Buzz
We all like to picture ourselves as the epitome of unshakable poise when catastrophe strikes. At the very least, if faced with the unavoidable, we’d like to think we’d meet it with dignity, or perhaps with a rebellious calm—but definitely not with raw terror and unbridled panic, because we’re grown-ups who... alright, nobody truly wants to die, but even more so, no one wants to die in nightmarish, uncontrollable, agonizing circumstances. However, like the brave souls on our previous list, these individuals did more than simply confront death with courage in the most dreadful of conditions—they held their ground until it backed away, and then they walked away.
10. Joan Murray Fell 14,500 Feet Into a Swarm of Fire Ants
You might think we added that heading just to check if you were really paying attention, or perhaps because we’ve watched too many Road Runner cartoons. But here's the truth. In September 1999, 47-year-old Joan Murray experienced a malfunction of her main chute during a skydive from over 4,400 meters (14,500 feet). By the time she deployed her reserve chute, she was only 305 meters (1,000 feet) from the ground. She spiraled uncontrollably, and her reserve chute lost most of its air pressure. She crashed into the earth at a speed of 129 kph (80 mph), landing directly on a large mound of fire ants.
Joan fractured nearly every bone on the right side of her body, and fillings flew from her teeth upon impact; yet, unbelievably, she was still alive, though unconscious. The fire ants didn’t take kindly to the situation either. Joan was bitten over 200 times before paramedics arrived. Remarkably, her doctors (one of whom wrote ‘miracle’ on her chart) believe the ant bites may have helped Joan survive by triggering a powerful adrenaline surge. After years of recovery, which included over 20 reconstructive surgeries and numerous physical therapy sessions, Joan made a triumphant return to work, life, and skydiving—completing her 37th dive in 2002.
9. Louis Nell Attacked by Two Pit Bulls
Initially, it was every dog owner’s worst nightmare: Louis Nell’s golden retriever, Chrissy, was being attacked in their home by two aggressive pit bulls that appeared out of nowhere. Louis rushed to protect his dog, and what started as a desperate defense soon escalated into a life-threatening struggle for Louis himself.
The pit bulls, pets of one of Louis’s neighbors, had broken through the screen door and attacked Chrissy before anyone realized what was happening. Louis’s wife, Linda, quickly called the police as Louis battled the dogs “for a solid five to ten minutes,” suffering a severely bleeding bite on his hand after he fell while trying to subdue one of the dogs under a chair.
Luckily, the police responded swiftly and shot one of the dogs dead at the scene (the other was euthanized later). Sadly, Chrissy didn’t survive the attack. “They completely tore her throat open,” said Linda. But thanks to Louis’s heroism and the prompt intervention of law enforcement, the situation could have been far worse.
8. Geary and Suzan Whaley Lifted by a Tornado
In late May 2013, a devastating series of tornadoes ravaged the central United States, with Oklahoma suffering the heaviest blow. On May 20, a tornado struck the town of Moore, claiming 24 lives. By May 31, nine more were lost as multiple tornadoes tore through central Oklahoma. One of these twisters, an E4 (second-most powerful rating), was spotted near Shawnee by Geary and Suzan Whaley as they drove home on the highway. They don’t remember much more about that day, but investigators believe they attempted to take shelter under an overpass (a poor decision), where the tornado reached them, lifting their truck and pulling them both out the windows.
Suzan had been filming the tornado on her phone when it struck, and the video kept rolling throughout the entire ordeal. She can barely recall waking up on the ground, phone still in hand, her husband nowhere to be found. She discovered him over 15.2 meters (50 ft) away, with several broken bones but miraculously still alive. They’ve since learned that the structure of an underpass can intensify tornado winds, though hopefully it’s knowledge they’ll never need again. Remarkably, their dog, Rocky, was with them at the time and vanished afterward... until he was found four days later, trapped under debris, and miraculously alive.
