1 00:00:02,375 --> 00:00:05,042 [Dan narrating] 2 00:00:08,875 --> 00:00:11,583 [whimsical music] 3 00:00:13,708 --> 00:00:16,125 Imagine surviving a coma, 4 00:00:16,125 --> 00:00:19,625 only to wake up at your own funeral. 5 00:00:19,625 --> 00:00:21,042 [whimsical music intensities] 6 00:00:21,042 --> 00:00:22,667 - To the astonishment and terror of everyone there, 7 00:00:22,667 --> 00:00:26,375 Essie sits up out of her coffin and smiles. 8 00:00:26,375 --> 00:00:29,125 - She tries to walk towards her own parents. 9 00:00:29,125 --> 00:00:32,000 They flee as though she's a ghost or a zombie. 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,208 - Or facing off against an apex predator 11 00:00:35,208 --> 00:00:37,042 and living to tell the tale. 12 00:00:37,042 --> 00:00:39,083 - Suddenly he slammed from the side. 13 00:00:39,083 --> 00:00:40,792 His mask is torn from his face. 14 00:00:40,792 --> 00:00:44,542 - Then very quickly, the shark goes in for another bite. 15 00:00:44,542 --> 00:00:45,417 [person screaming] 16 00:00:45,417 --> 00:00:48,042 - How about free falling 7,000 feet 17 00:00:48,042 --> 00:00:50,500 and landing on the unlikeliest lifesaver? 18 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:53,417 - Fate has thrown her another curve ball. 19 00:00:53,417 --> 00:00:55,917 She has landed directly on top 20 00:00:55,917 --> 00:00:59,292 of a huge colony of fire ants. 21 00:00:59,292 --> 00:01:02,542 - These fire ants attack and bite and sting Joan 22 00:01:02,542 --> 00:01:06,417 by the thousands, and the pain is relentless. 23 00:01:07,833 --> 00:01:10,458 - These are the stories of near death experiences 24 00:01:10,458 --> 00:01:14,208 so shocking, they're truly unbelievable. 25 00:01:14,208 --> 00:01:18,042 [suspenseful tune continues] 26 00:01:26,417 --> 00:01:29,000 There are many ways to cheat death. 27 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,500 Good luck, great timing, 28 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:33,542 or something even more unbelievable 29 00:01:33,542 --> 00:01:36,333 that happens to one lovesick man in Russia. 30 00:01:39,875 --> 00:01:41,417 - It's 2023 in Russia, 31 00:01:41,417 --> 00:01:44,417 and a man only known as Arthur is heartbroken 32 00:01:47,167 --> 00:01:49,417 and he's decided to drown his sorrows 33 00:01:49,417 --> 00:01:51,667 in a long, all night pub crawl. 34 00:01:54,750 --> 00:01:56,250 At the end of the night, 35 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:59,792 he wanders into a stranger's apartment on the 19th floor 36 00:01:59,792 --> 00:02:01,708 and ends up on the balcony. 37 00:02:01,708 --> 00:02:06,208 He then leans back and flips right over the railing. 38 00:02:06,208 --> 00:02:11,292 [suspenseful tune] [loud thud] 39 00:02:12,125 --> 00:02:14,250 - Street cameras capture this. 40 00:02:14,250 --> 00:02:17,042 A very fast blur zipping past the camera 41 00:02:17,042 --> 00:02:18,750 as he plummets towards the street. 42 00:02:22,667 --> 00:02:25,583 Debris shoots skyward as he buries himself 43 00:02:25,583 --> 00:02:28,542 into the top of an SUV, [sirens waling] 44 00:02:28,542 --> 00:02:31,000 and you think to yourself, this is the end. 45 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:32,542 This guy's done. 46 00:02:32,542 --> 00:02:35,333 - [Narrator] Instead, they find something more surprising. 47 00:02:36,583 --> 00:02:39,958 - Arthur is not only standing by his own willpower, 48 00:02:39,958 --> 00:02:43,208 but he's singing and he ends up singing in the ambulance, 49 00:02:43,208 --> 00:02:44,875 all the way to the emergency room. 50 00:02:44,875 --> 00:02:47,083 - [Narrator] First responders are all shocked. 51 00:02:47,083 --> 00:02:49,750 How did he survive a 200 foot fall? 52 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:52,375 - There are a surprising number of recorded cases 53 00:02:52,375 --> 00:02:55,667 of very drunken people surviving horrible accidents. 54 00:02:55,667 --> 00:02:58,208 Essentially, their bodies are so loose 55 00:02:58,208 --> 00:02:59,875 they don't brace for impact 56 00:02:59,875 --> 00:03:03,167 and sometimes they actually experience less trauma. 57 00:03:03,167 --> 00:03:06,000 - Incredibly, he only has a concussion 58 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,500 and some spinal compression fractures. 59 00:03:08,500 --> 00:03:11,417 He's extremely lucky that he landed on that car 60 00:03:11,417 --> 00:03:14,208 with enough force to be able to crumple it 61 00:03:14,208 --> 00:03:17,917 to make the SUV absorb the impact. 62 00:03:17,917 --> 00:03:19,250 He survived something 63 00:03:19,250 --> 00:03:21,875 that absolutely would've killed a more sober man. 64 00:03:25,542 --> 00:03:29,208 - Surviving a 19 story fall seems impossible, 65 00:03:29,208 --> 00:03:30,500 yet it's a walk in the park 66 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:32,417 compared to a high altitude descent 67 00:03:32,417 --> 00:03:35,750 that is truly the stuff of nightmares. 68 00:03:35,750 --> 00:03:38,583 [suspenseful tune] 69 00:03:40,542 --> 00:03:44,333 - It is Christmas Eve, 1971 and Julianne Koka, 70 00:03:44,333 --> 00:03:46,417 a German Peruvian high school student 71 00:03:46,417 --> 00:03:49,917 is flying with her mother in a rickety passenger plane 72 00:03:49,917 --> 00:03:51,542 over the jungles of Peru. 73 00:03:52,667 --> 00:03:54,875 - The plane is packed for two reasons. 74 00:03:54,875 --> 00:03:57,542 One, it's the holidays, but perhaps more importantly, 75 00:03:57,542 --> 00:04:00,500 'cause the airlines other two aircraft have crashed recently 76 00:04:00,500 --> 00:04:02,583 and this is the only one left functioning. 77 00:04:03,708 --> 00:04:05,500 - The first 30 to 40 minutes of the flight 78 00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:07,542 are pretty uneventful, 79 00:04:07,542 --> 00:04:11,000 but when the plane heads into a severe thunderstorm, 80 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,042 things go bad pretty quickly. 81 00:04:13,042 --> 00:04:14,375 [suspenseful tune] [thunder roaring] 82 00:04:14,375 --> 00:04:16,333 - Lightning strikes the wing of the plane, 83 00:04:17,375 --> 00:04:19,500 sparks fly and crack. 84 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,208 Julianne hears her mother, say out loud, "This is the end." 85 00:04:24,750 --> 00:04:27,458 As the engines fail, the plane begins to nose dive, 86 00:04:27,458 --> 00:04:30,875 and for Julianne, everything goes black. 87 00:04:30,875 --> 00:04:33,833 [suspenseful tune continues] 88 00:04:33,833 --> 00:04:36,125 - Suddenly she is falling out of the sky, 89 00:04:36,125 --> 00:04:38,292 still attached to a bank of seats. 90 00:04:38,292 --> 00:04:40,875 The G-forces and the violent spinning 91 00:04:40,875 --> 00:04:42,833 cause her to pass out again. 92 00:04:47,958 --> 00:04:51,458 - [Narrator] Julianne wakes up on the jungle floor, injured, 93 00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:53,875 very confused, but somehow still alive. 94 00:04:55,125 --> 00:04:57,083 - She's suffered a massive concussion. 95 00:04:57,083 --> 00:05:00,583 When she tries to stand, she immediately passes out. 96 00:05:01,375 --> 00:05:03,042 - Not to mention the fact 97 00:05:03,042 --> 00:05:05,292 she has a horrible gaping wound and she's losing blood. 98 00:05:05,292 --> 00:05:08,167 - How she survived the landing is still a mystery, 99 00:05:08,167 --> 00:05:09,583 but one of the theories is 100 00:05:09,583 --> 00:05:12,417 the spinning of the row of seats 101 00:05:12,417 --> 00:05:14,375 acted kind of like a helicopter, 102 00:05:14,375 --> 00:05:17,667 where it provided enough lift just to slow her down. 103 00:05:17,667 --> 00:05:21,208 So when she hit the jungle, she wasn't killed on impact. 