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WILLIAM SHATNER: Deadly
falls from incredible heights.
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Lightning strikes packed
with devastating power.
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00:00:09,593 --> 00:00:13,303
And lethal brain
injuries that should mean
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00:00:13,388 --> 00:00:14,718
certain death.
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(siren wailing)
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How are some people
able to beat the odds
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and survive the impossible?
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Is it blind luck?
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A combination of instinct
and quick thinking?
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Or could it even be...
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divine intervention?
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Well, that is what
we’ll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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29-year-old engineer Tsutomu
Yamaguchi is walking to work...
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00:01:08,110 --> 00:01:09,990
when a blinding flash,
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brighter than the
Sun, fills the sky.
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He doesn’t know it yet,
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but the world’s
first atomic bomb
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has just exploded over the city
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00:01:21,456 --> 00:01:24,826
with the force of
15,000 tons of TNT,
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creating a massive shockwave...
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that disintegrates
everything in its path.
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MICHIO KAKU: Instinctively,
Tsutomu Yamaguchi raced into a ditch
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as an atomic fireball
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began to pulverize
almost everything in sight...
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like a gigantic hand from
outer space coming down,
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crushing everything,
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blowing all structures away.
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SHATNER: The bomb that
exploded over Hiroshima
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was the most destructive
force ever unleashed in history.
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80,000 people died instantly,
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as temperatures approaching
the surface of the Sun
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vaporized their bodies
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and bathed the city
in lethal radiation.
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But, astoundingly,
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despite being less than
two miles from ground zero,
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Mr. Yamaguchi somehow survived.
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KAKU: There is ash
falling from the sky.
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And he realizes that his
eardrums have been shattered
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and that he was burned
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by the enormous amount of
heat that came out of the blast.
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He got a thousand times
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the dose of radiation that
we experience in one year
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simply by walking on
the surface of the Earth.
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Anyone who was in
that type of a radius
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from, uh, an atomic
bomb would experience
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anywhere from 95%
to 98% chance of dying
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due to all the different
dimensions of injury
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that are possible.
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SHATNER: Tsutomu
Yamaguchi’s survival
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of the nuclear
devastation at Hiroshima
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is almost impossible to fathom.
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But what’s even more
unbelievable is that,
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just three days later,
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on August 9, 1945,
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he did it again.
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Yamaguchi is from Nagasaki.
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After being atomic bombed,
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he wants to go back
to meet his family.
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So he gets on a train,
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travels 186 miles from
Hiroshima to Nagasaki.
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And then, for a second time,
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he sees this flash of light
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coming from an
atomic detonation...
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The Nagasaki bomb.
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And there’s a
repeat of the tragedy.
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SHATNER: More than 75,000
people died in the Nagasaki bombing.
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Yet, once again,
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Tsutomu Yamaguchi walked away
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from a deadly nuclear
blast with only minor injuries.
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Even more incredibly,
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despite being exposed
to a lethal dose of radiation
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for the second
time in three days,
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he lived an
otherwise healthy life
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00:05:00,675 --> 00:05:04,215
before finally dying
at the age of 93.
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00:05:05,055 --> 00:05:07,645
Those two quick
doses of radiation,
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within three days of each other,
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um, is-is absolutely terrible.
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Uh, you would
think it would have...
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destroyed his-his
body, his internal organs.
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But, somehow, this
man had a system
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that was able to withstand it.
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And so it shows that
there’s a lot more going on
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with our bodies,
and they’re capable
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of a lot more than
we may realize.
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It just takes these
extraordinary circumstances
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to show us that.
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From a medical perspective,
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it defies all of the
science that we know.
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There has to be another facet,
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like his will to live.
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And, who knows,
maybe that element of will
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that can’t be
quantified by science
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had something to do with it.
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SHATNER: Tsutomu Yamaguchi’s
survival would appear to defy all logic,
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which is perhaps why some
people attribute it to fate.
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RAMANI DURVASULA: When
we’re thinking about survival,
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00:06:06,449 --> 00:06:08,279
fate and destiny
are so interesting,
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00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:10,200
because they’re beliefs
that have been held
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00:06:10,287 --> 00:06:13,457
by societies as long as we’ve
had, sort of, recorded history.
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We can look at
the ancient Greeks,
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where a lot of the
philosophies were really about
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the gods on Mount Olympus
sort of rolling the dice
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and determining the fates for
the lowly humans underneath.
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We could look at Hinduism,
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where the concept of karma
has often been sort of conflated
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with a model of fate.
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And I think that makes sense,
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given how people who
survive disasters of any kind
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and really, by all
odds, should have died,
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it’s really a miracle
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watching them walk
out of these situations.
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One of the systems of meaning
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that those people will
find themselves in is to say,
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"There was a plan for me."
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SHATNER: Is it really possible
that Tsutomu Yamaguchi
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was destined to
withstand the bombings
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at Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
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Perhaps the answer can be
found by examining another survivor
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who overcame impossible
odds not just twice
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but an astonishing four times.
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Deep within the bowels of
the luxury liner RMS Titanic,
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Arthur John Priest
is shoveling coal
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into the vessel’s
massive boilers...
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00:07:37,165 --> 00:07:39,375
when it strikes
a 400-foot iceberg.
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The hull rips open,
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and Priest is
plunged into darkness
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as the boiler room
instantly floods
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with the icy waters
of the North Atlantic.
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These areas where
Priest was working
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and the other
firemen are working,
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they’re below the waterline.
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They’re the most vulnerable.
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(men shouting)
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The water’s gonna come in
at a very fast rate of flooding.
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The chances of
survival are very slim.
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COYNE: Somehow,
with the ship damaged,
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00:08:08,113 --> 00:08:10,033
breaking apart...
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he still managed to get
from below deck and escape.
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And, guys in his role,
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a lot of ’em didn’t get to
make it onto the life rafts.
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So, he gets in the water
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and survives 28-degree
water temperatures,
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these ungodly, uh, below
freezing water temperatures.
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BARNETTE: Available
information indicates
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that Arthur John Priest
swam up to 30 minutes
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00:08:39,894 --> 00:08:42,194
before safely
boarding a lifeboat.
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So, seems like a pretty
remarkable feat to survive,
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given the tragic loss of
life involved with the Titanic.
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SHATNER: Surviving the
Titanic is incredible enough.
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But what’s truly remarkable
about Arthur John Priest
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is the fact that, over
the next five years,
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he endured three more
catastrophic shipwrecks.
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Priest survived four sinkings
between 1912 and 1917.
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He not only
survived the Titanic,
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but then he was also involved
in the sinking of the Alcantara,
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1916.
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00:09:19,893 --> 00:09:21,893
He next moved
on to the Britannic,
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which also sank in the
later part of the year.
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His last ship that he served
upon was another hospital ship,
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the Donegal...
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which was torpedoed
by a German U-boat
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in the English Channel in 1917.
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00:09:36,951 --> 00:09:40,541
For Mr. Priest to survive
all four of these shipwrecks,
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it seems like something
was looking out for him.
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Because it definitely
defies the odds.
