Amazing Tales of Survival Against All Odds: You remember the day you fell off your bike while trying to impress people? Or when you wrestled the neighbor’s dog and survived with a scratch. Chances are, what you swiftly passed through and outright branded it “hell’’ is a tip of the iceberg compared to what this people on the list went through. Whether by accident or thrill seeking, these people took on all odds and trended on red grounds that would leave angels marveling with envy. Here are 10 tales of survival against all odds:
10. Lorenzo And The Pit Viper
To start off our list of tales of survival against all odds, it’s safe to assume we all fear snakes and the very sight of one is enough to send most of us into flight mode. Owing to our instinctive fears, we hurriedly compiled a list of ‘’ten most dangerous snakes in the world’’ to keep an eye for. Sadly, most of these crawling reptilians encroach into human habitats with catastrophic results. Yearly, close to 20,000 individuals die globally as a result of snakes bite with Asia taking the unrelenting reptilian blows. However, humanity is equipped with gothic characters that will innocently poke their fists in the face of doom and stubbornly refuse to be part of the statistics. And in comes Lorenzo.
In November, 2015, a fifteen month old kid crept to their family backyard to play alongside his favorite pet in Mostardas, Brazil. As the two passed time in the yard, Lorenzo’s attention was immediately captured by a slithering object that he innocently thought to be one of his many toys. Without much ado, he crept alongside the ‘’toy’’ and grabbed it. His actions only made the aggressive viper mad and to ensure a firm grip, he swiftly placed it in his mouth and sank in his tiny teeth. In an epic show of defiance, he fastened his grip as the dying serpent tried desperately to break free off his captor to no avail. Drawn by the sudden silence in the yard, Jaine ventured out to check on his son and made the startling discovery. Lorenzo was all soaked in blood and a snake dangling from his mouth. Fearing the worst, he quickly drove him to hospital with the snake in tow for easy identification. After a though check up, it emerged the blood was from the viper and Lorenzo was completely unhurt. Had he lost his grip, he would have been probably found dead.
9. Ben Nyaube And The Deadly Scuffle
Unlike Lorenzo who tackled a pit viper, Ben Nyaube had a day of reckoning after he ran afoul a hungry python determine to make a snack out of him. The opera began one morning when the lad, clad in his usual farm attire headed out to work and unknown to him, a serpent, out for a meal laid in wait.
As he matched passed the vegetation, he stepped on a ‘’soft spongy material’’ and immediately got entangled by the 13ft (4m) long python and a fracas ensued. He instinctively raised alarm but on realizing he was on the losing end, he quickly changed the tactic and engaged the python head on. With his lower torso already under the coils, Ben quickly took his shirt and covered the snake’s head to prevent being swallowed alive. Undeterred by such heroic act of survival, his hands were immediately grasped and the menacing python taking a deadly aim. However, the snake didn’t want to swallow him, it wanted to do so in style and unceremoniously hurled him up the tree.
With seconds before his doom, he quickly freed a hand and seized the tail delivering a painful bite on the serpent’s tail that momentarily eased the grip and recoiled harder threatening to crash him against the branches. With the serpent unwilling to let go of a meal and Ben not backing down, the duo struggled for several minutes and luckily, lady luck smiled. In one of the most amazing tales of survival against all odds, the fuss attracted attention of passersby who came to his rescue. A rope was hastily tied to the reptile and pulled to the ground in a thug. Immediately the he was pulled off the snake and the reptile taken to a zoo where it escaped shortly afterward…may be to seek revenge. As for Ben, a lesson learnt and a to share one of the most amazing tales of survival against all odds.
8. Musa, The Miracle Kid
Kids are a fantastic lot. We see them eat, drink and while their time staring at infinite objects and occasionally shuttering our slumbers with a piercing cries late in the night. Due to their absolute dependence for survival, they have been mistakenly branded a vulnerable lot and special attention accorded. However, don’t be fooled. Kids have been known to walk the talk and venture into the domains of gore that would ordinarily rival some of the most spectacular video themes in an epic and dead beat fashion. No one fits the description better than Musa for amazing tales of survival against all odds story.
In 2014, Musa alongside his unnamed sister and their dad, were playing in the sitting room when he went into the kitchen for a quick snack. Unknown to him, his brief departure would ultimately lead to a series of events that immediately propelled the Somali family into international spotlight.