104 00:05:21,208 --> 00:05:23,667 - The other theory that's posited is that 105 00:05:23,667 --> 00:05:25,625 the bottom of the seat that she was in 106 00:05:25,625 --> 00:05:26,875 took the majority of the impact, 107 00:05:26,875 --> 00:05:29,042 and as she continued to fall through the canopy 108 00:05:29,042 --> 00:05:30,708 and fall through the leaves and through the branches 109 00:05:30,708 --> 00:05:32,875 that continued to slow down her descent 110 00:05:32,875 --> 00:05:35,417 until she ultimately hit the jungle floor. 111 00:05:38,083 --> 00:05:39,750 - Julianne wanders the crash site, 112 00:05:39,750 --> 00:05:41,833 which is now littered with bodies, 113 00:05:41,833 --> 00:05:44,583 and she notices a corpse with lady shoes. 114 00:05:44,583 --> 00:05:46,750 It could possibly be her mother, 115 00:05:46,750 --> 00:05:49,000 but at this point her thinking is so scattered, 116 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,625 it's just hard for her to really absorb anything. 117 00:05:52,875 --> 00:05:55,958 - [Narrator] Dazed or not, Julianne knows one thing. 118 00:05:55,958 --> 00:05:57,708 She has to find help. 119 00:05:57,708 --> 00:06:00,000 - She remembers something that her father, 120 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,458 a field biologist once told her. 121 00:06:02,458 --> 00:06:04,417 Follow the water. 122 00:06:04,417 --> 00:06:07,583 Even the tiniest streams will lead to bigger streams 123 00:06:07,583 --> 00:06:09,708 and those will lead to rivers, 124 00:06:09,708 --> 00:06:11,667 and that's where the people will be. 125 00:06:11,667 --> 00:06:13,667 - She's trying to take in her surroundings, 126 00:06:13,667 --> 00:06:16,708 but she has no clue where to find water 127 00:06:16,708 --> 00:06:21,042 until she hears a unique call of a bird she knows 128 00:06:21,042 --> 00:06:22,333 called a crested chicken, 129 00:06:23,458 --> 00:06:27,167 and she remembers they live near rivers. 130 00:06:27,167 --> 00:06:30,125 - [Narrator] Her path to the river is long and perilous, 131 00:06:30,125 --> 00:06:31,667 swarming with panthers, snakes, 132 00:06:31,667 --> 00:06:33,333 and other fearsome predators. 133 00:06:34,792 --> 00:06:37,667 But the biggest threat comes from a much smaller creature 134 00:06:37,667 --> 00:06:41,375 now making a home out of the horrific gash in her arm, 135 00:06:41,375 --> 00:06:42,708 maggots. 136 00:06:42,708 --> 00:06:44,208 - If maggots are appearing, 137 00:06:44,208 --> 00:06:46,917 that means that the tissue around the womb has died, 138 00:06:46,917 --> 00:06:50,042 gangrene potentially setting in, and that could be fatal. 139 00:06:51,333 --> 00:06:52,458 - [Narrator] Despite her body breaking down, 140 00:06:52,458 --> 00:06:54,542 Julianne keeps moving, 141 00:06:54,542 --> 00:06:57,500 drawn by the one thing that cuts through the silence. 142 00:06:58,375 --> 00:07:00,000 [birds chirping] 143 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,917 - For three days, she tracks the sound of the bird, 144 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:10,542 and sure enough it leads her to a stream. 145 00:07:11,750 --> 00:07:14,000 - [Narrator] The stream offers a glimmer of hope, 146 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,625 but with each passing day doubt creeps in. 147 00:07:17,708 --> 00:07:19,583 - A week has passed since her plane crashed, 148 00:07:19,583 --> 00:07:23,458 and occasionally she'll hear a plane hovering above her. 149 00:07:23,458 --> 00:07:25,625 She'll scream for search and rescue, 150 00:07:25,625 --> 00:07:28,625 but the jungle canopy is so thick that they don't hear her. 151 00:07:29,875 --> 00:07:32,500 - [Narrator] Then amid the endless hum of the jungle, 152 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:34,125 a new sound emerges. 153 00:07:35,542 --> 00:07:38,083 - She hears the sound of running water. 154 00:07:38,083 --> 00:07:39,542 She's found the river, 155 00:07:39,542 --> 00:07:41,667 just like her father told her she would. 156 00:07:43,208 --> 00:07:44,917 She's too weak to swim, 157 00:07:44,917 --> 00:07:48,750 so her only real option is to float down the river on logs 158 00:07:48,750 --> 00:07:50,958 or anything else that will carry her. 159 00:07:50,958 --> 00:07:52,542 - While she's drifting down the river, 160 00:07:52,542 --> 00:07:55,542 there are crocodiles that see her floating. 161 00:07:55,542 --> 00:07:57,250 Luckily they end up leaving her alone 162 00:07:57,250 --> 00:07:58,958 and letting her continue to drift on. 163 00:08:01,292 --> 00:08:03,833 - [Narrator] Eventually she comes across a small riverboat 164 00:08:03,833 --> 00:08:07,500 docked by a cabin, which gives her an idea. 165 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:08,875 - Julianne remembers as a child, 166 00:08:08,875 --> 00:08:10,375 they had a dog 167 00:08:10,375 --> 00:08:12,542 that also had a wound that became infested with maggots. 168 00:08:12,542 --> 00:08:14,500 Her dad would grab some diesel fuel 169 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:16,042 to clean all the maggots out. 170 00:08:16,042 --> 00:08:18,667 With the outboard motor fuel, she also does the same 171 00:08:20,042 --> 00:08:22,625 and the maggots immediately rushed to the surface 172 00:08:22,625 --> 00:08:23,708 and leave the wound. 173 00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:26,875 - [Narrator] Exhausted and malnourished, 174 00:08:26,875 --> 00:08:29,208 Julianne passes out in the cabin, 175 00:08:29,208 --> 00:08:33,125 her first shelter since she fell from the sky 10 days ago. 176 00:08:34,250 --> 00:08:35,708 - When Julianne awakes, 177 00:08:35,708 --> 00:08:38,917 she's startled because she sees three lumber workers 178 00:08:38,917 --> 00:08:40,333 standing over her. 179 00:08:40,333 --> 00:08:43,542 They're completely shocked and terrified by her appearance. 180 00:08:43,542 --> 00:08:46,125 She is emaciated, she's filthy, 181 00:08:46,125 --> 00:08:50,542 and her eyes are blood red from the concussion. 182 00:08:50,542 --> 00:08:52,458 They scream and run away. 183 00:08:52,458 --> 00:08:55,667 It turns out there actually is a local legend 184 00:08:55,667 --> 00:08:58,750 about a water demon with big fiery red eyes. 185 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,000 They think that she's coming to get them. 186 00:09:03,333 --> 00:09:06,292 - [Narrator] Julianne convinces them that she's not a demon, 187 00:09:06,292 --> 00:09:08,417 but the survivor of a plane crash, 188 00:09:08,417 --> 00:09:11,500 and they take her to the neighboring town to get help. 189 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:14,042 - After spending 11 days in the jungle, 190 00:09:14,042 --> 00:09:17,500 Julianne finally reunites with her father, 191 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:20,083 the voice in her head, which told her, 192 00:09:20,083 --> 00:09:23,000 follow the water and you'll find the people. 193 00:09:24,542 --> 00:09:27,208 - By chance, famed film director Werner Hertzog 194 00:09:27,208 --> 00:09:30,042 was supposed to be on that plane with Julianne, 195 00:09:30,042 --> 00:09:31,292 but he was bumped. 196 00:09:31,292 --> 00:09:34,042 Decades later, he returns with her to the jungle 197 00:09:34,042 --> 00:09:36,750 to retrace this incredible tale of survival. 198 00:09:41,417 --> 00:09:42,708 - Rock climbing is full of risks, 199 00:09:42,708 --> 00:09:45,250 but sometimes the most terrifying part isn't the fall. 200 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:47,750 Take for instance, the experience of one man 201 00:09:47,750 --> 00:09:51,167 on Japan's Mount Futago in 2022. 202 00:09:52,250 --> 00:09:55,708 [suspenseful tune] 203 00:09:55,708 --> 00:09:57,792 [climbers yelling] 204 00:09:57,792 --> 00:10:02,542 - The climber shutters as a black blur shoots past him. 205 00:10:02,542 --> 00:10:06,708 That blur is a vicious Japanese black bear. 206 00:10:06,708 --> 00:10:10,250 [climber yelling] 207 00:10:10,250 --> 00:10:14,125 There's a myriad of ways he could die. He's got no ropes. 208 00:10:14,125 --> 00:10:16,333 The bear could knock him off this cliff, 209 00:10:16,333 --> 00:10:20,833 some 3000 feet up, or he could slip as he tries to escape. 