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00:00:01,546 --> 00:00:04,151
WILLIAM SHATNER:
Deadly falls
from incredible heights.
2
00:00:04,217 --> 00:00:08,459
Lightning strikes packed
with devastating power.
3
00:00:09,161 --> 00:00:12,835
And lethal brain injuries
that should mean
4
00:00:12,835 --> 00:00:14,205
certain death.
5
00:00:14,404 --> 00:00:16,308
(siren wailing)
6
00:00:16,408 --> 00:00:19,950
How are some people able
to beat the odds
7
00:00:20,116 --> 00:00:22,021
and survive the impossible?
8
00:00:22,220 --> 00:00:24,525
Is it blind luck?
9
00:00:24,626 --> 00:00:27,832
A combination of instinct
and quick thinking?
10
00:00:27,832 --> 00:00:27,866
A combination of instinct
and quick thinking?
Or could it even be...
11
00:00:27,866 --> 00:00:31,538
Or could it even be...
12
00:00:31,538 --> 00:00:31,574
Or could it even be...
divine intervention?
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00:00:31,574 --> 00:00:33,376
divine intervention?
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00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:37,852
Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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00:00:38,085 --> 00:00:40,089
♪ ♪
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00:01:01,298 --> 00:01:06,475
29-year-old engineer Tsutomu
Yamaguchi is walking to work...
17
00:01:07,611 --> 00:01:09,448
...when a blinding flash,
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00:01:09,549 --> 00:01:12,655
brighter than the Sun,
fills the sky.
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00:01:15,259 --> 00:01:16,763
He doesn't know it yet,
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00:01:16,763 --> 00:01:16,830
He doesn't know it yet,
but the world's
first atomic bomb
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00:01:16,830 --> 00:01:18,299
but the world's
first atomic bomb
22
00:01:18,432 --> 00:01:20,838
has just exploded over the city
23
00:01:20,838 --> 00:01:20,938
has just exploded over the city
with the force
of 15,000 tons of TNT,
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00:01:20,938 --> 00:01:24,311
with the force
of 15,000 tons of TNT,
25
00:01:24,444 --> 00:01:27,819
creating a massive shockwave...
26
00:01:28,787 --> 00:01:32,828
...that disintegrates everything
in its path.
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00:01:35,634 --> 00:01:39,008
MICHIO KAKU:
Instinctively, Tsutomu Yamaguchi
raced into a ditch
28
00:01:39,207 --> 00:01:41,646
as an atomic fireball
29
00:01:41,713 --> 00:01:45,821
began to pulverize
almost everything in sight...
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00:01:46,589 --> 00:01:50,130
...like a gigantic hand
from outer space coming down,
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00:01:50,329 --> 00:01:51,866
crushing everything,
32
00:01:51,866 --> 00:01:51,900
crushing everything,
blowing all structures away.
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00:01:51,900 --> 00:01:54,806
blowing all structures away.
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00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,952
SHATNER:
The bomb that exploded
over Hiroshima
35
00:02:01,218 --> 00:02:03,857
was the most destructive force
ever unleashed in history.
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00:02:05,493 --> 00:02:08,399
80,000 people died instantly,
37
00:02:08,466 --> 00:02:10,904
as temperatures approaching
the surface of the Sun
38
00:02:10,904 --> 00:02:10,905
as temperatures approaching
the surface of the Sun
vaporized their bodies
39
00:02:10,905 --> 00:02:12,975
vaporized their bodies
40
00:02:12,975 --> 00:02:13,076
vaporized their bodies
and bathed the city
in lethal radiation.
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00:02:13,076 --> 00:02:16,148
and bathed the city
in lethal radiation.
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00:02:16,348 --> 00:02:18,252
But, astoundingly,
43
00:02:18,352 --> 00:02:21,459
despite being less
than two miles from ground zero,
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00:02:21,626 --> 00:02:25,667
Mr. Yamaguchi somehow survived.
45
00:02:42,668 --> 00:02:44,973
KAKU:
There is ash
falling from the sky.
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00:02:45,239 --> 00:02:49,315
And he realizes that his
eardrums have been shattered
47
00:02:49,514 --> 00:02:51,452
and that he was burned
48
00:02:51,518 --> 00:02:55,460
by the enormous amount of heat
that came out of the blast.
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00:02:56,896 --> 00:02:59,669
He got a thousand times
50
00:02:59,735 --> 00:03:03,744
the dose of radiation
that we experience in one year
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00:03:03,810 --> 00:03:07,484
simply by walking
on the surface of the Earth.
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00:03:09,287 --> 00:03:11,826
Anyone who was
in that type of a radius
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00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,300
from, uh, an atomic bomb
would experience
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00:03:15,399 --> 00:03:19,876
anywhere from 95%
to 98% chance of dying
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00:03:19,976 --> 00:03:22,948
due to all the different
dimensions of injury
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00:03:22,948 --> 00:03:22,982
due to all the different
dimensions of injury
that are possible.
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00:03:22,982 --> 00:03:24,552
that are possible.
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00:03:25,821 --> 00:03:27,692
SHATNER:
Tsutomu Yamaguchi's survival
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00:03:27,825 --> 00:03:30,397
of the nuclear devastation
at Hiroshima
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00:03:30,564 --> 00:03:33,303
is almost impossible to fathom.
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00:03:33,435 --> 00:03:36,976
But what's
even more unbelievable is that,
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00:03:36,976 --> 00:03:36,977
But what's
even more unbelievable is that,
just three days later,
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00:03:36,977 --> 00:03:38,980
just three days later,
64
00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:38,981
just three days later,
on August 9, 1945,
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00:03:38,981 --> 00:03:42,053
on August 9, 1945,
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00:03:42,053 --> 00:03:44,425
he did it again.
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00:03:44,592 --> 00:03:47,164
Yamaguchi is from Nagasaki.
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00:03:47,330 --> 00:03:48,867
After being atomic bombed,
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he wants to go back
to meet his family.
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00:03:52,340 --> 00:03:53,409
So he gets on a train,
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00:03:53,475 --> 00:03:57,985
travels 186 miles
from Hiroshima to Nagasaki.
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00:03:57,985 --> 00:03:58,019
travels 186 miles
from Hiroshima to Nagasaki.
And then, for a second time,
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00:03:58,019 --> 00:04:00,156
And then, for a second time,
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00:04:00,323 --> 00:04:03,263
he sees this flash of light
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00:04:03,395 --> 00:04:06,068
coming from
an atomic detonation--
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00:04:06,068 --> 00:04:08,239
the Nagasaki bomb.
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00:04:08,339 --> 00:04:11,613
And there's a repeat
of the tragedy.
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00:04:36,663 --> 00:04:40,971
SHATNER:
More than 75,000 people
died in the Nagasaki bombing.
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00:04:42,006 --> 00:04:43,509
Yet, once again,
80
00:04:43,643 --> 00:04:45,981
Tsutomu Yamaguchi walked away
81
00:04:46,048 --> 00:04:50,056
from a deadly nuclear blast
with only minor injuries.
82
00:04:50,056 --> 00:04:52,127
Even more incredibly,
83
00:04:52,393 --> 00:04:55,066
despite being exposed
to a lethal dose of radiation
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00:04:55,066 --> 00:04:55,166
despite being exposed
to a lethal dose of radiation
for the second time
in three days,
85
00:04:55,166 --> 00:04:57,504
for the second time
in three days,
86
00:04:57,638 --> 00:05:00,109
he lived
an otherwise healthy life
87
00:05:00,109 --> 00:05:00,210
he lived
an otherwise healthy life
before finally dying
at the age of 93.
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00:05:00,210 --> 00:05:03,684
before finally dying
at the age of 93.
89
00:05:04,585 --> 00:05:07,223
Those two quick doses
of radiation,
90
00:05:07,390 --> 00:05:08,760
within three days of each other,
91
00:05:08,927 --> 00:05:11,331
um, is-is absolutely terrible.
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00:05:11,431 --> 00:05:13,571
Uh, you would think
it would have...
93
00:05:13,670 --> 00:05:15,941
destroyed his-his body,
his internal organs.
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00:05:17,410 --> 00:05:20,383
But, somehow,
this man had a system
95
00:05:20,550 --> 00:05:22,589
that was able to withstand it.
96
00:05:22,688 --> 00:05:26,830
And so it shows
that there's a lot more going on
97
00:05:26,963 --> 00:05:28,567
with our bodies,
and they're capable
98
00:05:28,700 --> 00:05:30,771
of a lot more
than we may realize.
99
00:05:30,837 --> 00:05:33,910
It just takes these
extraordinary circumstances
100
00:05:33,910 --> 00:05:35,581
to show us that.
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00:05:36,415 --> 00:05:37,551
From a medical perspective,
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00:05:37,651 --> 00:05:40,691
it defies all of the science
that we know.
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00:05:41,726 --> 00:05:43,964
There has to be another facet,
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00:05:43,964 --> 00:05:45,934
like his will to live.