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Luck, serendipity,
whatever it is,
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I think our bodies and minds
can take us very, very far,
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but, at a certain
point, you just got to...
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00:09:54,677 --> 00:09:56,717
you really got to
hope for the best.
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Are some people
destined to cheat death?
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00:10:03,603 --> 00:10:05,273
Certain stories definitely
make you wonder
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whether it’s possible.
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However, there are
those who believe
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that some stories of
survival are not due to fate
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but rather, the
remarkable healing power
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of the human body.
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SHATNER: A 25-year-old
foreman named Phineas Gage
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is overseeing construction
on a railroad line
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00:10:31,756 --> 00:10:34,086
from Rutland to Burlington.
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00:10:35,343 --> 00:10:37,763
Suddenly, an explosive charge
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00:10:37,846 --> 00:10:40,846
set to blast away rock
detonates without warning.
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In the violent eruption,
Phineas Gage is struck
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by a three-and-a-half-foot
iron rod.
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The 13-pound projectile spears
Gage straight through his head,
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00:10:54,696 --> 00:10:57,866
entering below
his jaw and exiting
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out the top of his skull.
188
00:11:00,743 --> 00:11:02,703
COYNE: A nice big chunk of metal
189
00:11:02,787 --> 00:11:06,367
took part of the brain with it
and blew out part of his skull.
190
00:11:07,876 --> 00:11:11,046
His coworkers come
up and they just had
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00:11:11,171 --> 00:11:13,761
to put him on a horse,
bounce him down the road
192
00:11:13,882 --> 00:11:17,432
and take him not to a
hospital but to a hotel,
193
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’cause that’s where
the nearest doctor was.
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SHATNER: But when the doctor
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00:11:21,723 --> 00:11:23,603
begins his examination,
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00:11:23,725 --> 00:11:26,945
he is astonished to
find that Phineas Gage
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00:11:27,061 --> 00:11:30,401
is still alive.
198
00:11:30,523 --> 00:11:34,153
In some ways, Phineas Gage
is a strange story of resilience.
199
00:11:34,235 --> 00:11:38,155
Remarkably, not only did he
survive in the minutes and hours
200
00:11:38,239 --> 00:11:40,279
right after the tamping
rod went through his head,
201
00:11:40,408 --> 00:11:42,618
he was just sort of
talking like he was normal.
202
00:11:42,744 --> 00:11:44,954
COYNE: 999 out of a thousand
203
00:11:45,079 --> 00:11:47,249
other brains would
have just shut down.
204
00:11:47,373 --> 00:11:49,133
But even though
his brain and his skull
205
00:11:49,250 --> 00:11:50,630
was severely damaged,
206
00:11:50,752 --> 00:11:53,172
he never loses
consciousness the whole time.
207
00:11:53,254 --> 00:11:55,804
And he manages to live,
208
00:11:55,924 --> 00:12:00,224
and live a fairly
normal rest of his life.
209
00:12:00,303 --> 00:12:05,023
That’s why the curious case
of Phineas Gage is so unique
210
00:12:05,099 --> 00:12:08,189
it’s still talked
about to this day.
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00:12:09,437 --> 00:12:11,187
SHATNER: By all accounts,
212
00:12:11,272 --> 00:12:14,572
having an iron rod
blasted through one’s head
213
00:12:14,651 --> 00:12:16,821
should result in certain death.
214
00:12:16,945 --> 00:12:22,125
So how was it possible that
Phineas Gage not only lived
215
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,660
but remained conscious
through the ordeal?
216
00:12:28,289 --> 00:12:30,749
Well, according
to medical experts,
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00:12:30,833 --> 00:12:32,503
it may have had something to do
218
00:12:32,627 --> 00:12:35,127
with the brain’s
remarkable ability
219
00:12:35,255 --> 00:12:38,635
to rewire itself.
220
00:12:38,758 --> 00:12:42,598
This case was what
started the fascination
221
00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,809
with understanding the
different parts of the brain.
222
00:12:45,932 --> 00:12:49,022
It’s possible that
there was some matter
223
00:12:49,143 --> 00:12:51,353
that shot out from the brain.
224
00:12:51,479 --> 00:12:53,309
The interesting part is,
225
00:12:53,439 --> 00:12:55,109
none of the stuff
that was extruded
226
00:12:55,191 --> 00:12:57,361
was critical enough
to his function
227
00:12:57,485 --> 00:12:58,985
to stop him from surviving.
228
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:04,280
DURVASULA: When Phineas
Gage endured this accident,
229
00:13:04,367 --> 00:13:08,657
it showed us that the
brain is very neuroplastic.
230
00:13:08,746 --> 00:13:11,866
And by that, I mean the
brain does grow back.
231
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,050
So when there’s injury,
that neuroplasticity
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00:13:16,170 --> 00:13:18,050
means that the
brain will attempt,
233
00:13:18,172 --> 00:13:22,262
to the best of its ability, to
engage in some form of "repair."
234
00:13:23,344 --> 00:13:26,014
SHATNER: Is it possible
that Phineas Gage’s brain
235
00:13:26,139 --> 00:13:29,679
was somehow able to
rewire itself and keep him alive
236
00:13:29,809 --> 00:13:33,399
after an iron rod
tore through his skull?
237
00:13:33,521 --> 00:13:35,361
Perhaps.
238
00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,070
But some medical experts believe
that he was only able to survive
239
00:13:38,192 --> 00:13:43,202
because there was another
factor at work: sheer luck.
240
00:13:43,323 --> 00:13:46,413
And as proof, they point
to the case of a woman
241
00:13:46,534 --> 00:13:51,794
who also suffered a
nearly fatal brain injury.
242
00:13:59,130 --> 00:14:02,760
After a long day’s work,
research chemist Andrea Scott
243
00:14:02,884 --> 00:14:05,264
heads to her car to drive home.
244
00:14:05,386 --> 00:14:07,676
But when she
approaches the vehicle...
245
00:14:08,806 --> 00:14:11,386
three men emerge from
the darkness to rob her.
246
00:14:11,476 --> 00:14:14,436
As Andrea
struggles for her life,
247
00:14:14,562 --> 00:14:16,812
two gunshots ring
out in the night.
248
00:14:16,898 --> 00:14:18,978
(gunshots)
249
00:14:20,902 --> 00:14:22,282
SCOTT: I remember
250
00:14:22,403 --> 00:14:24,453
being on the ground
251
00:14:24,572 --> 00:14:26,952
and just getting
up off the ground...
252
00:14:28,910 --> 00:14:31,700
trying to leave that place.
253
00:14:33,373 --> 00:14:35,043
I was shaking,
254
00:14:35,124 --> 00:14:37,334
I was extremely cold,
255
00:14:37,418 --> 00:14:40,128
I think my whole
body was in a shock.
256
00:14:40,254 --> 00:14:41,804
I had no idea that I was shot.
257
00:14:41,923 --> 00:14:45,303
I had no idea what
bad shape I was in.
