.
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Given her lack of training,
it's very fortunate
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that Shayna executed what was very similar
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to a parachute landing fall.
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Had she not done that,
she almost certainly
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would have perished.
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She should consider
herself very fortunate.
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- [William] Did the
accidental execution of the
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parachute landing fall save Shayna's life?
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Or is the explanation beyond
the understanding of science?
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- She was exempt from the laws of gravity.
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- [William] 21 year old Shayna Richardson
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experiences every skydiver's nightmare.
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When her parachutes fail,
she slams into the ground
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from 11,000 feet.
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But amazingly, Shayna survives.
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How?
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Sophy Burnham is an author.
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She believes Shayna's survival was,
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quite literally, a miracle.
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- To me, her survival is incomprehensible.
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Except by divine intervention.
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It had to be the hand of an angel.
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She was exempt from the laws of gravity.
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- [William] We've all heard of angels.
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But, let's just make sure we're
on the same page as Sophy.
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- The angels are messengers of the divine.
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And they can come in any form.
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They come to the innocent.
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To people whose work is
not yet finished on this
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plane of existence.
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Angels save people from possible death in
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any way that it can be done.
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Sometimes it's by deflecting a bullet.
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And sometimes it's by
preventing a car accident.
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They can change all the
physical laws of the universe.
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- [William] No doubt they do good work,
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but how exactly did an angel save Shayna?
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- It is not difficult for
me to believe that an angel
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carried Shayna down.
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Or broke her fall.
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So that she would not fall as swiftly
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as she should have.
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- [William] It's an interesting theory.
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But is it supported by scientific proof?
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- Lots of times, miracles occur
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with scientific explanations.
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And are just as miraculous.
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I don't think that science and miracles
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are mutually exclusive.
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And I think that there
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is a spiritual dimension that we live in
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as fish live in water.
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I am sure that some people completely
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dismiss the idea that an angel could
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save Shayna's life.
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And I think that it's very important
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for some people to believe
that they are in control.
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We don't want
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to be so completely at the mercy
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of fate and fortune,
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that there's nothing that we can do.
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I would not try to dissuade somebody
260
00:12:37,127 --> 00:12:39,335
from that position.
261
00:12:39,335 --> 00:12:41,483
If it's important to him.
262
00:12:42,513 --> 00:12:45,340
But to me, I would need very very
263
00:12:45,340 --> 00:12:48,967
strong proof of something that happened.
264
00:12:48,967 --> 00:12:53,115
(laughing) Like she
pulled a third parachute
265
00:12:53,115 --> 00:12:55,285
out and came down.
266
00:12:55,953 --> 00:12:59,697
I would need very strong scientific proof.
267
00:12:59,697 --> 00:13:01,275
I can't imagine what would have happened
268
00:13:01,275 --> 00:13:04,741
if an angel had not saved Shayna that day.
269
00:13:04,741 --> 00:13:07,563
There would have been her body
270
00:13:07,563 --> 00:13:09,942
splattered over the parking lot
271
00:13:09,942 --> 00:13:14,942
in a gory, bloody, disgusting,
272
00:13:15,764 --> 00:13:18,650
horrible, horrible accident.
273
00:13:19,498 --> 00:13:22,378
It would have been ghastly.
274
00:13:24,568 --> 00:13:26,713
- Wow, this in incredible.
275
00:13:26,713 --> 00:13:28,740
Instead of being splattered
all over the parking lot,
276
00:13:28,740 --> 00:13:30,574
Sophy thinks an angel swooped down
277
00:13:30,574 --> 00:13:32,217
at the last moment
278
00:13:32,217 --> 00:13:34,499
somehow taking hold of Shayna
279
00:13:34,499 --> 00:13:35,651
breaking her fall.
280
00:13:35,651 --> 00:13:37,817
Could this really be possible?
281
00:13:37,817 --> 00:13:39,480
Regardless of your
beliefs, one has to admit
282
00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,448
that Shayna's story is miraculous.
283
00:13:43,448 --> 00:13:45,801
But could a guardian angel
284
00:13:45,801 --> 00:13:47,192
have slowed Shayna's fall?
285
00:13:47,192 --> 00:13:49,688
Sparing her life and the
life of her unborn son.
286
00:13:49,688 --> 00:13:54,482
And if so, don't they deserve some thanks?
287
00:13:59,436 --> 00:14:02,127
- There is no evidence
that guardian angels exist.
288
00:14:02,127 --> 00:14:04,624
There is no empirical evidence for it.
289
00:14:04,624 --> 00:14:08,783
Okay, it's just people
trying to put meaning
290
00:14:08,783 --> 00:14:11,515
onto things they don't understand.
291
00:14:11,515 --> 00:14:14,800
It's the 21st century, we need to move on.
292
00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:18,277
- [William] John Leach is a
survival psychologist with the
293
00:14:18,277 --> 00:14:20,837
Norwegian Armed Forces.
294
00:14:20,837 --> 00:14:23,876
He believes the key to Shayna's
survival lies in a theory
295
00:14:23,876 --> 00:14:26,628
that's far more down to earth.
296
00:14:26,628 --> 00:14:28,985
- If a person is falling
without a parachute,
297
00:14:28,985 --> 00:14:31,331
after about 12 seconds, they'l reach the
298
00:14:31,331 --> 00:14:32,772
maximum rate of descent.
299
00:14:32,772 --> 00:14:34,713
And it doesn't matter how
long they're falling for,
300
00:14:34,713 --> 00:14:36,825
they will stay at 120 miles an hour.
301
00:14:36,825 --> 00:14:40,207
If Shayna had hit the ground
at normal terminal velocity
302
00:14:40,207 --> 00:14:43,184
of 120 miles an hour, she'd of had a very
303
00:14:43,184 --> 00:14:44,570
small chance of surviving that.
304
00:14:44,570 --> 00:14:47,055
Especially on the sort
of ground that she hit.
305
00:14:47,055 --> 00:14:50,052
Now there are cases of
people who have survived
306
00:14:50,052 --> 00:14:51,876
from terminal velocity.
307
00:14:51,876 --> 00:14:55,898
But usually, it's because
they've gone into soft ground,
308
00:14:55,898 --> 00:14:57,956
they've gone into mud,
they've gone into snow,
309
00:14:57,956 --> 00:14:59,150
they've gone into trees.
310
00:14:59,150 --> 00:15:00,334
So there's something that has actually
311
00:15:00,334 --> 00:15:03,944
decelerated their speed
at the last minute.
312
00:15:05,795 --> 00:15:08,152
- [William] But if her chances
of surviving were so low,
313
00:15:08,152 --> 00:15:11,673
how is it that Shayna and
Tanner are still with us?
314
00:15:11,673 --> 00:15:15,278
- You can see from the video,
that although the parachute
315
00:15:15,278 --> 00:15:18,499
was malfunctioning, it wasn't
completely dysfunctional.
316
00:15:18,499 --> 00:15:20,686
In other words, it was
still acting as a sort of
317
00:15:20,686 --> 00:15:23,279
parachute and providing a degree of drag.
318
00:15:23,279 --> 00:15:26,264
So, instead of hitting the
ground at 120 miles an hour,
319
00:15:26,264 --> 00:15:28,866
which is terminal velocity
for somebody travelling
320
00:15:28,866 --> 00:15:31,864
without a parachute, she hit the ground
321
00:15:31,864 --> 00:15:34,727
at 50 miles an hour
according to the records.
322
00:15:36,557 --> 00:15:38,701
- [William] Was Shayna's
survival connected to how fast
323
00:15:38,701 --> 00:15:40,881
she hit the ground?
324
00:15:42,743 --> 00:15:45,634
Or did something else save her?
325
00:15:45,634 --> 00:15:48,502
- Age plays a role in
survival for various reasons.
326
00:15:48,502 --> 00:15:53,217
And a number of studies
involving analysis, for example,
327
00:15:53,217 --> 00:15:56,570
road traffic accidents
at different speeds,
328
00:15:56,570 --> 00:15:59,127
shows that one of the best
ages for surviving an impact
329
00:15:59,127 --> 00:16:01,719
of 50 miles an hour, is Shayna's age.
330
00:16:01,719 --> 00:16:05,168
So, somewhere between the
late teens and early 20's.
331
00:16:07,372 --> 00:16:10,641
- [William] For Leach, the final
factor in Shayna's survival
332
00:16:10,641 --> 00:16:12,902
is the angle of impact.
333
00:16:13,004 --> 00:16:14,839
Though, with a very different take
334
00:16:14,839 --> 00:16:16,946
to Dr. Chris Hart.
335
00:16:17,636 --> 00:16:19,525
- I don't think she'd
be should be deploying
336
00:16:19,525 --> 00:16:21,551
any parachute landing technique.