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00:05:46,034 --> 00:05:49,575
And, who knows,
maybe that element of will
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00:05:49,709 --> 00:05:51,613
that can't be quantified
by science
107
00:05:51,779 --> 00:05:53,449
had something to do with it.
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00:05:54,785 --> 00:05:58,861
SHATNER:
Tsutomu Yamaguchi's survival
would appear to defy all logic,
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00:05:58,927 --> 00:06:03,202
which is perhaps why some people
attribute it to fate.
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00:06:04,137 --> 00:06:05,874
RAMANI DURVASULA:
When we're thinking
about survival,
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00:06:06,008 --> 00:06:07,779
fate and destiny
are so interesting,
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00:06:07,845 --> 00:06:09,715
because they're beliefs
that have been held
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00:06:09,749 --> 00:06:12,888
by societies as long as we've
had, sort of, recorded history.
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00:06:14,792 --> 00:06:16,796
We can look
at the ancient Greeks,
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00:06:16,863 --> 00:06:19,167
where a lot of the philosophies
were really about
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00:06:19,467 --> 00:06:21,739
the gods on Mount Olympus
sort of rolling the dice
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00:06:21,806 --> 00:06:25,280
and determining the fates
for the lowly humans underneath.
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00:06:25,446 --> 00:06:27,551
We could look at Hinduism,
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00:06:27,618 --> 00:06:30,423
where the concept of karma
has often been sort of conflated
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00:06:30,624 --> 00:06:32,327
with a model of fate.
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00:06:32,493 --> 00:06:33,597
And I think that makes sense,
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00:06:33,663 --> 00:06:39,041
given how people who survive
disasters of any kind
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00:06:39,174 --> 00:06:42,280
and really, by all odds,
should have died,
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00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,351
it's really a miracle
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00:06:44,451 --> 00:06:47,357
watching them walk out
of these situations.
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00:06:47,490 --> 00:06:49,161
One of the systems of meaning
127
00:06:49,227 --> 00:06:52,000
that those people will find
themselves in is to say,
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00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:52,034
that those people will find
themselves in is to say,
"There was a plan for me."
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00:06:52,034 --> 00:06:53,937
"There was a plan for me."
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00:06:55,072 --> 00:06:58,580
SHATNER:
Is it really possible
that Tsutomu Yamaguchi
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00:06:58,713 --> 00:07:01,385
was destined
to withstand the bombings
132
00:07:01,552 --> 00:07:04,391
at Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
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00:07:04,658 --> 00:07:08,165
Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining another survivor
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00:07:08,265 --> 00:07:12,206
who overcame impossible odds
not just twice
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00:07:12,206 --> 00:07:12,273
who overcame impossible odds
not just twice
but an astonishing four times.
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00:07:12,273 --> 00:07:16,582
but an astonishing four times.
137
00:07:25,066 --> 00:07:28,941
Deep within the bowels
of the luxury liner RMS Titanic,
138
00:07:29,074 --> 00:07:32,548
Arthur John Priest
is shoveling coal
139
00:07:32,681 --> 00:07:34,719
into the vessel's
massive boilers...
140
00:07:36,689 --> 00:07:38,860
...when it strikes
a 400-foot iceberg.
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00:07:40,262 --> 00:07:41,633
The hull rips open,
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00:07:41,733 --> 00:07:45,306
and Priest is plunged
into darkness
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00:07:45,306 --> 00:07:45,373
and Priest is plunged
into darkness
as the boiler room
instantly floods
144
00:07:45,373 --> 00:07:47,678
as the boiler room
instantly floods
145
00:07:47,745 --> 00:07:50,249
with the icy waters
of the North Atlantic.
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00:07:50,249 --> 00:07:50,316
with the icy waters
of the North Atlantic.
These areas
where Priest was working
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00:07:50,316 --> 00:07:51,953
These areas
where Priest was working
148
00:07:52,086 --> 00:07:53,389
and the other firemen
are working,
149
00:07:53,556 --> 00:07:54,659
they're below the waterline.
150
00:07:54,825 --> 00:07:55,594
They're the most vulnerable.
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00:07:55,794 --> 00:07:57,631
(men shouting)
152
00:07:57,698 --> 00:08:01,640
The water's gonna come in
at a very fast rate of flooding.
153
00:08:01,739 --> 00:08:03,743
The chances of survival
are very slim.
154
00:08:04,712 --> 00:08:07,484
COYNE:
Somehow, with the ship damaged,
155
00:08:07,684 --> 00:08:09,454
breaking apart...
156
00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:14,264
...he still managed to get
from below deck and escape.
157
00:08:16,869 --> 00:08:18,640
And, guys in his role,
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00:08:18,706 --> 00:08:21,612
a lot of 'em didn't get
to make it onto the life rafts.
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00:08:23,850 --> 00:08:25,554
So, he gets in the water
160
00:08:25,654 --> 00:08:29,996
and survives
28-degree water temperatures,
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00:08:30,062 --> 00:08:32,266
these ungodly, uh, below
freezing water temperatures.
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00:08:34,270 --> 00:08:35,808
BARNETTE:
Available information indicates
163
00:08:35,874 --> 00:08:39,280
that Arthur John Priest
swam up to 30 minutes
164
00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:39,348
that Arthur John Priest
swam up to 30 minutes
before safely boarding
a lifeboat.
165
00:08:39,348 --> 00:08:41,686
before safely boarding
a lifeboat.
166
00:08:42,855 --> 00:08:45,961
So, seems like a pretty
remarkable feat to survive,
167
00:08:46,027 --> 00:08:49,869
given the tragic loss of life
involved with the Titanic.
168
00:08:49,902 --> 00:08:52,440
SHATNER:
Surviving the Titanic
is incredible enough.
169
00:08:52,708 --> 00:08:57,017
But what's truly remarkable
about Arthur John Priest
170
00:08:57,116 --> 00:08:59,789
is the fact that,
over the next five years,
171
00:08:59,889 --> 00:09:04,264
he endured three more
catastrophic shipwrecks.
172
00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:08,606
Priest survived four sinkings
between 1912 and 1917.
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00:09:10,109 --> 00:09:12,882
He not only survived
the Titanic,
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00:09:12,915 --> 00:09:16,355
but then he was also involved
in the sinking of the Alcantara,
175
00:09:16,388 --> 00:09:18,660
1916.
176
00:09:19,327 --> 00:09:21,365
He next moved on
to the Britannic,
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00:09:21,666 --> 00:09:25,372
which also sank
in the later part of the year.
178
00:09:26,809 --> 00:09:28,714
His last ship that he served
upon was another hospital ship,
179
00:09:28,913 --> 00:09:29,949
the Donegal...
180
00:09:30,984 --> 00:09:32,889
...which was torpedoed
by a German U-boat
181
00:09:33,055 --> 00:09:35,393
in the English Channel in 1917.
182
00:09:36,361 --> 00:09:40,036
For Mr. Priest to survive
all four of these shipwrecks,
183
00:09:40,102 --> 00:09:42,006
it seems like something
was looking out for him.
184
00:09:42,975 --> 00:09:45,881
Because it definitely defies
the odds.
185
00:09:46,014 --> 00:09:48,887
Luck, serendipity,
whatever it is,
186
00:09:48,953 --> 00:09:52,227
I think our bodies and minds
can take us very, very far,
187
00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,097
but, at a certain point,
you just got to...
188
00:09:54,230 --> 00:09:56,167
you really got to hope
for the best.
189
00:09:59,007 --> 00:10:03,015
Are some people destined
to cheat death?
190
00:10:03,115 --> 00:10:04,752
Certain stories
definitely make you wonder
191
00:10:04,952 --> 00:10:05,687
whether it's possible.
192
00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:07,858
However, there are those
who believe
193
00:10:07,925 --> 00:10:12,100
that some stories of survival
are not due to fate
194
00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,774
but rather,
the remarkable healing power
195
00:10:15,974 --> 00:10:17,878
of the human body.
196
00:10:24,023 --> 00:10:27,899
SHATNER:
A 25-year-old foreman
named Phineas Gage
197
00:10:27,998 --> 00:10:30,036
is overseeing construction
on a railroad line
198
00:10:30,202 --> 00:10:32,440
from Rutland to Burlington.
199
00:10:33,876 --> 00:10:36,181
Suddenly, an explosive charge
200
00:10:36,248 --> 00:10:39,220
set to blast away rock
detonates without warning.
201
00:10:41,959 --> 00:10:44,598
In the violent eruption,
Phineas Gage is struck
202
00:10:44,732 --> 00:10:47,705
by a three-and-a-half-foot
iron rod.
203
00:10:47,938 --> 00:10:53,015
The 13-pound projectile spears
Gage straight through his head,
204
00:10:53,148 --> 00:10:56,388
entering below his jaw
and exiting
205
00:10:56,388 --> 00:10:56,421
entering below his jaw
and exiting
out the top of his skull.
