You've finally made it.
The trip of a lifetime.
Wild nature,
lush scenery,
and exotic animals galore.
It's all good,
as long as things go as expected.
But in a matter of seconds,
everything goes wrong.
You're suddenly left alone
in the Amazon.
What do you do?
You are surrounded by the Amazon basin.
The largest rainforest on Earth,
sprawling across nine countries,
of harsh, unfamiliar ecosystem.
It's overwhelming
and you have nothing but your wits.
Dehydration,
hunger,
heatstroke,
sunburn,
mosquitoes carrying yellow fever,
dengue, and malaria,
wanting to suck your lifeblood.
Then there are the animals.
The black caiman,
bullet ant,
the poisonous dart frog.
The most venomous spider found anywhere,
the Brazilian wandering spider,
also known as, the 'banana spider.'
Some of the world's deadliest snakes,
the green anaconda,
boa constrictor,
and the South American rattlesnake.
And, lurking in the waters,
piranha
and the most dangerous shark on Earth,
the Amazon River bull shark.
You are terrifyingly vulnerable
in this strange land,
and you know it.
First things first.
Stop. Think. Observe. Plan.
The next choices you make could either
save your life or end it.
So stay calm,
take a breath,
and get your bearings.
This is where you decide to stay put
and wait for help or find your way back.
If you abandon your initial point 'A' location,
leave a note telling when you left
and what direction you're heading.
If available, take anything you can
that will help you survive.
Maybe a compass,
a water filter, a lighter, a knife,
something to cover your face,
or a mosquito net.
Break certain branches or drop something
distinctive every so often.
This will assist the rescue team
in tracking you
and also ensure you're not walking
aimlessly in circles.
Walk downstream of any water you find,
since this could lead you to a river
and give you a better chance
of being found.
If you can't find water,
look for animal trails, the sound of birds,
or swarms of insects.
Following their movements
can help guide you to a water source.
Water is the single most crucial thing
that will help keep you alive.
Humans can last up to two months
without food,
but only a few days without water.
Dehydration symptoms can occur
within an hour in humid conditions.
If you don't have a proper water filter
or you can't boil water,
avoid drinking from streams
and stagnant water.
The last thing you need right now
is to get sick from bacteria and parasites.
Look for freshwater alternatives,
such as droplets on leaves
in the early morning.
Specific plants like bamboo stalks
and tree trunks will also collect water
for you to stay hydrated.
Forget about trying to hunt for animals.
This will expend too much vital energy.
Avoid anything that doesn't look familiar.
Stick to citrus fruits and vegetables
such as squash and cucumber,
which are in abundant supply.
So are coconuts,
peanuts and cashews
to maintain your strength.
You will need to shield yourself
from the environment,
especially at night.
If you can't find a covering,
create one using jungle leaves.
Try and stay on higher ground
in an open space to avoid falling trees
and branches.
To protect from mosquitoes,
rub sap from the eucalyptus
or camphor trees on yourself.
And try to sleep with a fire to ward off
any bugs and curious predators.
The Amazon is full of creepy crawlies,
with over 2.5 million species
to keep you company.
More than 50% are thought to live
in the dense canopy
and bugs are attracted to dark colors,
so stay low and expose lighter colors,
which can also help you spot nasty critters.
Walk carefully and use a stick to test
the ground in front of you to make sure you
don't encounter anything skulking
beneath the mud.
Avoid using your hands to touch things.
Instead, a machete is a useful tool
to help clear your path.
And don't get your feet wet.
If your shoes aren't waterproof,
wrap your feet in plastic.
Too much exposure to moisture will leave
you open to bacterial infections and fungus.
Also, protect yourself from the Sun.
Wear as much clothing as possible
to protect your skin.
And if you don't have Sun protection,
cover your skin with mud.
By far, your best chance to survive
is to build a signal fire.
If that's not doable,
leave an SOS for any planes passing by.
Go big and bold, using tree branches,
leaves, clothes, or rocks.
Carve a huge message in the sand.
And if you spot a plane, use a mirror
or anything reflective
to shine sunlight towards it,
because it may be a search party
attempting to find your distress signal.
However, if you can start a fire,
be aware that Amazonian trees
are very flammable,
especially in Brazil.
Fires have been the leading cause
of deforestation,
so try and find an open clearing.
No need to be trapped in the middle
of a raging forest fire to top it all off.
But don't worry, we've got ways
to help get you out of that alive too.