258
00:14:45,426 --> 00:14:47,086
(siren wailing)
259
00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,810
SHATNER: Paramedics
rush Andrea to the hospital.
260
00:14:49,931 --> 00:14:52,271
Incredibly, she’s conscious
261
00:14:52,350 --> 00:14:54,980
and aware of her
surroundings for the entire ride.
262
00:14:55,103 --> 00:14:57,863
It’s only after she
arrives at the ER
263
00:14:57,939 --> 00:15:00,819
that Andrea learns the
extent of her injuries.
264
00:15:00,942 --> 00:15:04,282
SCOTT: When I was in the ER,
265
00:15:04,362 --> 00:15:08,492
doctors told me I was shot
twice to the back of my head.
266
00:15:08,616 --> 00:15:12,236
I remember lots of
doctors and lots of nurses
267
00:15:12,328 --> 00:15:16,458
working really hard
to get me stable.
268
00:15:20,294 --> 00:15:23,804
People did not
believe I would survive.
269
00:15:23,923 --> 00:15:26,973
SHATNER: Not only
did Andrea Scott survive
270
00:15:27,093 --> 00:15:30,643
being shot in the head
twice, she was able to walk
271
00:15:30,721 --> 00:15:33,351
out of the hospital
after only eight days,
272
00:15:33,474 --> 00:15:35,644
with minor injuries.
273
00:15:35,768 --> 00:15:37,438
But how?
274
00:15:39,772 --> 00:15:43,482
COYNE: There’s a lot of amazing
things about Mrs. Scott’s story.
275
00:15:43,568 --> 00:15:45,278
The bullets, of course,
276
00:15:45,361 --> 00:15:48,741
after being shot at
point-blank range, in her head,
277
00:15:48,823 --> 00:15:51,373
traveled through the
brain into the neck,
278
00:15:51,492 --> 00:15:55,542
and there are so many
important blood vessels.
279
00:15:55,663 --> 00:15:59,043
Your carotid arteries,
your jugular veins,
280
00:15:59,167 --> 00:16:01,877
the artery that supplies
blood to your brain
281
00:16:02,003 --> 00:16:03,713
that travels up your spine.
282
00:16:03,838 --> 00:16:07,008
All right there, all
within a few inches.
283
00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:10,893
And somehow,
missed all of those.
284
00:16:11,012 --> 00:16:14,352
She did have a lot of
healing to go through.
285
00:16:14,474 --> 00:16:16,524
Part of her face was
paralyzed for a while,
286
00:16:16,601 --> 00:16:20,351
she still gets severe
headaches, but even after all that,
287
00:16:20,438 --> 00:16:24,068
she healed up almost 100%.
288
00:16:24,192 --> 00:16:25,782
Extraordinary tale of survival.
289
00:16:26,611 --> 00:16:28,451
SCOTT: Doctors told my husband
290
00:16:28,529 --> 00:16:30,909
that it was a miracle,
291
00:16:31,032 --> 00:16:35,202
that they don’t know
how it’s possible
292
00:16:35,328 --> 00:16:39,578
that I didn’t end up dead.
293
00:16:39,707 --> 00:16:43,207
Statistically, I
shouldn’t be alive today.
294
00:16:43,294 --> 00:16:47,924
BROWN: The chances of
surviving a bullet wound to the brain,
295
00:16:48,049 --> 00:16:50,429
it’s less than 0.1%.
296
00:16:50,551 --> 00:16:54,261
We are absolutely talking about
the difference of millimeters.
297
00:16:54,388 --> 00:16:58,098
That’s what makes this
truly a remarkable case
298
00:16:58,226 --> 00:17:01,226
that shows we haven’t
figured out everything
299
00:17:01,354 --> 00:17:03,984
about blows to the brain.
300
00:17:04,065 --> 00:17:08,325
If our brains have the ability
to endure catastrophic injury,
301
00:17:08,402 --> 00:17:11,362
is it possible that our
bodies possess other,
302
00:17:11,447 --> 00:17:15,447
even more extraordinary
survival capabilities?
303
00:17:15,576 --> 00:17:19,956
Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining the story of a man
304
00:17:20,081 --> 00:17:23,751
who was struck by
lightning not once, not twice,
305
00:17:23,834 --> 00:17:27,424
but seven times, and lived.
306
00:17:37,265 --> 00:17:40,105
SHATNER: Park ranger
Roy Sullivan is driving south
307
00:17:40,226 --> 00:17:43,516
along Skyline Drive
when suddenly,
308
00:17:43,604 --> 00:17:46,484
a bolt of lightning strikes him
309
00:17:46,607 --> 00:17:49,317
through the open
window of his truck.
310
00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,160
FRIEDMAN: Roy Sullivan
was struck by lightning
311
00:17:53,281 --> 00:17:54,821
driving along a mountain road.
312
00:17:54,949 --> 00:17:57,119
He wasn’t hurt that much.
313
00:17:57,201 --> 00:17:58,791
He was lucky.
314
00:17:58,869 --> 00:18:02,619
Lightning can cause all
kinds of damage to a person.
315
00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:06,130
It can injure one’s nerves,
316
00:18:06,252 --> 00:18:08,882
it can cause
headaches that last, uh,
317
00:18:08,963 --> 00:18:11,973
for many, many
months, if not years.
318
00:18:12,049 --> 00:18:15,009
And of course, a
lightning strike can be fatal.
319
00:18:15,136 --> 00:18:18,306
SHATNER: The blast
burned off Roy’s hair
320
00:18:18,431 --> 00:18:22,271
and left a black burn
mark on his ranger hat.
321
00:18:23,477 --> 00:18:27,057
One out of every ten people
struck by lightning dies.
322
00:18:28,816 --> 00:18:32,316
Those who survive often suffer
debilitating, lifelong injuries.
323
00:18:32,403 --> 00:18:36,163
But somehow, Roy Sullivan
324
00:18:36,282 --> 00:18:39,872
walked away
relatively unscathed.
325
00:18:39,994 --> 00:18:42,374
Though what’s even
more remarkable
326
00:18:42,496 --> 00:18:45,996
is that between 1942 and 1977,
327
00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:50,665
Roy Sullivan was struck by
lightning on six more occasions
328
00:18:50,755 --> 00:18:55,685
and survived each
and every time.
329
00:18:55,801 --> 00:19:00,391
FRIEDMAN: Roy Sullivan was
in the Guinness Book of Records
330
00:19:00,514 --> 00:19:02,604
for having been the
person who was hit the most
331
00:19:02,683 --> 00:19:04,693
in his lifetime by lightning.
332
00:19:04,810 --> 00:19:08,360
He was dubbed the
Human Lightning Rod,
333
00:19:08,481 --> 00:19:11,611
Spark Ranger and Lightning Man.
334
00:19:13,027 --> 00:19:15,027
There are a number
of factors that increased
335
00:19:15,154 --> 00:19:17,034
Sullivan’s odds of being struck.
336
00:19:17,114 --> 00:19:19,374
He was outdoors,
337
00:19:19,492 --> 00:19:23,202
not only on tops of mountains
but on lookout towers,
338
00:19:23,329 --> 00:19:27,539
moving around a
lot in open spaces.