206
00:10:56,421 --> 00:10:59,061
out the top of his skull.
207
00:10:59,193 --> 00:11:01,198
COYNE:
A nice big chunk of metal
208
00:11:01,231 --> 00:11:04,872
took part of the brain with it
and blew out part of his skull.
209
00:11:06,341 --> 00:11:09,615
His coworkers come up
and they just had
210
00:11:09,715 --> 00:11:12,186
to put him on a horse,
bounce him down the road
211
00:11:12,286 --> 00:11:15,928
and take him not to a hospital
but to a hotel,
212
00:11:16,027 --> 00:11:18,031
'cause that's where
the nearest doctor was.
213
00:11:18,933 --> 00:11:20,002
SHATNER:
But when the doctor
214
00:11:20,169 --> 00:11:22,040
begins his examination,
215
00:11:22,173 --> 00:11:25,446
he is astonished to find
that Phineas Gage
216
00:11:25,446 --> 00:11:28,987
is still alive.
217
00:11:29,020 --> 00:11:32,561
In some ways, Phineas Gage is
a strange story of resilience.
218
00:11:32,794 --> 00:11:36,535
Remarkably, not only did he
survive in the minutes and hours
219
00:11:36,802 --> 00:11:38,840
right after the tamping rod
went through his head,
220
00:11:38,940 --> 00:11:41,045
he was just sort of talking
like he was normal.
221
00:11:41,211 --> 00:11:43,316
COYNE:
999 out of a thousand
222
00:11:43,448 --> 00:11:45,787
other brains
would have just shut down.
223
00:11:45,887 --> 00:11:47,591
But even though
his brain and his skull
224
00:11:47,791 --> 00:11:49,094
was severely damaged,
225
00:11:49,193 --> 00:11:51,632
he never loses consciousness
the whole time.
226
00:11:51,799 --> 00:11:54,204
And he manages to live,
227
00:11:54,337 --> 00:11:58,613
and live a fairly normal
rest of his life.
228
00:11:58,846 --> 00:12:03,488
That's why the curious case
of Phineas Gage is so unique
229
00:12:03,488 --> 00:12:03,590
That's why the curious case
of Phineas Gage is so unique
it's still talked about
to this day.
230
00:12:03,590 --> 00:12:06,528
it's still talked about
to this day.
231
00:12:07,964 --> 00:12:09,769
SHATNER:
By all accounts,
232
00:12:09,835 --> 00:12:13,009
having an iron rod blasted
through one's head
233
00:12:13,141 --> 00:12:15,313
should result in certain death.
234
00:12:15,346 --> 00:12:20,456
So how was it possible that
Phineas Gage not only lived
235
00:12:20,557 --> 00:12:24,097
but remained conscious
through the ordeal?
236
00:12:26,836 --> 00:12:29,141
Well, according
to medical experts,
237
00:12:29,273 --> 00:12:30,978
it may have had something to do
238
00:12:31,111 --> 00:12:33,617
with the brain's
remarkable ability
239
00:12:33,816 --> 00:12:37,123
to rewire itself.
240
00:12:37,223 --> 00:12:41,097
This case was
what started the fascination
241
00:12:41,164 --> 00:12:44,271
with understanding the different
parts of the brain.
242
00:12:44,370 --> 00:12:47,543
It's possible that there was
some matter
243
00:12:47,543 --> 00:12:47,577
It's possible that there was
some matter
that shot out from the brain.
244
00:12:47,577 --> 00:12:49,782
that shot out from the brain.
245
00:12:49,982 --> 00:12:51,819
The interesting part is,
246
00:12:51,952 --> 00:12:53,556
none of the stuff
that was extruded
247
00:12:53,556 --> 00:12:53,656
none of the stuff
that was extruded
was critical enough
to his function
248
00:12:53,656 --> 00:12:55,827
was critical enough
to his function
249
00:12:55,994 --> 00:12:57,396
to stop him from surviving.
250
00:12:58,866 --> 00:13:02,641
DURVASULA:
When Phineas Gage
endured this accident,
251
00:13:02,908 --> 00:13:07,116
it showed us that the brain
is very neuroplastic.
252
00:13:07,216 --> 00:13:10,323
And by that, I mean
the brain does grow back.
253
00:13:10,422 --> 00:13:14,565
So when there's injury,
that neuroplasticity
254
00:13:14,565 --> 00:13:14,632
So when there's injury,
that neuroplasticity
means that the brain
will attempt,
255
00:13:14,632 --> 00:13:16,501
means that the brain
will attempt,
256
00:13:16,569 --> 00:13:20,643
to the best of its ability, to
engage in some form of "repair."
257
00:13:21,879 --> 00:13:24,451
SHATNER:
Is it possible
that Phineas Gage's brain
258
00:13:24,517 --> 00:13:28,158
was somehow able to rewire
itself and keep him alive
259
00:13:28,258 --> 00:13:31,799
after an iron rod
tore through his skull?
260
00:13:32,032 --> 00:13:33,737
Perhaps.
261
00:13:33,970 --> 00:13:36,508
But some medical experts believe
that he was only able to survive
262
00:13:36,575 --> 00:13:41,786
because there was another
factor at work: sheer luck.
263
00:13:41,886 --> 00:13:44,959
And as proof, they point
to the case of a woman
264
00:13:45,058 --> 00:13:50,235
who also suffered
a nearly fatal brain injury.
265
00:13:57,516 --> 00:14:01,158
After a long day's work,
research chemist Andrea Scott
266
00:14:01,324 --> 00:14:03,797
heads to her car to drive home.
267
00:14:03,930 --> 00:14:06,167
But when she approaches
the vehicle...
268
00:14:07,303 --> 00:14:09,876
...three men emerge
from the darkness to rob her.
269
00:14:10,008 --> 00:14:12,948
As Andrea
struggles for her life,
270
00:14:13,081 --> 00:14:15,352
two gunshots
ring out in the night.
271
00:14:15,352 --> 00:14:15,353
two gunshots
ring out in the night.
(gunshots)
272
00:14:15,353 --> 00:14:17,389
(gunshots)
273
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:20,764
SCOTT:
I remember
274
00:14:20,964 --> 00:14:22,969
being on the ground
275
00:14:23,101 --> 00:14:25,372
and just getting up
off the ground...
276
00:14:27,376 --> 00:14:30,149
...trying to leave that place.
277
00:14:31,919 --> 00:14:33,522
I was shaking,
278
00:14:33,522 --> 00:14:33,556
I was shaking,
I was extremely cold,
279
00:14:33,556 --> 00:14:35,861
I was extremely cold,
280
00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,633
I think my whole body
was in a shock.
281
00:14:38,633 --> 00:14:38,666
I think my whole body
was in a shock.
I had no idea that I was shot.
282
00:14:38,666 --> 00:14:40,236
I had no idea that I was shot.
283
00:14:40,369 --> 00:14:43,777
I had no idea
what bad shape I was in.
284
00:14:43,976 --> 00:14:45,413
(siren wailing)
285
00:14:45,479 --> 00:14:48,218
SHATNER:
Paramedics rush Andrea
to the hospital.
286
00:14:48,385 --> 00:14:50,657
Incredibly, she's conscious
287
00:14:50,723 --> 00:14:53,396
and aware of her surroundings
for the entire ride.
288
00:14:53,528 --> 00:14:56,334
It's only after
she arrives at the ER
289
00:14:56,401 --> 00:14:59,241
that Andrea learns
the extent of her injuries.
290
00:14:59,407 --> 00:15:02,681
SCOTT:
When I was in the ER,
291
00:15:02,714 --> 00:15:07,023
doctors told me I was shot twice
to the back of my head.
292
00:15:07,122 --> 00:15:10,697
I remember lots of doctors
and lots of nurses
293
00:15:10,697 --> 00:15:10,798
I remember lots of doctors
and lots of nurses
working really hard
to get me stable.
294
00:15:10,798 --> 00:15:14,972
working really hard
to get me stable.
295
00:15:18,679 --> 00:15:22,286
People did not believe
I would survive.
296
00:15:22,386 --> 00:15:25,459
SHATNER:
Not only did Andrea Scott
survive
297
00:15:25,526 --> 00:15:29,133
being shot in the head twice,
she was able to walk
298
00:15:29,233 --> 00:15:31,840
out of the hospital
after only eight days,
299
00:15:32,039 --> 00:15:34,244
with minor injuries.
300
00:15:34,277 --> 00:15:35,747
But how?
301
00:15:38,251 --> 00:15:41,926
COYNE: There's a lot of amazing
things about Mrs. Scott's story.
302
00:15:42,092 --> 00:15:43,663
The bullets, of course,
303
00:15:43,729 --> 00:15:47,203
after being shot at
point-blank range, in her head,
304
00:15:47,303 --> 00:15:49,942
traveled through the brain
into the neck,
305
00:15:50,042 --> 00:15:54,083
and there are so many
important blood vessels.