7. Theresa Christian Trapped in a Freezer for 5 Days
Yes, tornadoes are best avoided at all costs... well, almost. For those of us with a fear of enclosed spaces, here’s an example of how some methods of tornado protection can turn out to be even more terrifying than the twister itself. Authorities believe that 59-year-old Theresa Christian was trying to take refuge in a deep freezer when she accidentally locked herself inside. And she remained trapped there for five long days.
Incredibly, her sons visited on the fourth day, searched the apartment, and called for their mother, but there was no response. On Wednesday, they returned with an apartment maintenance crew. This time, Theresa’s son Stewart heard a faint cry for help. They found her sitting upright, conscious, inside the freezer, which was tucked away in a closet. The lid was slightly cracked, but she couldn’t move. She had suffered severe frostbite on her legs and was hospitalized in critical condition. Strangely, no bad weather had been forecasted for the area at the time. It’s the only explanation authorities could offer, and Ms. Christian hasn’t shared any details.
6. Janis Ollson Cut in Half for Cancer Treatment
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is always devastating, but Janis Ollson’s case was one that would have broken most people. Cancerous bone tissue had spread to the center of her pelvis, and doctors told her that her only option was to essentially be disassembled in order to reach the affected area, then reconstructed like a puzzle. She would lose her left leg, and her right leg would have to be... well... completely detached during the procedure. They weren’t even sure if they could reattach it.
In essence, the surgery involved splitting Janis Ollson in half, and it was her last chance. Although the procedure had never been attempted on a living patient, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota agreed to try. Since the surgery would leave “no bony continuity between her torso and her remaining leg” (according to Dr. Michael Yaszemski, who pioneered the procedure), bone from her amputated left leg was used to reattach the right one, closer to her spine. After two surgeries lasting 28 hours, and using 240 staples to put Janis back together, the groundbreaking operation was completed—and it worked. The recovery was grueling, requiring extensive rehabilitation, and Janis now needs some assistance to move around, but she doesn’t complain. Since then, the same procedure has been attempted on three other patients, two of whom did not survive.
5. Rita Chretien Stranded in the Wilderness for 7 Weeks
Rita Chretien and her husband, Albert, embarked on a road trip from their home in British Columbia to Las Vegas in March 2011. Later, Rita would explain to reporters that they were relatively inexperienced travelers and relied heavily on their GPS to guide them. On March 20, their van became stranded in the snowy Nevada wilderness, unable to continue. It remained there until May 6, when hunters on ATVs found it. The search had been underway since March 30, when the couple was expected back by their children. Rita revealed that May 6 was the day she felt her strength fading after surviving on minimal provisions—just trail mix and hard candy—for 49 days. Just as she lay down to prepare for death, the sound of the hunters’ engines reached her ears.
Two days after their van got stuck, Albert set out to find help. Unfortunately, he never reached the van—his frozen body was discovered in late September 2012, over eight kilometers (five miles) from the nearest town. Despite this, he had managed to travel nearly the same distance from the van, a heroic effort in unforgiving conditions. Sheriff’s Deputy David Prall noted, “Once he [Albert] lost the ability to use the GPS, due to the snow drifts, he couldn’t tell where the road was. He did a lot of unnecessary climbing. He was literally heading for the mountain summit… where he made it far beyond what he was equipped for… this man displayed immense courage and inner strength to reach as far as he did.”
4. Randal McCloy Jr. Trapped by the Sago Mine Explosion
On January 2, 2006, an explosion at the Sago mine in West Virginia trapped 13 miners for two days. Randal McCloy Jr., the only one to survive, later explained that at least four miners’ emergency breathing devices failed, contributing to the tragedy. This was just one of many oversights that were uncovered as factors leading to the explosion.
After his rescue, McCloy revealed that about three weeks before the explosion, he and a colleague had discovered a methane pocket while drilling in the mine’s roof—a highly explosive gas. They reported it, but the following day they found that the leak had been sealed with glue used to secure bolts in the mine’s walls. That was the last they heard about it.
McCloy came dangerously close to sharing the same fate as his coworkers—death from carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if all the emergency breathing devices had worked, his survival was doubtful. These devices provided just one hour of oxygen, and help didn’t arrive until 41 hours after the explosion. Incredibly, some news outlets mistakenly reported that one miner had died and 12 had been rescued, only for the true numbers to emerge hours later, breaking the hearts of the families of those initially thought to have survived.
