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A horrific plane crash deep in the
jungle.
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A struggle for survival in freezing
water.
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And a daring escape from a submarine
that sank to the bottom of the ocean.
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00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:22,230
How are some people able to cheat death?
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Is it just a matter of dumb luck, or do
we all have powerful survival instincts
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locked within us that come alive when we
need them the most?
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Can the harrowing stories of individuals
who looked death in the eye and lived
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to tell the tale give us clues about how
to dodge our own demise?
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Well, that is what we'll try and find
out.
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00:01:04,780 --> 00:01:09,180
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, November
1992.
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Banker Annette Herfkins, her fiancé, and
29 other passengers board a small plane
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and head to the coastal town of Nha
Trang for a vacation.
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But what is supposed to be a short,
routine flight is about to turn into
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a nightmare.
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When I saw the plane, I didn't want to
enter it because it was awfully small.
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I am very claustrophobic, and I said,
there's no way I enter in that plane.
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not going to go in there. It looks old,
but mostly small.
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And my fiancé said, well, don't worry,
don't you have to. It's only 55 minutes,
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and do it for us, because I have this
beautiful vacation planned, and I knew
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were going to speak up about it, but
please, please do it.
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And then we entered.
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From the back of the plane.
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So we sat down, and we were told to
buckle our seatbelts and never going
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And then I was restrained enough as it
is, and I did not buckle my seatbelts.
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And the flight took off.
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For the next 30 minutes, I just kept
counting the minutes, and the 50th
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there was a gigantic drop.
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And people were screaming.
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My fiance looks at me and says, what is
it I don't like?
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And then another drop.
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More people spinning. And he reached for
my hand and I reached for his.
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And then everything went black.
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I woke up to this eerie sound of the
jungle.
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The plane broke in three pieces.
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The wings, the fuselage, and the
cockpit.
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Then I looked at my left, and there I
saw my fiancé still trapped in his feet.
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He was dead.
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In shock, grief -stricken, and with her
legs and hips broken, Annette painfully
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pulls herself out of the wreckage.
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Only to find that every passenger on
board has perished.
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Except her.
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It all seems impossible.
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In this plane crash, Annette was the
only survivor of 31 people. She's the
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only one that survived.
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Did it have to do with just the
randomness of her being in the right
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hit the ground in just the right place?
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that had just the right structural
integrity based on how they crashed, or
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it be something else?
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00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:10,600
When we hear stories of survival, we
sort of imagine, can I learn from that?
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Could I do that?
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And many times we can't.
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Maybe they're lucky, or maybe there's
just some X factor that we'll never
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get our heads around.
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We know the safest place is to sit on a
plane.
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and we know generally our seatbelts will
save us in the event of a crash, but
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this was the one instance where the
seatbelt not being attached saved her.
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could have predicted that? There's too
many variables at play.
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Miles from civilization, injured and
alone, Annette finds herself in an
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unbearable predicament, but somehow from
somewhere deep inside her.
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She finds a way to survive.
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I felt this enormous energy lifting me
up.
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I would just be quiet.
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And listen to my instinct. Just make it
complete quiet.
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You breathe out all the way.
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And then you listen to this other voice
we all carry inside of us.
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I completely felt that things will work
out.
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What's interesting to me about this case
is that Annette attributes her survival
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to hearing this mysterious voice.
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I can only imagine what that must have
been like.
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A plane has crashed in the Vietnam
jungle.
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You have a broken hip.
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You're surrounded by wreckage, dead
bodies, and here you have this voice
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you, don't lose hope.
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I just listened to that voice and I
acted on it.
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00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,140
And it said, make a plan, divide it in
achievable steps.
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And when you achieve one of those steps,
congratulate yourself. That's exactly
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what I did.
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00:06:16,060 --> 00:06:18,520
I realized that I was going to need some
water.
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So I looked at the...
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wing of the plane, insulation material,
or some kind of foam.
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00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,910
So I figured that could work as a
sponge.
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And then I made seven little bowls, and
I lined them up for it to rain.
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And then it rained, and it poured.
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And then I was very happy to see this
little bowl filling up with water.
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Tasted like the best champagne, as you
can imagine.
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She was able to survive the plane crash,
but maybe what was even more remarkable
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00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:03,259
is that she was able to survive eight
days in the jungle with no prior
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jungle training or experience and no
conditioning to be in the jungle.
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00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,939
Of course, being the only survivor, it's
an incredible story. But then the
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survival happens because you hear a
voice directing you through it.
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00:07:21,380 --> 00:07:22,440
It just shows.
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00:07:22,890 --> 00:07:26,829
how we know very little about what
happens in these kind of encounters and
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situations.
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On the afternoon, on the eighth day, out
of nowhere, men came up the mountain.
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And they showed me a passenger list.
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And I had to point out my name.
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And I just realized how amazing it was
that they actually found me.
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It may have been random chance, that
allowed Annette to live through the
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horrific crash.
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00:07:56,970 --> 00:08:01,829
But what was the so -called voice that
gave her the guidance she needed to
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survive?
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00:08:04,030 --> 00:08:08,269
A lot of people, when they get into
dangerous situations, they'll say that
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had a voice tell them that they needed
to do this, they needed to do that.
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00:08:12,070 --> 00:08:18,589
We don't really know, scientifically,
where these inner voices that tell you
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get out of the dangerous situation are
coming from.