306
00:15:54,183 --> 00:15:57,490
Your carotid arteries,
your jugular veins,
307
00:15:57,591 --> 00:16:00,296
the artery that supplies blood
to your brain
308
00:16:00,462 --> 00:16:02,199
that travels up your spine.
309
00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:05,439
All right there,
all within a few inches.
310
00:16:05,573 --> 00:16:09,347
And somehow,
missed all of those.
311
00:16:09,447 --> 00:16:12,921
She did have a lot of healing
to go through.
312
00:16:13,021 --> 00:16:14,858
Part of her face
was paralyzed for a while,
313
00:16:15,125 --> 00:16:18,799
she still gets severe headaches,
but even after all that,
314
00:16:18,799 --> 00:16:18,834
she still gets severe headaches,
but even after all that,
she healed up almost 100%.
315
00:16:18,834 --> 00:16:22,440
she healed up almost 100%.
316
00:16:22,607 --> 00:16:24,277
Extraordinary tale of survival.
317
00:16:25,145 --> 00:16:26,916
SCOTT:
Doctors told my husband
318
00:16:27,082 --> 00:16:29,354
that it was a miracle,
319
00:16:29,487 --> 00:16:33,729
that they don't know
how it's possible
320
00:16:33,729 --> 00:16:33,763
that they don't know
how it's possible
that I didn't end up dead.
321
00:16:33,763 --> 00:16:38,138
that I didn't end up dead.
322
00:16:38,238 --> 00:16:41,679
Statistically,
I shouldn't be alive today.
323
00:16:41,712 --> 00:16:46,288
BROWN:
The chances of surviving
a bullet wound to the brain,
324
00:16:46,487 --> 00:16:48,860
it's less than 0.1%.
325
00:16:49,093 --> 00:16:52,668
We are absolutely talking about
the difference of millimeters.
326
00:16:52,767 --> 00:16:56,542
That's what makes this
truly a remarkable case
327
00:16:56,642 --> 00:16:59,748
that shows we haven't
figured out everything
328
00:16:59,748 --> 00:16:59,781
that shows we haven't
figured out everything
about blows to the brain.
329
00:16:59,781 --> 00:17:02,487
about blows to the brain.
330
00:17:02,519 --> 00:17:06,729
If our brains have the ability
to endure catastrophic injury,
331
00:17:06,795 --> 00:17:09,768
is it possible
that our bodies possess other,
332
00:17:09,835 --> 00:17:13,910
even more extraordinary
survival capabilities?
333
00:17:14,143 --> 00:17:18,418
Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining the story of a man
334
00:17:18,518 --> 00:17:22,159
who was struck by lightning
not once, not twice,
335
00:17:22,326 --> 00:17:25,767
but seven times, and lived.
336
00:17:34,685 --> 00:17:37,558
SHATNER:
Park ranger Roy Sullivan
is driving south
337
00:17:37,691 --> 00:17:41,064
along Skyline Drive
when suddenly,
338
00:17:41,197 --> 00:17:44,037
a bolt of lightning strikes him
339
00:17:44,170 --> 00:17:46,709
through the open window
of his truck.
340
00:17:48,679 --> 00:17:50,515
FRIEDMAN:
Roy Sullivan
was struck by lightning
341
00:17:50,683 --> 00:17:52,219
driving along a mountain road.
342
00:17:52,386 --> 00:17:54,624
He wasn't hurt that much.
343
00:17:54,624 --> 00:17:55,727
He was lucky.
344
00:17:55,793 --> 00:18:00,135
Lightning can cause all kinds
of damage to a person.
345
00:18:01,705 --> 00:18:03,576
It can injure one's nerves,
346
00:18:03,709 --> 00:18:06,347
it can cause headaches
that last, uh,
347
00:18:06,447 --> 00:18:09,420
for many, many months,
if not years.
348
00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,459
And of course,
a lightning strike can be fatal.
349
00:18:12,594 --> 00:18:15,701
SHATNER:
The blast burned off Roy's hair
350
00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,708
and left a black burn mark
on his ranger hat.
351
00:18:20,877 --> 00:18:24,483
One out of every ten people
struck by lightning dies.
352
00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,795
Those who survive often suffer
debilitating, lifelong injuries.
353
00:18:29,795 --> 00:18:29,828
Those who survive often suffer
debilitating, lifelong injuries.
But somehow, Roy Sullivan
354
00:18:29,828 --> 00:18:33,603
But somehow, Roy Sullivan
355
00:18:33,736 --> 00:18:37,343
walked away
relatively unscathed.
356
00:18:37,476 --> 00:18:39,881
Though what's even
more remarkable
357
00:18:39,881 --> 00:18:39,915
Though what's even
more remarkable
is that between 1942 and 1977,
358
00:18:39,915 --> 00:18:43,556
is that between 1942 and 1977,
359
00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:48,164
Roy Sullivan was struck by
lightning on six more occasions
360
00:18:48,298 --> 00:18:53,074
and survived
each and every time.
361
00:18:53,308 --> 00:18:57,784
FRIEDMAN:
Roy Sullivan was in
the Guinness Book of Records
362
00:18:57,884 --> 00:19:00,088
for having been the person who
was hit the most
363
00:19:00,222 --> 00:19:02,226
in his lifetime by lightning.
364
00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:05,800
He was dubbed
the Human Lightning Rod,
365
00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:05,867
He was dubbed
the Human Lightning Rod,
Spark Ranger and Lightning Man.
366
00:19:05,867 --> 00:19:08,939
Spark Ranger and Lightning Man.
367
00:19:10,475 --> 00:19:12,413
There are a number
of factors that increased
368
00:19:12,547 --> 00:19:14,618
Sullivan's odds of being struck.
369
00:19:14,618 --> 00:19:16,822
He was outdoors,
370
00:19:16,889 --> 00:19:20,663
not only on tops of mountains
but on lookout towers,
371
00:19:20,797 --> 00:19:25,139
moving around
a lot in open spaces.
372
00:19:25,238 --> 00:19:27,242
But the fact that
he was hit seven times
373
00:19:27,409 --> 00:19:29,548
and didn't die is incredible.
374
00:19:31,819 --> 00:19:35,426
SHATNER:
Lightning is one of the most
devastating forces on Earth.
375
00:19:35,492 --> 00:19:39,333
A single bolt can carry more
than 100 million volts
376
00:19:39,533 --> 00:19:41,672
of electricity
377
00:19:41,738 --> 00:19:45,412
and is five times hotter
than the surface of the Sun.
378
00:19:45,512 --> 00:19:48,620
So how was Roy Sullivan
able to survive
379
00:19:48,752 --> 00:19:53,494
such destructive power
seven times?
380
00:19:53,562 --> 00:19:58,438
Well, according to some experts,
it might have been because
381
00:19:58,538 --> 00:20:02,246
certain people's bodies
are more resistant
382
00:20:02,412 --> 00:20:04,517
to being electrocuted.
383
00:20:05,953 --> 00:20:08,191
The human body is not
the greatest conductor
384
00:20:08,291 --> 00:20:10,796
for electricity,
but in these cases,
385
00:20:10,830 --> 00:20:14,503
maybe there are compounds
in their bloodstream that do
386
00:20:14,571 --> 00:20:20,215
increase their ability to
generate energy or hold energy.
387
00:20:20,382 --> 00:20:23,556
For example, someone who has
388
00:20:23,656 --> 00:20:26,829
a higher degree of iron
in their bloodstream
389
00:20:26,862 --> 00:20:31,304
could potentially conduct
lightning a little bit better.
390
00:20:32,607 --> 00:20:34,243
SHATNER:
Is it possible that Roy Sullivan
391
00:20:34,343 --> 00:20:36,448
possessed some physical
or genetic trait
392
00:20:36,582 --> 00:20:38,719
that allowed him
to both attract lightning
393
00:20:38,853 --> 00:20:41,559
and withstand
surges of electricity
394
00:20:41,658 --> 00:20:44,063
that could otherwise
kill a normal human?
395
00:20:44,330 --> 00:20:48,204
Perhaps a clue can be found
by examining another person
396
00:20:48,304 --> 00:20:50,375
who was struck by lightning
multiple times
397
00:20:50,542 --> 00:20:53,314
and lived to tell about it.
398
00:20:59,026 --> 00:21:00,897
After a long day of competition,
399
00:21:00,997 --> 00:21:03,636
bull rider Carl Mize
is about to head home
400
00:21:03,736 --> 00:21:05,940
when he grabs the door handle
of his truck
401
00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,515
and is instantly hit
by a powerful bolt of lightning.
402
00:21:12,386 --> 00:21:14,357
Right when it happened, I knew
I was struck by lightning.
403
00:21:14,423 --> 00:21:17,931
The-the flash of the light
and the shock, you know,
404
00:21:18,031 --> 00:21:19,768
that went through my arm
and through my body.
405
00:21:19,834 --> 00:21:23,976
It knocked me back four
or five foot on my tail end.
