6 Astonishing True Survival Stories
Here are five incredible true stories of survival. Each one highlights astonishing resilience, luck, or human determination:
1. Juliane Koepcke – Fell 10,000 Feet and Survived
In 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor of LANSA Flight 508, which was struck by lightning and broke apart mid-air over the Peruvian rainforest. She fell approximately 10,000 feet while strapped into her seat and survived with relatively minor injuries. Her survival, after trekking for 11 days in the jungle, is credited to her knowledge of the rainforest ecosystem, having grown up with zoologist parents. Her story was later told in the documentary Wings of Hope by Werner Herzog.
2. Aron Ralston – Trapped in a Canyon
In April 2003, Aron Ralston became trapped in Blue John Canyon in Utah when a boulder crushed his arm against the canyon wall. After 5 days alone and dwindling water, he amputated his own arm with a dull multitool to escape. He documented his story in the autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which became the basis for the film 127 Hours (2010), starring James Franco.
3. The Andes Plane Crash – Surviving the Unthinkable
In 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes. Out of 45 passengers, 16 ultimately survived after enduring freezing temperatures and avalanches. With no food left and no sign of rescue, survivors resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. They were rescued after two of the men trekked 10 days through the mountains to find help. The story was chronicled in the book Alive by Piers Paul Read and several documentaries and films.
4. Poon Lim – 133 Days Alone at Sea
During World War II, Chinese sailor Poon Lim survived 133 days adrift in the South Atlantic after his British ship was torpedoed. Floating on a wooden raft, he collected rainwater, caught fish and seabirds, and even fended off sharks. He was eventually rescued by Brazilian fishermen in April 1943. He is recognized by the Guinness World Records for the longest time survived alone on a life raft.
5. Beck Weathers – Left for Dead on Everest
In 1996, climber Beck Weathers was caught in the infamous Mount Everest disaster that claimed eight lives. Stricken with snow blindness during the ascent and left for dead twice in the freezing cold, he lay exposed to the elements for over 24 hours. Miraculously, Weathers regained consciousness and, despite severe frostbite, staggered back to camp unaided. He was later rescued by helicopter and underwent multiple amputations, losing both hands and parts of his face. His remarkable survival is detailed in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, his own memoir Left for Dead, and the 2015 film Everest.
6. Mauro Prosperi – Lost in the Sahara
In 1994, Italian marathon runner Mauro Prosperi got lost during the Marathon des Sables in Morocco when a sandstorm blew him off course. He survived 9 days alone in the Sahara Desert, drinking bat blood and his own urine and eating small animals. He walked hundreds of miles and found shelter in an abandoned shrine before being rescued by Algerian nomads.