3. Eugene Han and Kirstin Davis Survived the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting
Tragically, Eugene and Kirstin were at the wrong place at the wrong time: they were present during the horrific theater shooting carried out by James Holmes in July 2012. This mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, claimed the lives of 12 individuals, while Eugene and Kirstin were among the 70 injured but survived. What makes their story stand out, however, is one remarkable detail.
The couple had been attending the midnight screening after Eugene’s long 12-hour work shift, so it was no surprise that he dozed off during the previews. When he awoke, Holmes had entered through the exit door, barely 10 feet away. Eugene spotted the outline of the gun against the movie screen and knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. Then came the tear gas canister, and the gunfire began.
Without hesitation, Eugene pushed Kirstin beneath the chairs, positioning himself between her and the shooter. It’s the kind of heroic act that many would expect from any man in that situation. As bullets flew around them, Eugene vividly recalls seeing “pieces of flesh fly.” He was hit in the hip and knee, but when he heard the gun click, he realized it was their chance to escape. With the shooter reloading, they managed to crawl to safety, briefly locking eyes with Eugene as Holmes did. Though the bullet in Eugene’s hip was too dangerous to remove, and recovery took months, the couple transformed this terrifying ordeal into something beautiful. In April 2013, Eugene proposed, and on July 20—the one-year anniversary of the shooting—they were married.
2. Anna Hjelle Attacked by a Mountain Lion
Mountain lions are highly territorial predators. The one that attacked 30-year-old former Marine Anna Hjelle in 2007 had already claimed another victim earlier that day—and it was hungry for more. Anna was mountain biking in the wrong area, and had it not been for her friend Debi Nicholls’ swift actions and extraordinary bravery, Anna might not be alive to tell her story.
Debby wouldn’t let go of Anna’s legs as the massive mountain lion attempted to drag Anna by her face deeper into the wilderness. Throughout the ordeal, Anna remained conscious and distinctly recalls thinking that perhaps death would be a mercy. “You think about the fact that your face is ripped off,” she said, and indeed, nearly half of it was. Hearing her screams, two other bikers rushed to her aid, using rocks to fend off the lion while Debby held on desperately. Eventually, the lion relented, and the men carried Anna up the trailhead, all while the lion continued to stalk them.
Police were forced to shoot the lion when it was found near the body of Mark Reynolds, its previous victim, whom it had partially devoured earlier in the day. Anna was airlifted to a hospital in Orange County, where she underwent over five hours of surgery and received around 2,000 stitches to her injuries.
1. Regan Martin Abducted By A Serial Killer
David Alan Gore, a serial killer and rapist who terrorized the United States in the late '70s and early '80s, was executed for his crimes in 2012. His accomplice, Fred Waterfield, was sentenced to consecutive life terms in prison. Gore is responsible for the deaths of six women. On July 26, 1983, he and Waterfield abducted their final victims—14-year-old Regan Martin and 17-year-old Lynn Elliott. Regan would survive the horrific ordeal and is the only one of Gore’s victims to escape alive.
The ordeal began when Gore and Waterfield picked up the girls at the beach, intending to take any willing ones back to Gore’s parents' house (which was empty at the time) to assault them. Once Martin and Elliott were in the car, the glove compartment popped open, revealing a .22 pistol, which Gore used to threaten Martin. Initially, Martin thought it was a prank, but it quickly became clear that it was no joke. The girls were then taken to the house, where both were sexually assaulted.
Most likely, Elliott saved Martin’s life—and lost her own—in an attempt to flee. As Gore was assaulting Martin, Elliott managed to escape from the house, naked and handcuffed, running down the driveway. Gore heard the door and spotted her, shooting Elliott in the head in full view of a child witness. It was for Elliott’s murder that Gore was convicted and sentenced to death in 1984. The witness managed to call the police, who arrived just in time to rescue Martin.