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Is it some kind of deep -seated electro
-biochemical force that's
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innate in the brain that suddenly gets
activated?
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00:08:32,830 --> 00:08:35,470
Or is it something that comes from
outside?
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Is it faith from an outside power that
brings that energy to the person who's
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desperate need?
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Whether or not you view yourself as
strong and capable,
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You have the potential to tap into these
things and get in tune with these
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strengths, with these capabilities,
whether you know it or not.
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00:08:56,810 --> 00:09:01,009
Maybe there is something to this inner
voice telling them the right way, and
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00:09:01,010 --> 00:09:03,930
maybe some people have a better inner
voice than others.
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00:09:04,550 --> 00:09:07,010
And maybe there's just some dumb luck
involved.
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00:09:07,570 --> 00:09:11,969
It's possible that it's just one of
those unexplained mysteries that we're
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going to figure out.
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00:09:14,350 --> 00:09:16,530
We all have that voice inside of us.
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That we can listen to.
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Any extreme situations, it's always
there to help you.
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Just listen to that voice. Be silent.
It's there. It's there.
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00:09:28,950 --> 00:09:33,949
Did the mysterious voice that guided
Annette Herfkins to safety come from her
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subconscious?
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Or did she hear something that was far
more mysterious?
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We may never know for certain.
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00:09:43,370 --> 00:09:48,649
But perhaps further clues about
extraordinary powers of survival lie in
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story of a man who reportedly escaped a
mile -high death trap because of
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his faith in God.
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00:10:02,690 --> 00:10:04,190
Havana, Cuba, 1969.
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00:10:05,790 --> 00:10:10,529
After ten years of Fidel Castro's tight
-fisted communist rule, The island
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nation's economy is in chaos.
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00:10:14,510 --> 00:10:20,489
Food shortages and a government
-mandated seven -day work week only
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00:10:20,490 --> 00:10:24,130
heighten the Cuban people's sense of
desperation and despair.
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00:10:26,410 --> 00:10:31,910
Many attempt to flee Castro's oppressive
regime only to be caught, imprisoned,
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00:10:32,190 --> 00:10:33,430
or killed.
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00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:42,519
But for 17 -year -old Armando Zuccarz,
the chance for freedom and a better life
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are worth the risk.
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00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:52,020
The political climate in Cuba in 1969
was at the peak of the oppression.
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There was no freedom of speech, no
freedom of religion. They controlled
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everything. My friend Jorge came to me
with the idea of leaving, but we didn't
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know how.
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I didn't want to do it on the raft.
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because there were a lot of people dying
in the process, very dangerous.
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My first plan was that we would leave in
a real world on our plane.
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And I said, well, you're crazy.
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No, no, no, no. But then, the next day,
I was thinking about it. Next day, I
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went and I called him back and said,
hey, let's talk about this.
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The plan was indeed dangerous.
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If they were caught, it meant prison, or
worse.
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If they weren't, they might die trying.
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But after some careful reconnaissance,
Armando believed that he and his friend
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could pull it off.
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And on the morning of June 4, 1969,
their bold plan would be put into
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Iberia Flight 904 was scheduled to
depart Havana at 6 .30 p .m.
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arriving in Madrid, Spain, nine hours
later.
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The DC -8 airplane was already taxiing
to the end of the runway when Armando
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his friend crawled through the tall
grass bordering the runway, ready to
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break.
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00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:26,040
I saw my friend Horace Nerv start taking
over on him. I said to him, this is it,
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let's go.
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Start running.
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And look.
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I saw it went there. I looked back. It
was still sitting over there.
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I climbed up on myself.
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And at that moment, the wheels started
moving.
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It was a half -pounding moment.
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And as it goes, it started taking off.
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I saw that the ground started separating
from me.
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When the wheels started coming, then it
got too close because I was obstructing
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the wheels to complete the function.
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This is a story from the pilot. He told
me later that he saw my function on the
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dashboard. So he just called from the
tower.
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Are you having any problems?
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He said, yes, but wheels are not
retracted.
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So I'm going to try them out one time.
If they don't get fixed, I'll come back
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and land again.
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The flood closed.
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There was no room to move around.
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I said, the plane got higher. It started
getting a little chill in there.
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00:13:35,260 --> 00:13:36,840
And I didn't have no coat.
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00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:43,159
Logged inside the wheel well and
dangerously outside the pressurized
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the airplane, Armando began falling out
of consciousness as the air outside
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screamed by at nearly 600 miles an hour.
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00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,499
Normally, the cruising altitude on a
trip as far as Havana to Madrid you'd
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probably be up around 37 ,000 to 39 ,000
feet.
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At 37 ,000 feet, for somebody who has
just experienced a rapid decompression,
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your time of useful consciousness is as
little as eight seconds.
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At that altitude, you're going to be
around temperatures that are minus 45 to
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degrees Fahrenheit.
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00:14:15,511 --> 00:14:20,759
I watched this breathless. I couldn't
take it no more. I said, this is it for
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00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:21,810
me. I'm done.
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That's what I convinced myself to God. I
said, I'm going to have God.
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I'm coming.
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00:14:28,780 --> 00:14:34,540
Nine hours after taking off in Havana,
Iberia Flight 904 landed in Madrid.