337
00:16:21,551 --> 00:16:24,324
The parachute was moving her into a more
338
00:16:24,324 --> 00:16:27,865
horizontal position and the
injuries that she sustained
339
00:16:27,865 --> 00:16:30,974
is consistent with that type
of impact on the ground.
340
00:16:31,235 --> 00:16:33,112
The fact that she hit
the ground more or less
341
00:16:33,112 --> 00:16:35,192
horizontally rather than on her head or
342
00:16:35,192 --> 00:16:38,660
through her feet also increased
her chances of survival.
343
00:16:38,660 --> 00:16:40,804
- [William] For Leach,
the combination of a
344
00:16:40,804 --> 00:16:43,684
partially effective
parachute, Shayna's age,
345
00:16:43,684 --> 00:16:46,008
and landing almost flat to the ground,
346
00:16:46,008 --> 00:16:47,928
is enough to leave her battered,
347
00:16:47,928 --> 00:16:50,098
but still breathing.
348
00:16:50,446 --> 00:16:52,547
- All these factors together,
all contribute to her
349
00:16:52,547 --> 00:16:54,328
chances of surviving.
350
00:16:54,328 --> 00:16:57,293
So there's nothing miraculous about it,
351
00:16:57,293 --> 00:16:59,143
it's straight forward physics.
352
00:16:59,544 --> 00:17:01,762
- I did jump one more time when Tanner
353
00:17:01,762 --> 00:17:03,928
was six weeks old, I
went and jumped again.
354
00:17:03,928 --> 00:17:05,378
I did a tandem jump.
355
00:17:05,378 --> 00:17:07,533
I landed, took my gear
off, grabbed my son,
356
00:17:07,533 --> 00:17:08,802
and I haven't been back up.
357
00:17:08,802 --> 00:17:10,156
I love the sport.
358
00:17:10,156 --> 00:17:11,841
I love the thrill of it.
359
00:17:11,841 --> 00:17:14,540
But, my kids give me
a much greater thrill.
360
00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:17,413
And I don't have it in me
anymore, I can't do it.
361
00:17:18,604 --> 00:17:21,068
- [William] Can Shayna's
remarkable survival be
362
00:17:21,068 --> 00:17:22,896
explained by physics?
363
00:17:24,045 --> 00:17:27,031
Or did divine intervention play a part?
364
00:17:27,031 --> 00:17:29,271
Was she saved by a higher power?
365
00:17:29,271 --> 00:17:31,938
Or did she just get lucky and deploy
366
00:17:31,938 --> 00:17:34,128
the parachute landing fall?
367
00:17:34,497 --> 00:17:37,377
For now, it will remain a head-scratcher
368
00:17:37,377 --> 00:17:40,780
that's most definitely weird ...
369
00:17:40,780 --> 00:17:42,693
or what.
370
00:17:55,616 --> 00:17:58,804
In upstate New York, a man is
incinerated in his own bed.
371
00:17:58,804 --> 00:18:00,618
With no plausible explanation,
372
00:18:00,618 --> 00:18:04,634
investigators are left
with a terrifying question.
373
00:18:05,226 --> 00:18:08,896
Can we spontaneously combust?
374
00:18:08,896 --> 00:18:11,295
- When someone is
cremated, there's probably
375
00:18:11,295 --> 00:18:13,257
more remains after that cremation
376
00:18:13,257 --> 00:18:14,848
than there was at this incident.
377
00:18:14,848 --> 00:18:18,186
- [William] You know, fire
378
00:18:18,186 --> 00:18:20,405
is a wonderful thing.
379
00:18:20,405 --> 00:18:22,421
We've harnessed its power in so many ways,
380
00:18:22,421 --> 00:18:23,466
we'd be lost without it.
381
00:18:23,466 --> 00:18:25,471
It does everything from keeping us warm
382
00:18:25,471 --> 00:18:27,989
to one of my favorites,
383
00:18:27,989 --> 00:18:30,399
cooking up a storm (laughing).
384
00:18:30,399 --> 00:18:33,845
Well that's if you can
get it started, of course.
385
00:18:33,845 --> 00:18:36,106
The thing about fire,
386
00:18:36,106 --> 00:18:38,869
is that -- ah ha --
387
00:18:38,869 --> 00:18:41,012
as well as being our friend,
388
00:18:41,012 --> 00:18:43,449
it can be our worst enemy.
389
00:18:44,202 --> 00:18:47,914
Does anyone smell anything that, uh --
390
00:18:47,914 --> 00:18:50,296
(explosion)
391
00:18:54,163 --> 00:18:56,681
In 1986, college student Ray Harland
392
00:18:56,681 --> 00:18:58,334
was visiting his father Jack,
393
00:18:58,334 --> 00:19:00,179
a coroner in New York state,
394
00:19:00,179 --> 00:19:01,395
when the phone rang.
395
00:19:01,395 --> 00:19:03,463
(phone ringing)
396
00:19:03,550 --> 00:19:05,171
It would lead them on the most
397
00:19:05,171 --> 00:19:09,715
mysterious and bizarre
journey of their lives.
398
00:19:09,715 --> 00:19:11,283
- My dad owns a local funeral home.
399
00:19:11,283 --> 00:19:13,523
And he was also the county coroner.
400
00:19:13,523 --> 00:19:15,219
They just said that there
was an unattended death.
401
00:19:15,219 --> 00:19:16,840
And one of us always went with him
402
00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,564
to help him with removals.
403
00:19:22,727 --> 00:19:25,766
- [William] The deceased is a
58 year old retired fireman,
404
00:19:25,766 --> 00:19:27,686
George Mott.
405
00:19:28,756 --> 00:19:31,090
When Ray and Jack arrive at Mott's house,
406
00:19:31,090 --> 00:19:32,918
everything seems normal.
407
00:19:33,724 --> 00:19:35,783
- It was just a typical
home in the back roads
408
00:19:35,783 --> 00:19:37,654
of the Adirondacks.
409
00:19:38,247 --> 00:19:40,444
- [William] But nothing
has prepared the Harlands
410
00:19:40,444 --> 00:19:42,560
for what they find inside.
411
00:19:43,526 --> 00:19:45,084
The first words out of
the State Trooper's mouth
412
00:19:45,084 --> 00:19:47,665
to my dad was "I don't think you're going
413
00:19:47,665 --> 00:19:49,835
" to need your stretcher for this one."
414
00:19:51,067 --> 00:19:52,869
- [William] Entering
the house, Ray and Jack
415
00:19:52,869 --> 00:19:54,502
notice something that tells them
416
00:19:54,502 --> 00:19:57,194
this is no ordinary death.
417
00:19:58,448 --> 00:20:02,213
- There was a thin black
film covering everything.
418
00:20:02,213 --> 00:20:04,655
It was like a dust powder.
419
00:20:04,655 --> 00:20:06,277
It was strange because it looked like
420
00:20:06,277 --> 00:20:09,274
there was a fire but there's
nothing really charred.
421
00:20:09,274 --> 00:20:11,354
- [William] Where is George Mott?
422
00:20:11,354 --> 00:20:13,550
As they move deeper into the house,
423
00:20:13,550 --> 00:20:17,508
they're about to make
a shocking discovery.
424
00:20:17,508 --> 00:20:18,820
- When we walked into the bedroom,
425
00:20:18,820 --> 00:20:21,813
we could see where Mr. Mott was laying.
426
00:20:25,902 --> 00:20:27,541
In my lifetime growing
up in the funeral home,
427
00:20:27,541 --> 00:20:29,173
I've probably seen over a thousand bodies
428
00:20:29,173 --> 00:20:30,773
in various conditions.
429
00:20:30,773 --> 00:20:31,818
And I've been to fires before too
430
00:20:31,818 --> 00:20:34,041
and never nothing like that.
431
00:20:34,858 --> 00:20:36,659
There was a perfect outline of his body
432
00:20:36,659 --> 00:20:38,719
burned into the mattress.
433
00:20:38,719 --> 00:20:40,777
And the only thing that was left of him
434
00:20:40,777 --> 00:20:44,682
was his head, a few
ribs, and his right foot.
435
00:20:44,682 --> 00:20:46,506
Everything else was gone.
436
00:20:46,506 --> 00:20:49,058
- [William] What happened to George Mott?
437
00:20:50,387 --> 00:20:53,128
The charred remains
suggest he died in a fire.
438
00:20:53,128 --> 00:20:55,991
But this was no ordinary blaze.
439
00:20:56,903 --> 00:20:58,365
- Usually in a fire,
the whole body remains.
440
00:20:58,365 --> 00:21:00,947
We never see parts of the body missing.
441
00:21:00,947 --> 00:21:02,739
To put it into perspective,
442
00:21:02,739 --> 00:21:05,565
when someone is cremated for five to six,
443
00:21:05,565 --> 00:21:07,186
sometimes seven hours,
444
00:21:07,186 --> 00:21:09,779
there's probably more remains after that
445
00:21:09,779 --> 00:21:12,652
cremation than there was at this incident.