210 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:23,917 - There's also the unpleasant prospect 211 00:10:23,917 --> 00:10:27,833 of being mauled and killed by this female, 212 00:10:27,833 --> 00:10:32,875 because Japanese black bear are notoriously aggressive. 213 00:10:36,542 --> 00:10:38,375 - Black bears are an apex predator. 214 00:10:38,375 --> 00:10:39,917 They're a formidable animal, 215 00:10:39,917 --> 00:10:43,667 and to fight off a black bear even on flat ground 216 00:10:43,667 --> 00:10:46,667 is almost an impossible task. 217 00:10:46,667 --> 00:10:48,875 Imagine hanging off of a cliff 218 00:10:48,875 --> 00:10:50,500 and to add to the peril, 219 00:10:50,500 --> 00:10:54,125 a bear can climb a mountain much faster than a person can. 220 00:10:55,750 --> 00:10:58,417 - [Narrator] Just when he thinks it can't get any worse, 221 00:10:58,417 --> 00:11:00,292 an unexpected visitor shows up. 222 00:11:01,333 --> 00:11:02,750 - In the middle of the mayhem, 223 00:11:02,750 --> 00:11:05,042 he notices there's a little bear cub in the distance. 224 00:11:05,042 --> 00:11:07,708 This is by far the worst case scenario 225 00:11:07,708 --> 00:11:09,083 when it comes to bear attacks, 226 00:11:09,083 --> 00:11:11,708 because 70% of people that lose their lives 227 00:11:11,708 --> 00:11:14,667 from bear attacks are from a very angry mother 228 00:11:14,667 --> 00:11:17,083 defending their cubs. [climber yelling] 229 00:11:17,083 --> 00:11:20,250 - Luckily, the climber has a secret weapon. 230 00:11:20,250 --> 00:11:24,792 He happens to know karate, so when the bear lunges at him, 231 00:11:24,792 --> 00:11:27,292 he actually throws some powerful kicks and punches. 232 00:11:28,958 --> 00:11:31,833 One of those kicks lands hard enough 233 00:11:31,833 --> 00:11:36,667 that it rattles her and she retreats. 234 00:11:40,708 --> 00:11:42,542 - When you add up all the factors, 235 00:11:42,542 --> 00:11:47,125 this guy is extremely lucky to survive the situation. 236 00:11:47,125 --> 00:11:50,042 - Completely out of breath and panicked, 237 00:11:50,042 --> 00:11:53,375 the climber finally makes his way back up the mountain 238 00:11:53,375 --> 00:11:56,000 knowing that today he just barely survived 239 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,042 filming his own death on a GoPro. 240 00:12:02,083 --> 00:12:04,542 - Karate might come in handy against angry bears 241 00:12:04,542 --> 00:12:08,792 on a mountain, but it's not going to save you underwater. 242 00:12:08,792 --> 00:12:10,042 [suspenseful tune] 243 00:12:10,042 --> 00:12:12,583 - By 22 years old, Australian, Rodney Fox 244 00:12:12,583 --> 00:12:14,917 is already a spearfishing legend. 245 00:12:14,917 --> 00:12:18,875 In 1963, he's determined to hold onto his local title. 246 00:12:18,875 --> 00:12:22,750 - He is free diving without a tank, taking deep breaths, 247 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:25,875 and combing the reefs off of Aldinga Beach 248 00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:28,625 in search of exotic fish. 249 00:12:28,625 --> 00:12:31,167 - [Narrator] What Rodney doesn't realize is 250 00:12:31,167 --> 00:12:35,083 that he is also being hunted. [suspenseful tune] 251 00:12:35,083 --> 00:12:37,000 - Suddenly he's slammed from the side. 252 00:12:38,083 --> 00:12:39,625 His spear gun is knocked from his hand. 253 00:12:39,625 --> 00:12:41,208 His mask is torn from his face. 254 00:12:42,708 --> 00:12:45,375 His first thought is that he's been struck by a submarine. 255 00:12:46,667 --> 00:12:48,208 - Rodney isn't sure what's happening, 256 00:12:48,208 --> 00:12:50,708 but what he does know is that he's moving through the water 257 00:12:50,708 --> 00:12:53,917 faster than he's ever moved in his life. 258 00:12:53,917 --> 00:12:55,958 Rodney feels an intense pressure 259 00:12:55,958 --> 00:12:58,875 from his hip to above his shoulder, 260 00:12:58,875 --> 00:13:02,875 and all the air just suddenly expelled from his lungs. 261 00:13:02,875 --> 00:13:06,542 Then very quickly, he realizes that he's in the mouth 262 00:13:06,542 --> 00:13:10,208 of a great white shark. [suspenseful tune continues] 263 00:13:10,208 --> 00:13:11,583 - He's weakened by the loss of blood 264 00:13:11,583 --> 00:13:12,833 and also the lack of air, 265 00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:14,375 so he reaches for his diver's knife 266 00:13:14,375 --> 00:13:16,458 and begins jabbing the shark near his eyes 267 00:13:16,458 --> 00:13:17,375 and near his gills. 268 00:13:18,708 --> 00:13:21,875 Incredibly, he actually feels the shark letting him go. 269 00:13:23,125 --> 00:13:25,292 - [Narrator] Most would try to flee from the shark, 270 00:13:25,292 --> 00:13:27,875 but quick thinking Rodney goes on the offensive. 271 00:13:28,833 --> 00:13:30,875 - Rodney rushes toward the shark 272 00:13:30,875 --> 00:13:33,917 and bear hugs it, wrapping his bloody arms 273 00:13:33,917 --> 00:13:37,375 around its great sand papery belly. 274 00:13:37,375 --> 00:13:41,042 This is similar to a tactic used by seals 275 00:13:41,042 --> 00:13:43,375 when they're attacked by great white sharks. 276 00:13:43,375 --> 00:13:45,708 They crowd close to its midsection 277 00:13:45,708 --> 00:13:48,417 to stay away from its deadly jaws. 278 00:13:48,417 --> 00:13:50,833 - Now the shark wants to get rid of Rodney, 279 00:13:50,833 --> 00:13:52,417 so it shakes him off 280 00:13:52,417 --> 00:13:56,208 and once free, Rodney is going for the surface. 281 00:13:57,458 --> 00:13:59,833 - He looks down as he's kicking his way to the surface 282 00:13:59,833 --> 00:14:02,250 and through the bloody mirk of the water, 283 00:14:02,250 --> 00:14:04,958 he can see the shark is coming at him. 284 00:14:04,958 --> 00:14:07,208 - The shark goes in for another bite, 285 00:14:07,208 --> 00:14:10,125 but to Rodney's surprise, the shark doesn't bite him, 286 00:14:10,125 --> 00:14:13,625 it goes for the bag of fish that he has speared. 287 00:14:13,625 --> 00:14:15,875 - [Narrator] This may sound like a lucky break, 288 00:14:15,875 --> 00:14:18,042 but the bag of fish is still attached to him. 289 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,125 - Rodney's hands are too torn up 290 00:14:21,125 --> 00:14:25,042 to trigger the release on his bag of speared fish 291 00:14:25,042 --> 00:14:27,208 attached to his dive belt. 292 00:14:27,208 --> 00:14:31,208 So when the shark takes off, Rodney is dragged by the bag 293 00:14:31,208 --> 00:14:34,208 back down toward the ocean floor. 294 00:14:34,208 --> 00:14:38,458 By some last minute miracle, the line snaps on its own 295 00:14:38,458 --> 00:14:41,625 and Rodney is free to swim toward the surface. 296 00:14:43,417 --> 00:14:46,042 - Rodney breaks the surface and begins to gulp air 297 00:14:46,042 --> 00:14:49,167 and he sees that a boat is bearing down on him 298 00:14:49,167 --> 00:14:50,500 and it turns out that the blood 299 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:51,917 that is pouring out of Rodney, 300 00:14:51,917 --> 00:14:55,208 has created essentially a dye marker to locate him. 301 00:14:55,208 --> 00:14:57,417 - [Narrator] As Rodney is pulled onto the boat, 302 00:14:57,417 --> 00:15:00,292 the only thing holding him together is his wetsuit. 303 00:15:00,292 --> 00:15:02,958 - He is in terrible condition. 304 00:15:02,958 --> 00:15:05,583 There's this giant bite mark going from his shoulder, 305 00:15:05,583 --> 00:15:09,958 all the way down to his hip and his organs are hanging out. 306 00:15:09,958 --> 00:15:13,708 Every rib on the left side of his body is cracked 307 00:15:13,708 --> 00:15:16,625 and his lung is punctured. 308 00:15:16,625 --> 00:15:19,042 - It takes almost 500 stitches 309 00:15:19,042 --> 00:15:21,083 to put Rodney back together again, 310 00:15:21,083 --> 00:15:25,167 but he survives and fights his way back to a full recovery. 