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00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,260
And as the captain stood on the tarmac
saying goodbye to his passengers,
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00:14:40,020 --> 00:14:45,439
Armando's unconscious body fell from the
wheel well onto the ground with a
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sickening thud.
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They found me with ice in my face, my
hands, and the clothes were frozen.
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Stiff. No heartbeat, no pulse, no
breathing.
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They opened my eyes and they were blank.
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So they gave me out for dead.
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00:15:06,630 --> 00:15:10,050
And suddenly, I said, what is this?
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And one of them turned around and said,
oh my goodness, it's alive.
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They asked me, where are you from?
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I said, I'm from Havana, Cuba.
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They said, yeah, but we found you
outside the plane.
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I said, yeah, that's exactly what I was
outside the plane.
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00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,660
They said, it can't be. It is
impossible.
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00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:36,859
Incredible as it seems, for Armando,
surviving in a mile -high death trap was
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indeed possible.
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00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:40,850
But how?
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00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,780
Medically, you're not dead until you're
warm and dead.
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Armando was found without vital signs.
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He was hypothermic.
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I think what happened is because of the
severe hypothermia is cardiac function
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00:15:56,060 --> 00:16:00,240
decreased, the blood flow to the brain
and organs decreased.
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00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:06,359
There are reports in cases of people
being found in the snow and ice, frozen
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00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,980
without any vital signs that have made a
full recovery.
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00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,280
There's a thing called a mammalian
response. If we reach certain...
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Cold temperatures, our bodies shut down.
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00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:23,039
Instead of degrading and dying, it just
goes into hibernation. Well, this is
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00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,300
what happened to Armando.
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00:16:24,940 --> 00:16:28,700
When he gets up to the 30 ,000 -foot
atmosphere and he has no air to breathe,
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00:16:28,900 --> 00:16:32,260
just a tiny amount of air, he goes into
hypothermia.
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00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:37,759
And then when the plane lands, his body
starts to warm up, and then he comes
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00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:38,810
back to.
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00:16:40,550 --> 00:16:45,629
Could Armando's amazing story of
survival really be attributed to the act
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00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:48,510
being frozen and then defrosted back to
life?
230
00:16:49,310 --> 00:16:53,410
Or might there be another, even more
profound explanation?
231
00:16:55,210 --> 00:16:59,729
The doctors said over and over and over,
they said, there's no way you can be
232
00:16:59,730 --> 00:17:00,780
here alive.
233
00:17:00,790 --> 00:17:01,840
It's impossible.
234
00:17:02,510 --> 00:17:03,560
God intervened.
235
00:17:04,109 --> 00:17:08,490
That's my only explanation, because I
was against all odds.
236
00:17:09,550 --> 00:17:15,470
If it wasn't my beliefs and my faith, I
wouldn't be here talking to you.
237
00:17:17,190 --> 00:17:21,270
Was Armando's incredible survival due to
divine intervention, as he claims?
238
00:17:22,290 --> 00:17:27,809
Or is it possible that the power of
belief itself gave him the strength he
239
00:17:27,810 --> 00:17:29,750
needed to survive against all odds?
240
00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:34,750
It would seem that the answer is
ultimately a matter of faith.
241
00:17:34,751 --> 00:17:41,229
However... There are other people who
have been able to live through freezing
242
00:17:41,230 --> 00:17:47,889
temperatures not by looking to a higher
power, but by indulging in the spirits
243
00:17:47,890 --> 00:17:48,990
of an earthly nature.
244
00:17:54,110 --> 00:17:56,950
Southampton, England, April 10, 1912.
245
00:17:59,150 --> 00:18:03,490
RMS Titanic sets out on her maiden
voyage bound for New York.
246
00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:12,269
Billed as unsinkable, The more than 46
,000 -ton vessel offers passengers the
247
00:18:12,270 --> 00:18:14,950
very latest in transatlantic comfort.
248
00:18:15,370 --> 00:18:19,889
But what the men, women, and children on
board don't know, and could never
249
00:18:19,890 --> 00:18:25,150
suspect, is that Titanic will not reach
its intended destination.
250
00:18:26,570 --> 00:18:32,510
The Titanic had 2 ,208 on board, 891 of
whom were crewed.
251
00:18:33,710 --> 00:18:37,050
The Titanic was not just the largest and
most luxurious.
252
00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,580
ocean liner at the time, but it was also
seen as a kind of industrial miracle.
253
00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,640
It was the largest moving object in
human history.
254
00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,960
It was four days into its voyage.
255
00:18:52,420 --> 00:18:57,019
Very late in the evening, about 20
minutes before midnight, the lookout
256
00:18:57,020 --> 00:18:59,480
a growler iceberg in its path.
257
00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:01,320
Iceberg, get ahead, sir!
258
00:19:01,820 --> 00:19:03,020
Iceberg, get ahead, sir.
259
00:19:03,380 --> 00:19:06,200
And unfortunately, the ship was going
too fast.
260
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:13,719
They tried to turn the ship, but the
iceberg struck along the
261
00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:20,139
starboard bow, bashing in the riveted
steel plates that comprised the
262
00:19:20,140 --> 00:19:21,190
Titanic's hull.
263
00:19:22,300 --> 00:19:28,939
The Titanic was proclaimed unthinkable
because it had 16 so -called watertight
264
00:19:28,940 --> 00:19:35,640
compartments, except only the first
forward four compartments at the bow.