446
00:21:13,725 --> 00:21:17,127
- [William] It's a baffling
and gruesome mystery.
447
00:21:17,127 --> 00:21:20,647
George Mott has been incinerated
448
00:21:20,647 --> 00:21:22,087
to a fine powder.
449
00:21:22,087 --> 00:21:24,027
But somehow, the objects around him
450
00:21:24,027 --> 00:21:25,691
are not even singed.
451
00:21:25,691 --> 00:21:28,518
Including a canister of
matches only inches away.
452
00:21:28,518 --> 00:21:30,507
But how?
453
00:21:31,473 --> 00:21:33,861
Remarkably, all over Mott's house,
454
00:21:33,861 --> 00:21:36,572
there is evidence that this was a fire
455
00:21:36,572 --> 00:21:38,422
unlike any other.
456
00:21:39,473 --> 00:21:42,599
- [Ray] Everything plastic
was melted, the case on the TV
457
00:21:42,599 --> 00:21:45,638
was distorted and the telephone was melted
458
00:21:45,638 --> 00:21:47,399
to a ball of plastic.
459
00:21:47,399 --> 00:21:50,204
- [William] It's an incredible puzzle.
460
00:21:50,204 --> 00:21:52,316
What sort of heat or
fire could vaporize a man
461
00:21:52,316 --> 00:21:55,734
and melt plastic, but
not burn the house down?
462
00:21:56,798 --> 00:21:58,173
- The firemen thought it was a gas leak
463
00:21:58,173 --> 00:21:59,293
underneath his bed.
464
00:21:59,293 --> 00:22:01,853
But if there was a gas
leak and it was fire,
465
00:22:01,853 --> 00:22:03,400
there would have been a lot more burning.
466
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:04,968
They had never found a gas leak.
467
00:22:04,968 --> 00:22:08,350
- [William] It's left to
Ray to offer a theory.
468
00:22:08,350 --> 00:22:11,176
- I mentioned human
spontaneous combustion.
469
00:22:11,176 --> 00:22:14,574
And everybody looked
at me like I was crazy.
470
00:22:14,857 --> 00:22:18,537
- [William] Spontaneous
human combustion, or SHC
471
00:22:18,537 --> 00:22:21,001
is a bizarre and weird phenomenon in which
472
00:22:21,001 --> 00:22:24,457
a person instantly bursts into flames
473
00:22:24,457 --> 00:22:26,366
for no apparent reason.
474
00:22:26,366 --> 00:22:29,684
Amazingly, there have been 40 other cases
475
00:22:29,684 --> 00:22:34,684
of SHC documented in the last century.
476
00:22:34,750 --> 00:22:36,702
- To that point, I don't
think anybody in that room
477
00:22:36,702 --> 00:22:37,844
has heard of it.
478
00:22:37,844 --> 00:22:39,539
And everybody almost
had the same reaction,
479
00:22:39,539 --> 00:22:42,775
"Spontaneous combustion? What is that?"
480
00:22:43,977 --> 00:22:45,864
- [William] The investigation
into George Mott's death
481
00:22:45,864 --> 00:22:47,763
failed to reach a conclusion.
482
00:22:47,763 --> 00:22:51,299
But Ray Harland has no
doubt what happened.
483
00:22:52,051 --> 00:22:54,611
- I still believe that it
was spontaneous combustion.
484
00:22:54,611 --> 00:22:57,741
Because there is no other explanation.
485
00:22:58,078 --> 00:23:00,460
This is what I saw.
486
00:23:00,808 --> 00:23:04,508
- Now, this is weird, or what.
487
00:23:04,508 --> 00:23:06,705
We know heavy metal rock termers
488
00:23:06,705 --> 00:23:09,767
spontaneously combust all the time.
489
00:23:09,767 --> 00:23:12,806
But an innocent, harmless
man, minding his own business
490
00:23:12,806 --> 00:23:15,238
in bed and then poof, he goes up in smoke.
491
00:23:15,238 --> 00:23:17,979
I mean, what's going on here?
492
00:23:17,979 --> 00:23:19,430
Are any of us safe?
493
00:23:19,430 --> 00:23:20,273
Oh no!
494
00:23:20,273 --> 00:23:21,106
Not again!
495
00:23:21,106 --> 00:23:22,902
(explosion)
496
00:23:27,185 --> 00:23:30,352
Was George Mott a victim of SHC?
497
00:23:30,352 --> 00:23:33,606
Can a human simply ignite and burn
498
00:23:33,606 --> 00:23:36,060
without any external cause?
499
00:23:36,060 --> 00:23:41,060
- Spontaneous human combustion
is amazing, bizarre, horrific
500
00:23:41,905 --> 00:23:45,036
Given all that, it still happens.
501
00:23:48,401 --> 00:23:49,992
- [William] A man is incinerated by a
502
00:23:49,992 --> 00:23:53,143
bizarre, inexplicable fire.
503
00:23:53,874 --> 00:23:56,371
Is his death proof that people can just
504
00:23:56,371 --> 00:23:59,527
spontaneously catch fire?
505
00:23:59,527 --> 00:24:00,903
- We have spent more than three decades
506
00:24:00,903 --> 00:24:03,986
looking at this incredibly
weird phenomenon.
507
00:24:03,986 --> 00:24:05,820
And our conclusion is absolutely,
508
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:08,573
categorically, yes it does happen.
509
00:24:08,573 --> 00:24:10,834
- [William] Larry Arnold is a writer.
510
00:24:10,834 --> 00:24:14,012
He's dedicated himself
to the study of SHC.
511
00:24:14,012 --> 00:24:18,081
He came to scene of the
George Mott conflagration.
512
00:24:18,865 --> 00:24:20,892
- To be at the scene of
one of these remarkably
513
00:24:20,892 --> 00:24:25,095
rare and phenomenal events is eerie.
514
00:24:25,095 --> 00:24:26,950
Its unearthly.
515
00:24:26,950 --> 00:24:28,645
We look at the person who used to be there
516
00:24:28,645 --> 00:24:31,195
and we are looking at something
517
00:24:31,195 --> 00:24:33,882
burned more completely
than after seven hours
518
00:24:33,882 --> 00:24:35,600
at several thousand degrees Fahrenheit.
519
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,525
The George Mott fire scene
is incredibly complex.
520
00:24:39,525 --> 00:24:41,221
And very puzzling.
521
00:24:41,221 --> 00:24:43,450
Even to someone such as
ourselves who has looked at
522
00:24:43,450 --> 00:24:47,589
scores of cases that seem to emulate
523
00:24:47,589 --> 00:24:50,788
the kind of fire that consumed Mr. Mott.
524
00:24:50,788 --> 00:24:53,412
Something burned up Mr.
Mott more completely
525
00:24:53,412 --> 00:24:55,727
than can be accomplished in a crematorium.
526
00:24:55,727 --> 00:24:57,764
His body burned through his bed,
527
00:24:57,764 --> 00:25:00,889
actually pushed the
mattress springs into a V.
528
00:25:00,889 --> 00:25:04,323
Burned through the boarding
underneath the mattress,
529
00:25:04,323 --> 00:25:06,009
burned through the floor boards,
530
00:25:06,009 --> 00:25:08,477
and into a crawlspace below.
531
00:25:10,943 --> 00:25:13,806
There is no heat or flame
damage directly above
532
00:25:13,806 --> 00:25:16,131
the point of combustion
that consumed Mr. Mott.
533
00:25:16,131 --> 00:25:17,368
We could touch the ceiling.
534
00:25:17,368 --> 00:25:19,427
It was about seven or eight feet high.
535
00:25:19,427 --> 00:25:23,170
Not a scorch mark of
any kind on the ceiling
536
00:25:23,170 --> 00:25:24,930
directly above the point of combustion.
537
00:25:24,930 --> 00:25:26,626
In most fires, heat rises.
538
00:25:26,626 --> 00:25:28,471
We would expect to see a lot of heat
539
00:25:28,471 --> 00:25:30,413
and flame damage above the bed.
540
00:25:30,413 --> 00:25:32,269
Zero.
541
00:25:32,269 --> 00:25:35,032
Throughout the house,
there was a nonsensical
542
00:25:35,032 --> 00:25:37,773
pattern of melted plastics
543
00:25:37,773 --> 00:25:40,247
or not melted plastics.
544
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,338
It's baffling to us to this day.
545
00:25:47,338 --> 00:25:50,357
And we spent a lot of hours
as did the county officials
546
00:25:50,357 --> 00:25:52,917
investigating this fire scene.
547
00:25:52,917 --> 00:25:55,263
- [William] But if Mott self immolated,
548
00:25:55,263 --> 00:25:56,949
how did it happen?