406
00:21:24,043 --> 00:21:26,949
And, uh, I just jumped up
and tried to brush the mud off,
407
00:21:27,049 --> 00:21:30,423
and-and got in my truck
and, uh, left.
408
00:21:30,522 --> 00:21:33,696
SHATNER:
Aside from some achy muscles,
409
00:21:33,796 --> 00:21:36,902
Carl was left uninjured
by the experience.
410
00:21:36,969 --> 00:21:39,808
And like most people,
he wasn't worried about
411
00:21:39,841 --> 00:21:42,280
this happening again, because
he believed the old adage
412
00:21:42,379 --> 00:21:46,354
that "lightning
never strikes twice."
413
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:51,063
But between 1994 and 2006,
414
00:21:51,063 --> 00:21:51,097
But between 1994 and 2006,
Carl was struck by lightning
415
00:21:51,097 --> 00:21:53,703
Carl was struck by lightning
416
00:21:53,836 --> 00:21:57,644
an astonishing five more times.
417
00:21:59,814 --> 00:22:02,854
MIZE:
For 39 years, I've worked
at the University of Oklahoma
418
00:22:02,954 --> 00:22:05,626
in the electrical department
in the utility shop.
419
00:22:05,693 --> 00:22:09,635
And we take care of all
the high-voltage electricity.
420
00:22:09,701 --> 00:22:12,373
So I often think
there's got to be something
421
00:22:12,472 --> 00:22:14,978
that, you know,
attracts lightning to me,
422
00:22:15,011 --> 00:22:17,984
'cause it's just unheard of
to be struck that many times.
423
00:22:18,051 --> 00:22:22,025
SHATNER:
After each incident,
doctors who examined Carl
424
00:22:22,092 --> 00:22:25,532
were shocked to discover
that his injuries were minor.
425
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,436
None of his internal organs
suffered the kind
426
00:22:27,570 --> 00:22:30,108
of significant damage
normally seen
427
00:22:30,108 --> 00:22:30,141
of significant damage
normally seen
in victims of lightning strikes.
428
00:22:30,141 --> 00:22:33,315
in victims of lightning strikes.
429
00:22:33,448 --> 00:22:34,718
There's not
a whole lot of people
430
00:22:34,818 --> 00:22:37,423
that get struck by lightning,
so doctors
431
00:22:37,590 --> 00:22:39,695
really treat you
as a guinea pig.
432
00:22:39,828 --> 00:22:44,437
They actually had
a man come down
433
00:22:44,604 --> 00:22:46,341
that was an electrical engineer
434
00:22:46,474 --> 00:22:50,583
to measure the DC voltage
in my body.
435
00:22:50,650 --> 00:22:55,660
A common person has
six volts DC to run your body.
436
00:22:55,693 --> 00:23:00,903
Whenever they tested me, I had
1.7, uh, DC volts in my body.
437
00:23:01,003 --> 00:23:04,945
I'm more, uh, conductive
than a-an average person.
438
00:23:04,978 --> 00:23:09,486
And it makes me wonder, and even
the doctors have wondered, too,
439
00:23:09,587 --> 00:23:12,459
could have that
been what's kept me alive?
440
00:23:14,631 --> 00:23:19,106
The notion that some individuals
are born with an X factor
441
00:23:19,173 --> 00:23:22,780
that allows them
to avoid death is fascinating.
442
00:23:22,847 --> 00:23:25,887
But what about stories
of beating the odds
443
00:23:25,987 --> 00:23:28,760
that are beyond
scientific explanation?
444
00:23:28,892 --> 00:23:31,632
For example,
there are cases of people
445
00:23:31,765 --> 00:23:34,704
who fell from
such incredible heights
446
00:23:34,771 --> 00:23:39,814
that their survival seemed
to defy the laws of physics.
447
00:23:46,193 --> 00:23:49,635
SHATNER:
47 stories above the ground,
448
00:23:49,801 --> 00:23:53,643
brothers Alcides
and Edgar Moreno
449
00:23:53,742 --> 00:23:57,482
step onto a hanging platform
to wash windows.
450
00:23:57,650 --> 00:23:59,053
But when they start working...
451
00:24:00,522 --> 00:24:02,192
...disaster strikes.
452
00:24:24,103 --> 00:24:29,581
SHATNER:
Edgar plunges 472 feet
onto a fence, dying instantly.
453
00:24:29,681 --> 00:24:32,721
But as emergency responders
arrive on the scene,
454
00:24:32,820 --> 00:24:35,425
they approach the wreckage
of the scaffolding
455
00:24:35,693 --> 00:24:39,667
and are shocked to discover
that Alcides is still alive.
456
00:24:41,103 --> 00:24:42,406
GLENN ASAEDA:
Mr. Moreno actually fell
457
00:24:42,573 --> 00:24:44,477
with the scaffolding and landed
458
00:24:44,577 --> 00:24:47,784
onto some garbage cans
in the alleyway.
459
00:24:47,984 --> 00:24:49,988
Our rescue paramedics,
460
00:24:50,088 --> 00:24:52,760
they thought that it was
gonna be a recovery.
461
00:24:52,927 --> 00:24:54,296
But when they got to him,
462
00:24:54,296 --> 00:24:54,396
But when they got to him,
he opened his eyes
and took a breath.
463
00:24:54,396 --> 00:24:56,802
he opened his eyes
and took a breath.
464
00:24:56,868 --> 00:25:00,644
SHATNER:
Alcides was rushed
to the hospital for surgery.
465
00:25:00,743 --> 00:25:03,783
Several of his vertebrae
had been crushed,
466
00:25:03,849 --> 00:25:07,790
and his skull was fractured,
causing his brain to swell.
467
00:25:08,892 --> 00:25:10,696
He was given 24 pints of blood
468
00:25:10,830 --> 00:25:12,734
and put into
a drug-induced coma,
469
00:25:12,867 --> 00:25:16,073
undergoing 15 more surgeries.
470
00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:21,484
But on January 24, a mere
seven weeks after his accident,
471
00:25:21,585 --> 00:25:25,593
Alcides was discharged
from the hospital.
472
00:25:40,790 --> 00:25:44,565
COYNE:
Any fall from greater than one
and a half times your own height
473
00:25:44,697 --> 00:25:47,269
is considered
potentially deadly.
474
00:25:47,302 --> 00:25:50,843
So for someone to fall from
this great a height and live,
475
00:25:50,910 --> 00:25:54,216
you know, a productive life
is absolutely fascinating.
476
00:25:54,316 --> 00:25:56,822
SHATNER:
Statistically,
falling from a height
477
00:25:56,922 --> 00:25:59,794
greater than 40 feet
is almost always fatal.
478
00:25:59,928 --> 00:26:03,636
So how did Alcides Moreno
survive a fall
479
00:26:03,769 --> 00:26:06,073
from more than ten times
that high?
480
00:26:07,242 --> 00:26:09,714
HAMILTON:
It's not the falling
that kills you,
481
00:26:09,914 --> 00:26:12,185
it's the stopping.
482
00:26:12,319 --> 00:26:16,093
And so, if there is
a tree, bushes,
483
00:26:16,193 --> 00:26:19,067
wreckage that's between you
and what you hit,
484
00:26:19,199 --> 00:26:21,972
those factors
contribute to survival.
485
00:26:22,038 --> 00:26:25,245
And so, the main factor
that caused Alcides Moreno
486
00:26:25,345 --> 00:26:28,050
to survive is that platform
that he was on.
487
00:26:28,184 --> 00:26:31,090
He held onto that
all the way down.
488
00:26:31,223 --> 00:26:35,398
He didn't fall directly
47 stories
489
00:26:35,398 --> 00:26:35,498
He didn't fall directly
47 stories
without anything
cushioning his fall.
490
00:26:35,498 --> 00:26:37,837
without anything
cushioning his fall.
491
00:26:39,707 --> 00:26:42,178
SHATNER:
Is it possible that being
on top of the platform
492
00:26:42,245 --> 00:26:44,785
broke Alcides Moreno's fall
just enough for him
493
00:26:44,951 --> 00:26:48,191
to withstand a 470-foot plunge?
494
00:26:49,761 --> 00:26:51,430
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
495
00:26:51,430 --> 00:26:51,497
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
the story of a woman
who survived
496
00:26:51,497 --> 00:26:54,003
the story of a woman
who survived
497
00:26:54,169 --> 00:26:57,710
the highest fall in history.
498
00:27:03,254 --> 00:27:06,828
Six miles over the country
of Czechoslovakia,
499
00:27:06,995 --> 00:27:09,066
JAT Airlines Flight 367
500
00:27:09,199 --> 00:27:11,705
is en route
to Belgrade, Yugoslavia,
501
00:27:11,871 --> 00:27:14,510
when a bomb detonates on board.
502
00:27:15,846 --> 00:27:20,321
There are 28 people on,
including crew and passengers.
503
00:27:20,321 --> 00:27:20,322
There are 28 people on,
including crew and passengers.