265
00:19:36,190 --> 00:19:39,410
and four compartments at the stern were
truly watertight.
266
00:19:39,990 --> 00:19:46,429
And this was the fatal flaw because the
iceberg breached more than the first
267
00:19:46,430 --> 00:19:47,690
four compartments.
268
00:19:48,550 --> 00:19:50,870
And the order was given to man the
lifeboat.
269
00:19:53,230 --> 00:19:57,140
It's endlessly repeated that there
weren't enough lifeboats in the Titanic.
270
00:19:57,150 --> 00:19:58,830
And strictly speaking, it's true.
271
00:20:00,170 --> 00:20:04,489
Every passenger and every crew member
had a different moment when they began
272
00:20:04,490 --> 00:20:08,350
move from complete defeat to concern and
finally to panic.
273
00:20:09,690 --> 00:20:14,249
As panic spreads across the decks of the
Titanic, male passengers scramble to
274
00:20:14,250 --> 00:20:16,710
place their wives and children on
lifeboats.
275
00:20:17,030 --> 00:20:21,829
Many unfortunate souls choose to take
their chances by jumping overboard into
276
00:20:21,830 --> 00:20:23,810
the frigid waters of the North Atlantic.
277
00:20:23,830 --> 00:20:25,130
They didn't live long.
278
00:20:26,050 --> 00:20:28,910
That is, with the remarkable exception
of one man.
279
00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,400
Charles Jockin, the ship's chief baker.
280
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,739
Charles Jockin was asleep in his bunk
when the Titanic hit the iceberg, and
281
00:20:39,740 --> 00:20:45,179
where his quarters were, were a part of
the ship that felt the collision quite
282
00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:50,379
significantly, so he sat up with a jolt
and realised that there had been a
283
00:20:50,380 --> 00:20:54,920
fairly serious collision for the ship,
and he went up on deck to see.
284
00:20:55,600 --> 00:21:01,369
When he heard that the order for
lifeboats... had been given, he returned
285
00:21:01,370 --> 00:21:06,390
cabin and poured himself a tumbler full
of liquor.
286
00:21:06,730 --> 00:21:08,670
And he drank a half tumbler full.
287
00:21:09,510 --> 00:21:15,469
Then he went back up on deck and helped
to supervise the loading of lifeboat. He
288
00:21:15,470 --> 00:21:16,870
helped load lifeboat 10.
289
00:21:17,270 --> 00:21:21,509
After that lifeboat was loaded, he went
back to his cabin and had another nip or
290
00:21:21,510 --> 00:21:26,010
two so that he was really quite well lit
as it got later in the night.
291
00:21:27,370 --> 00:21:31,250
At about 2 .10, passengers reported
hearing a thickening roar.
292
00:21:32,130 --> 00:21:35,949
And that was the bulkhead giving way
under this incredible stress from the
293
00:21:35,950 --> 00:21:37,000
incoming ocean.
294
00:21:38,230 --> 00:21:44,230
After the Titanic broke in two, Jocken
himself climbed onto the stern railing,
295
00:21:44,250 --> 00:21:46,130
not far from the flagpole.
296
00:21:47,070 --> 00:21:51,470
And as the ship sank, he rode it down
like an elevator.
297
00:21:53,130 --> 00:21:54,830
The water temperature was...
298
00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:00,499
between minus one and minus two Celsius,
or about 28 Fahrenheit, which is below
299
00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:01,550
freezing.
300
00:22:03,020 --> 00:22:07,939
Jocken then jumped or was washed
overboard, depending on one's
301
00:22:07,940 --> 00:22:13,880
it, into the water and eventually
reached one of the overturned lifeboats.
302
00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:20,039
He claimed he was floating in the water
four times longer than the maximum
303
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,260
survival for other passengers or crew.
304
00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:25,800
who hit the water after the ship sank.
305
00:22:26,700 --> 00:22:33,020
He was in the Atlantic for a lot longer
than other survivors were.
306
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:40,159
Jockin paddled around for a while and
eventually came across the overturned
307
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:46,699
collapsible lifeboat and at least 28 men
found refuge there and survived on the
308
00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:50,420
back. Jockin said he paddled up to the
lifeboat and was rebuffed.
309
00:22:50,660 --> 00:22:52,740
They said, no more men you'll think of.
310
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:59,839
Of the 2 ,208 passengers and crew who
sailed upon the Titanic on its maiden
311
00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,400
voyage, only 712 survived.
312
00:23:03,940 --> 00:23:07,440
1 ,496 perished.
313
00:23:08,580 --> 00:23:14,479
Among the survivors was Charles Jockin,
who, after floating in 28 -degree water
314
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,240
for nearly two hours, managed to stay
alive.
315
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:20,290
But how?
316
00:23:20,291 --> 00:23:24,689
He should have been a candidate to have
his legs amputated. There should have
317
00:23:24,690 --> 00:23:27,370
been severe damage, and there wasn't.
318
00:23:27,590 --> 00:23:32,569
Jocken reached New York in relative good
health. He went back to his career not
319
00:23:32,570 --> 00:23:33,630
long afterward.