339
00:19:27,625 --> 00:19:29,715
But the fact that he
was hit seven times
340
00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:32,125
and didn’t die is incredible.
341
00:19:34,507 --> 00:19:37,887
SHATNER: Lightning is one of
the most devastating forces on Earth.
342
00:19:37,968 --> 00:19:42,008
A single bolt can carry
more than 100 million volts
343
00:19:42,098 --> 00:19:44,218
of electricity
344
00:19:44,308 --> 00:19:47,938
and is five times hotter
than the surface of the Sun.
345
00:19:48,062 --> 00:19:51,232
So how was Roy
Sullivan able to survive
346
00:19:51,357 --> 00:19:55,897
such destructive
power seven times?
347
00:19:56,028 --> 00:20:00,908
Well, according to some experts,
it might have been because
348
00:20:00,991 --> 00:20:04,751
certain people’s bodies
are more resistant
349
00:20:04,870 --> 00:20:07,080
to being electrocuted.
350
00:20:08,624 --> 00:20:10,674
The human body is not
the greatest conductor
351
00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:13,381
for electricity, but
in these cases,
352
00:20:13,462 --> 00:20:17,052
maybe there are compounds
in their bloodstream that do
353
00:20:17,133 --> 00:20:22,763
increase their ability to
generate energy or hold energy.
354
00:20:22,888 --> 00:20:26,098
For example, someone who has
355
00:20:26,225 --> 00:20:29,345
a higher degree of
iron in their bloodstream
356
00:20:29,437 --> 00:20:33,767
could potentially conduct
lightning a little bit better.
357
00:20:35,067 --> 00:20:36,737
SHATNER: Is it
possible that Roy Sullivan
358
00:20:36,819 --> 00:20:38,949
possessed some
physical or genetic trait
359
00:20:39,071 --> 00:20:41,321
that allowed him to
both attract lightning
360
00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:44,119
and withstand
surges of electricity
361
00:20:44,201 --> 00:20:46,661
that could otherwise
kill a normal human?
362
00:20:46,787 --> 00:20:50,617
Perhaps a clue can be found
by examining another person
363
00:20:50,750 --> 00:20:52,960
who was struck by
lightning multiple times
364
00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:55,795
and lived to tell about it.
365
00:21:01,635 --> 00:21:03,465
After a long day of competition,
366
00:21:03,554 --> 00:21:06,144
bull rider Carl Mize
is about to head home
367
00:21:06,265 --> 00:21:08,515
when he grabs the
door handle of his truck
368
00:21:08,642 --> 00:21:13,062
and is instantly hit by a
powerful bolt of lightning.
369
00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:16,877
Right when it happened, I
knew I was struck by lightning.
370
00:21:16,901 --> 00:21:20,611
The-the flash of the light
and the shock, you know,
371
00:21:20,696 --> 00:21:22,382
that went through my
arm and through my body.
372
00:21:22,406 --> 00:21:26,536
It knocked me back four
or five foot on my tail end.
373
00:21:26,660 --> 00:21:29,580
And, uh, I just jumped up
and tried to brush the mud off,
374
00:21:29,663 --> 00:21:32,923
and-and got in my
truck and, uh, left.
375
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,300
SHATNER: Aside from
some achy muscles,
376
00:21:36,378 --> 00:21:39,508
Carl was left uninjured
by the experience.
377
00:21:39,632 --> 00:21:42,342
And like most people,
he wasn’t worried about
378
00:21:42,468 --> 00:21:44,678
this happening again, because
he believed the old adage
379
00:21:44,804 --> 00:21:48,974
that "lightning
never strikes twice."
380
00:21:49,058 --> 00:21:53,518
But between 1994 and 2006,
381
00:21:53,646 --> 00:21:56,266
Carl was struck by lightning
382
00:21:56,357 --> 00:22:00,187
an astonishing five more times.
383
00:22:02,321 --> 00:22:05,371
MIZE: For 39 years, I’ve worked
at the University of Oklahoma
384
00:22:05,491 --> 00:22:08,161
in the electrical department
in the utility shop.
385
00:22:08,244 --> 00:22:12,164
And we take care of all
the high-voltage electricity.
386
00:22:12,248 --> 00:22:14,878
So I often think there’s
got to be something
387
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,540
that, you know,
attracts lightning to me,
388
00:22:17,670 --> 00:22:20,550
’cause it’s just unheard of
to be struck that many times.
389
00:22:20,673 --> 00:22:24,683
SHATNER: After each incident,
doctors who examined Carl
390
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,060
were shocked to discover
that his injuries were minor.
391
00:22:28,180 --> 00:22:29,940
None of his internal
organs suffered the kind
392
00:22:30,057 --> 00:22:32,597
of significant
damage normally seen
393
00:22:32,726 --> 00:22:35,726
in victims of lightning strikes.
394
00:22:35,855 --> 00:22:37,275
There’s not a
whole lot of people
395
00:22:37,398 --> 00:22:39,938
that get struck by
lightning, so doctors
396
00:22:40,067 --> 00:22:42,237
really treat you
as a guinea pig.
397
00:22:42,319 --> 00:22:46,949
They actually had
a man come down
398
00:22:47,074 --> 00:22:48,744
that was an electrical engineer
399
00:22:48,868 --> 00:22:53,078
to measure the DC
voltage in my body.
400
00:22:53,163 --> 00:22:58,093
A common person has six
volts DC to run your body.
401
00:22:58,168 --> 00:23:03,418
Whenever they tested me, I
had 1.7, uh, DC volts in my body.
402
00:23:03,549 --> 00:23:07,429
I’m more, uh, conductive
than a-an average person.
403
00:23:07,511 --> 00:23:11,931
And it makes me wonder, and
even the doctors have wondered, too,
404
00:23:12,016 --> 00:23:14,936
could have that been
what’s kept me alive?
405
00:23:17,104 --> 00:23:21,694
The notion that some individuals
are born with an X factor
406
00:23:21,775 --> 00:23:25,355
that allows them to
avoid death is fascinating.
407
00:23:25,446 --> 00:23:28,446
But what about stories
of beating the odds
408
00:23:28,532 --> 00:23:31,412
that are beyond
scientific explanation?
409
00:23:31,493 --> 00:23:34,123
For example, there
are cases of people
410
00:23:34,246 --> 00:23:37,116
who fell from such
incredible heights
411
00:23:37,249 --> 00:23:42,379
that their survival seemed
to defy the laws of physics.
412
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,140
SHATNER: 47 stories
above the ground,
413
00:23:53,265 --> 00:23:57,095
brothers Alcides
and Edgar Moreno
414
00:23:57,186 --> 00:24:00,976
step onto a hanging
platform to wash windows.
415
00:24:01,106 --> 00:24:02,646
But when they start working...
416
00:24:03,943 --> 00:24:05,823
disaster strikes.
417
00:24:27,549 --> 00:24:33,009
SHATNER: Edgar plunges 472
feet onto a fence, dying instantly.
