- Welcome everyone, to a brand new top 10.
My name is Matthew Santoro,
and today we are going to talk about death.
So, death is generally a scary topic for most people.
Muahaha!
See? Scary.
It's frightening because it's the ultimate event
the one thing that we have to eventually
face that you can't come back from.
Or can you?
Well, surprisingly throughout history
there have been documented accounts of some people
who not only survived an event that should have killed them,
but they did it against all odds.
So, in this video
we are going to focus on those events
that were so astonishing that might make you wonder
if these people had a little super hero in them.
So, here they are.
10 people who unbelievably cheated death.
Number one is Eric Lemarque.
In March 2003, former Olympic hockey player, Eric Lemarque
was out snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
When a heavy fog sent him way off course
along the 11,000 foot slope.
He tried for days to make it back to civilization,
but unbeknownst to him he was actually
heading in the exact opposite direction
heading only deeper into the dangerous wilderness.
Unbelievably, despite what should have
been a life-ending mistake.
Eric survived for eight days in the snow
until he was found by a team that was actually sent out to
collect what they expected to be his corpse.
To put this into context,
before this ordeal the longest time
that anyone had survived that kind of terrain was only three days.
However, his survival did come at a cost
as he lost both of his feet to frostbite.
You know, as sad as that is.
If you ask me, it's not that bad of a trade off.
Better to be a little stumpy
than a little dead.
Number two is Tami Oldham Ashcraft.
In September of 1983,
Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiancé Richard Sharp
set out from Tahiti on a 44-foot sailboat
with the goal of delivering it to San Diego.
However, just three weeks into the trip a category four hurricane hit.
For those of you that don't know
that is the second worst hurricane you can have.
So yeah, it was bad.
The boat immediately capsized,
and Richard was washed over board.
Now, alone and completely terrified
Tami managed to summon her courage and make a makeshift sail
pointing what was left of the boat towards Hawaii.
Surviving on only a jar of peanut butter,
and a few cans of food.
She amazingly survived 41 days
until she finally reached land.
Which ended up being a 1,500 mile journey.
Yeah, I don't what she did after that,
but I would hope that it would include
buying a lottery ticket
because... winning!
Number three is Aaron Ralston.
In April 26, 2003 in Wayne County, Utah
Aaron Ralston experienced a climbing accident
in which his right arm became trapped
between a large boulder in a canyon wall.
Now, if this story sound familar to you
it's because it was made famous by
the movie 127 Hours starting James Franco.
Aaron survived for five days
on only two burritos and a bottle of water.
Ultimately, resorting to drinking
his own urine when he ran out.
But it got to the point when he finally realized that
no one was coming for him,
and that he was doomed to death.
So, Ralston did the unthinkable and pulled out
a dull pocket knife to amputate his own arm.
Then, after hacking off his own limb
he somehow managed to repel down the canyon,
and walked for several hours until he finally found rescue.
Wow, now that is impressive
a tragic story turned lucky.
Plus, he was played by James Franco.
Man, I would give my right arm for that.
Wait.
Number four is Steven Callahan.
In January of 1982,
Steven Callahan was sailing from the Canary Islands
when his boat sank just after six days into the trip.
Left adrift on a five foot life raft.
Callahan managed to salvage only three pounds of food,
and eight pints of water.
However, despiste having extremely limited supplies
he managed to survive and traveled almost 1,800 miles.
Dealing with dehydration, leaks in the raft,
and yes, even shark attacks.
After a heron 76 days in the open ocean.
Callahan eventually was rescued by fisherman
in the Caribbean.
Not only did this guy fight off jaws,
but he did it while being starved and dehydrated.
That's like being like
Somebody give this man a reality show.
Number five is Norman Ollestad Jr.
On February 19th of 1979,
a plane carrying Norman Ollestad Jr and three others
encountered a sudden blizzard and
crashed in the San Gabriel mountains in California.
With his father and the pilot both dead
Norman attempted to help his father's
girlfriend off the mountain,
but she didn't make it.
Now, alone and without food, water
or even gloves to stay warm.
He descended the mountain alone,
but somehow amazingly Norman turned his sneakers
into makeshift skis and used two sticks as poles
to travel down the mountain.
And nine hours later when Norman reached the base
of the mountain he was finally rescued.
A feat made even more impressive by the fact that
he was only an 11-year-old boy.
An 11-year-old figured all of that out?