320
00:23:33,631 --> 00:23:37,669
And when they asked him later, what do
you think it was that allowed you to
321
00:23:37,670 --> 00:23:41,910
survive, he said that the alcohol warmed
his blood and kept him alive.
322
00:23:42,350 --> 00:23:47,329
But no medical science shows that this
is the case. In fact, it's believed that
323
00:23:47,330 --> 00:23:48,950
alcohol actually makes it worse.
324
00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:52,520
if you're encountering a situation of
hypothermia.
325
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:58,400
Experts say that when you drink alcohol,
something called vasodilation occurs,
326
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:03,559
and the blood goes to your skin, which
is why your face turns red if you drink
327
00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:08,319
lot. So that when you actually are
plunged into cold water, you're more
328
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:14,139
susceptible to hypothermia. You actually
would die more quickly if you were
329
00:24:14,140 --> 00:24:15,190
drunk.
330
00:24:15,460 --> 00:24:20,319
Alcohol is a toxin. Perhaps it drives
your body temperature up because your
331
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,199
immune system has to kick in and start
fighting off a toxin.
332
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:24,440
That's one possibility.
333
00:24:24,900 --> 00:24:31,699
The other possibility is that the
alcohol in his system just kept him calm
334
00:24:31,700 --> 00:24:35,759
that he didn't panic and was able to
survive longer because he kept a cool
335
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:36,810
about it.
336
00:24:37,580 --> 00:24:41,380
So stories like Charles Jockin cause us
to question.
337
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,500
Was he different from normal people?
338
00:24:44,820 --> 00:24:48,860
How could he have survived temperatures
like that for that long?
339
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,030
We don't really know the answers to
this, and maybe we'll never know.
340
00:24:57,580 --> 00:25:03,739
Did Charles Jockin possess some unique
physiology that helped him survive one
341
00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:05,660
the darkest days in maritime history?
342
00:25:05,860 --> 00:25:10,300
Or was it liquor and luck that saved
him?
343
00:25:11,130 --> 00:25:15,689
The same question could be asked of
another ocean disaster, where a sailor
344
00:25:15,690 --> 00:25:20,170
managed to escape being trapped at the
bottom of the sea.
345
00:25:25,890 --> 00:25:27,750
December 6th, 1941.
346
00:25:29,610 --> 00:25:36,109
As World War II rages throughout Europe,
British Royal Navy submarine HMS
347
00:25:36,110 --> 00:25:39,690
Persis is patrolling the waters off the
coast of Greece.
348
00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:44,819
With both German and Italian forces
occupying Greece and the threat of
349
00:25:44,820 --> 00:25:48,840
underwater mines lurking, it is a
dangerous mission.
350
00:25:50,380 --> 00:25:54,220
HMS Perthia is a 260 -foot submarine.
351
00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:00,400
She's on a mission sailing from Malta to
Alexandria.
352
00:26:01,020 --> 00:26:05,880
HMS Perthia has carried 58 crew and two
passengers.
353
00:26:07,340 --> 00:26:11,479
One of those two passengers is a sailor
by the name of John Capes. He had
354
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:15,179
hitched a ride aboard the submarine so
that he could return to his home base in
355
00:26:15,180 --> 00:26:19,279
Alexandria, where the Perseus was
scheduled to dock after its mission was
356
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:20,330
complete.
357
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:27,519
During the night, the submarine comes up
to charge its batteries so that it can
358
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,360
operate underwater during the day.
359
00:26:29,700 --> 00:26:34,600
And they go along very slowly, keeping a
very, very sharp lookout.
360
00:26:35,790 --> 00:26:39,909
At approximately 10 p .m., the crew of
the Perseus was awakened by a violent
361
00:26:39,910 --> 00:26:40,960
explosion.
362
00:26:43,310 --> 00:26:46,490
And everyone on board scrambled for
their lives.
363
00:26:47,310 --> 00:26:54,249
She hit a mine, which made a big hole in
the bows of the vessel, so that it sank
364
00:26:54,250 --> 00:26:55,930
very, very fast.
365
00:26:56,630 --> 00:27:02,250
The bottom junkheads happened to be in
the safest place on the boat.
366
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,350
place that was furthest away from the
explosion.
367
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,640
Capes is suddenly jolted awake.
368
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:14,619
He kind of gets himself together,
realizing what happened, and he goes
369
00:27:14,620 --> 00:27:16,060
to see what he can find.
370
00:27:17,660 --> 00:27:21,520
With only moments to spare, Capes has to
act fast.
371
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:28,019
Fortunately, he finds a potential
lifeline in the form of an emergency
372
00:27:28,020 --> 00:27:32,419
suit. which is designed to protect
sailors against the effects of water
373
00:27:32,420 --> 00:27:33,470
pressure.
374
00:27:34,260 --> 00:27:40,279
Exiting the submarine at a depth of some
170 feet, Capes and one of the crew's
375
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,740
sailors desperately attempt to make
their way to the surface.
376
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:50,359
As if surviving both the explosion and
death by drowning weren't enough, the
377
00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:54,459
tremendous weight of the water leaves
them vulnerable to a potentially fatal
378
00:27:54,460 --> 00:27:56,980
condition dreaded by deep -sea divers.
379
00:27:57,660 --> 00:27:59,640
known as the bends.