311 00:15:25,958 --> 00:15:27,292 - Rodney's massive scar 312 00:15:27,292 --> 00:15:29,208 becomes the stuff of spearfishing legend. 313 00:15:29,208 --> 00:15:31,208 Some say the encounter inspired Peter Benchley 314 00:15:31,208 --> 00:15:33,375 when he was writing the book "Jaws". 315 00:15:34,625 --> 00:15:37,500 - Now in his eighties, Fox still chases sharks, 316 00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:41,167 but with a camera and from inside a cage. 317 00:15:45,875 --> 00:15:47,208 - When it comes to escaping death, 318 00:15:47,208 --> 00:15:48,417 most managed to do it before actually being buried. 319 00:15:48,417 --> 00:15:51,583 But shockingly, there are a few exceptions. 320 00:15:53,708 --> 00:15:55,375 - In 1915 in South Carolina, 321 00:15:55,375 --> 00:16:00,333 you had one of those incredibly scorching hot summers. 322 00:16:00,333 --> 00:16:04,125 30-year-old, Essie Dunbar falls into a violent 323 00:16:04,125 --> 00:16:06,458 epileptic seizure, due to all the heat. 324 00:16:07,208 --> 00:16:09,250 She passes out on the ground 325 00:16:09,250 --> 00:16:12,542 and the local county doctor, DK Briggs is called. 326 00:16:12,542 --> 00:16:14,875 When Briggs arrives to the scene, 327 00:16:14,875 --> 00:16:18,042 Essie is completely motionless. 328 00:16:18,042 --> 00:16:20,333 - After several failed attempts to revive her, 329 00:16:20,333 --> 00:16:24,208 DK Briggs announces the sad news to Essie's family, 330 00:16:24,208 --> 00:16:26,083 their beloved daughter is dead. 331 00:16:27,625 --> 00:16:30,875 - The grief stricken Dunbar's send word to Essie's sister, 332 00:16:30,875 --> 00:16:33,042 but she lives in another town, 333 00:16:33,042 --> 00:16:35,292 and unfortunately they have to plan the funeral 334 00:16:35,292 --> 00:16:38,042 for the next day because of the excessive heat. 335 00:16:38,042 --> 00:16:40,708 They can't leave a body lying around. 336 00:16:40,708 --> 00:16:42,958 - Her sister is devastated 337 00:16:42,958 --> 00:16:44,583 and wants to come home for the funeral, 338 00:16:44,583 --> 00:16:47,542 which is gonna be incredibly tight for her to make it. 339 00:16:47,542 --> 00:16:49,875 Remember, the automobile as we know it 340 00:16:49,875 --> 00:16:52,417 still was not in existence, 341 00:16:52,417 --> 00:16:55,375 so it was gonna take her sister quite a while 342 00:16:55,375 --> 00:16:58,250 to make it back to the family home. 343 00:16:58,250 --> 00:17:00,917 - Three ministers actually preached at Essie's funeral 344 00:17:00,917 --> 00:17:02,417 to try to elongate the service, 345 00:17:02,417 --> 00:17:04,083 and yet, this still isn't enough time 346 00:17:04,083 --> 00:17:06,000 for her sister to arrive. 347 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,458 - By the time Essie's sister makes it, 348 00:17:08,458 --> 00:17:12,375 the funeral's over and Essie has been buried. 349 00:17:13,208 --> 00:17:15,333 Essie's sister is inconsolable. 350 00:17:15,333 --> 00:17:17,500 She can't believe she's missed the funeral. 351 00:17:18,292 --> 00:17:21,458 So to finally calm her down, 352 00:17:21,458 --> 00:17:24,583 the family decides they will exhume Essie 353 00:17:25,917 --> 00:17:28,583 so her sister can see her one final time. 354 00:17:28,583 --> 00:17:31,667 It's a little bit extreme that they would even do that, 355 00:17:31,667 --> 00:17:35,750 but unbelievably, the groundskeepers of the cemetery, 356 00:17:35,750 --> 00:17:39,542 they all agree and they decide they will dig the coffin up. 357 00:17:41,667 --> 00:17:44,542 - And when they open the coffin, 358 00:17:45,542 --> 00:17:48,875 a dead body is not what they find. 359 00:17:48,875 --> 00:17:51,958 To the astonishment and terror of everyone in the group, 360 00:17:51,958 --> 00:17:54,167 Essie sits up out of her coffin, 361 00:17:54,167 --> 00:17:57,250 looks at her sister and smiles. 362 00:17:58,417 --> 00:18:01,250 - By some accounts, the preachers actually faint 363 00:18:01,250 --> 00:18:03,125 and fall into the grave. 364 00:18:03,125 --> 00:18:04,583 Essie steps out of the coffin 365 00:18:04,583 --> 00:18:07,292 and tries to walk towards her own parents. 366 00:18:07,292 --> 00:18:10,833 They flee as though she's a ghost or a zombie. 367 00:18:10,833 --> 00:18:12,708 - [Narrator] Essie's rise seems like something 368 00:18:12,708 --> 00:18:14,292 out of a horror movie, 369 00:18:14,292 --> 00:18:16,667 but the real story is far more chilling. 370 00:18:18,250 --> 00:18:22,208 - A seizure is an electrical storm in the brain, 371 00:18:22,208 --> 00:18:26,333 so likely what happened is that during her seizure, 372 00:18:26,333 --> 00:18:30,333 that electrical activity ended up stopping the heart. 373 00:18:30,333 --> 00:18:33,125 So when the county doctor pronounced her dead, 374 00:18:33,125 --> 00:18:35,250 her heart actually was stopped. 375 00:18:35,250 --> 00:18:38,083 This is a phenomenon called ictal asystole. 376 00:18:40,542 --> 00:18:42,792 And on top of that, when people think of seizures, 377 00:18:42,792 --> 00:18:45,292 they think of the whole body violently jerking, 378 00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:48,458 but there are tonic seizures as well 379 00:18:48,458 --> 00:18:51,125 where the whole body is just fully stifF, 380 00:18:51,125 --> 00:18:54,917 so that stiffening could have mimicked rigor mortis 381 00:18:54,917 --> 00:18:59,625 and tricked DK Briggs into believing this patient was dead. 382 00:19:01,042 --> 00:19:04,417 - Luckily, Essie is no zombie and Essie's sister knows that. 383 00:19:04,417 --> 00:19:07,875 Calmer heads prevail and she's invited back home 384 00:19:07,875 --> 00:19:09,375 and makes a full recovery. 385 00:19:10,958 --> 00:19:13,708 - Essie goes on to live a pretty normal and quiet life. 386 00:19:13,708 --> 00:19:16,208 She works on her family's farm until she passes away 387 00:19:16,208 --> 00:19:18,333 in the year 1962. 388 00:19:19,458 --> 00:19:22,208 A local newspaper announces the service as, 389 00:19:22,208 --> 00:19:25,542 "Final funeral for South Carolina woman." 390 00:19:26,792 --> 00:19:29,167 - Unbelievably, this isn't the only time 391 00:19:29,167 --> 00:19:32,708 someone is pronounced dead a little prematurely. 392 00:19:32,708 --> 00:19:34,208 [suspenseful tune] 393 00:19:34,208 --> 00:19:38,292 - In 1754, Ewen McDonald is a Scottish soldier 394 00:19:38,292 --> 00:19:41,375 on leave and he goes out to the pub. 395 00:19:41,375 --> 00:19:42,917 A fight breaks out. 396 00:19:42,917 --> 00:19:45,208 Suddenly someone pulls out a knife 397 00:19:45,208 --> 00:19:47,542 and things go from bad to worse. 398 00:19:48,375 --> 00:19:50,417 - Ewen, who is a trained soldier, 399 00:19:50,417 --> 00:19:52,750 ends up with the knife in his hands 400 00:19:52,750 --> 00:19:56,167 and stuck in the neck of one of the locals, Robert Parker, 401 00:19:56,167 --> 00:19:58,250 who dies from the knife wound. 402 00:19:58,250 --> 00:20:01,292 The locals want justice and they're going to get it. 403 00:20:02,542 --> 00:20:04,542 - Ewen is charged with murder and convicted. 404 00:20:06,083 --> 00:20:09,750 The judge sentences him to death by hanging. 405 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:12,458 In addition, the judge rules his body be donated 406 00:20:12,458 --> 00:20:14,292 to a nearby medical school. 407 00:20:16,458 --> 00:20:19,542 - That might seem like a strange pronouncement by the judge, 408 00:20:19,542 --> 00:20:22,542 but at this point in time, it is very hard 409 00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:25,833 to find good healthy bodies for anatomical study. 410 00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:29,000 So this is really a gift to the medical students 411 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,333 and they're excited to get this body. 412 00:20:32,792 --> 00:20:37,667 - It's execution day and Ewen is brought up to the gallows. 413 00:20:38,958 --> 00:20:40,417 He's desperately trying to stop this from happening. 