(people screaming)
504
00:27:20,322 --> 00:27:22,994
(people screaming)
505
00:27:23,060 --> 00:27:27,303
The plane breaks apart
into three different parts--
506
00:27:27,402 --> 00:27:30,709
the nose, the middle section,
and the tail--
507
00:27:30,876 --> 00:27:33,749
and it falls about 33,000 feet
508
00:27:33,815 --> 00:27:37,823
into a tiny little village
called Srbská Kamenice.
509
00:27:39,761 --> 00:27:41,331
SHATNER:
The plane's wreckage
510
00:27:41,430 --> 00:27:44,136
slams into the ground
at 150 miles per hour.
511
00:27:45,806 --> 00:27:49,548
27 of the 28 people
on the plane die on impact.
512
00:27:49,747 --> 00:27:52,018
But against all odds,
513
00:27:52,152 --> 00:27:55,593
one person survives
the fiery crash:
514
00:27:55,759 --> 00:27:58,999
flight attendant Vesna Vulovic.
515
00:27:59,132 --> 00:28:00,301
COYNE:
When the rescuers come,
516
00:28:00,435 --> 00:28:02,138
the plane is in
all kinds of pieces
517
00:28:02,238 --> 00:28:04,143
all over the mountainside,
but here's her,
518
00:28:04,209 --> 00:28:07,850
in the wreckage, survived,
all ten fingers and toes.
519
00:28:08,050 --> 00:28:13,829
HAMILTON:
She's wedged in the fuselage,
her head is sticking out,
520
00:28:13,929 --> 00:28:16,868
and there is another
dead crew member on top of her.
521
00:28:17,002 --> 00:28:19,874
She has all sorts
of broken bones,
522
00:28:19,941 --> 00:28:23,314
just terrible injuries,
and a lot of bleeding.
523
00:28:23,347 --> 00:28:26,520
She's hospitalized
and she did not wake up, really,
524
00:28:26,788 --> 00:28:30,897
until about three weeks later
when her parents came to visit.
525
00:28:30,996 --> 00:28:34,069
After a while,
she wanted to return to work.
526
00:28:34,202 --> 00:28:36,841
She did not have
a fear of flying.
527
00:28:36,941 --> 00:28:41,250
She had no memory of the crash
or the aftermath.
528
00:28:41,350 --> 00:28:44,891
Essentially, her memory
was greeting passengers
529
00:28:44,957 --> 00:28:47,529
and then seeing her parents
later on in the hospital.
530
00:28:47,563 --> 00:28:51,004
SHATNER:
According to The Guinness Book
of World Records,
531
00:28:51,103 --> 00:28:54,476
Vesna Vulovic plummeted
more than six miles,
532
00:28:54,543 --> 00:28:57,349
making her fall the highest
anyone has survived
533
00:28:57,349 --> 00:28:57,383
making her fall the highest
anyone has survived
in recorded history.
534
00:28:57,383 --> 00:28:59,120
in recorded history.
535
00:28:59,219 --> 00:29:01,959
But what's even
more extraordinary
536
00:29:02,092 --> 00:29:03,394
is that she wasn't
wearing a seat belt
537
00:29:03,494 --> 00:29:06,901
when the plane exploded
at 33,000 feet.
538
00:29:06,968 --> 00:29:10,042
HAMILTON:
Vesna Vulovic
was not in her seat.
539
00:29:10,208 --> 00:29:12,714
It's a surprise, honestly,
540
00:29:12,847 --> 00:29:15,284
that she wasn't
killed immediately
541
00:29:15,385 --> 00:29:18,258
from the explosion
or thrown out of the aircraft
542
00:29:18,391 --> 00:29:21,397
like all of the other passengers
and crew.
543
00:29:23,869 --> 00:29:25,940
COYNE:
Some people say, "Oh, she was
in the back of the plane,
544
00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,346
"the angle,
maybe when she hit it went
545
00:29:29,346 --> 00:29:29,347
"the angle,
maybe when she hit it went
like a skier would land, down
at an angle, not all at once."
546
00:29:29,347 --> 00:29:32,519
like a skier would land, down
at an angle, not all at once."
547
00:29:32,586 --> 00:29:37,128
And maybe it did, but it
just seems very extraordinary
548
00:29:37,162 --> 00:29:40,569
that all these things could come
together to have one survivor.
549
00:29:42,539 --> 00:29:46,715
The fact that someone can live
through a fall from 33,000 feet
550
00:29:46,881 --> 00:29:48,451
seems to defy all logic.
551
00:29:48,552 --> 00:29:51,357
But maybe we have to accept
that science
552
00:29:51,423 --> 00:29:55,198
doesn't have all the answers
when it comes to understanding
553
00:29:55,298 --> 00:29:58,538
why some individuals
survive the impossible.
554
00:29:59,473 --> 00:30:01,644
Like the stories
of people who believe
555
00:30:01,911 --> 00:30:05,853
they escaped certain death
with the help of a higher power.
556
00:30:15,171 --> 00:30:17,475
SHATNER:
2,400 feet below ground,
557
00:30:17,576 --> 00:30:20,883
dozens of miners toil
in the sweltering darkness
558
00:30:21,049 --> 00:30:23,188
of the San José copper mine.
559
00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:27,095
Suddenly, the Earth
above them shifts
560
00:30:27,162 --> 00:30:31,069
and dislodges a boulder
the size of a 45-story building.
561
00:30:33,207 --> 00:30:35,212
The massive boulder
comes crashing down,
562
00:30:35,344 --> 00:30:37,315
causing the mine shaft
to collapse,
563
00:30:37,382 --> 00:30:41,190
and blocking the ramp
that leads up to the surface.
564
00:30:43,194 --> 00:30:45,599
ARONSON:
There were 33 men in the mine
565
00:30:45,599 --> 00:30:45,633
ARONSON:
There were 33 men in the mine
at the time of the accident.
566
00:30:45,633 --> 00:30:47,937
at the time of the accident.
567
00:30:48,037 --> 00:30:50,609
On the surface, they knew
that there had been
568
00:30:50,609 --> 00:30:50,643
On the surface, they knew
that there had been
a terrible accident.
569
00:30:50,643 --> 00:30:52,646
a terrible accident.
570
00:30:52,646 --> 00:30:52,681
a terrible accident.
But it was not clear
571
00:30:52,681 --> 00:30:54,985
But it was not clear
572
00:30:55,084 --> 00:30:58,091
what that meant
for the men down below.
573
00:30:58,224 --> 00:31:01,197
ROMERO:
The outside world had no idea
574
00:31:01,363 --> 00:31:03,635
if they were alive or dead.
575
00:31:03,635 --> 00:31:03,669
if they were alive or dead.
People were really on edge,
576
00:31:03,669 --> 00:31:05,004
People were really on edge,
577
00:31:05,071 --> 00:31:08,511
they were watching this
around the world on television.
578
00:31:08,645 --> 00:31:09,948
It's really something
that-that people
579
00:31:10,081 --> 00:31:11,951
were following
very, very closely.
580
00:31:12,085 --> 00:31:13,989
SHATNER:
Search and rescue teams
581
00:31:14,089 --> 00:31:15,693
quickly began to drill
into the rock
582
00:31:15,959 --> 00:31:20,368
to try and free the miners,
but progress was slow.
583
00:31:20,468 --> 00:31:23,241
For days, the world watched
in suspense
584
00:31:23,374 --> 00:31:25,177
as rescuers desperately
continued
585
00:31:25,311 --> 00:31:28,150
to drill in search
of the miners.
586
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:31,357
ROMERO:
There was a lot of concern
587
00:31:31,456 --> 00:31:34,363
about their individual
health conditions.
588
00:31:34,429 --> 00:31:36,835
One of these guys had
an ulcer that was really bad.
589
00:31:37,001 --> 00:31:38,906
One of them was a diabetic.
590
00:31:39,005 --> 00:31:41,010
So there were really
desperate efforts
591
00:31:41,076 --> 00:31:44,015
on the part of the Chilean
authorities to find them.
592
00:31:45,117 --> 00:31:48,524
ARONSON:
It was nearly impossible
to find the men,
593
00:31:48,625 --> 00:31:50,830
because nobody can see
through the Earth.
594
00:31:50,996 --> 00:31:54,170
And the maps were outdated.
595
00:31:54,269 --> 00:31:58,177
And that meant,
as one of the drillers said,
596
00:31:58,344 --> 00:31:59,981
"We're drilling blind."
597
00:32:00,147 --> 00:32:04,189
Finally, after 17 long days,
598
00:32:04,256 --> 00:32:08,164
one of the rescuers' drills
uncovered evidence that,
599
00:32:08,264 --> 00:32:13,174
incredibly, the miners
were still alive.
600
00:32:13,307 --> 00:32:16,581
The miners
had found some red paint
601
00:32:16,648 --> 00:32:21,023
so that when the drill
came down through,
602
00:32:21,156 --> 00:32:26,234
they could paint
on the drill to show
603
00:32:26,433 --> 00:32:27,703
that "We are alive."