418
00:24:33,138 --> 00:24:36,308
But as emergency
responders arrive on the scene,
419
00:24:36,392 --> 00:24:39,022
they approach the
wreckage of the scaffolding
420
00:24:39,144 --> 00:24:43,194
and are shocked to discover
that Alcides is still alive.
421
00:24:44,733 --> 00:24:45,961
GLENN ASAEDA:
Mr. Moreno actually fell
422
00:24:45,985 --> 00:24:47,995
with the scaffolding and landed
423
00:24:48,070 --> 00:24:51,360
onto some garbage
cans in the alleyway.
424
00:24:51,490 --> 00:24:53,580
Our rescue paramedics,
425
00:24:53,701 --> 00:24:56,291
they thought that it was
gonna be a recovery.
426
00:24:56,370 --> 00:24:57,830
But when they got to him,
427
00:24:57,913 --> 00:25:00,213
he opened his eyes
and took a breath.
428
00:25:00,332 --> 00:25:04,172
SHATNER: Alcides was
rushed to the hospital for surgery.
429
00:25:04,253 --> 00:25:07,213
Several of his vertebrae
had been crushed,
430
00:25:07,297 --> 00:25:11,337
and his skull was fractured,
causing his brain to swell.
431
00:25:12,428 --> 00:25:14,178
He was given 24 pints of blood
432
00:25:14,263 --> 00:25:16,353
and put into a
drug-induced coma,
433
00:25:16,432 --> 00:25:19,602
undergoing 15 more surgeries.
434
00:25:19,727 --> 00:25:24,897
But on January 24, a mere
seven weeks after his accident,
435
00:25:24,982 --> 00:25:29,072
Alcides was discharged
from the hospital.
436
00:25:44,293 --> 00:25:48,053
COYNE: Any fall from greater than
one and a half times your own height
437
00:25:48,130 --> 00:25:50,880
is considered
potentially deadly.
438
00:25:50,966 --> 00:25:54,216
So for someone to fall from
this great a height and live,
439
00:25:54,303 --> 00:25:57,763
you know, a productive
life is absolutely fascinating.
440
00:25:57,890 --> 00:26:00,390
SHATNER: Statistically,
falling from a height
441
00:26:00,476 --> 00:26:03,266
greater than 40 feet
is almost always fatal.
442
00:26:03,353 --> 00:26:07,153
So how did Alcides
Moreno survive a fall
443
00:26:07,274 --> 00:26:09,614
from more than
ten times that high?
444
00:26:10,819 --> 00:26:13,239
HAMILTON: It’s not
the falling that kills you,
445
00:26:13,322 --> 00:26:15,782
it’s the stopping.
446
00:26:15,866 --> 00:26:19,616
And so, if there
is a tree, bushes,
447
00:26:19,703 --> 00:26:22,623
wreckage that’s between
you and what you hit,
448
00:26:22,748 --> 00:26:25,458
those factors
contribute to survival.
449
00:26:25,542 --> 00:26:28,842
And so, the main factor
that caused Alcides Moreno
450
00:26:28,962 --> 00:26:31,672
to survive is that
platform that he was on.
451
00:26:31,799 --> 00:26:34,759
He held onto that
all the way down.
452
00:26:34,843 --> 00:26:38,933
He didn’t fall
directly 47 stories
453
00:26:39,014 --> 00:26:41,314
without anything
cushioning his fall.
454
00:26:43,185 --> 00:26:45,775
SHATNER: Is it possible that
being on top of the platform
455
00:26:45,854 --> 00:26:48,324
broke Alcides Moreno’s
fall just enough for him
456
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,820
to withstand a 470-foot plunge?
457
00:26:53,153 --> 00:26:54,903
Perhaps the answer can
be found by examining
458
00:26:54,988 --> 00:26:57,618
the story of a
woman who survived
459
00:26:57,699 --> 00:27:01,159
the highest fall in history.
460
00:27:06,834 --> 00:27:10,424
Six miles over the
country of Czechoslovakia,
461
00:27:10,504 --> 00:27:12,594
JAT Airlines Flight 367
462
00:27:12,673 --> 00:27:15,183
is en route to
Belgrade, Yugoslavia,
463
00:27:15,300 --> 00:27:18,140
when a bomb detonates on board.
464
00:27:19,304 --> 00:27:23,814
There are 28 people on,
including crew and passengers.
465
00:27:23,892 --> 00:27:26,442
(people screaming)
466
00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:30,820
The plane breaks apart
into three different parts...
467
00:27:30,899 --> 00:27:34,189
The nose, the middle
section, and the tail...
468
00:27:34,278 --> 00:27:37,108
And it falls about 33,000 feet
469
00:27:37,197 --> 00:27:41,327
into a tiny little village
called Srbská Kamenice.
470
00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:44,870
SHATNER: The plane’s wreckage
471
00:27:44,955 --> 00:27:47,715
slams into the ground
at 150 miles per hour.
472
00:27:49,251 --> 00:27:53,051
27 of the 28 people on
the plane die on impact.
473
00:27:53,172 --> 00:27:55,552
But against all odds,
474
00:27:55,674 --> 00:27:59,054
one person survives
the fiery crash:
475
00:27:59,136 --> 00:28:02,596
flight attendant Vesna Vulovic.
476
00:28:02,723 --> 00:28:04,023
COYNE: When the rescuers come,
477
00:28:04,099 --> 00:28:05,639
the plane is in
all kinds of pieces
478
00:28:05,726 --> 00:28:07,636
all over the mountainside,
but here’s her,
479
00:28:07,728 --> 00:28:11,478
in the wreckage, survived,
all ten fingers and toes.
480
00:28:11,565 --> 00:28:17,245
HAMILTON: She’s wedged in the
fuselage, her head is sticking out,
481
00:28:17,362 --> 00:28:20,322
and there is another dead
crew member on top of her.
482
00:28:20,407 --> 00:28:23,367
She has all sorts
of broken bones,
483
00:28:23,452 --> 00:28:26,872
just terrible injuries,
and a lot of bleeding.
484
00:28:26,955 --> 00:28:30,075
She’s hospitalized and
she did not wake up, really,
485
00:28:30,209 --> 00:28:34,379
until about three weeks later
when her parents came to visit.
486
00:28:34,463 --> 00:28:37,673
After a while, she
wanted to return to work.
487
00:28:37,758 --> 00:28:40,258
She did not have
a fear of flying.
488
00:28:40,385 --> 00:28:44,755
She had no memory of
the crash or the aftermath.
489
00:28:44,848 --> 00:28:48,308
Essentially, her memory
was greeting passengers
490
00:28:48,435 --> 00:28:51,055
and then seeing her parents
later on in the hospital.
491
00:28:51,146 --> 00:28:54,396
SHATNER: According to The
Guinness Book of World Records,
492
00:28:54,483 --> 00:28:58,073
Vesna Vulovic plummeted
more than six miles,
493
00:28:58,153 --> 00:29:00,913
making her fall the
highest anyone has survived
494
00:29:00,989 --> 00:29:02,739
in recorded history.