549
00:25:56,949 --> 00:25:59,445
Arnold believes the answer
can be found in something
550
00:25:59,445 --> 00:26:02,500
so tiny, you can't even see it.
551
00:26:03,530 --> 00:26:05,332
- We wondered how much energy it takes to
552
00:26:05,332 --> 00:26:07,925
cremate someone like George Mott
553
00:26:07,925 --> 00:26:09,748
under natural conditions.
554
00:26:09,748 --> 00:26:11,359
And if there could be a
particle that would have
555
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,901
that amount of energy contained within it.
556
00:26:13,901 --> 00:26:16,301
So we pulled up a theory
from quantum physics,
557
00:26:16,301 --> 00:26:17,794
crunched the numbers.
558
00:26:17,794 --> 00:26:21,441
You come up with a particle
that is incredibly small.
559
00:26:21,441 --> 00:26:23,020
Much smaller than an atom.
560
00:26:23,020 --> 00:26:26,734
But it has an energy
level which is humongous.
561
00:26:27,574 --> 00:26:28,610
- [William] Arnold calls these
562
00:26:28,610 --> 00:26:32,049
subatomic particles pyrotrons.
563
00:26:32,556 --> 00:26:34,743
He believes they may be tiny,
564
00:26:34,743 --> 00:26:37,233
but they pack a punch.
565
00:26:37,996 --> 00:26:39,297
- It's so small that it can pass through
566
00:26:39,297 --> 00:26:41,185
three dimensional matter almost unimpeded.
567
00:26:41,185 --> 00:26:43,830
Perhaps through galaxies
without ever striking something.
568
00:26:45,164 --> 00:26:47,339
- [William] But according
to Arnold, when the pyrotron
569
00:26:47,339 --> 00:26:49,558
does connect with something physical,
570
00:26:49,558 --> 00:26:52,368
the results are catastrophic.
571
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,880
- On rare occasion, luck runs out,
572
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,419
happenstance happens,
and in those conditions,
573
00:26:57,419 --> 00:27:00,565
when the pyrotron with
its incredible high energy
574
00:27:00,565 --> 00:27:04,458
impacts something inside
a human being, reposit.
575
00:27:04,458 --> 00:27:06,987
The end result is
spontaneous human combustion.
576
00:27:06,987 --> 00:27:08,843
In essence, a human Hiroshima effect.
577
00:27:08,843 --> 00:27:12,928
A thermonuclear explosion,
if you will, in the body.
578
00:27:12,928 --> 00:27:15,563
- [William] Is spontaneous
human combustion
579
00:27:15,563 --> 00:27:19,008
the result of a pyrotron
colliding with a particle
580
00:27:19,008 --> 00:27:21,696
inside the human body?
581
00:27:21,696 --> 00:27:26,379
Did George Mott die from a
free collision of physics?
582
00:27:26,379 --> 00:27:29,611
- There simply is no plausible way
583
00:27:29,611 --> 00:27:32,235
by any chemical mechanism known
584
00:27:32,235 --> 00:27:34,698
that the body could just suddenly
585
00:27:34,698 --> 00:27:36,479
burst into flames.
586
00:27:36,479 --> 00:27:40,356
And proceed to be destroyed.
587
00:27:41,002 --> 00:27:43,562
- [William] Joe Nickell is an
investigator of the paranormal
588
00:27:43,562 --> 00:27:46,879
and a firm believer that
spontaneous human combustion
589
00:27:46,879 --> 00:27:50,169
is a myth with a rational explanation.
590
00:27:50,601 --> 00:27:53,886
- I looked at 30 historical cases.
591
00:27:54,906 --> 00:27:58,014
From the 18th century
throughout the 20th century.
592
00:27:58,014 --> 00:28:01,352
And in every case, I
could find a plausible
593
00:28:01,352 --> 00:28:03,368
source for the ignition.
594
00:28:03,368 --> 00:28:05,885
For example, the famous case in America
595
00:28:05,885 --> 00:28:09,565
of Mary Reeser in 1951 in
St. Petersburg, Florida.
596
00:28:09,565 --> 00:28:12,573
She burned up in a very unusual way.
597
00:28:12,573 --> 00:28:14,930
Sort of one of the classic cases.
598
00:28:14,930 --> 00:28:17,373
But when she was last seen,
599
00:28:17,373 --> 00:28:19,751
and this was left out
of some of the stories,
600
00:28:19,751 --> 00:28:22,930
she was wearing flammable night clothes
601
00:28:22,930 --> 00:28:26,631
sitting in a big stuffed
chair, smoking a cigarette.
602
00:28:26,631 --> 00:28:30,226
Having taken two Seconal sleeping tablets.
603
00:28:30,226 --> 00:28:31,719
And planned to take two
more sleeping tablets
604
00:28:31,719 --> 00:28:33,297
before going to bed because
605
00:28:33,297 --> 00:28:35,100
she was having trouble sleeping.
606
00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:39,708
Now, it's kind of a no
brainer to suggest that
607
00:28:40,028 --> 00:28:42,677
she caught on fire by dozing off and
608
00:28:42,677 --> 00:28:44,319
dropping her cigarette.
609
00:28:44,319 --> 00:28:46,399
Yes, yes, there are other mysteries.
610
00:28:46,399 --> 00:28:48,830
Why did her body burn so
thoroughly and why were--
611
00:28:48,830 --> 00:28:51,465
We take those one at a time.
612
00:28:51,465 --> 00:28:54,291
And in these cases,
613
00:28:54,291 --> 00:28:57,608
you can't just have a simple minded,
614
00:28:57,608 --> 00:29:00,808
one size fits all explanation.
615
00:29:00,808 --> 00:29:02,952
And say, "Oh yeah, that's just this".
616
00:29:02,952 --> 00:29:05,992
No, you have to actually
look at the facts in a
617
00:29:05,992 --> 00:29:08,061
particular case and look at the physics.
618
00:29:08,061 --> 00:29:10,472
Because there are no two quite alike.
619
00:29:10,472 --> 00:29:15,472
The most logical explanation
for the George Mott fire
620
00:29:16,495 --> 00:29:21,157
was a canister of matches,
sitting on, of all places,
621
00:29:21,157 --> 00:29:23,471
his oxygen enricher unit.
622
00:29:23,471 --> 00:29:27,632
He had either been somewhere
to light a stove or something.
623
00:29:27,632 --> 00:29:31,289
And a spark could have
gotten onto his clothes.
624
00:29:32,229 --> 00:29:34,562
- [William] But how could
a spark or a cigarette
625
00:29:34,562 --> 00:29:39,379
burn a human body to the
extent seen in SHC cases?
626
00:29:39,855 --> 00:29:41,562
- In the forensic literature is something
627
00:29:41,562 --> 00:29:43,840
known as the wick effect.
628
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,339
And that is, if you think
of a wick in a candle.
629
00:29:47,339 --> 00:29:50,027
The wick is not doing much burning.
630
00:29:50,027 --> 00:29:52,076
The wick is simply a conduit.
631
00:29:52,076 --> 00:29:55,115
Now, if you think of the
human body as sort of
632
00:29:55,115 --> 00:29:58,592
a candle inside out, the
body has a lot of fat.
633
00:29:58,592 --> 00:30:00,494
It's very flammable.
634
00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:02,474
- [William] Sounds horrific.
635
00:30:02,474 --> 00:30:04,991
How can become a human candle?
636
00:30:04,991 --> 00:30:08,436
- The clothing acts as a kind of wick.
637
00:30:08,436 --> 00:30:11,049
In which, once the body begins to burn,
638
00:30:11,049 --> 00:30:16,049
that body fat can be absorbed
by clothing, mattress.
639
00:30:16,139 --> 00:30:19,979
And that begins this cyclical process
640
00:30:19,979 --> 00:30:23,903
in which the body burns,
releasing more body fat,
641
00:30:23,903 --> 00:30:27,082
to destroy still more of
the body, to release more.
642
00:30:27,082 --> 00:30:30,655
Its the wick effect
that's helping this burn
643
00:30:30,655 --> 00:30:32,575
in a very efficient way.
644
00:30:32,575 --> 00:30:35,562
There's never a big fire when
the body burns in this way.
645
00:30:35,562 --> 00:30:37,674
It's not a huge inferno.
646
00:30:37,674 --> 00:30:40,702
The results afterwards may
look like that's what happened.
647
00:30:40,702 --> 00:30:43,422
But what actually happened
is just that the body burned
648
00:30:43,422 --> 00:30:45,940
very slowly and very efficiently
649
00:30:45,940 --> 00:30:47,167
where the body fat was.
650
00:30:47,167 --> 00:30:49,555
In the torso, the upper thighs.
651
00:30:49,555 --> 00:30:52,775
You'll often find limbs
or other body parts
652
00:30:52,775 --> 00:30:54,729
that are not burned.