604
00:32:29,306 --> 00:32:31,110
ROMERO:
In the drill,
they sent a note out
605
00:32:31,310 --> 00:32:32,580
that said in Spanish,
606
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,921
"Estamos bien en el refugio,
los 33."
607
00:32:37,021 --> 00:32:40,461
"We are okay in the refuge,
the 33 of us."
608
00:32:40,461 --> 00:32:40,462
"We are okay in the refuge,
the 33 of us."
(cheering)
609
00:32:40,462 --> 00:32:42,499
(cheering)
610
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,338
And that really
just changed everything.
611
00:32:47,676 --> 00:32:48,812
SHATNER:
Rescuers sent down
small packages
612
00:32:49,045 --> 00:32:51,985
of desperately needed supplies
through the narrow hole
613
00:32:52,185 --> 00:32:53,021
leading to the miners.
614
00:32:53,187 --> 00:32:54,724
They also sent down
615
00:32:54,724 --> 00:32:54,757
They also sent down
a small digital camera.
616
00:32:54,757 --> 00:32:57,462
a small digital camera.
617
00:32:59,767 --> 00:33:02,305
The video paints
a harrowing portrait
618
00:33:02,372 --> 00:33:04,276
of the conditions the miners
had been trapped in
619
00:33:04,442 --> 00:33:08,217
for the previous 17 days.
620
00:33:08,284 --> 00:33:12,893
Somehow, the men had survived
on only a week's worth
621
00:33:13,093 --> 00:33:15,398
of food and water.
622
00:33:15,431 --> 00:33:20,074
ROMERO:
These miners were trapped
almost half a mile underground,
623
00:33:20,241 --> 00:33:21,978
with a few cans of tuna fish.
624
00:33:22,111 --> 00:33:23,448
They had to resort
to drinking water
625
00:33:23,548 --> 00:33:25,451
that was used
for industrial purposes.
626
00:33:25,619 --> 00:33:28,091
Also, they created a-a system
627
00:33:28,223 --> 00:33:29,259
in which they had
a democratic vote,
628
00:33:29,426 --> 00:33:31,263
you know, one man, one vote.
629
00:33:31,363 --> 00:33:33,367
And the majority,
if they decided on something,
630
00:33:33,500 --> 00:33:35,038
that was the way
that they were gonna go.
631
00:33:35,237 --> 00:33:37,275
(speaking Spanish)
632
00:33:37,342 --> 00:33:40,248
DURVASULA:
Without knowing it,
the Chilean miners
633
00:33:40,381 --> 00:33:42,119
walked into one
of the most important
634
00:33:42,251 --> 00:33:44,958
survival strategies there is,
which is
635
00:33:45,124 --> 00:33:47,196
creating a sense
of collectivism,
636
00:33:47,295 --> 00:33:50,402
and leaving each of them
feeling less alone
637
00:33:50,534 --> 00:33:51,938
with this nightmare
that they were in.
638
00:33:52,205 --> 00:33:55,646
SHATNER:
After discovering
the miners were alive,
639
00:33:55,746 --> 00:33:58,517
rescuers estimated
that it would take months
640
00:33:58,618 --> 00:34:01,658
to drill through half
a mile of solid rock
641
00:34:01,658 --> 00:34:01,692
to drill through half
a mile of solid rock
and reach the trapped men.
642
00:34:01,692 --> 00:34:05,231
and reach the trapped men.
643
00:34:05,331 --> 00:34:10,408
So here you are now,
August 20, August 22,
644
00:34:10,474 --> 00:34:15,652
and the drill operators said
to the team up on top,
645
00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,559
"We will be able to get
them out by Christmas."
646
00:34:18,692 --> 00:34:22,633
So, you are going to have
to tell the men
647
00:34:22,766 --> 00:34:24,804
that you're going
to have to be down
648
00:34:24,837 --> 00:34:26,975
in that mine
649
00:34:27,175 --> 00:34:29,179
for three more months.
650
00:34:30,582 --> 00:34:33,621
To combat their feelings
of helplessness,
651
00:34:33,688 --> 00:34:38,130
the trapped miners turned
to their last remaining refuge:
652
00:34:38,330 --> 00:34:40,201
their faith.
653
00:34:40,267 --> 00:34:42,740
ROMERO:
One of the things
that really struck me
654
00:34:42,806 --> 00:34:47,716
about why they were able
to make it, uh, for so long,
655
00:34:47,716 --> 00:34:47,750
about why they were able
to make it, uh, for so long,
was their religious beliefs.
656
00:34:47,750 --> 00:34:51,423
was their religious beliefs.
657
00:34:51,456 --> 00:34:54,930
They really felt like prayer
was one of their strategies
658
00:34:54,930 --> 00:34:54,998
They really felt like prayer
was one of their strategies
to help them
make it through this.
659
00:34:54,998 --> 00:34:56,801
to help them
make it through this.
660
00:34:58,738 --> 00:35:00,541
BROWN:
Literature documents
661
00:35:00,609 --> 00:35:05,217
that faith is a significant
factor in survivability.
662
00:35:06,587 --> 00:35:08,324
Sometimes it's individual faith,
663
00:35:08,457 --> 00:35:10,896
sometimes it is faith
of a community.
664
00:35:10,896 --> 00:35:10,997
sometimes it is faith
of a community.
The hard part is,
there is no science
665
00:35:10,997 --> 00:35:14,202
The hard part is,
there is no science
666
00:35:14,302 --> 00:35:17,275
that we have
that absolutely defines it,
667
00:35:17,341 --> 00:35:23,555
but faith has real tangible
results for many people.
668
00:35:24,957 --> 00:35:26,360
DURVASULA:
For the Chilean miners,
669
00:35:26,493 --> 00:35:28,164
many of them were men of faith
670
00:35:28,297 --> 00:35:29,801
as part of
their day-to-day lives.
671
00:35:29,867 --> 00:35:34,443
So praying together,
having that collective energy,
672
00:35:34,509 --> 00:35:38,450
was just enough hope to keep
a person going for another day.
673
00:35:40,187 --> 00:35:42,058
SHATNER:
After 69 days,
674
00:35:42,225 --> 00:35:44,229
the rescuers finally created
675
00:35:44,329 --> 00:35:47,268
a hole big enough
to extract the miners.
676
00:35:49,372 --> 00:35:51,944
Then, as the world waited
with bated breath...
677
00:35:51,944 --> 00:35:51,979
Then, as the world waited
with bated breath...
(cheering, applause)
678
00:35:51,979 --> 00:35:55,118
(cheering, applause)
679
00:35:55,251 --> 00:35:57,790
...the men were
brought up one by one.
680
00:35:59,325 --> 00:36:00,562
And astonishingly,
681
00:36:00,695 --> 00:36:05,472
all 33 miners made it out alive.
682
00:36:05,672 --> 00:36:07,275
(cheering, laughter)
683
00:36:07,375 --> 00:36:09,681
But perhaps
what's even more incredible
684
00:36:09,747 --> 00:36:12,185
is that they were
rescued two months sooner
685
00:36:12,351 --> 00:36:15,524
than everyone expected.
686
00:36:15,659 --> 00:36:17,996
And the miners firmly believed
687
00:36:17,996 --> 00:36:18,064
And the miners firmly believed
that this unexpected
turn of events
688
00:36:18,064 --> 00:36:20,602
that this unexpected
turn of events
689
00:36:20,669 --> 00:36:26,012
showed that a higher power
had intervened on their behalf.
690
00:36:26,279 --> 00:36:29,821
ROMERO:
The power of prayer
played a crucial role
691
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:34,730
in allowing these 33 miners
to make it.
692
00:36:34,830 --> 00:36:38,070
It's even been said
that God was the 34th miner.
693
00:36:38,303 --> 00:36:42,211
Um, several of the men who were
trapped down there said that.
694
00:36:42,311 --> 00:36:45,786
They really felt
like their belief in God
695
00:36:45,786 --> 00:36:45,820
They really felt
like their belief in God
was why they were rescued.
696
00:36:45,820 --> 00:36:48,358
was why they were rescued.
697
00:36:48,457 --> 00:36:50,929
When faced with
a life-or-death scenario,
698
00:36:50,996 --> 00:36:53,835
some people choose
to appeal to a higher power
699
00:36:53,835 --> 00:36:55,739
to help them survive.
700
00:36:55,839 --> 00:36:58,779
But there are others
who react much differently.
701
00:36:58,845 --> 00:37:01,685
When pushed to the limit,
they tap into abilities
702
00:37:01,851 --> 00:37:04,022
they didn't even know they had.
703
00:37:11,904 --> 00:37:14,476
SHATNER:
Here, in this protected reserve
704
00:37:14,610 --> 00:37:16,648
in the shadow of Mount Kilauea,
705
00:37:16,714 --> 00:37:19,687
tech industry executive
Dewey Gaedcke
706
00:37:19,854 --> 00:37:21,757
heads out for an evening hike.