495
00:29:02,824 --> 00:29:05,454
But what’s even
more extraordinary
496
00:29:05,577 --> 00:29:07,057
is that she wasn’t
wearing a seat belt
497
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,420
when the plane
exploded at 33,000 feet.
498
00:29:10,499 --> 00:29:13,589
HAMILTON: Vesna
Vulovic was not in her seat.
499
00:29:13,669 --> 00:29:16,169
It’s a surprise, honestly,
500
00:29:16,296 --> 00:29:18,796
that she wasn’t
killed immediately
501
00:29:18,924 --> 00:29:21,804
from the explosion or
thrown out of the aircraft
502
00:29:21,927 --> 00:29:24,967
like all of the other
passengers and crew.
503
00:29:27,224 --> 00:29:29,494
COYNE: Some people say, "Oh,
she was in the back of the plane,
504
00:29:29,518 --> 00:29:32,808
"the angle, maybe
when she hit it went
505
00:29:32,896 --> 00:29:36,106
like a skier would land, down
at an angle, not all at once."
506
00:29:36,191 --> 00:29:40,611
And maybe it did, but it
just seems very extraordinary
507
00:29:40,696 --> 00:29:44,196
that all these things could come
together to have one survivor.
508
00:29:46,159 --> 00:29:50,289
The fact that someone can live
through a fall from 33,000 feet
509
00:29:50,372 --> 00:29:52,082
seems to defy all logic.
510
00:29:52,165 --> 00:29:54,825
But maybe we have
to accept that science
511
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,710
doesn’t have all the answers
when it comes to understanding
512
00:29:58,839 --> 00:30:02,129
why some individuals
survive the impossible.
513
00:30:03,010 --> 00:30:05,140
Like the stories of
people who believe
514
00:30:05,220 --> 00:30:09,350
they escaped certain death
with the help of a higher power.
515
00:30:19,693 --> 00:30:22,073
SHATNER: 2,400
feet below ground,
516
00:30:22,195 --> 00:30:25,405
dozens of miners toil in
the sweltering darkness
517
00:30:25,532 --> 00:30:27,662
of the San José copper mine.
518
00:30:27,743 --> 00:30:31,543
Suddenly, the Earth
above them shifts
519
00:30:31,621 --> 00:30:35,541
and dislodges a boulder
the size of a 45-story building.
520
00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:39,709
The massive boulder
comes crashing down,
521
00:30:39,796 --> 00:30:41,836
causing the mine
shaft to collapse,
522
00:30:41,923 --> 00:30:45,723
and blocking the ramp
that leads up to the surface.
523
00:30:47,721 --> 00:30:50,101
ARONSON: There
were 33 men in the mine
524
00:30:50,223 --> 00:30:52,393
at the time of the accident.
525
00:30:52,517 --> 00:30:55,097
On the surface, they
knew that there had been
526
00:30:55,228 --> 00:30:57,148
a terrible accident.
527
00:30:57,230 --> 00:30:59,400
But it was not clear
528
00:30:59,524 --> 00:31:02,614
what that meant for
the men down below.
529
00:31:02,736 --> 00:31:05,736
ROMERO: The outside
world had no idea
530
00:31:05,822 --> 00:31:08,122
if they were alive or dead.
531
00:31:08,241 --> 00:31:09,911
People were really on edge,
532
00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:13,125
they were watching this
around the world on television.
533
00:31:13,246 --> 00:31:14,557
It’s really something
that-that people
534
00:31:14,581 --> 00:31:16,421
were following
very, very closely.
535
00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:18,461
SHATNER: Search and rescue teams
536
00:31:18,585 --> 00:31:20,245
quickly began to
drill into the rock
537
00:31:20,379 --> 00:31:24,919
to try and free the miners,
but progress was slow.
538
00:31:25,050 --> 00:31:27,760
For days, the world
watched in suspense
539
00:31:27,844 --> 00:31:29,724
as rescuers
desperately continued
540
00:31:29,805 --> 00:31:32,645
to drill in search
of the miners.
541
00:31:34,101 --> 00:31:35,851
ROMERO: There
was a lot of concern
542
00:31:35,936 --> 00:31:38,766
about their individual
health conditions.
543
00:31:38,897 --> 00:31:41,317
One of these guys had
an ulcer that was really bad.
544
00:31:41,441 --> 00:31:43,321
One of them was a diabetic.
545
00:31:43,443 --> 00:31:45,363
So there were really
desperate efforts
546
00:31:45,445 --> 00:31:48,485
on the part of the Chilean
authorities to find them.
547
00:31:49,616 --> 00:31:53,116
ARONSON: It was nearly
impossible to find the men,
548
00:31:53,203 --> 00:31:55,333
because nobody can
see through the Earth.
549
00:31:55,455 --> 00:31:58,625
And the maps were outdated.
550
00:31:58,708 --> 00:32:02,708
And that meant, as
one of the drillers said,
551
00:32:02,796 --> 00:32:04,506
"We’re drilling blind."
552
00:32:04,631 --> 00:32:08,641
Finally, after 17 long days,
553
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,640
one of the rescuers’ drills
uncovered evidence that,
554
00:32:12,764 --> 00:32:17,644
incredibly, the
miners were still alive.
555
00:32:17,769 --> 00:32:21,149
The miners had
found some red paint
556
00:32:21,273 --> 00:32:25,443
so that when the drill
came down through,
557
00:32:25,527 --> 00:32:30,777
they could paint
on the drill to show
558
00:32:30,866 --> 00:32:32,326
that "We are alive."
559
00:32:33,827 --> 00:32:35,697
ROMERO: In the drill,
they sent a note out
560
00:32:35,829 --> 00:32:37,159
that said in Spanish,
561
00:32:37,289 --> 00:32:41,329
"Estamos bien en
el refugio, los 33."
562
00:32:41,418 --> 00:32:44,878
"We are okay in the
refuge, the 33 of us."
563
00:32:45,005 --> 00:32:47,055
(cheering)
564
00:32:47,174 --> 00:32:49,844
And that really just
changed everything.
565
00:32:52,179 --> 00:32:53,889
SHATNER: Rescuers
sent down small packages
566
00:32:54,014 --> 00:32:56,474
of desperately needed
supplies through the narrow hole
567
00:32:56,558 --> 00:32:57,558
leading to the miners.
568
00:32:57,684 --> 00:32:59,194
They also sent down
569
00:32:59,311 --> 00:33:02,021
a small digital camera.
570
00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,777
The video paints
a harrowing portrait
571
00:33:06,860 --> 00:33:08,860
of the conditions the
miners had been trapped in
572
00:33:08,987 --> 00:33:12,567
for the previous 17 days.
573
00:33:12,699 --> 00:33:17,369
Somehow, the men had
survived on only a week’s worth
574
00:33:17,454 --> 00:33:19,754
of food and water.
575
00:33:19,873 --> 00:33:24,503
ROMERO: These miners were
trapped almost half a mile underground,
576
00:33:24,586 --> 00:33:26,416
with a few cans of tuna fish.