653
00:30:54,729 --> 00:30:56,755
For pretty obvious reasons.
654
00:30:56,755 --> 00:30:59,315
They don't have as much body fat.
655
00:30:59,315 --> 00:31:02,814
Even a lean person has a
significant amount of body fat.
656
00:31:02,814 --> 00:31:06,675
So, while this isn't an
explanation for all burning deaths,
657
00:31:06,675 --> 00:31:10,994
it's a relevant factor in
some of the unusual cases.
658
00:31:10,994 --> 00:31:15,293
Because it can explain why,
over a period of several hours,
659
00:31:15,293 --> 00:31:19,773
a fire is progressing, and
attacking and burning a body.
660
00:31:19,773 --> 00:31:22,055
which is actually supplying the fuel
661
00:31:22,055 --> 00:31:23,980
for its own destruction.
662
00:31:25,212 --> 00:31:26,887
- [William] But if your
clothes catch fire,
663
00:31:26,887 --> 00:31:28,583
you simply put them out, right?
664
00:31:28,583 --> 00:31:31,558
- In some cases, the person may have had
665
00:31:31,558 --> 00:31:33,756
a seizure or heart attack.
666
00:31:33,756 --> 00:31:37,297
In other cases, they may
have been lying asleep.
667
00:31:37,297 --> 00:31:41,019
And smoldering material near
them first started burning,
668
00:31:41,019 --> 00:31:42,544
creating a lot of smoke.
669
00:31:42,544 --> 00:31:44,465
And they may have died
of smoke inhalation.
670
00:31:44,465 --> 00:31:46,411
And never woken up.
671
00:31:47,185 --> 00:31:48,945
- [William] Nickell
believes that his theory
672
00:31:48,945 --> 00:31:50,598
can explain the almost complete lack
673
00:31:50,598 --> 00:31:53,610
of fire damage around the body.
674
00:31:54,203 --> 00:31:56,464
- Since there's never a big fire here,
675
00:31:56,464 --> 00:31:59,077
nearby objects are not going to be burned.
676
00:31:59,077 --> 00:32:01,711
Just as you can sit just
inches away from a campfire,
677
00:32:01,711 --> 00:32:04,431
and toast a marshmallow and not be burned,
678
00:32:04,431 --> 00:32:07,908
the same is true with this wick effect.
679
00:32:07,908 --> 00:32:09,742
- [William] But does
this explain the other
680
00:32:09,742 --> 00:32:12,868
objects that were melted
throughout George's house?
681
00:32:12,868 --> 00:32:16,067
- The heat, of course
is gathering and rising.
682
00:32:16,067 --> 00:32:19,523
Objects above a certain
line will be melted
683
00:32:19,523 --> 00:32:21,561
because the heat is accumulated there.
684
00:32:21,561 --> 00:32:24,142
And in the Mott case,
there was soot all over.
685
00:32:24,142 --> 00:32:27,289
There is usually a sooty
deposit if there's a lot
686
00:32:27,289 --> 00:32:29,326
of organic material being burned.
687
00:32:29,326 --> 00:32:32,284
- [William] For Nickell,
the answer is clear.
688
00:32:33,264 --> 00:32:35,714
- If science knows
anything about spontaneous
689
00:32:35,714 --> 00:32:39,085
human combustion, it is
that it doesn't exist.
690
00:32:39,085 --> 00:32:40,706
It's difficult to prove a negative,
691
00:32:40,706 --> 00:32:42,818
but we don't have to.
692
00:32:42,818 --> 00:32:44,706
There just in no evidence.
693
00:32:44,706 --> 00:32:47,863
To say it's unlikely does not do justice
694
00:32:47,863 --> 00:32:52,795
to how very very very
far fetched this idea is.
695
00:32:53,047 --> 00:32:56,247
The George Mott case was a mystery.
696
00:32:56,247 --> 00:33:00,599
I would consider it,
basically, a mystery solved.
697
00:33:00,599 --> 00:33:03,297
- [William] Does Nickell's
theory prove that SHC
698
00:33:03,297 --> 00:33:05,024
does not exist?
699
00:33:05,024 --> 00:33:06,806
Can these horrific deaths be
700
00:33:06,806 --> 00:33:09,718
explained by the wick effect?
701
00:33:09,718 --> 00:33:11,777
- We have tried to conduct
those experiments ourself.
702
00:33:11,777 --> 00:33:14,315
We know others in the forensics
field who have done so.
703
00:33:14,315 --> 00:33:17,654
They can't replicate these
fire scenes under controlled
704
00:33:17,654 --> 00:33:19,158
scientific conditions.
705
00:33:19,158 --> 00:33:21,281
It doesn't work for us.
706
00:33:21,281 --> 00:33:23,883
And it did not work for
the local investigators
707
00:33:23,883 --> 00:33:25,973
in Essex County.
708
00:33:25,973 --> 00:33:30,547
This is an example of
individuals making up facts,
709
00:33:30,547 --> 00:33:35,507
creating stories, generating
hypotheses without foundation
710
00:33:35,507 --> 00:33:38,004
to explain away something that they don't
711
00:33:38,004 --> 00:33:39,999
otherwise want to confront.
712
00:33:39,999 --> 00:33:41,673
Spontaneous human combustion is
713
00:33:41,673 --> 00:33:44,820
amazing, bizarre, horrific,
714
00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:48,531
given all that, it still happens.
715
00:33:50,141 --> 00:33:53,643
- [William] So is spontaneous
human combustion real?
716
00:33:53,643 --> 00:33:56,474
It's a debate that will continue to rage.
717
00:33:56,885 --> 00:33:59,210
One thing we do know for certain, though,
718
00:33:59,210 --> 00:34:00,587
it's definitely weird ...
719
00:34:00,587 --> 00:34:02,693
or what.
720
00:34:15,722 --> 00:34:18,207
A British woman reports an ability
721
00:34:18,207 --> 00:34:19,978
that defies science.
722
00:34:19,978 --> 00:34:23,049
Can she harness electrical power?
723
00:34:23,049 --> 00:34:25,289
- The possibilities of things going wrong
724
00:34:25,289 --> 00:34:28,170
are just mind blowingly frightening.
725
00:34:30,210 --> 00:34:31,284
- You know, when it comes to medicine,
726
00:34:31,284 --> 00:34:33,940
there's very little modern
science can't explain.
727
00:34:33,940 --> 00:34:35,358
Oh my God!
728
00:34:35,358 --> 00:34:38,100
What is that disgusting thing in there?
729
00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:39,458
Oh.
730
00:34:41,801 --> 00:34:43,060
Sometimes we come across things that are
731
00:34:43,060 --> 00:34:45,460
not only inexplicable, they send a shiver
732
00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:46,921
down your spine.
733
00:34:46,921 --> 00:34:48,607
Or in the case of our next story,
734
00:34:48,607 --> 00:34:50,474
a million volts through your hand.
735
00:34:50,474 --> 00:34:51,541
Whoa!
(electricity)
736
00:34:51,541 --> 00:34:52,544
Weird?
737
00:34:52,544 --> 00:34:54,101
Oh!
738
00:34:54,101 --> 00:34:55,973
Or what?
739
00:34:57,877 --> 00:34:58,986
Growing up in London, England,
740
00:34:58,986 --> 00:35:02,041
Debbie Wolf thought
she was a normal child.
741
00:35:03,252 --> 00:35:04,511
- I think when you're a small child,
742
00:35:04,511 --> 00:35:06,708
you don't realize you're
different from anyone else.
743
00:35:06,708 --> 00:35:10,553
But my mum got it pretty quickly, I think.
744
00:35:11,668 --> 00:35:13,268
- [William] Shortly
after Debbie turned four,
745
00:35:13,268 --> 00:35:14,729
her mother noticed that there was
746
00:35:14,729 --> 00:35:18,136
something rather unusual
about her daughter.
747
00:35:18,804 --> 00:35:21,971
- My mum noticed hot spots of problems.
748
00:35:21,971 --> 00:35:26,025
It was just the era of
everyone had walkmans.
749
00:35:26,025 --> 00:35:27,411
And I'd drain the batteries.
750
00:35:27,411 --> 00:35:31,096
And light bulbs seemed
to be quite vulnerable.
751
00:35:31,155 --> 00:35:33,203
My mum wouldn't touch me if she was
752
00:35:33,203 --> 00:35:34,429
switching the light switch on.
753
00:35:34,429 --> 00:35:38,200
Because a jolt of electricity
would go through her.
754
00:35:38,547 --> 00:35:41,068
- [William] Incredibly, it
seems this tiny girl had somehow
755
00:35:41,068 --> 00:35:45,111
become super charged with electricity.
756
00:35:46,503 --> 00:35:50,247
But what could cause
this weird phenomenon?
757
00:35:50,247 --> 00:35:53,266
For Debbie and her family,
it's just the start of
758
00:35:53,266 --> 00:35:56,774
a bizarre, and literally shocking ordeal.