707
00:37:25,331 --> 00:37:28,838
But as he walks through
the 523-square-mile park,
708
00:37:28,838 --> 00:37:30,274
he becomes lost.
709
00:37:30,374 --> 00:37:32,880
And when he's unable
to find the road
710
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:32,913
And when he's unable
to find the road
where he parked his car,
711
00:37:32,913 --> 00:37:35,117
where he parked his car,
712
00:37:35,351 --> 00:37:40,060
Dewey's hike transforms into
a grueling fight for survival.
713
00:37:42,365 --> 00:37:43,835
Clouds came over
and covered up the moon,
714
00:37:43,968 --> 00:37:45,906
so it got darker,
it got windier...
715
00:37:47,542 --> 00:37:49,814
...and I completely
missed the road.
716
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,053
And that's what
really messed me up.
717
00:37:53,053 --> 00:37:53,153
And that's what
really messed me up.
I expected only
an hour and a half hike,
718
00:37:53,153 --> 00:37:55,391
I expected only
an hour and a half hike,
719
00:37:55,524 --> 00:37:56,861
so I really wasn't
well prepared.
720
00:37:56,861 --> 00:37:56,894
so I really wasn't
well prepared.
I brought a flashlight,
721
00:37:56,894 --> 00:37:58,898
I brought a flashlight,
722
00:37:58,965 --> 00:38:02,606
a digital video camera,
tennis shoes, and that was it.
723
00:38:02,673 --> 00:38:06,046
SHATNER: Miles from his car
and hopelessly lost
724
00:38:06,112 --> 00:38:11,323
within a 330,000-acre maze
of razor-sharp lava rocks,
725
00:38:11,423 --> 00:38:13,327
Dewey quickly realizes
that if he's to have
726
00:38:13,527 --> 00:38:15,665
any hope of rescue,
727
00:38:15,799 --> 00:38:17,970
he first needs
to keep himself alive.
728
00:38:19,940 --> 00:38:21,878
GAEDCKE:
I was exhausted, I was stressed,
729
00:38:21,944 --> 00:38:25,217
I had a cut that looked like
it might be getting infected.
730
00:38:25,384 --> 00:38:27,789
So I was worried about gangrene.
731
00:38:27,856 --> 00:38:29,860
I hadn't brought water, uh,
so I was already starting
732
00:38:29,927 --> 00:38:32,933
to get a little bit dehydrated
after being out there that long.
733
00:38:32,933 --> 00:38:32,967
to get a little bit dehydrated
after being out there that long.
I walked all night.
734
00:38:32,967 --> 00:38:34,502
I walked all night.
735
00:38:36,406 --> 00:38:42,084
Well, it's some very late hour.
736
00:38:42,084 --> 00:38:42,118
Well, it's some very late hour.
I'm dehydrated and I'm lost.
737
00:38:42,118 --> 00:38:44,490
I'm dehydrated and I'm lost.
738
00:38:44,657 --> 00:38:45,893
I'm not a survival expert,
739
00:38:45,992 --> 00:38:47,963
but I've always been
insanely curious,
740
00:38:48,030 --> 00:38:51,102
and friends have called me
MacGyver since high school.
741
00:38:51,102 --> 00:38:51,136
and friends have called me
MacGyver since high school.
I'm good at studying things,
742
00:38:51,136 --> 00:38:52,640
I'm good at studying things,
743
00:38:52,773 --> 00:38:54,309
and, uh, I'm good
at figuring out
744
00:38:54,409 --> 00:38:56,513
how different pieces
can be used together.
745
00:38:57,481 --> 00:39:00,421
In the morning,
I built a debris shelter,
746
00:39:00,521 --> 00:39:02,659
so I-I had something
to sleep in at night.
747
00:39:02,826 --> 00:39:05,297
And I had built rain catches,
748
00:39:05,397 --> 00:39:08,838
so I'd woken up with
plenty of fresh water.
749
00:39:08,871 --> 00:39:12,144
I talked to my camera every day,
leaving messages for my kids.
750
00:39:12,144 --> 00:39:12,245
I talked to my camera every day,
leaving messages for my kids.
I just want to say
to my little girls,
751
00:39:12,245 --> 00:39:14,584
I just want to say
to my little girls,
752
00:39:14,750 --> 00:39:17,021
I love you guys so much.
753
00:39:17,121 --> 00:39:19,727
And I'm doing my best
to get home to see you.
754
00:39:21,831 --> 00:39:24,771
My primary hope of getting
rescued was from the sky,
755
00:39:24,870 --> 00:39:27,810
so I had already
broken the mirror off
756
00:39:27,876 --> 00:39:31,316
of my video camera and was using
that to try to reflect the sun
757
00:39:31,449 --> 00:39:33,856
to signal that
I'm in an emergency.
758
00:39:33,988 --> 00:39:36,126
At that point,
I was actually starting
759
00:39:36,159 --> 00:39:40,000
to feel fairly confident I was
very likely to get rescued.
760
00:39:40,869 --> 00:39:42,572
And then I heard a helicopter.
761
00:39:44,610 --> 00:39:47,916
SHATNER:
On his fifth day
of being stranded and alone,
762
00:39:47,983 --> 00:39:52,525
a commercial tour helicopter
found and rescued Dewey.
763
00:39:52,626 --> 00:39:55,665
After his rescue, local
officials informed Dewey
764
00:39:55,799 --> 00:39:57,570
that no one had ever survived
765
00:39:57,669 --> 00:40:00,541
more than three days
lost in the park.
766
00:40:01,811 --> 00:40:04,516
So, how did a tech
industry executive
767
00:40:04,583 --> 00:40:09,059
with no survival experience
manage to endure five?
768
00:40:09,158 --> 00:40:11,931
Well, according to experts,
it was primarily
769
00:40:12,031 --> 00:40:15,405
because of Dewey's ability
to remain calm
770
00:40:15,504 --> 00:40:19,146
and focus on solutions
in the face of adversity.
771
00:40:19,178 --> 00:40:23,554
Well, I just finished my, uh,
second-generation rain catch.
772
00:40:25,524 --> 00:40:29,032
DURVASULA:
When a person is in
a survival situation,
773
00:40:29,098 --> 00:40:31,403
one of the questions
is whether a person is able
774
00:40:31,536 --> 00:40:33,775
to tap into something
in their mind
775
00:40:33,941 --> 00:40:35,110
that they didn't know they had.
776
00:40:35,110 --> 00:40:35,178
that they didn't know they had.
There are people who have a mix
777
00:40:35,178 --> 00:40:37,850
There are people who have a mix
778
00:40:37,983 --> 00:40:42,726
of resilience,
adaptability, knowledge,
779
00:40:42,793 --> 00:40:47,201
an ability to sort of center
and stay calm and focused.
780
00:40:48,805 --> 00:40:50,108
COYNE:
Some of the more
common attributes
781
00:40:50,207 --> 00:40:52,412
of survivors
is people that don't focus
782
00:40:52,679 --> 00:40:56,219
on all the terrible things
that are going on around them.
783
00:40:56,286 --> 00:40:58,123
They automatically assume
everything's gonna be okay.
784
00:40:58,190 --> 00:41:02,699
GAEDCKE:
There were multiple times
where I was scared,
785
00:41:02,833 --> 00:41:05,605
but I don't believe
I ever panicked.
786
00:41:05,772 --> 00:41:08,343
In retrospect, looking back,
787
00:41:08,578 --> 00:41:12,518
I can really see how impactful
it was and how necessary it was.
788
00:41:14,055 --> 00:41:16,927
So this experience taught me
that not only
789
00:41:17,027 --> 00:41:19,132
could I function well,
I could actually use
790
00:41:19,232 --> 00:41:23,842
my emotions
to serve me under pressure.
791
00:41:23,941 --> 00:41:26,714
And I didn't know
I was capable of that.
792
00:41:28,049 --> 00:41:31,389
Are we fascinated by stories
of individuals
793
00:41:31,657 --> 00:41:35,732
who cheat death because
we believe, or maybe we hope,
794
00:41:35,799 --> 00:41:38,838
that we could survive
under similar circumstances?
795
00:41:38,971 --> 00:41:42,011
Of course,
the only way to find out
796
00:41:42,044 --> 00:41:45,051
is to actually be thrust into
a perilous situation ourselves.
797
00:41:45,117 --> 00:41:48,157
So, perhaps it's better for us
that the reason
798
00:41:48,256 --> 00:41:51,229
why some people
live through the impossible
799
00:41:51,229 --> 00:41:51,262
why some people
live through the impossible
remains... unexplained.
800
00:41:51,262 --> 00:41:55,270
remains... unexplained.
801
00:41:55,270 --> 00:41:55,338
remains... unexplained.
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802
00:41:55,338 --> 00:41:56,974
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