577
00:33:26,546 --> 00:33:27,946
They had to resort
to drinking water
578
00:33:28,048 --> 00:33:30,008
that was used for
industrial purposes.
579
00:33:30,091 --> 00:33:32,591
Also, they created a-a system
580
00:33:32,719 --> 00:33:33,863
in which they had
a democratic vote,
581
00:33:33,887 --> 00:33:35,757
you know, one man, one vote.
582
00:33:35,889 --> 00:33:37,929
And the majority, if they
decided on something,
583
00:33:38,058 --> 00:33:39,619
that was the way that
they were gonna go.
584
00:33:39,643 --> 00:33:41,733
(speaking Spanish)
585
00:33:41,853 --> 00:33:44,693
DURVASULA: Without
knowing it, the Chilean miners
586
00:33:44,773 --> 00:33:46,523
walked into one of
the most important
587
00:33:46,608 --> 00:33:49,358
survival strategies
there is, which is
588
00:33:49,444 --> 00:33:51,614
creating a sense
of collectivism,
589
00:33:51,738 --> 00:33:54,868
and leaving each of
them feeling less alone
590
00:33:54,950 --> 00:33:56,700
with this nightmare
that they were in.
591
00:33:56,785 --> 00:34:00,165
SHATNER: After discovering
the miners were alive,
592
00:34:00,247 --> 00:34:03,077
rescuers estimated
that it would take months
593
00:34:03,208 --> 00:34:06,088
to drill through half
a mile of solid rock
594
00:34:06,211 --> 00:34:09,631
and reach the trapped men.
595
00:34:09,756 --> 00:34:14,836
So here you are now,
August 20, August 22,
596
00:34:14,928 --> 00:34:20,138
and the drill operators
said to the team up on top,
597
00:34:20,267 --> 00:34:23,137
"We will be able to get
them out by Christmas."
598
00:34:23,270 --> 00:34:27,150
So, you are going
to have to tell the men
599
00:34:27,274 --> 00:34:29,234
that you’re going
to have to be down
600
00:34:29,317 --> 00:34:31,487
in that mine
601
00:34:31,611 --> 00:34:33,651
for three more months.
602
00:34:35,115 --> 00:34:38,165
To combat their
feelings of helplessness,
603
00:34:38,285 --> 00:34:42,755
the trapped miners turned
to their last remaining refuge:
604
00:34:42,831 --> 00:34:44,621
their faith.
605
00:34:44,749 --> 00:34:47,289
ROMERO: One of the
things that really struck me
606
00:34:47,419 --> 00:34:52,169
about why they were able
to make it, uh, for so long,
607
00:34:52,299 --> 00:34:55,839
was their religious beliefs.
608
00:34:55,969 --> 00:34:59,349
They really felt like prayer
was one of their strategies
609
00:34:59,472 --> 00:35:01,392
to help them make
it through this.
610
00:35:03,310 --> 00:35:04,980
BROWN: Literature documents
611
00:35:05,103 --> 00:35:09,693
that faith is a significant
factor in survivability.
612
00:35:11,151 --> 00:35:12,861
Sometimes it’s individual faith,
613
00:35:12,986 --> 00:35:15,446
sometimes it is
faith of a community.
614
00:35:15,530 --> 00:35:18,660
The hard part is,
there is no science
615
00:35:18,742 --> 00:35:21,662
that we have that
absolutely defines it,
616
00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:28,076
but faith has real tangible
results for many people.
617
00:35:29,502 --> 00:35:30,882
DURVASULA: For
the Chilean miners,
618
00:35:31,004 --> 00:35:32,554
many of them were men of faith
619
00:35:32,672 --> 00:35:34,342
as part of their
day-to-day lives.
620
00:35:34,466 --> 00:35:38,886
So praying together,
having that collective energy,
621
00:35:39,012 --> 00:35:42,972
was just enough hope to keep
a person going for another day.
622
00:35:44,601 --> 00:35:46,521
SHATNER: After 69 days,
623
00:35:46,603 --> 00:35:48,693
the rescuers finally created
624
00:35:48,772 --> 00:35:51,732
a hole big enough
to extract the miners.
625
00:35:53,818 --> 00:35:56,448
Then, as the world
waited with bated breath...
626
00:35:56,529 --> 00:35:59,569
(cheering, applause)
627
00:35:59,699 --> 00:36:02,369
the men were
brought up one by one.
628
00:36:03,703 --> 00:36:05,123
And astonishingly,
629
00:36:05,205 --> 00:36:10,085
all 33 miners made it out alive.
630
00:36:10,210 --> 00:36:11,710
(cheering, laughter)
631
00:36:11,795 --> 00:36:14,215
But perhaps what’s
even more incredible
632
00:36:14,339 --> 00:36:16,719
is that they were rescued
two months sooner
633
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,090
than everyone expected.
634
00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:22,430
And the miners firmly believed
635
00:36:22,555 --> 00:36:25,095
that this unexpected
turn of events
636
00:36:25,225 --> 00:36:30,615
showed that a higher power
had intervened on their behalf.
637
00:36:30,730 --> 00:36:34,400
ROMERO: The power of
prayer played a crucial role
638
00:36:34,484 --> 00:36:39,204
in allowing these
33 miners to make it.
639
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,620
It’s even been said that
God was the 34th miner.
640
00:36:42,742 --> 00:36:46,622
Um, several of the men who
were trapped down there said that.
641
00:36:46,746 --> 00:36:50,246
They really felt like
their belief in God
642
00:36:50,333 --> 00:36:52,843
was why they were rescued.
643
00:36:52,919 --> 00:36:55,499
When faced with a
life-or-death scenario,
644
00:36:55,588 --> 00:36:58,298
some people choose to
appeal to a higher power
645
00:36:58,425 --> 00:37:00,305
to help them survive.
646
00:37:00,427 --> 00:37:03,297
But there are others
who react much differently.
647
00:37:03,430 --> 00:37:06,310
When pushed to the
limit, they tap into abilities
648
00:37:06,433 --> 00:37:08,643
they didn’t even know they had.
649
00:37:17,485 --> 00:37:20,025
SHATNER: Here, in
this protected reserve
650
00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:22,203
in the shadow of Mount Kilauea,
651
00:37:22,282 --> 00:37:25,282
tech industry executive
Dewey Gaedcke
652
00:37:25,368 --> 00:37:27,368
heads out for an evening hike.
653
00:37:30,707 --> 00:37:34,287
But as he walks through
the 523-square-mile park,
654
00:37:34,419 --> 00:37:35,749
he becomes lost.
655
00:37:35,837 --> 00:37:38,377
And when he’s
unable to find the road
656
00:37:38,465 --> 00:37:40,725
where he parked his car,
657
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:45,720
Dewey’s hike transforms
into a grueling fight for survival.
658
00:37:47,807 --> 00:37:49,407
Clouds came over and
covered up the moon,
659
00:37:49,476 --> 00:37:51,476
so it got darker,
it got windier...
660
00:37:53,021 --> 00:37:55,401
and I completely
missed the road.