759
00:35:56,774 --> 00:35:58,811
- Every time I'd walk past the telly,
760
00:35:58,811 --> 00:36:00,155
the channels would start changing,
761
00:36:00,155 --> 00:36:02,011
the volume would go up or down,
762
00:36:02,011 --> 00:36:03,872
or it would switch off.
763
00:36:04,091 --> 00:36:06,224
I was always excluded from the lounge
764
00:36:06,224 --> 00:36:08,389
when the football was on cause my dad
765
00:36:08,389 --> 00:36:10,399
didn't want me changing the channels.
766
00:36:13,583 --> 00:36:15,568
- [William] Incredibly, when
Debbie interacts with anything
767
00:36:15,568 --> 00:36:19,503
electrical, havoc ensues.
768
00:36:19,503 --> 00:36:22,509
She fries appliances, drains batteries.
769
00:36:22,509 --> 00:36:24,407
And explodes light bulbs.
770
00:36:24,407 --> 00:36:28,087
And as she gets older,
the condition gets worse.
771
00:36:28,087 --> 00:36:31,287
- There's one particular
occasion that I remember.
772
00:36:31,287 --> 00:36:34,935
I can't have been more than about six.
773
00:36:34,935 --> 00:36:36,640
We went to the shop.
774
00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,540
One of my mum's favorite shops.
775
00:36:38,540 --> 00:36:40,640
And as we went past each street light,
776
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,453
it went off and on and off
and on as we passed them.
777
00:36:45,665 --> 00:36:47,703
- [William] Remarkably,
Debbie's electrical power
778
00:36:47,703 --> 00:36:49,723
grows with every step.
779
00:36:51,755 --> 00:36:53,515
By the time they arrive at the shop,
780
00:36:53,515 --> 00:36:55,702
things are getting out of control.
781
00:36:55,702 --> 00:36:57,280
- They had these metal rails
782
00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:58,880
where the clothes were displayed.
783
00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,720
And, for some reason,
that seemed to spark me.
784
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:04,245
So much so that I could touch it
785
00:37:04,245 --> 00:37:08,288
and you'd see sparks and
hear the crack of the spark.
786
00:37:08,288 --> 00:37:10,570
So my mum tried to herd me away from that.
787
00:37:10,570 --> 00:37:13,066
- [William] But her mom
doesn't act fast enough.
788
00:37:13,066 --> 00:37:17,317
(electricity)
789
00:37:18,186 --> 00:37:20,489
Debbie's touch electrifies
the entire store,
790
00:37:20,489 --> 00:37:22,089
blowing the fuses and plunging it
791
00:37:22,089 --> 00:37:24,505
into complete darkness.
792
00:37:26,995 --> 00:37:28,981
Terrified of her young
child's weird power,
793
00:37:28,981 --> 00:37:31,808
Debbie's mom rushes her from the shop.
794
00:37:31,808 --> 00:37:34,346
- My mum made rules about what
795
00:37:34,346 --> 00:37:36,319
I was allowed to do and not allowed to do.
796
00:37:36,319 --> 00:37:39,151
Because it was disruptive.
797
00:37:39,882 --> 00:37:43,460
- [William] What happened to Debbie Wolf?
798
00:37:44,111 --> 00:37:46,319
Could she be cured by medicine?
799
00:37:46,319 --> 00:37:48,719
Or did she need an electrician?
800
00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:51,791
Sadly, her condition hasn't gone away.
801
00:37:51,791 --> 00:37:55,674
Over three decades later,
she's still suffering.
802
00:37:55,674 --> 00:37:57,988
- I've affected everything.
803
00:37:57,988 --> 00:38:00,815
I lost a job in a nightclub because,
804
00:38:00,815 --> 00:38:02,915
every time I walked past the DJ box,
805
00:38:02,915 --> 00:38:05,245
the music would go off.
806
00:38:05,262 --> 00:38:09,022
My house is just like a
graveyard of electrical goods.
807
00:38:10,341 --> 00:38:13,019
And I've usually got a TV or
something sitting in my drive
808
00:38:13,019 --> 00:38:15,263
waiting to be taken to the dump.
809
00:38:16,933 --> 00:38:19,653
I go through an extraordinary
amount of kettles
810
00:38:19,653 --> 00:38:23,157
and toasters and TVs.
811
00:38:23,770 --> 00:38:25,967
So I tend to buy second hand TVs.
812
00:38:25,967 --> 00:38:29,753
And it is expensive and inconvenient.
813
00:38:29,753 --> 00:38:32,389
And I'm not always welcome
in people's houses.
814
00:38:32,389 --> 00:38:34,072
I don't know from day to
day what's going to work
815
00:38:34,072 --> 00:38:34,959
and what isn't.
816
00:38:34,959 --> 00:38:36,601
Which is quite annoying.
817
00:38:36,601 --> 00:38:40,190
When the fridge is
defrosting in the morning.
818
00:38:40,644 --> 00:38:45,644
So, basically, my house is
just on a short life span.
819
00:38:46,019 --> 00:38:49,657
The thing I hate most to do,
but I have to do it anyway,
820
00:38:49,657 --> 00:38:50,872
is flying.
821
00:38:50,872 --> 00:38:53,533
I just hate flying.
822
00:38:53,533 --> 00:38:56,657
The fear of being able to
stop a plane in midair.
823
00:38:56,657 --> 00:38:58,257
And having it drop out of the sky.
824
00:38:58,257 --> 00:38:59,355
No, no, no.
825
00:38:59,355 --> 00:39:01,797
Because the possibilities
of things going wrong
826
00:39:01,797 --> 00:39:04,517
are just mind blowingly frightening.
827
00:39:04,517 --> 00:39:08,048
(electricity)
828
00:39:08,048 --> 00:39:09,381
- [William] Is Debbie somehow generating
829
00:39:09,381 --> 00:39:11,301
lethal amounts of electricity?
830
00:39:11,301 --> 00:39:12,496
If so, how?
831
00:39:12,496 --> 00:39:13,866
And why?
832
00:39:14,916 --> 00:39:17,530
Incredibly, she isn't
the only one suffering
833
00:39:17,530 --> 00:39:19,567
from this bizarre affliction.
834
00:39:19,567 --> 00:39:21,295
Thousands of others have it too.
835
00:39:21,295 --> 00:39:23,151
And it's even been given a name.
836
00:39:23,151 --> 00:39:26,741
Street Light Interference Syndrome.
837
00:39:27,311 --> 00:39:30,948
Those who have it are called sliders.
838
00:39:34,585 --> 00:39:36,249
What are sliders and where do they get
839
00:39:36,249 --> 00:39:37,806
their super charged powers?
840
00:39:37,806 --> 00:39:41,529
Are they a threat to
themselves or even us?
841
00:39:41,529 --> 00:39:45,188
Bill Beaty is an electrical engineer.
842
00:39:45,188 --> 00:39:48,089
He thinks he can explain sliders.
843
00:39:48,089 --> 00:39:52,216
I first heard about this in the '80s and
844
00:39:52,216 --> 00:39:55,811
I started wondering are they some kind of
845
00:39:55,811 --> 00:39:57,938
electric generator.
846
00:39:58,455 --> 00:40:01,815
- [William] Could sliders like
Debbie actually be generating
847
00:40:01,815 --> 00:40:03,523
their own electricity?
848
00:40:03,523 --> 00:40:05,554
How could she do it?
849
00:40:06,243 --> 00:40:08,451
Beaty thinks her power
could be an extension of
850
00:40:08,451 --> 00:40:10,339
something we've all experienced.
851
00:40:10,339 --> 00:40:12,834
- Of course, if you scuff
on the rug and touch
852
00:40:12,834 --> 00:40:14,777
a doorknob and and you
hear that little click,
853
00:40:14,777 --> 00:40:15,961
that's static electricity.
854
00:40:15,961 --> 00:40:17,955
The effect is caused by
your body being charged.
855
00:40:18,478 --> 00:40:20,782
- [William] Rubbing your feet
steals negatively charged
856
00:40:20,782 --> 00:40:23,069
electrons from the carpet.
857
00:40:23,409 --> 00:40:26,013
With each step, you steal more electrons.
858
00:40:26,013 --> 00:40:28,989
And develop more of a negative charge.
859
00:40:29,899 --> 00:40:33,098
Something easily detected
with a volt meter.
860
00:40:33,724 --> 00:40:36,401
- If I scuff on the
rug, watch what happens.
861
00:40:36,401 --> 00:40:39,526
I'm scuffing my shoe,
and they're all turning
862
00:40:39,526 --> 00:40:40,358
on and off.
863
00:40:40,358 --> 00:40:41,360
(stomping)
864
00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,778
This is me moving my shoe
up and down on the carpet.