380
00:28:01,340 --> 00:28:06,119
The bends is similar to opening up a can
of soda. When you open up a can of
381
00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:11,679
soda, the gas that's in the liquid,
which is carbon dioxide, all of a sudden
382
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,800
starts releasing, bubbling to the top of
the can of soda.
383
00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:19,120
So the nitrogen that's in the body does
the same thing.
384
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,619
So when you swim too fast, the nitrogen
that's built up in the body tries to
385
00:28:23,620 --> 00:28:24,670
escape.
386
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:29,680
And this can bubble out into any of the
organs, including the heart, the brain,
387
00:28:29,780 --> 00:28:31,520
the lungs. It can cause malfunction.
388
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,400
It can also kill you.
389
00:28:35,260 --> 00:28:39,559
Even though his escape suit was not
rated to handle water pressure deeper
390
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,060
100 feet, John Capes' will to survive
was formidable.
391
00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:50,539
In spite of everything, including the
bandits, he made it to the surface
392
00:28:50,540 --> 00:28:51,590
alive.
393
00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:01,319
Quite a swim. I think it was about six
miles or so swimming. He reaches a
394
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:07,820
rocky beach, manages to drag himself
ashore, and collapses.
395
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:15,060
It's amazing that John Cape's lungs did
not explode,
396
00:29:15,220 --> 00:29:21,339
or at least hemorrhage badly as he was
surfacing. Maybe this guy was just lucky
397
00:29:21,340 --> 00:29:23,140
enough that he was resilient enough.
398
00:29:23,580 --> 00:29:24,630
to survive.
399
00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:32,700
Against all odds, John Capes escaped
what should have been a death sentence.
400
00:29:33,620 --> 00:29:38,839
He defied everything we know about both
human physiology and the laws of
401
00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:40,740
physics. But how?
402
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,279
So in the British Navy, for a long, long
time, there had been an alcohol ration
403
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,680
every day, and the rum was 95 % proof.
404
00:29:51,639 --> 00:29:56,919
And in order to settle his nerves, John
Capes took a big swig out of his rum
405
00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:01,139
bottle. So I guess by the time that John
Capes was actually leaving the
406
00:30:01,140 --> 00:30:03,900
submarine, he was more than a little bit
drunk.
407
00:30:04,540 --> 00:30:08,819
Actually, drinking alcohol might have
helped him out. It could have lowered
408
00:30:08,820 --> 00:30:12,019
blood pressure a little bit, and it
could have actually kept him calm.
409
00:30:12,020 --> 00:30:16,379
Both of those are things that you may
need in this type of situation. You need
410
00:30:16,380 --> 00:30:17,900
to remain calm in an emergency.
411
00:30:17,901 --> 00:30:22,029
And your blood pressure was going to get
really high at some point. And so if
412
00:30:22,030 --> 00:30:25,640
you have a way to artificially bring it
down some, I suspect that helped.
413
00:30:27,030 --> 00:30:32,709
Unfortunately, John Capes' story was so
remarkable, so inexplicable, that many
414
00:30:32,710 --> 00:30:34,390
people didn't believe it was true.
415
00:30:35,930 --> 00:30:39,909
They even went so far as to question
whether or not he had ever been on the
416
00:30:39,910 --> 00:30:41,350
submarine in the first place.
417
00:30:43,030 --> 00:30:47,430
People didn't believe that you could
survive that escape from.
418
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:53,200
170 feet, so there were all sorts of
people cast doubts on John Capes.
419
00:30:54,760 --> 00:31:01,440
And it wasn't until nearly 50 years
later when divers discovered the wreck
420
00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:08,319
Muth Party that there was the hatch
opened and John
421
00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:14,699
Capes' story was at last validated and
his behaviour and his
422
00:31:14,700 --> 00:31:16,100
courage was rewarded.
423
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,179
How did John Capes summon the courage he
needed to overcome seemingly
424
00:31:22,180 --> 00:31:26,280
insurmountable odds and make it out of
the submarine alive?
425
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:32,120
It's hard to imagine how anyone could
find the nerve to do what Capes did.
426
00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:38,360
But the fact is that somehow he managed
to defy death.
427
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,799
But remarkably, there are those who have
not only survived a deadly
428
00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:44,850
circumstance,
429
00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:51,880
They actually attract danger again and
again and again.
430
00:31:57,220 --> 00:32:00,900
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, July
1969.
431
00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:09,779
Park Ranger Roy Sullivan is driving
south along Skyline Drive when suddenly
432
00:32:09,780 --> 00:32:14,760
bolt of lightning strikes him through
the open windows of his truck.
433
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,579
Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning
driving along a mountain road. He wasn't
434
00:32:21,580 --> 00:32:22,660
hurt that much.
435
00:32:22,980 --> 00:32:24,080
He was lucky.
436
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,280
Lightning can cause all kinds of damage
to a person.
437
00:32:29,580 --> 00:32:31,760
It can injure one's nerves.
438
00:32:31,980 --> 00:32:36,980
It can cause headaches that last for
many, many months, if not years.
439
00:32:37,740 --> 00:32:40,780
And, of course, a lightning strike can
be fatal.
440
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,320
The blast burned off Roy's hair.
441
00:32:44,940 --> 00:32:47,300
and left a black burn mark on his ranger
hat.
442
00:32:49,140 --> 00:32:52,780
One out of every ten people struck by
lightning dies.
