15 Incredible Stories of People Who Cheated Death
Human survival stories often sound like fiction: a plane breaks apart, a climber falls into a crevasse, or a person is struck by lightning several times. Yet the people in these accounts lived through events that should have been fatal, sometimes because of extraordinary luck and sometimes because of remarkable calm under pressure.
Their experiences span wars, shipwrecks, avalanches, wild animals, aircraft crashes and medical emergencies. Some stories are thoroughly documented, while others have acquired legendary details over time. Together, they reveal how quickly ordinary life can turn into a fight for survival.
For Australian readers, the settings may feel both distant and familiar. A remote mountain, a flooded mine or a long stretch of bush can become dangerously isolated, much like the outback beyond the last roadhouse or a storm-hit section of the Nullarbor. These remarkable survivors show what can happen when preparation, instinct and chance collide.
Falling From The Sky
Vesna Vulović became one of the most famous aviation survivors in history. In January 1972, the JAT Yugoslav Airlines flight attendant was aboard a DC-9 that broke apart over what is now the Czech Republic. She fell from roughly 10,000 metres while trapped in part of the aircraft fuselage and survived with severe injuries, including broken legs and a fractured skull.
Her survival has been linked to the shape of the wreckage, deep snow and trees that absorbed some of the impact. Vulović spent months recovering and later returned to work for the airline in an office role. Guinness World Records recognised her fall as the highest survived without a parachute, although debate has surrounded some details of the official account.
During the Second World War, German airman Nicholas Alkemade also survived a seemingly impossible fall. In 1944, his bomber was hit over Belgium and caught fire. Alkemade jumped without a parachute from about 5,500 metres, landing in a snow-covered pine forest. The branches slowed him down before the snow cushioned the final impact. He suffered burns and a leg injury, but remained alive.
Surviving The Wild And The Elements
Juliane Koepcke was 17 when the LANSA Flight 508 aircraft she was travelling on was struck by lightning over the Peruvian rainforest in 1971. The plane broke apart, and Koepcke fell approximately 3,000 metres while still strapped to a row of seats. She landed in the forest canopy, survived the fall and then spent 11 days searching for help.
Her father had taught her about the rainforest, which proved crucial. Koepcke followed a stream downhill, knowing that waterways often led towards people, and treated a serious wound with fuel from an abandoned boat. Eventually, lumber workers found her and took her to safety. Her experience later inspired the film Wings of Hope.
Australian adventurer Mauro Prosperi faced a very different threat during the 1994 Marathon des Sables in Morocco. A sandstorm blew him far off course during the ultramarathon. He became lost in the Sahara with little water and eventually entered an abandoned Muslim shrine, where he found bats and their blood to drink. After several days, he tried to die by cutting his wrists, but dehydration had thickened his blood and the attempt failed.
Prosperi eventually walked towards Algeria, surviving for nine days before being found by soldiers. His story resonates with anyone who has travelled through remote Australian country: distances can be deceptive, mobile coverage can disappear, and a “quick trip” from a servo may become a serious logistical problem.
When Machines And Structures Failed
Truman Duncan’s survival is among the most extreme medical cases ever recorded. In 2006, the Texas railway worker fell beneath a moving train and was dragged along the track. The accident severed one leg and badly damaged the other, leaving him with catastrophic injuries. He remained conscious, called emergency services and instructed rescuers on how to reach him.
Doctors amputated the damaged leg and performed many operations during his long recovery. Duncan later learned to use a prosthetic limb and returned to an active life. His survival depended on rapid treatment, clear thinking and an unusually strong will to stay conscious after the accident.
Harrison Okene was working as a cook aboard the tugboat Jascon-4 when it capsized off the coast of Nigeria in 2013. He became trapped inside an air pocket in the dark, submerged vessel. Rescue divers found him alive after about three days, a moment captured in haunting video footage.
Okene had survived by conserving oxygen and remaining inside the pocket of air. The rescue itself was dangerous because a rapid ascent could have caused serious decompression injuries. Divers brought him out gradually, and he was taken to a decompression chamber. His rescue remains one of the most extraordinary underwater survival stories ever filmed.
| Survivor | Life-threatening event | Key survival factor |
|---|---|---|
| Vesna Vulović | Fell from a disintegrating aircraft | Wreckage, trees and snow softened the impact |
| Juliane Koepcke | Aircraft breakup over rainforest | Forest knowledge and following a stream |
| Aron Ralston | Arm trapped by a boulder | Self-amputation and survival planning |
| Harrison Okene | Trapped underwater in a sunken tug | Air pocket and oxygen conservation |
| Joe Simpson | Mountaineering fall and severe injuries | Rope descent, navigation and persistence |
| Poon Lim | Adrift in the Atlantic after a shipwreck | Fishing, rainwater collection and routine |
Decisions Made Under Impossible Pressure
American climber Aron Ralston was canyoning in Utah in 2003 when a falling boulder pinned his right arm against a canyon wall. After days without enough water, he concluded that rescue was unlikely. Using a blunt multitool, he amputated his own arm, then rappelled and walked out of the canyon until rescuers found him.