865
00:40:44,837 --> 00:40:46,426
There's some more over there.
866
00:40:46,426 --> 00:40:47,791
(stomping)
867
00:40:47,791 --> 00:40:49,732
So a science fair project for kids,
868
00:40:49,732 --> 00:40:53,142
little transistor voltage detector.
869
00:40:53,712 --> 00:40:56,707
So if you were an electric
human, you wouldn't have to
870
00:40:56,707 --> 00:40:58,424
scuff on the carpet.
871
00:40:58,424 --> 00:41:02,029
So if I could stand perfectly
still and wait long enough
872
00:41:02,029 --> 00:41:03,107
for my charge to go away.
873
00:41:03,107 --> 00:41:04,429
It's gone again.
874
00:41:04,429 --> 00:41:07,096
So it leaked away here.
875
00:41:07,096 --> 00:41:10,050
I would be turning the light on and off.
876
00:41:10,050 --> 00:41:12,067
If my body charged up by itself.
877
00:41:12,067 --> 00:41:15,393
So, I am not an electric human, oh well.
878
00:41:15,393 --> 00:41:16,148
(electric zap)
879
00:41:16,148 --> 00:41:18,132
- [William] But could this
build up enough charge
880
00:41:18,132 --> 00:41:19,976
to affect a street light?
881
00:41:19,976 --> 00:41:21,855
Beaty believes sliders could generate
882
00:41:21,855 --> 00:41:23,923
large amounts of static electricity
883
00:41:23,923 --> 00:41:25,891
in another way.
884
00:41:26,537 --> 00:41:29,278
- There's one thing that humans do
885
00:41:29,278 --> 00:41:31,688
which might explain this.
886
00:41:31,688 --> 00:41:34,487
And that's breathing.
887
00:41:35,380 --> 00:41:39,443
- [William] Every day, humans
take over 25,000 breaths.
888
00:41:40,233 --> 00:41:43,021
Remarkably, Beaty thinks
it's possible we can steal
889
00:41:43,021 --> 00:41:44,802
a few electrons from the air
890
00:41:44,802 --> 00:41:46,466
each time we breath in,
891
00:41:46,466 --> 00:41:49,404
and eventually, super charge our bodies.
892
00:41:50,978 --> 00:41:53,635
- If you can charge you
body up by breathing,
893
00:41:53,635 --> 00:41:57,409
you have this invisible field
of voltage around your body.
894
00:41:57,409 --> 00:41:59,927
That can affect electronic devices.
895
00:41:59,927 --> 00:42:02,096
Even from a few feet away.
896
00:42:03,884 --> 00:42:05,420
- [William] But if everyone breaths air,
897
00:42:05,420 --> 00:42:07,328
why would only a few people like Debbie,
898
00:42:07,328 --> 00:42:10,298
turn into human lightning rods?
899
00:42:11,425 --> 00:42:13,120
- There's a chance that
it could be a virus
900
00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,397
that hasn't been discovered yet.
901
00:42:15,766 --> 00:42:19,414
There are a few viruses that
are not like the flu or colds.
902
00:42:19,414 --> 00:42:23,072
Instead, when you catch it,
there's almost no change.
903
00:42:23,072 --> 00:42:26,193
And then your body easily fights it off.
904
00:42:27,203 --> 00:42:31,680
If it's communicable, then
you'd think that there'd
905
00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:33,664
be lots of electric humans.
906
00:42:33,664 --> 00:42:36,084
Or you'd get it for a while
and then it's be gone again.
907
00:42:36,084 --> 00:42:38,922
But this sounds more like
it might be something
908
00:42:38,922 --> 00:42:41,781
that's a symbiotic thing
909
00:42:41,781 --> 00:42:43,103
that maybe you're born with it.
910
00:42:43,103 --> 00:42:45,706
And you can't give it to other people.
911
00:42:45,706 --> 00:42:47,785
- [William] Could some
yet to be discovered virus
912
00:42:47,785 --> 00:42:50,420
alter the lungs of sliders just enough to
913
00:42:50,420 --> 00:42:52,457
strip electrons from the air and
914
00:42:52,457 --> 00:42:54,517
turn them into super charged humans?
915
00:42:54,517 --> 00:42:57,716
Or is Beaty's theory a few
connections short of a circuit?
916
00:42:57,716 --> 00:43:00,180
- I was attracted to
it because it's weird.
917
00:43:00,180 --> 00:43:04,180
But the vast unstudied
collection of weird things,
918
00:43:04,180 --> 00:43:06,590
some of those are real.
919
00:43:06,590 --> 00:43:09,213
And those are Nobel Prize discoveries.
920
00:43:09,213 --> 00:43:11,550
- So, let me get this right.
921
00:43:11,550 --> 00:43:15,102
Sliders have an innate
ability to wreak havoc
922
00:43:15,102 --> 00:43:17,054
on electrical goods.
923
00:43:17,054 --> 00:43:18,622
Especially street lights, right?
924
00:43:18,622 --> 00:43:20,477
And one guy thinks the
reason they can do this
925
00:43:20,477 --> 00:43:22,696
is there's a virus going
around that can super charge
926
00:43:22,696 --> 00:43:24,797
your body as you breathe.
927
00:43:24,797 --> 00:43:28,093
(takes a breath and blow it out)
928
00:43:28,093 --> 00:43:29,589
Nothing.
929
00:43:31,309 --> 00:43:32,898
(blows breath)
930
00:43:36,008 --> 00:43:37,653
Can't we come up with
a better explanation?
931
00:43:37,653 --> 00:43:40,905
I mean, when it comes to
electrical faults, isn't it just
932
00:43:40,905 --> 00:43:45,427
a matter of some dummy
doing something stupid?
933
00:43:45,427 --> 00:43:47,863
(electrical zap)
934
00:43:48,307 --> 00:43:51,155
So, do sliders really have the power
935
00:43:51,155 --> 00:43:53,108
to generate electricity?
936
00:43:53,108 --> 00:43:56,623
- The phenomena to me is
not a real phenomena at all.
937
00:43:59,818 --> 00:44:01,182
- [William] Around the
world, hundreds of people
938
00:44:01,182 --> 00:44:04,042
called sliders claim to have the ability
939
00:44:04,042 --> 00:44:06,314
to interfere with electricity.
940
00:44:06,314 --> 00:44:10,601
Do they have a science
baffling super power?
941
00:44:12,281 --> 00:44:15,681
Lee Colville has studied
sliders for five years.
942
00:44:15,681 --> 00:44:20,323
He thinks he's found another
way to explain the phenomenon.
943
00:44:20,323 --> 00:44:22,104
- It's highly improbable
anyone could generate
944
00:44:22,104 --> 00:44:24,900
enough electricity to
affect a street lamp.
945
00:44:24,900 --> 00:44:26,744
We're talking about
millions of volts here,
946
00:44:26,744 --> 00:44:28,504
as with a lightning bolt and obviously
947
00:44:28,504 --> 00:44:30,830
a very high current flow.
948
00:44:30,830 --> 00:44:32,643
Basically, if anyone
could generate that amount
949
00:44:32,643 --> 00:44:35,149
of electricity, that would kill them.
950
00:44:35,149 --> 00:44:37,549
The current flow itself would kill them.
951
00:44:37,549 --> 00:44:42,464
And probably fry them and
they'd be blowing cars up.
952
00:44:42,464 --> 00:44:44,781
So, therefore, it's very unlikely.
953
00:44:44,781 --> 00:44:49,781
The most plausible explanation
is pure coincidence.
954
00:44:49,943 --> 00:44:52,226
- [William] But how could pure chance
955
00:44:52,226 --> 00:44:55,159
explain the incredible
effect that sliders have
956
00:44:55,159 --> 00:44:59,126
over electrical devices like street lamps?
957
00:44:59,126 --> 00:45:01,505
- Most people are not aware
of how the street light works.
958
00:45:01,505 --> 00:45:04,662
Or what happens when a
street light malfunctions.
959
00:45:04,662 --> 00:45:07,184
Here we have a common
example of a street lamp.
960
00:45:07,184 --> 00:45:09,650
Which is a high pressure sodium lamp.
961
00:45:09,650 --> 00:45:11,378
- [William] Many street lights use
962
00:45:11,378 --> 00:45:14,177
powerful sodium light bulbs.
963
00:45:15,058 --> 00:45:17,266
When they get old, they
don't just burn out.
964
00:45:17,266 --> 00:45:20,347
Or even flicker light fluorescent bulbs.
965
00:45:20,477 --> 00:45:24,312
Instead, they begin a
process called cycling.
966
00:45:25,459 --> 00:45:27,880
- It will turn off.
967
00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,440
When it cools down, it will come on again.
968
00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:31,602
Obviously, it will get too hot.
969
00:45:31,602 --> 00:45:32,840
Then it will cool down again.
970
00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:34,056
Come back on again.