661
00:37:55,482 --> 00:37:58,612
And that’s what
really messed me up.
662
00:37:58,693 --> 00:38:00,863
I expected only an
hour and a half hike,
663
00:38:00,987 --> 00:38:02,357
so I really wasn’t
well prepared.
664
00:38:02,489 --> 00:38:04,409
I brought a flashlight,
665
00:38:04,491 --> 00:38:08,121
a digital video camera,
tennis shoes, and that was it.
666
00:38:08,203 --> 00:38:11,583
SHATNER: Miles from
his car and hopelessly lost
667
00:38:11,664 --> 00:38:16,714
within a 330,000-acre maze
of razor-sharp lava rocks,
668
00:38:16,836 --> 00:38:18,836
Dewey quickly realizes
that if he’s to have
669
00:38:18,922 --> 00:38:21,172
any hope of rescue,
670
00:38:21,257 --> 00:38:23,587
he first needs to
keep himself alive.
671
00:38:25,512 --> 00:38:27,432
GAEDCKE: I was
exhausted, I was stressed,
672
00:38:27,514 --> 00:38:30,684
I had a cut that looked like
it might be getting infected.
673
00:38:30,767 --> 00:38:33,267
So I was worried about gangrene.
674
00:38:33,353 --> 00:38:35,443
I hadn’t brought water,
uh, so I was already starting
675
00:38:35,522 --> 00:38:38,442
to get a little bit dehydrated
after being out there that long.
676
00:38:38,525 --> 00:38:40,035
I walked all night.
677
00:38:41,861 --> 00:38:47,621
Well, it’s some very late hour.
678
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:50,040
I’m dehydrated and I’m lost.
679
00:38:50,161 --> 00:38:51,451
I’m not a survival expert,
680
00:38:51,538 --> 00:38:53,458
but I’ve always been
insanely curious,
681
00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:56,630
and friends have called me
MacGyver since high school.
682
00:38:56,709 --> 00:38:58,169
I’m good at studying things,
683
00:38:58,253 --> 00:38:59,753
and, uh, I’m good
at figuring out
684
00:38:59,879 --> 00:39:02,009
how different pieces
can be used together.
685
00:39:02,966 --> 00:39:05,886
In the morning, I
built a debris shelter,
686
00:39:06,010 --> 00:39:08,300
so I-I had something
to sleep in at night.
687
00:39:08,388 --> 00:39:10,718
And I had built rain catches,
688
00:39:10,849 --> 00:39:14,349
so I’d woken up with
plenty of fresh water.
689
00:39:14,435 --> 00:39:17,685
I talked to my camera every
day, leaving messages for my kids.
690
00:39:17,772 --> 00:39:20,192
I just want to say
to my little girls,
691
00:39:20,275 --> 00:39:22,575
I love you guys so much.
692
00:39:22,652 --> 00:39:25,242
And I’m doing my best
to get home to see you.
693
00:39:27,407 --> 00:39:30,327
My primary hope of getting
rescued was from the sky,
694
00:39:30,410 --> 00:39:33,330
so I had already
broken the mirror off
695
00:39:33,413 --> 00:39:36,833
of my video camera and was
using that to try to reflect the sun
696
00:39:36,916 --> 00:39:39,416
to signal that I’m
in an emergency.
697
00:39:39,502 --> 00:39:41,672
At that point, I was
actually starting
698
00:39:41,754 --> 00:39:45,594
to feel fairly confident I was
very likely to get rescued.
699
00:39:46,426 --> 00:39:48,086
And then I heard a helicopter.
700
00:39:50,013 --> 00:39:53,433
SHATNER: On his fifth day
of being stranded and alone,
701
00:39:53,558 --> 00:39:57,938
a commercial tour helicopter
found and rescued Dewey.
702
00:39:58,021 --> 00:40:01,231
After his rescue, local
officials informed Dewey
703
00:40:01,316 --> 00:40:03,066
that no one had ever survived
704
00:40:03,151 --> 00:40:07,241
more than three
days lost in the park.
705
00:40:07,322 --> 00:40:09,992
So, how did a tech
industry executive
706
00:40:10,116 --> 00:40:14,616
with no survival experience
manage to endure five?
707
00:40:14,746 --> 00:40:17,496
Well, according to
experts, it was primarily
708
00:40:17,624 --> 00:40:20,794
because of Dewey’s
ability to remain calm
709
00:40:20,919 --> 00:40:24,669
and focus on solutions
in the face of adversity.
710
00:40:24,797 --> 00:40:29,047
Well, I just finished my, uh,
second-generation rain catch.
711
00:40:30,970 --> 00:40:34,600
DURVASULA: When a
person is in a survival situation,
712
00:40:34,682 --> 00:40:36,892
one of the questions is
whether a person is able
713
00:40:36,976 --> 00:40:39,396
to tap into something
in their mind
714
00:40:39,479 --> 00:40:40,706
that they didn’t know they had.
715
00:40:40,730 --> 00:40:43,440
There are people who have a mix
716
00:40:43,524 --> 00:40:48,244
of resilience,
adaptability, knowledge,
717
00:40:48,321 --> 00:40:52,831
an ability to sort of center
and stay calm and focused.
718
00:40:54,327 --> 00:40:55,804
COYNE: Some of the
more common attributes
719
00:40:55,828 --> 00:40:57,998
of survivors is
people that don’t focus
720
00:40:58,081 --> 00:41:01,751
on all the terrible things that
are going on around them.
721
00:41:01,834 --> 00:41:03,771
They automatically assume
everything’s gonna be okay.
722
00:41:03,795 --> 00:41:08,265
GAEDCKE: There were
multiple times where I was scared,
723
00:41:08,341 --> 00:41:11,091
but I don’t believe
I ever panicked.
724
00:41:11,177 --> 00:41:13,927
In retrospect, looking back,
725
00:41:14,013 --> 00:41:18,023
I can really see how impactful it
was and how necessary it was.
726
00:41:19,686 --> 00:41:22,436
So this experience
taught me that not only
727
00:41:22,522 --> 00:41:24,732
could I function well,
I could actually use
728
00:41:24,857 --> 00:41:29,357
my emotions to serve
me under pressure.
729
00:41:29,487 --> 00:41:32,197
And I didn’t know I
was capable of that.
730
00:41:33,533 --> 00:41:36,993
Are we fascinated by
stories of individuals
731
00:41:37,078 --> 00:41:41,168
who cheat death because
we believe, or maybe we hope,
732
00:41:41,249 --> 00:41:44,379
that we could survive
under similar circumstances?
733
00:41:44,502 --> 00:41:47,552
Of course, the
only way to find out
734
00:41:47,630 --> 00:41:50,630
is to actually be thrust into
a perilous situation ourselves.
735
00:41:50,717 --> 00:41:53,717
So, perhaps it’s better for us
that the reason
736
00:41:53,845 --> 00:41:56,765
why some people
live through the impossible
737
00:41:56,889 --> 00:42:00,809
remains... unexplained.
738
00:42:00,893 --> 00:42:02,563
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