414 00:20:40,417 --> 00:20:41,750 He's shoving and pushing 415 00:20:41,750 --> 00:20:44,333 and he tries to knock the hangman off his ladder. 416 00:20:44,333 --> 00:20:45,583 It's all to no avail. 417 00:20:46,417 --> 00:20:47,917 The noose is tightened, 418 00:20:47,917 --> 00:20:52,667 the lever is pulled, and Ewen is hung from the neck 419 00:20:52,667 --> 00:20:55,417 until a medical professional on the scene 420 00:20:55,417 --> 00:20:57,500 officially declares him dead. 421 00:20:59,583 --> 00:21:00,500 - [Narrator] Ewen's body is brought 422 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:02,042 to the dissection theater 423 00:21:02,042 --> 00:21:06,583 to carry out the second part of his sentence, the autopsy. 424 00:21:06,583 --> 00:21:09,542 - The surgeon is excited to get underway with this job. 425 00:21:09,542 --> 00:21:11,750 He sharpens his tools, gets dressed, 426 00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:14,125 and when he enters the dissection theater, 427 00:21:14,125 --> 00:21:16,750 he is met with the shock of his life. 428 00:21:20,292 --> 00:21:23,958 - Sitting up on the table is a very frightened, 429 00:21:23,958 --> 00:21:26,667 very much alive, Ewen McDonald, 430 00:21:26,667 --> 00:21:30,375 and he is panicking, begging, pleading for help. 431 00:21:30,375 --> 00:21:32,375 - Luckily for him, he's in the right place. 432 00:21:32,375 --> 00:21:35,333 There is a doctor and you think that this doctor 433 00:21:35,333 --> 00:21:38,042 would come to his aid and heal him. 434 00:21:38,042 --> 00:21:40,708 He's still alive. [suspenseful tune] 435 00:21:40,708 --> 00:21:42,708 - [Narrator] But this medical miracle 436 00:21:42,708 --> 00:21:45,917 isn't enough for the doctor to change his plans. 437 00:21:47,167 --> 00:21:49,875 - Instead of saving Ewen, 438 00:21:49,875 --> 00:21:52,458 this surgeon grabs a mallet 439 00:21:52,458 --> 00:21:55,042 and knocks Ewen upside the head, 440 00:21:55,042 --> 00:21:57,625 finishing the hangman's job. 441 00:21:57,625 --> 00:21:59,458 This surgeon is super excited 442 00:21:59,458 --> 00:22:01,292 to get this dissection underway 443 00:22:01,292 --> 00:22:03,500 and when he sees a living Ewen, 444 00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:05,333 he is not gonna let that come between him 445 00:22:05,333 --> 00:22:06,500 and his dissection. 446 00:22:08,417 --> 00:22:11,292 - In perhaps a stunning example of karmic retribution, 447 00:22:11,292 --> 00:22:13,458 years later, the same surgeon would die 448 00:22:13,458 --> 00:22:17,708 from a kick to the head delivered by his own horse. 449 00:22:17,708 --> 00:22:20,583 No word on whether he donated his own body to science. 450 00:22:25,333 --> 00:22:26,875 - We've seen death avoided thanks to freak physics, 451 00:22:26,875 --> 00:22:30,542 a sheer will to live, and even slipping the hangman's noose. 452 00:22:30,542 --> 00:22:33,750 But sometimes, the best way to beat the reaper 453 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:37,042 is with a little help from Mother Nature. 454 00:22:37,042 --> 00:22:38,958 [suspenseful tune] 455 00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:40,792 - The Empire State Building in New York City 456 00:22:40,792 --> 00:22:42,958 was once the world's tallest building 457 00:22:42,958 --> 00:22:44,875 and there have been numerous instances 458 00:22:44,875 --> 00:22:47,625 of desperate people using the building's height 459 00:22:47,625 --> 00:22:49,458 to jump off and end it all. 460 00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:54,917 1979, one of these despondent people is 461 00:22:54,917 --> 00:22:57,083 29-year-old, Elvita Adams. 462 00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:00,375 - It's a cold, windy night on December 2nd 463 00:23:00,375 --> 00:23:02,625 and Elvita walks the observation deck 464 00:23:02,625 --> 00:23:04,625 on the building's 86th floor. 465 00:23:06,042 --> 00:23:07,708 When she's confident that there's no one close enough 466 00:23:07,708 --> 00:23:10,500 to stop her, she quickly scales the eight foot fence 467 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:15,500 and jumps off. [suspenseful tune] 468 00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:18,833 - Now, just as she leaps, a massive gust of wind 469 00:23:18,833 --> 00:23:23,083 comes along and pushes her back towards the building. 470 00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:27,125 - [Narrator] Instead of falling 86 stories to the ground, 471 00:23:27,125 --> 00:23:29,000 she falls only one, 472 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,750 landing on a narrow ledge on the 85th floor. 473 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,042 - She's stunned, she's in tremendous pain, 474 00:23:35,042 --> 00:23:38,292 and really not sure what's happened, how she got there. 475 00:23:38,292 --> 00:23:40,500 - Wind moving a body this way 476 00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:42,750 is not something that a small breeze is gonna do, 477 00:23:42,750 --> 00:23:46,000 it takes like 60 to 70 mile per hour wind gust, 478 00:23:47,542 --> 00:23:49,708 and it turns out that the higher you go in altitude, 479 00:23:49,708 --> 00:23:51,333 the faster the wind becomes 480 00:23:51,333 --> 00:23:53,208 because there's less friction with the ground 481 00:23:53,208 --> 00:23:55,167 and all the stuff on the ground. 482 00:23:55,167 --> 00:23:58,500 And in New York City, you have these tall skyscrapers, 483 00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:00,542 and as the wind funnels through them 484 00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:02,833 going from a wide area to a more narrow area, 485 00:24:02,833 --> 00:24:04,792 that increases the wind speed. 486 00:24:05,875 --> 00:24:08,083 - What's really astonishing about this is 487 00:24:08,083 --> 00:24:10,125 the timing of this gust of wind. 488 00:24:10,125 --> 00:24:13,417 It had to be coming from exactly the right angle 489 00:24:13,417 --> 00:24:17,500 at exactly the right time to save Elvita's life. 490 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:19,542 - A night supervisor named George Rice 491 00:24:19,542 --> 00:24:21,750 spots Elvita on the ledge. 492 00:24:21,750 --> 00:24:23,542 Incredibly, with the help of others, 493 00:24:23,542 --> 00:24:26,042 he's able to get Elvita safely inside the building 494 00:24:26,042 --> 00:24:27,625 without anybody falling. 495 00:24:27,625 --> 00:24:29,458 Elvita is taken to Bellevue Hospital 496 00:24:29,458 --> 00:24:30,625 with a fractured pelvis, 497 00:24:30,625 --> 00:24:32,542 but otherwise, unharmed, 498 00:24:32,542 --> 00:24:34,708 all thanks to that miraculous gust of wind. 499 00:24:38,042 --> 00:24:40,208 - One miracle might make you a believer 500 00:24:40,208 --> 00:24:41,792 in divine intervention, 501 00:24:41,792 --> 00:24:43,792 but our next lucky protagonist 502 00:24:43,792 --> 00:24:46,708 has his guardian angel working overtime. 503 00:24:49,125 --> 00:24:52,042 - It's a pretty cool January day in the year 1962 504 00:24:52,042 --> 00:24:53,542 in Croatia. 505 00:24:53,542 --> 00:24:55,958 You have 32-year-old music teacher, Fran Salak 506 00:24:55,958 --> 00:24:57,542 riding on the train. 507 00:24:57,542 --> 00:24:59,125 Then suddenly and without warning, 508 00:24:59,125 --> 00:25:03,000 Fran hears this sound of just crushing and grinding metal 509 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,792 and sees gravel just shooting past the window. 510 00:25:07,583 --> 00:25:09,375 The train has jumped the track 511 00:25:09,375 --> 00:25:14,167 and is now careening into the icy water that is below them. 512 00:25:14,167 --> 00:25:16,833 - The frigid water rushes into the train 513 00:25:18,708 --> 00:25:20,875 and by the time Fran realizes what's happening, 514 00:25:20,875 --> 00:25:24,500 he's got a broken arm and some brutal hypothermia, 515 00:25:25,750 --> 00:25:28,333 but somehow Fran is able to swim his way to help 516 00:25:28,333 --> 00:25:30,875 and is plucked from the river before it kills him. 517 00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:36,792 Now 17 other passengers are not so lucky. 