Ralston’s ordeal became widely known through his memoir and the film 127 Hours. The story is often presented as a tale of courage, but it also highlights the importance of telling others where you are going. He had entered the canyon alone without leaving a clear itinerary, a mistake that could have ended differently.
Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were climbing in the Peruvian Andes in 1985 when Simpson fell and shattered his leg. Yates lowered him down the mountain by rope, but eventually had to cut the rope when he believed Simpson was already dead. Simpson fell into a crevasse and survived in a snow bridge below.
Rather than giving up, Simpson crawled through the glacier for days and reached the base camp. He was severely dehydrated and close to death, but his determination allowed him to find his climbing partners. Their story became the basis of Touching the Void, a powerful account of decision-making when every option carries risk.
Survival often depends on a few practical habits:
- Conserving water, body heat and physical energy
- Leaving a clear route plan with someone reliable
- Treating injuries quickly, even with limited equipment
- Using natural features such as streams, snow and shelter
- Staying focused on the next achievable task
People Who Survived The Unthinkable
Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived both atomic bombings in Japan during the Second World War. He was in Hiroshima on business when the bomb exploded in August 1945, suffering burns and serious injuries. He returned to Nagasaki, his home city, just days later. The second atomic bomb was dropped while he was describing the Hiroshima attack to colleagues.
Yamaguchi survived the Nagasaki blast as well and lived until 2010. Japan officially recognised him as a survivor of both bombings. His account is a reminder that survival can bring lasting physical and emotional consequences, rather than a simple happy ending.
In 1955, Australian miner William “Bill” McDonald became trapped underground after a rockfall at the Mount Morgan mine in Queensland. He spent more than a day trapped in darkness before rescuers reached him. The rescue required careful digging because further movement could have caused another collapse.
Another remarkable Australian case involved Ben Carlin, who attempted to travel around the world in an amphibious Jeep after the Second World War. His expedition was not a single near-death incident, but it involved storms, mechanical breakdowns and dangerous sea crossings. Carlin’s determination reflected a particular Australian appetite for ambitious, rough-and-ready adventure, even when the planning was far from perfect.
Stories from Australia’s mining and remote-work communities often carry a familiar tone: a mate is injured, the crew keeps talking, and everyone focuses on getting the person out. That practical teamwork has saved lives in mines, on cattle stations, at sea and during bushfire emergencies.
Strange Encounters With Death
Ann Hodges became the only confirmed person struck by a meteorite. In 1954, a fragment passed through the roof of her home in Sylacauga, Alabama, bounced off a radio and hit her while she was resting on a sofa. She suffered extensive bruising but survived. The object, later known as the Sylacauga meteorite, weighed about 3.9 kilograms.
Roy Sullivan, an American park ranger, was struck by lightning seven times during his lifetime. He survived each strike, although he suffered burns, injuries and damaged hair or clothing. The odds are extraordinarily small, but his case is well documented by the US National Park Service and Guinness World Records.
Frane Selak, a Croatian music teacher, was said to have survived a train derailment, a bus accident, a car fire, a plane accident and several other disasters. He later won a lottery jackpot and became known as the world’s luckiest or unluckiest man, depending on the storyteller. Some details remain disputed, so his account is best treated as a blend of reported events and modern legend.
One of the most moving survival stories belongs to Ada Blackjack, an Iñupiat seamstress who joined a 1921 expedition to Wrangel Island in the Arctic. When the expedition failed and the other members died or disappeared, Blackjack remained alive for nearly two years with the expedition’s cat, Vic. She learned to hunt, trap and maintain the camp before being rescued in 1923.
Useful lessons appear even in the strangest accounts:
- A shelter can matter more than a large supply of equipment
- Basic local knowledge may outperform expensive technology
- A calm routine helps prevent panic from wasting energy
- Survivors may need to adapt rather than follow the original plan
Lessons From The Longest Ordeals
Poon Lim survived 133 days alone on a life raft after his British merchant ship was sunk in the Atlantic in 1942. He collected rainwater, caught fish and built makeshift tools from items on the raft. He even used a small sail to improve his chances of reaching shipping lanes.
Lim’s discipline kept him alive through weeks of heat, storms, hunger and loneliness. When a Brazilian fishing boat finally spotted him, he was weak but still able to walk. His story demonstrates how repeated small actions can add up to survival over a very long ordeal.
Frane Selak’s story is unusual because luck appears to dominate it, while the experiences of Juliane Koepcke, Aron Ralston and Poon Lim show deliberate problem-solving. Survival has no single formula. A person may need technical knowledge, medical care, physical endurance, help from strangers or sheer chance.
For Australians, the practical message is especially relevant in remote areas. Tell someone when heading into the bush, carry enough water, check weather warnings and take a charged emergency beacon on serious trips. In places where the nearest help may be a long drive or a Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft away, preparation is a real safety tool rather than an optional extra.
The people in these accounts did not become invulnerable. They were frightened, injured and sometimes close to giving up. Their stories endure because they show the strength of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
Share this collection with a mate who enjoys survival history, aviation mysteries or strange human stories, and explore more true accounts of courage, luck and endurance from around the world.