971
00:45:34,056 --> 00:45:36,545
Cycling on and off periodically.
972
00:45:38,183 --> 00:45:39,538
- [William] If someone
walked under a cycling
973
00:45:39,538 --> 00:45:41,617
street lamp at just the right moment,
974
00:45:41,617 --> 00:45:44,196
they could think they turned it off.
975
00:45:46,122 --> 00:45:48,286
But what about Debbie Wolf?
976
00:45:48,286 --> 00:45:50,793
She made a whole street go haywire.
977
00:45:50,793 --> 00:45:52,350
- A row of lamps that's probably installed
978
00:45:52,350 --> 00:45:53,651
at the same time.
979
00:45:53,651 --> 00:45:55,230
So, chances are, if one is faulty,
980
00:45:55,230 --> 00:45:56,713
you're going to find
another one that's faulty.
981
00:45:56,713 --> 00:45:58,644
All on the same row.
982
00:45:58,644 --> 00:46:02,004
- [William] Do faulty street
lights explain this mystery?
983
00:46:02,004 --> 00:46:05,032
What about all the other
electrical gadgets that
984
00:46:05,032 --> 00:46:08,035
sliders like Deborah destroy?
985
00:46:09,108 --> 00:46:11,987
- Static electricity,
it's as mundane as that.
986
00:46:11,987 --> 00:46:13,929
If you've got someone with very dry skin,
987
00:46:13,929 --> 00:46:15,731
you could build up quite a large voltage.
988
00:46:15,731 --> 00:46:17,608
And by touching any electrical appliance,
989
00:46:17,608 --> 00:46:19,870
it could discharge and cause damage
990
00:46:19,870 --> 00:46:21,971
to sensitive components.
991
00:46:22,814 --> 00:46:26,675
- [William] Are sliders just
mistaking static electricity
992
00:46:26,675 --> 00:46:29,347
and coincidence for super powers?
993
00:46:29,854 --> 00:46:30,995
- There is no reason to be frightened of
994
00:46:30,995 --> 00:46:33,299
spending time around alleged slider.
995
00:46:33,299 --> 00:46:36,809
Because the phenomena to me is
not a real phenomena at all.
996
00:46:36,809 --> 00:46:39,250
- [William] So, is this
the end of the mystery?
997
00:46:39,250 --> 00:46:41,133
Maybe not.
998
00:46:42,302 --> 00:46:44,947
Suwan Jayasinghe is a mechanical engineer
999
00:46:44,947 --> 00:46:47,319
who was intrigued by Debbie's story.
1000
00:46:47,827 --> 00:46:49,405
A person being able to produce energy
1001
00:46:49,405 --> 00:46:52,264
or harness energy is much like the X-Men.
1002
00:46:52,264 --> 00:46:54,803
So, it kind of provoked my interest.
1003
00:46:54,803 --> 00:46:57,128
- [William] He's come up
with a remarkable new theory
1004
00:46:57,128 --> 00:46:59,229
to explain what is happening.
1005
00:46:59,229 --> 00:47:01,671
- I'm a bit skeptical that
the body alone can generate
1006
00:47:01,671 --> 00:47:05,565
enough energy to knock off
electrical street lights.
1007
00:47:05,565 --> 00:47:09,564
But Debbie's body could
absorb energy from around us.
1008
00:47:09,564 --> 00:47:13,500
And release it in the form
of an electrical pulse.
1009
00:47:13,500 --> 00:47:15,400
- [William] Instead of
creating electrical energy,
1010
00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:17,894
could Debbie actually
be sucking it up from
1011
00:47:17,894 --> 00:47:19,697
the world around her?
1012
00:47:19,697 --> 00:47:22,694
- Electricity plays
quite an important role
1013
00:47:22,694 --> 00:47:24,544
in our human body.
1014
00:47:25,082 --> 00:47:27,696
Theoretically, one could
possess the ability to
1015
00:47:27,696 --> 00:47:29,883
store electricity through their bodies
1016
00:47:29,883 --> 00:47:31,962
just like a capacitor.
1017
00:47:31,962 --> 00:47:36,304
- [William] Capacitors are
common in all electronics.
1018
00:47:37,514 --> 00:47:40,677
They are used to gradually
soak up excess electricity.
1019
00:47:40,677 --> 00:47:43,524
And then discharge it in a flash.
1020
00:47:46,114 --> 00:47:50,510
Could Debbie be a human capacitor?
1021
00:47:50,510 --> 00:47:54,874
- Her body may possess
molecules that are able to
1022
00:47:54,874 --> 00:47:56,634
harness this power.
1023
00:47:58,134 --> 00:47:59,428
- [William] To prove his
theory, Jayasinghe has
1024
00:47:59,428 --> 00:48:02,490
conducted tests designed
to try and stimulate Debbie
1025
00:48:02,490 --> 00:48:06,244
into releasing an electrical charge.
1026
00:48:06,244 --> 00:48:08,644
Using an oscilloscope, an
instrument which measures
1027
00:48:08,644 --> 00:48:12,388
voltage, he compares her
output to someone with
1028
00:48:12,388 --> 00:48:14,606
a normal charge.
1029
00:48:14,606 --> 00:48:16,803
- And what I'm going to do
is I'm going to show you
1030
00:48:16,803 --> 00:48:19,961
some images and see if
we are able to simulate
1031
00:48:19,961 --> 00:48:21,401
some electricity.
1032
00:48:21,401 --> 00:48:22,994
Okay?
1033
00:48:24,589 --> 00:48:27,267
- [William] Debbie seems to
become most electric when
1034
00:48:27,267 --> 00:48:30,258
she's excited or stressed.
1035
00:48:30,541 --> 00:48:32,920
Jayasinghe uses images
he hopes will recreate
1036
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:34,492
those feelings.
1037
00:48:35,768 --> 00:48:37,506
Although not conclusive,
1038
00:48:37,506 --> 00:48:39,426
some of Jayasinghe's experiments
1039
00:48:39,426 --> 00:48:42,310
produced surprising results.
1040
00:48:42,946 --> 00:48:45,762
- With Debbie, we noticed
that there was voltage
1041
00:48:45,762 --> 00:48:47,841
that was being measured from her body
1042
00:48:47,841 --> 00:48:50,999
that was different to what could be
1043
00:48:50,999 --> 00:48:52,481
measured from ours.
1044
00:48:52,481 --> 00:48:55,110
So, slider phenomenon does exist.
1045
00:48:55,467 --> 00:48:57,803
- [William] But this
phenomenon isn't something
1046
00:48:57,803 --> 00:49:00,693
Debbie can turn on and off at will.
1047
00:49:01,477 --> 00:49:05,584
- It's very hard to bring myself
to a place where I'm going
1048
00:49:05,584 --> 00:49:09,065
to be electric, I suppose.
1049
00:49:09,381 --> 00:49:11,557
I'd be a much richer person
if I could do circus tricks
1050
00:49:11,557 --> 00:49:12,922
and I can't.
1051
00:49:12,922 --> 00:49:14,633
It just happens.
1052
00:49:16,559 --> 00:49:18,937
- [William] Are Debbie,
and thousands like her
1053
00:49:18,937 --> 00:49:22,270
really able to store electricity
and release it in a flash?
1054
00:49:23,375 --> 00:49:27,683
Could a rare virus have turned
them into human generators?
1055
00:49:27,683 --> 00:49:29,198
Or could it all be just
1056
00:49:29,198 --> 00:49:31,944
a series of shocking coincidences?
1057
00:49:34,137 --> 00:49:36,515
Whatever the answer, it's most definitely
1058
00:49:36,515 --> 00:49:39,069
weird ... or what.
1059
00:49:53,741 --> 00:49:54,978
So, there we have it.
1060
00:49:56,332 --> 00:49:58,887
Three bizarre medical mysteries.
1061
00:49:59,277 --> 00:50:01,709
An Arkansas woman baffles
medical professionals
1062
00:50:01,709 --> 00:50:05,639
by surviving a horrific
skydiving accident.
1063
00:50:07,228 --> 00:50:09,377
In upstate New York, a
man vaporized in a fire
1064
00:50:09,377 --> 00:50:11,340
leaves investigators asking,
1065
00:50:11,340 --> 00:50:14,907
"Can humans spontaneously combust?"
1066
00:50:18,294 --> 00:50:20,939
And a group of people report
being able to interfere
1067
00:50:20,939 --> 00:50:22,326
with electricity.
1068
00:50:22,326 --> 00:50:25,924
Do they have an inexplicable super power?
1069
00:50:30,264 --> 00:50:31,734
You decide.
1070
00:50:31,734 --> 00:50:33,194
Join me again next time
1071
00:50:33,194 --> 00:50:34,614
for more stories that will
1072
00:50:34,614 --> 00:50:38,939
undoubtedly be weird or what.
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