518 00:25:36,792 --> 00:25:38,167 - [Narrator] But this is not 519 00:25:38,167 --> 00:25:40,667 the angel of death's last swing at Fran, 520 00:25:40,667 --> 00:25:42,042 not by a long shot. 521 00:25:43,917 --> 00:25:47,417 - In 1963, Fran takes his first ever plane ride. 522 00:25:47,417 --> 00:25:49,333 This has be an exciting moment for 'em. 523 00:25:49,333 --> 00:25:53,000 But not long after takeoff, something terrible happens. 524 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,500 - Mid-flight, the door is ripped off the fuselage. 525 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:01,500 A flight attendant and Fran are sucked out along with it. 526 00:26:03,083 --> 00:26:04,917 - If you're sucked out of a plane, 527 00:26:04,917 --> 00:26:08,917 the odds of your survival are pretty much next to zero. 528 00:26:09,917 --> 00:26:12,458 - 19 people aboard the plane 529 00:26:12,458 --> 00:26:14,542 will die when the plane crashes, 530 00:26:15,458 --> 00:26:17,750 but Fran somehow survives this event 531 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:21,792 because as he falls to earth, he lands in a haystack. 532 00:26:22,750 --> 00:26:24,292 - [Narrator] After recovering, 533 00:26:24,292 --> 00:26:27,667 Fran welcomes an uneventful life for the next three years 534 00:26:27,667 --> 00:26:31,792 until a routine trip takes an unexpected turn. 535 00:26:31,792 --> 00:26:34,542 - Fran's on a bus that slams into an embankment 536 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,708 and slides into another cold river. 537 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,000 - Once again, he's able to free himself from the bus, 538 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,208 swim away from the wreckage through the SU river 539 00:26:45,208 --> 00:26:47,167 and makes it to safety. 540 00:26:47,167 --> 00:26:48,875 - [Narrator] Fran is done taking chances 541 00:26:48,875 --> 00:26:50,833 with public transportation, 542 00:26:50,833 --> 00:26:53,083 so he saves up and buys himself a car. 543 00:26:54,208 --> 00:26:55,542 - In the early 1970s, 544 00:26:55,542 --> 00:26:58,792 not one but two of Fran's cars catch fire, 545 00:26:58,792 --> 00:27:00,958 nearly killing him each time. 546 00:27:02,542 --> 00:27:04,708 This is not the guy you wanna carpool with. 547 00:27:06,125 --> 00:27:08,083 - [Narrator] A more cautious Fran spends the next 20 years 548 00:27:08,083 --> 00:27:10,708 or so with his feet solidly on the ground, 549 00:27:11,750 --> 00:27:14,042 but even that's not without risk. 550 00:27:14,042 --> 00:27:17,417 - One day he's just walking the streets near his home 551 00:27:17,417 --> 00:27:19,625 and a bus jumps a curb 552 00:27:19,625 --> 00:27:23,208 and then hits him on the sidewalk. 553 00:27:23,208 --> 00:27:25,792 Fran figures, look, death is gonna follow me 554 00:27:25,792 --> 00:27:29,708 no matter where I go, so I may as well do whatever I want. 555 00:27:29,708 --> 00:27:33,333 So he decides to take a mountain vacation, 556 00:27:34,625 --> 00:27:37,167 which requires him driving up a winding, 557 00:27:37,167 --> 00:27:39,208 perilous mountain road. 558 00:27:39,208 --> 00:27:42,625 - [Narrator] You can probably guess how this is going to go. 559 00:27:42,625 --> 00:27:43,917 - Halfway through the trip, 560 00:27:43,917 --> 00:27:47,125 a semi-truck emerges from Fran's blind spot, 561 00:27:48,417 --> 00:27:51,250 hits his car and knocks him off the side of this road, 562 00:27:51,250 --> 00:27:53,625 plummeting 300 feet. 563 00:27:55,458 --> 00:27:59,542 Somehow Fran is able to eject himself from the car 564 00:27:59,542 --> 00:28:02,375 and hang onto a tree before being rescued. 565 00:28:03,625 --> 00:28:05,125 - Now, as reporters dig into the story 566 00:28:05,125 --> 00:28:08,375 of Fran's unlucky streak, he becomes kind of a folk hero 567 00:28:08,375 --> 00:28:11,583 and no big surprise, he really loves the attention. 568 00:28:11,583 --> 00:28:14,250 And Fran's quick to point out that after four divorces, 569 00:28:14,250 --> 00:28:16,375 he's unlucky in love too. 570 00:28:16,375 --> 00:28:18,708 - [Narrator] But the un-luckiest man in the world, 571 00:28:18,708 --> 00:28:20,375 does have a happy ending. 572 00:28:20,375 --> 00:28:24,042 - Well, in 2003, Fran's luck changes for the better. 573 00:28:24,042 --> 00:28:29,167 He wins 900,000 euros in the lottery. 574 00:28:30,125 --> 00:28:31,542 - [Narrator] The lucky streak continues 575 00:28:31,542 --> 00:28:33,458 when a major snack company asks Fran to do a commercial 576 00:28:33,458 --> 00:28:35,000 after his lottery win. 577 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,333 - It's a very lucrative endorsement deal, 578 00:28:38,333 --> 00:28:40,042 but Fran turns it down. 579 00:28:40,042 --> 00:28:41,167 Why? 580 00:28:41,167 --> 00:28:43,792 Because it requires him flying on a plane 581 00:28:45,333 --> 00:28:50,042 and Fran Salak is done with planes, with trains, 582 00:28:50,042 --> 00:28:52,958 with buses, and probably with automobiles. 583 00:28:54,208 --> 00:28:55,833 - [Narrator] Fran, however, is still willing 584 00:28:55,833 --> 00:28:58,083 to take some risks. 585 00:28:59,375 --> 00:29:01,542 - Despite having had four previous divorces, 586 00:29:01,542 --> 00:29:03,667 He decides, you know what? 587 00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:04,958 I'm feeling it right now. 588 00:29:04,958 --> 00:29:06,625 Lemme go ahead and just propose to my girlfriend, 589 00:29:06,625 --> 00:29:07,875 which he does. 590 00:29:07,875 --> 00:29:10,250 I mean, when the opportunity strikes, 591 00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:12,250 you have to take advantage of it, right? 592 00:29:15,042 --> 00:29:17,417 - After living to the ripe age of 87, 593 00:29:17,417 --> 00:29:21,125 Fran gives much of his lucky fortune to friends and family. 594 00:29:25,875 --> 00:29:27,000 - They say, "If you love what you do, 595 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,125 you'll never work a day in your life", 596 00:29:28,125 --> 00:29:31,125 but as one unlucky lobsterman finds out, 597 00:29:31,125 --> 00:29:34,833 it's tough to love your job when it tries to kill you. 598 00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:38,750 [suspenseful tune] 599 00:29:41,750 --> 00:29:44,792 - 40 miles south of Montauk, New York, 600 00:29:44,792 --> 00:29:47,167 lobsterman, John Aldridge is hard at work 601 00:29:47,167 --> 00:29:49,667 on the deck of his work boat, the Anna Mary. 602 00:29:49,667 --> 00:29:51,542 His partner, Anthony Sazinski 603 00:29:51,542 --> 00:29:54,250 and another crew member are snoozing away in the cabin 604 00:29:54,250 --> 00:29:56,500 while they make the long crawl to their traps. 605 00:29:57,875 --> 00:29:59,625 - John is on the deck prepping the big tanks 606 00:29:59,625 --> 00:30:01,667 that are gonna hold the lobsters that they're gonna pull in. 607 00:30:01,667 --> 00:30:04,125 He's filling one with cold water, 608 00:30:04,125 --> 00:30:05,417 which will keep the lobsters alive. 609 00:30:05,417 --> 00:30:06,917 He goes to the second tank 610 00:30:06,917 --> 00:30:09,833 and it's blocked by a couple big chests of ice, 611 00:30:09,833 --> 00:30:12,125 about 200 pounds each. 612 00:30:12,125 --> 00:30:13,542 He thinks for a moment he should wake up his buddy 613 00:30:13,542 --> 00:30:15,125 who's sleeping downstairs, 614 00:30:15,125 --> 00:30:17,042 and he decides to do it on his own. 615 00:30:17,042 --> 00:30:19,542 - [Narrator] This may prove to be one of the worst decisions 616 00:30:19,542 --> 00:30:20,958 of John's life. 617 00:30:20,958 --> 00:30:23,042 - John thrusts his weight against it. 618 00:30:23,042 --> 00:30:26,875 He gives a heave and the handle breaks. 619 00:30:27,958 --> 00:30:31,208 He goes head over heels [water splashing] 620 00:30:31,208 --> 00:30:33,000 into open water. 