Mar 05 2025 37 mins
Summary: On Christmas Eve 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor when LANSA Flight 508 was struck by lightning and disintegrated over the Peruvian rainforest. Still strapped to her seat, she fell approximately two miles from the sky into the dense jungle canopy, surviving with a broken collarbone, deep cut to her arm, and a concussion. Finding herself completely alone in one of Earth's most unforgiving environments, Koepcke—daughter of biologists who had taught her jungle survival skills—followed a small stream downhill for 10 days. Battling infections, starvation, and encounters with dangerous wildlife, she walked barefoot through the Amazon until reaching a small lumber camp. Her journey—covering approximately 30 miles through nearly impenetrable terrain—stands as one of the most remarkable survival stories in aviation history and demonstrates how childhood knowledge can become the difference between life and death.