Man, if I went skiing with real skis I'd probably
break my legs within the first 10 minutes.
Either this kid is a genius
or I'm just a little slow.
Number six is Matt Suter.
On March 12th of 2006 in Fordland, Missouri.
19 year-old Matt Suter was trying to secure a window
in his grandmother's trailer.
When suddenly, a tornado packed with 150 mile an hour winds
touched-down.
Tearing off the front and back doors
the twister threw furniture in every direction,
and sucked him right through the window.
However, miraculous minutes later Matt awoke in a field
over 1,300 feet where he'd been
with only minor scrapes and bruises.
The tornado had actually picked him up and carried
him away as the trailer was completely destroyed.
Only to leave him safely outside of the devastation.
Come here young man, I'm a tornado I'll take care of you.
The only sad part about this story is how much
validity it gives to the science involved in the movie Sharknado.
What a shame.
Number seven is Ricky McGee.
On Janurary 23rd of 2006,
after picking up a hitchhiker who ended up drugging him.
A 35-year-old named Ricky McGee, woke up under a tarp and rocks.
Only to find that dingoes were trying to eat him.
If you didn't know dingoes are essentially wild dogs,
and yeah, you don't want them nibbling on your bum.
After scaring them away
he found himself lost and alone in the Australian outback.
That's not a place you want to be.
Ricky managed to survive over 71 days
eating leeches, snakes and frogs.
And drinking water from a stream that had found
not to mention yes, his own urine.
A lot of pee in this video!
When a rancher finally came upon
the man's makeshift campsite.
He described him as a walking skeleton.
Ricky lost over 125 pounds during his ordeal,
but amazingly he survived.
Damn, you know he should really market this.
The survivor diet,
loose 125 pounds in 71 days or your money back
or death?
Death is more likely.
Number eight is Harrison Okene.
In the early morning of May 26, 2013
a tugboat carrying 12 crew members capsized,
and sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
However, 100 feet below the surface
Nigerian Harrison Okene was the only survivor
trapped in an air pocket within the vessel.
Now, normally not many people would be able to survive
under those conditions.
However, do to the pressure at that depth
the oxygen that he was using fortuntately
lasted much longer than it normally would.
Wooh! Science!
Somehow, Harrison managed to endure the icy waters
for over three days managing to survive
on a single bottle of Coca-Cola that he found.
While simultaneously, avoiding sharks and barracuda
that were swimming through the ships corridors,
and eating the dead crewman.
I just kind of picture him drinking the Coca-Cola,
and then smashing the bottle
and being like get away sharks!
Number nine is Howard G. Ulrich.
On July 9th of 1958,
Howard Ulrich and his eight-year-old son, Sunny
were out boating on Lituya Bay in Alaska.
When suddenly a huge rock slide created
a 1,720 foot high super wave.
The mega tsunami destroyed everything in it's path,
but due to some sort of fairy magic.
Howard and his son found there boat untouched.
Instead of being completely obliterated
their boat comfortably surfed atop the wave,
while everything below was devastated.
Witnesses claim the wave and the boat
were moving upwards at 600 miles per hour.
Damn, that's fast!
When they had stopped their boat
was astoundingly wiped back in the bay
where they had started,
and neither of them had serious injuries.
You know, I wouldn't be surprised if either of them thought
it was all a dream and that would be pretty plausible
if it wasn't for the enormous
devastation surrounding them.
And number 10 Juliane Koepcke.
On Christmas Eve of 1976,
17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was flying in an airplane
over the Peruvian rainforest.
When suddenly lightening struck
the right wing crashing her plane.
She somehow survived after finding herself
still strapped in her seat in the middle of the jungle,
but the ordeal wasn't over yet.
The only survivor of the crash
being lost in the rain forest.
She followed a stream for 10 days
until she finally found a hunter's hut.
Where she managed to dress her wounds,
and broken collar bone.
Unbelievably just the next day,
she was found by hunters and finally
brought home to safety.
So, wait a minute
this girl survived being struck by lightening,
a plane crash, a 10 day journey through the harsh jungle,
and having broken bones?
She's like a female wolverine!
Somebody call the X-men
somebody make it happen.
And those my friends where some of the most amazing
ways people have ever cheated death.
Yay survival!
As always, if you enjoyed this video
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and I will see you all next Saturday with a brand new video.
Peace!
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Bye!