621 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,625 He is tossed by the prop wash 622 00:30:35,625 --> 00:30:37,792 as he tries to scream to his partner, 623 00:30:39,083 --> 00:30:41,417 but the loud diesel engines just drown him out. 624 00:30:44,042 --> 00:30:47,333 [suspenseful tune] 625 00:30:47,333 --> 00:30:50,542 Alone in the open ocean at night with no life jacket, 626 00:30:50,542 --> 00:30:52,250 no flares, no radio. 627 00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:55,458 John knows there's hardly a chance of survival. 628 00:30:57,208 --> 00:30:59,167 - John is wearing big, bright green boots 629 00:30:59,167 --> 00:31:00,833 that go almost up to his thigh, 630 00:31:00,833 --> 00:31:02,208 and they're so huge, 631 00:31:02,208 --> 00:31:04,583 his friends call him his Herman Munster boots. 632 00:31:04,583 --> 00:31:06,708 And first thing you're supposed to do in this situation 633 00:31:06,708 --> 00:31:08,042 is to kick off your work boots 634 00:31:08,042 --> 00:31:10,583 'cause in most cases they will drag you underwater. 635 00:31:10,583 --> 00:31:14,042 But John notices that they seem to be keeping him afloat, 636 00:31:14,042 --> 00:31:15,583 so he carefully takes off his boots 637 00:31:15,583 --> 00:31:18,292 and turns them upside down, drops them down into the water, 638 00:31:18,292 --> 00:31:21,042 capturing air, and he sticks one under each arm 639 00:31:21,042 --> 00:31:23,958 and now he's improvised a flotation system. 640 00:31:23,958 --> 00:31:27,833 [suspenseful tune continues] 641 00:31:30,292 --> 00:31:33,167 - [Narrator] Hours later, John's friend and partner Anthony 642 00:31:33,167 --> 00:31:36,208 wakes up on the Anna Mary and makes a disturbing discovery. 643 00:31:38,375 --> 00:31:41,000 - He comes up on the deck, nobody's there, 644 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,000 and the boat is just roaring forward on autopilot. 645 00:31:45,625 --> 00:31:48,375 - Anthony sees the deck lid to the lobster hold is open. 646 00:31:48,375 --> 00:31:50,625 He scrambles and ducks his head inside, 647 00:31:50,625 --> 00:31:54,208 worried his friend fell into the tank and drowned, 648 00:31:54,208 --> 00:31:57,125 but the tank is full of water and no John. 649 00:31:58,375 --> 00:32:00,583 When Anthony spots the broken cooler handle, 650 00:32:00,583 --> 00:32:05,042 he realizes John must have rolled out the back of the boat. 651 00:32:05,042 --> 00:32:07,250 Critical question though, is when? 652 00:32:12,083 --> 00:32:13,917 - Anthony immediately puts out a frantic call 653 00:32:13,917 --> 00:32:15,250 to the coast guards 654 00:32:15,250 --> 00:32:17,333 and to the rest of the captains in the area. 655 00:32:17,333 --> 00:32:21,208 They estimate John fell into the water around 11:00 PM 656 00:32:21,208 --> 00:32:24,708 and what they do is create this giant search grid. 657 00:32:24,708 --> 00:32:26,000 - In addition to the Coast Guard, 658 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,000 nearly every private boat in the Montauk area 659 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,958 has stowed their fishing gear and headed out 660 00:32:29,958 --> 00:32:32,125 to see if they can help with the search. 661 00:32:32,125 --> 00:32:33,542 - The biggest problem, 662 00:32:33,542 --> 00:32:38,500 John fell in the water at 3:30 AM not 11:00 PM 663 00:32:40,125 --> 00:32:42,917 so they're all searching 30 miles in the wrong direction. 664 00:32:45,750 --> 00:32:47,000 - [Narrator] Meanwhile, John is doing 665 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000 whatever he can to stay alive, 666 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,500 but several hours in he's running on empty. 667 00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:54,583 His only hope is to find the buoy of a lobster trap 668 00:32:54,583 --> 00:32:56,083 and use it to stay afloat. 669 00:32:59,042 --> 00:33:01,125 - The ocean has a really big swell that day, 670 00:33:01,125 --> 00:33:02,750 so every time a swell comes along, 671 00:33:02,750 --> 00:33:04,167 it kind of lifts him up 672 00:33:05,292 --> 00:33:07,042 and it gives him a higher vantage point 673 00:33:07,042 --> 00:33:09,792 and at one point he spots a larger lobster buoy 674 00:33:09,792 --> 00:33:12,875 that's floating in the water that's called a high flyer. 675 00:33:12,875 --> 00:33:14,417 He figures, if I can grab onto it, 676 00:33:14,417 --> 00:33:17,250 it'll give me an extra chance of survival. 677 00:33:17,250 --> 00:33:20,208 - [Narrator] As John holds on for dear life, 678 00:33:20,208 --> 00:33:23,375 one persistent search volunteer questions Anthony 679 00:33:23,375 --> 00:33:24,625 in more detail. 680 00:33:24,625 --> 00:33:26,625 - They go over the minute details of the deck 681 00:33:26,625 --> 00:33:30,125 and the condition he found it in and they figure it out. 682 00:33:30,125 --> 00:33:32,167 One of the tanks was full of cold water 683 00:33:32,167 --> 00:33:33,458 and John would not have done that 684 00:33:33,458 --> 00:33:35,542 until they were really close to their traps. 685 00:33:35,542 --> 00:33:37,375 They realize now that John probably went in the water 686 00:33:37,375 --> 00:33:39,875 a lot later than they initially thought. 687 00:33:39,875 --> 00:33:43,000 - [Narrator] With the clock reset, the search narrows 688 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,667 and a Coast Guard helicopter races to find John. 689 00:33:47,708 --> 00:33:52,042 - John Aldridge is clutching onto this buoy for dear life. 690 00:33:52,042 --> 00:33:54,792 He's been in the water for 12 hours. 691 00:33:54,792 --> 00:33:58,625 He's running outta steam. He's thinking maybe this is it. 692 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,208 But then above him, he starts to hear the blades 693 00:34:02,208 --> 00:34:05,208 of a helicopter getting louder and louder and louder, 694 00:34:06,542 --> 00:34:08,625 and he's screaming and he starts waving his green boots 695 00:34:08,625 --> 00:34:11,458 in the air frantically to get its attention. 696 00:34:11,458 --> 00:34:14,583 - The Coast Guard spots this tiny speck in the sea. 697 00:34:14,583 --> 00:34:18,667 It's John Aldridge hugging that big orange lobster float. 698 00:34:20,917 --> 00:34:22,375 When John's brought into the chopper, 699 00:34:22,375 --> 00:34:24,208 the pilot yells to him over the noise, 700 00:34:24,208 --> 00:34:26,083 "You got some will to live. 701 00:34:26,083 --> 00:34:28,583 We've been looking for you for nine hours." 702 00:34:28,583 --> 00:34:30,750 And John yells back, 703 00:34:30,750 --> 00:34:33,250 "Well, I've been looking for you for 12 hours." 704 00:34:35,667 --> 00:34:38,500 - John and Anthony still own the Anna Mary. 705 00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:40,708 They still hunt lobster in the deep ocean 706 00:34:40,708 --> 00:34:45,708 and John still wears his big, ridiculous lifesaving boots. 707 00:34:53,542 --> 00:34:54,708 - For people that love a death defying thrill, 708 00:34:54,708 --> 00:34:57,542 few sensations beat skydiving or paragliding. 709 00:34:57,542 --> 00:35:00,667 The professionals may make it look easy, 710 00:35:00,667 --> 00:35:04,333 but when things go wrong, they go wrong fast. 711 00:35:06,667 --> 00:35:09,250 - Kevin Philip is a professional paraglider 712 00:35:09,250 --> 00:35:13,000 and in 2022, he's soaring thousands of feet 713 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,417 above this beautiful terrain in Spain. 714 00:35:15,417 --> 00:35:17,333 - This is a routine flight for him, 715 00:35:17,333 --> 00:35:18,708 but little does he know, 716 00:35:18,708 --> 00:35:20,750 he's about to be in a fight for his life. 717 00:35:22,250 --> 00:35:23,583 - As he's paragliding along, 718 00:35:23,583 --> 00:35:26,625 a massive updraft causes a lot of turbulence 719 00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:29,083 and starts to twist his chute 720 00:35:30,417 --> 00:35:32,833 and he gets tangled in the cords. 