443
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:58,000
Those who survive often suffer
debilitating lifelong injuries.
444
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:05,520
But somehow, Roy Sullivan walked away
relatively unscathed.
445
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:12,559
But what's even more remarkable is that
between 1942 and 1977, Roy
446
00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:17,630
Sullivan... was struck by lightning on
six more occasions and survived.
447
00:33:18,790 --> 00:33:21,170
Each and every time.
448
00:33:22,550 --> 00:33:27,929
Roy Sullivan was in the Guinness Book of
Records for having been the person who
449
00:33:27,930 --> 00:33:30,490
was hit the most in his lifetime by
lightning.
450
00:33:30,710 --> 00:33:36,990
He was dubbed the human lightning rod,
spark ranger, and lightning man.
451
00:33:38,470 --> 00:33:42,750
There are a number of factors that
increase Sullivan's odds of being
452
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:50,159
He was outdoors, not only on tops of
mountains, but on lookout towers, moving
453
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,420
around a lot in open spaces.
454
00:33:53,060 --> 00:33:57,500
But the fact that he was hit seven times
and didn't die is incredible.
455
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,640
Lightning is one of the most devastating
forces on Earth.
456
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:10,479
A single bolt can carry more than 100
million volts of electricity and is five
457
00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:11,530
times hotter.
458
00:34:12,090 --> 00:34:13,290
in the surface of the sun.
459
00:34:14,090 --> 00:34:18,710
So how was Roy Sullivan able to survive
such destructive power?
460
00:34:18,969 --> 00:34:20,290
Seven times.
461
00:34:22,409 --> 00:34:28,349
Well, according to some experts, it
might have been because certain people's
462
00:34:28,350 --> 00:34:32,270
bodies are more resistant to being
electrocuted.
463
00:34:33,909 --> 00:34:37,530
The human body is not the greatest
conductor for electricity.
464
00:34:38,699 --> 00:34:42,579
But in these cases, maybe there are
compounds in their bloodstream that do
465
00:34:42,580 --> 00:34:48,320
increase their ability to generate
energy or hold energy.
466
00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:55,879
For example, someone who has a higher
degree of iron in their bloodstream
467
00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:59,000
potentially conduct lightning a little
bit better.
468
00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:05,439
Is it possible that Roy Sullivan
possessed some physical or genetic trait
469
00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,420
allowed him to both attract lightning?
470
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:12,140
and withstand surges of electricity that
could otherwise kill a normal human?
471
00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:17,439
Perhaps a clue can be found by examining
another person who was struck by
472
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:18,920
lightning multiple times.
473
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:20,780
I'd love to tell about it.
474
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,360
Oologa, Oklahoma, 1978.
475
00:35:27,860 --> 00:35:32,659
After a long day of competition, bull
rider Carl Mize is about to head home
476
00:35:32,660 --> 00:35:36,620
he grabs the door handle of his truck
and is instantly hit.
477
00:35:37,100 --> 00:35:38,740
by a powerful bolt of lightning.
478
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:45,459
Right when it happened, I knew I'd
struck the lightning, the flash of the
479
00:35:45,460 --> 00:35:48,479
and the shock, you know, that went
through my arm and through my body.
480
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:54,499
And it knocked me back four or five foot
on my tail end. And I just jumped up
481
00:35:54,500 --> 00:35:58,720
and tried to brush the mud off and got
in my truck and left.
482
00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,880
Aside from some achy muscles, Carl was
left uninjured by the experience.
483
00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:09,919
And like most people, he wasn't worried
about this happening again because he
484
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,360
believed the old adage that lightning
never strikes twice.
485
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:21,239
But between 1994 and 2006, Carl was
struck by lightning
486
00:36:21,240 --> 00:36:25,500
an astonishing five more times.
487
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:32,259
For 39 years, I've worked at the
University of Oklahoma in the electrical
488
00:36:32,260 --> 00:36:33,820
department in the utility shop.
489
00:36:34,170 --> 00:36:36,880
and we take care of all the high
-voltage electricity.
490
00:36:37,390 --> 00:36:42,589
So I often think there's got to be
something that, you know, attracts
491
00:36:42,590 --> 00:36:46,010
to me because it's just unheard of to be
struck that many times.
492
00:36:47,450 --> 00:36:52,429
After each incident, doctors who
examined Carl were shocked to discover
493
00:36:52,430 --> 00:36:53,480
injuries were minor.
494
00:36:53,950 --> 00:36:58,149
None of his internal organs suffered the
kind of significant damage normally
495
00:36:58,150 --> 00:37:00,670
seen in victims of lightning strikes.
496
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,579
There's not a whole lot of people that
get struck by lightning, so doctors
497
00:37:05,580 --> 00:37:08,080
really treat you as a guinea pig.
498
00:37:09,060 --> 00:37:15,279
They actually had a man come down that
was an electrical engineer to
499
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,780
measure the DC voltage in my body.
500
00:37:18,740 --> 00:37:23,180
A common person has six volts DC to run
your body.
501
00:37:23,580 --> 00:37:29,160
Whenever they tested me, I had 1 .7 DC
volts in my body.
502
00:37:31,110 --> 00:37:33,190
conductive than an average person.
503
00:37:33,630 --> 00:37:38,849
And it makes me wonder, and even the
doctors have wondered too, could have
504
00:37:38,850 --> 00:37:40,170
been what's kept me alive?