721 00:35:32,833 --> 00:35:35,208 - He's now suddenly in free fall 722 00:35:35,208 --> 00:35:37,167 and he's speeding towards the ground 723 00:35:37,167 --> 00:35:40,000 at about 80 to 100 miles an hour. 724 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,500 - He has an emergency parachute, 725 00:35:41,500 --> 00:35:43,208 but as you can see in the video, 726 00:35:43,208 --> 00:35:46,208 when he tries to deploy it, it doesn't open. 727 00:35:46,208 --> 00:35:47,708 - [Narrator] The closer Kevin gets to the ground, 728 00:35:47,708 --> 00:35:50,750 the less likely the chute will be able to stop him. 729 00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:52,625 - People on the ground, including his own mother, 730 00:35:52,625 --> 00:35:55,917 are watching at its absolute mayhem in the air. 731 00:35:55,917 --> 00:35:58,750 He's spinning around as he's falling. 732 00:35:58,750 --> 00:36:02,375 His main shoot is twisting and spinning around him, 733 00:36:02,375 --> 00:36:04,375 and it just seems like he keeps falling 734 00:36:04,375 --> 00:36:07,583 and falling toward his death. [suspenseful tune] 735 00:36:07,583 --> 00:36:10,875 - In a situation like this, time slows down. 736 00:36:10,875 --> 00:36:13,625 He has seconds at this point to figure something out. 737 00:36:15,375 --> 00:36:18,167 - Somehow he's able to keep his composure 738 00:36:18,167 --> 00:36:22,208 and he ends up dragging his reserve chute back 739 00:36:22,208 --> 00:36:25,542 and untangles it from the main chute. 740 00:36:27,958 --> 00:36:29,250 With less than one second left, 741 00:36:29,250 --> 00:36:30,583 he's able to pop the chute 742 00:36:30,583 --> 00:36:33,167 and it's just enough time to break his fall. 743 00:36:34,417 --> 00:36:37,292 - [Narrator] Incredibly, Kevin, not only cheats death, 744 00:36:37,292 --> 00:36:39,833 he manages to land without any injury. 745 00:36:41,958 --> 00:36:44,250 - [Kevin] Ah, oh my God. 746 00:36:45,542 --> 00:36:47,125 - But what could possibly save you 747 00:36:47,125 --> 00:36:49,542 if your reserve shoot does not deploy? 748 00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:53,583 For one woman, the answer is totally unbelievable. 749 00:36:55,375 --> 00:36:58,375 - It's September, 1999 750 00:36:58,375 --> 00:37:01,417 and 47-year-old adrenaline junkie, 751 00:37:01,417 --> 00:37:04,542 Joan Murray, is standing at the open door 752 00:37:04,542 --> 00:37:08,958 of a Cessna airplane at 14,500 feet 753 00:37:08,958 --> 00:37:11,583 with the wind roaring past her ears. 754 00:37:13,083 --> 00:37:14,667 - When a light illuminates, 755 00:37:14,667 --> 00:37:18,708 she takes the leap that she's taken so many times before. 756 00:37:18,708 --> 00:37:21,750 It's Joan's 36 skydive of the year. 757 00:37:21,750 --> 00:37:23,917 She knows that there's always risks 758 00:37:23,917 --> 00:37:26,083 associated with skydiving, 759 00:37:26,083 --> 00:37:27,833 but that's why she's doing it. 760 00:37:29,292 --> 00:37:30,708 - [Narrator] When Joan gets down to 3000 feet 761 00:37:30,708 --> 00:37:33,125 and pulls her rip cord, she braces herself 762 00:37:33,125 --> 00:37:34,958 for the jolt of her shoot deploying. 763 00:37:36,958 --> 00:37:39,875 - But there is no jolt and her chute doesn't deploy. 764 00:37:41,292 --> 00:37:43,875 - And as she screams past 2000 feet, 765 00:37:43,875 --> 00:37:47,208 she pulls the ripcord on her reserve shoot. 766 00:37:47,208 --> 00:37:51,750 But just like last time, something's not right. 767 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:53,875 She looks up and sees that the lines of her chute 768 00:37:53,875 --> 00:37:55,625 are all twisted and tangled, 769 00:37:55,625 --> 00:37:59,167 and that causes the chute to not be able to open fully. 770 00:37:59,167 --> 00:38:00,375 There's a little bit of resistance, 771 00:38:00,375 --> 00:38:01,792 but it is not nearly enough 772 00:38:01,792 --> 00:38:04,375 to slow her down for a safe landing. 773 00:38:04,375 --> 00:38:06,333 - [Narrator] With less than 700 feet to the ground 774 00:38:06,333 --> 00:38:07,833 and no sign of slowing, 775 00:38:07,833 --> 00:38:10,333 Joan has only enough time to contemplate 776 00:38:10,333 --> 00:38:13,250 how hard she's going to land. [suspenseful tune] 777 00:38:13,250 --> 00:38:16,542 - If a person drops from a height of 48 feet, 778 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:19,333 the chances of survival are like 50%. 779 00:38:19,333 --> 00:38:24,375 But at 700 feet, oh, it's about 100% fatal. 780 00:38:25,042 --> 00:38:27,625 [suspenseful tune] 781 00:38:28,792 --> 00:38:31,375 - Her landing is brutal, to say the least. 782 00:38:33,208 --> 00:38:36,667 - By some miracle, Joan wakes up on the ground. 783 00:38:38,583 --> 00:38:40,458 She tastes the blood in her mouth, 784 00:38:40,458 --> 00:38:42,292 but otherwise she can't move. 785 00:38:43,542 --> 00:38:45,042 But there's another thing that's happening that's strange. 786 00:38:45,042 --> 00:38:48,625 She feels these sharp, stinky pains all over her body 787 00:38:48,625 --> 00:38:50,083 and she's wondering, what is this? 788 00:38:50,083 --> 00:38:51,375 Is this nerve damage? 789 00:38:51,375 --> 00:38:53,458 Do I have a spinal injury? 790 00:38:53,458 --> 00:38:55,417 And the pain is relentless. 791 00:38:56,375 --> 00:38:58,250 - What Joan can't realize yet 792 00:38:58,250 --> 00:39:01,458 is that fate has thrown her another curve ball. 793 00:39:01,458 --> 00:39:03,750 After two failed parachutes, 794 00:39:03,750 --> 00:39:07,458 she has landed directly on top of a huge colony 795 00:39:07,458 --> 00:39:08,833 of fire ants. 796 00:39:10,292 --> 00:39:13,958 The ants are stinging Joan and they inject a painful venom. 797 00:39:15,375 --> 00:39:16,958 - [Narrator] While this may seem like insult 798 00:39:16,958 --> 00:39:19,292 to already very severe injury, 799 00:39:19,292 --> 00:39:21,833 the ant bites are actually keeping her alive. 800 00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:27,708 - A massive blunt force impact like Joan just experienced 801 00:39:27,708 --> 00:39:30,042 can stop the heart all on its own, 802 00:39:30,042 --> 00:39:34,333 but these red ants stings have the byproduct 803 00:39:34,333 --> 00:39:36,667 of increasing the adrenaline in the body, 804 00:39:36,667 --> 00:39:38,583 which keeps the heart beating. 805 00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:43,208 These fire ants attack and bite and sting Joan 806 00:39:43,208 --> 00:39:44,667 by the thousands. 807 00:39:45,875 --> 00:39:47,625 - [Narrator] Each bite triggers an adrenaline spike 808 00:39:47,625 --> 00:39:49,292 that keeps her heart beating 809 00:39:49,292 --> 00:39:51,625 until first responders find her 810 00:39:51,625 --> 00:39:53,333 and rush her to the hospital. 811 00:39:54,292 --> 00:39:56,417 - The probability of this is wild. 812 00:39:56,417 --> 00:40:00,375 If Joan had landed just five feet in either direction, 813 00:40:00,375 --> 00:40:02,083 she would've missed the ant colony 814 00:40:02,083 --> 00:40:03,750 and would already be dead. 815 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:09,708 - She has several shattered bones, 17 missing teeth, 816 00:40:09,708 --> 00:40:12,917 and she requires 20 corrective surgeries. 817 00:40:14,125 --> 00:40:15,542 It takes two years, 818 00:40:15,542 --> 00:40:18,042 but Joan survives to make a full recovery. 819 00:40:21,167 --> 00:40:23,458 - And thanks to a little help from thousands of cranky, 820 00:40:23,458 --> 00:40:25,458 territorial red ants. 821 00:40:25,458 --> 00:40:28,875 Joan goes on to complete one more skydive. 822 00:40:28,875 --> 00:40:31,417 Whether it's being buried alive, stranded at sea, 823 00:40:31,417 --> 00:40:33,500 or stuck with a defective parachute, 824 00:40:33,500 --> 00:40:35,542 these are the tales of dodging death. 825 00:40:35,542 --> 00:40:39,625 So mind-boggling that they are truly unbelievable.