505
00:37:41,750 --> 00:37:46,229
The stories of Carl Mize and Roy
Sullivan offer living proof that
506
00:37:46,230 --> 00:37:48,230
indeed strike twice.
507
00:37:49,170 --> 00:37:53,989
And it's a strange thought to know that
your body can both attract and protect
508
00:37:53,990 --> 00:37:56,310
you from life -threatening danger.
509
00:37:57,230 --> 00:38:03,549
But there are times when survival may
come down to simply grabbing whatever
510
00:38:03,550 --> 00:38:04,600
can hold on to.
511
00:38:10,110 --> 00:38:13,190
New York City, December 7th, 2007.
512
00:38:14,570 --> 00:38:17,150
47 stories above the ground.
513
00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:24,110
Brothers Alcides and Edgar Moreno step
onto a hanging platform to wash windows.
514
00:38:24,610 --> 00:38:29,050
But when they start working, disaster
strikes.
515
00:38:33,130 --> 00:38:37,050
One cable snap, I hold it out to the
platform.
516
00:38:37,870 --> 00:38:39,690
Hey, my brother fell off.
517
00:38:40,150 --> 00:38:46,369
Another cable snap and free fall. The
platform comes and free fall all the way
518
00:38:46,370 --> 00:38:47,420
down.
519
00:38:51,750 --> 00:38:56,570
Edgar plunges 472 feet onto a fence,
dying instantly.
520
00:38:57,430 --> 00:39:00,250
But as emergency responders arrive on
the scene,
521
00:39:00,970 --> 00:39:05,009
They approach the wreckage of the
scaffolding and are shocked to discover
522
00:39:05,010 --> 00:39:06,870
Alcides is still alive.
523
00:39:08,670 --> 00:39:14,189
Mr. Moreno actually fell with the
scaffolding and landed onto some garbage
524
00:39:14,190 --> 00:39:15,240
in the alleyway.
525
00:39:16,150 --> 00:39:21,249
Our rescue paramedics, they thought that
it was going to be a recovery, but when
526
00:39:21,250 --> 00:39:24,430
they got to him, he opened his eyes and
took a breath.
527
00:39:26,110 --> 00:39:28,520
Alcides was rushed to the hospital for
surgery.
528
00:39:29,450 --> 00:39:34,229
Several of his vertebrae had been
crushed, and his skull was fractured,
529
00:39:34,230 --> 00:39:35,280
his brain to swell.
530
00:39:36,450 --> 00:39:42,249
He was given 24 pints of blood and put
into a drug -induced coma, undergoing 15
531
00:39:42,250 --> 00:39:43,300
more surgeries.
532
00:39:44,950 --> 00:39:50,369
But on January 18th, a mere six weeks
after his accident, Alcides was
533
00:39:50,370 --> 00:39:51,420
from the hospital.
534
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:05,699
The medical staff from the hospital,
when they see that, wow, they say, this
535
00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:06,750
is a miracle.
536
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:13,819
Any fall from greater than one and a
half times your own height is considered
537
00:40:13,820 --> 00:40:15,060
potentially deadly.
538
00:40:15,340 --> 00:40:20,219
So for someone to fall from this great a
height and live a productive life is
539
00:40:20,220 --> 00:40:21,480
absolutely fascinating.
540
00:40:21,481 --> 00:40:26,859
Statistically, falling from a height
greater than 40 feet is almost always
541
00:40:26,860 --> 00:40:33,119
fatal. So how did Alcides Moreno survive
a fall from more than ten times that
542
00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:34,170
high?
543
00:40:34,900 --> 00:40:38,540
It's not the falling that kills you,
it's the stopping.
544
00:40:39,940 --> 00:40:46,540
And so if there is a tree, bushes,
wreckage that's between you and what you
545
00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,140
those factors contribute to survival.
546
00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:55,059
And so the main factor that caused
Alcides Moreno to survive is that
547
00:40:55,060 --> 00:40:56,110
that he was on.
548
00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:58,760
He held on to that all the way down.
549
00:40:59,500 --> 00:41:05,500
He didn't fall directly 47 stories
without anything cushioning his fall.
550
00:41:06,900 --> 00:41:13,339
In just about any emergency, your
initial reactions are going to be a big
551
00:41:13,340 --> 00:41:14,390
of your survival.
552
00:41:15,060 --> 00:41:19,030
These can be the little things that make
the difference between life and death.
553
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,880
It shows everybody that...
554
00:41:23,310 --> 00:41:26,310
They're capable of a lot more than we
realize.
555
00:41:26,850 --> 00:41:31,370
It just takes these extraordinary
circumstances to show us that.
556
00:41:34,130 --> 00:41:38,489
So, what can we learn from these
remarkable cases of people who were able
557
00:41:38,490 --> 00:41:39,540
defy death?
558
00:41:40,930 --> 00:41:46,009
While many survival stories involve a
fair amount of luck, it's also clear
559
00:41:46,010 --> 00:41:50,890
in times of great danger, certain
individuals possess a powerful will to
560
00:41:52,970 --> 00:41:54,070
Not fully understood.
561
00:41:54,590 --> 00:42:00,650
And in all likelihood will remain
unexplained.
562
00:42:00,700 --> 00:42:05,250
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