Once off the picture, Musa’s sister is reported to have walked to the open door, pulled the lock and walked up the rails. In an act of childish ignorance, Musa crept along to the rails and took the game a notch higher by squeezing past the rails as he headed nowhere in particular, and within seconds of his delicate balancing stint, he lost his grip and went tumbling down. Immediately, his sister rushed into the house with the dreaded news ‘’the baby fell’’. At once, Musa’s father raced to the rails and to his horror saw Musa lying unresponsive 11 stories below.
After racing down the stairways to the ground floor, the shock ravaged dad got the surprise of his life, Musa had not only survived the lethal fall but was crying as well. He suffered broken arms, backbone and some ribs but made full recovery. His story is among the most fascinating tales of survival against all odds.
7. Richard And The Bear Attack
Though we may admire or even pat a number of wild animals, some like crocodiles, lions or bears are strictly a no-no affair. It’s safe to assume we all dread these animals and having one storming right into your home and unleashing a serious adrenaline packed drama is a bad news. Tales of unfortunate men, women and children who were stalked and mauled to death by animals aren’t new. One of the most astounding tales of survival against all odds occurred on 1st June 2015, an American actor was fatally mauled by lioness in a freak accident in South Africa.
As the world solemnly prepared her burial and movie actors lined to pay their tribute, Richard Moyer was counting his luck. He had barely survived after being attacked by a bear. We all know bears are peaceful creatures but can swiftly transform into fierce fighters when threatened. With razor sharp claws, bone-piercing teeth to top up with powerful jaws, this moving masterpiece of nature is a force to reckon with.
On October, 3, Richard got up and released his dog mix from the house at approximately 3 AM in the morning. A few minutes later, he heard the pit bull growling and barking in an odd manner. Sensing something was terribly amiss, he made a fatal decision that nearly got him killed. With his spotlight in hand, he walked to the site of the noise and suddenly caught the site of his dog running back to the house at terrific speeds with a black bear in tow. Instinctively, he bolted for the safety of the house and locked the door, but it was no match for an angry and charged bear. She broke the door and immediately attacked him and the pair crashed to the floor in a heap.
The deadly scuffle woke his wife Angela who came to the aid of her husband. At once, the bear charged at her knocking her down in a single blow. Just before she sank in her canine teeth, Brindy jumped on the bear momentarily releasing Angela. Bleeding profusely from his wounds, Richard makes a last desperate effort and charged into the bear knocking her down. This provoked the bear further and in a draconian fashion “mauled sense into his head’’. As he lay hopelessly waiting for death, the bear let go of him and relaxed outside the house, just to make a point, before vanishing into the bush. After being rushed to the hospital, he needed 37 stitches to seal up the wound.
6. The Lucky Chinese Toddler
We have heard some of the most weird tales of survival against all odds, tales of men and women who abandoned their kids during harsh economic times or sheer desire to start afresh somewhere. Normally, in such situations, the police are usually notified, and the brood taken to the children’s home or adopted by relatives. However, humanity is equipped with unforgiving lot who will go at unimaginable length to discard their kids especially when deformed and the Iron state of China is an epic example of the dark side of the humanity.
What started as a normal routine to pick herbs in isolated region of Guangxi province by a woman in her ripe years, led to a startling discovery that shook the world. On the fateful day, the unnamed woman heard shrill cries of agony in the bushes and moved in to investigate. However, as she moved closer, she failed to locate the source of the noise and after searching up and about discovered the noise to be coming from the ground. Shocked, she bolted back to the village and informed others of the bloody find. Together with a police officer, they hurried to the scene and to their shock discovered a small baby buried in a card box. After being rushed to the hospital, the toddler coughed black sputum, a clear sign he had inhaled a good deal of dust and soil. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed he had been underground for 8-10 days and survived as the previous rain had provided the much needed moisture.
Investigation led to a couple who admitted to have planned to murder the kid as he had cleft lip defect. To the chagrin of the shocked nation, the couple made a U-turn and demanded the toddler back claiming they would take care of him. The ploy failed. And left the toddler with one of the most amazing tales of survival against all odds.
5. Janis, The Lucky Survivor
When diagnosed with cancer, most doctors opt for chemotherapy but on numerous occasions resort to surgery as the only hope. Caught between a rock and a hard place, most patients endure spine tingling operations lasting hours to remove stubborn tumors. Lying on the operation table surrounded by optimistic surgeons is a reassuring experience. Suppose the only hope of survival is being cut into half and re-attached in a procedure never tried before? Well, that’s the exact scenario Janis Ollson found herself on after being diagnosed with a huge tumor in her pelvic bone.
Shortly after the delivery of her second child, the doctors held their breath as the “never tried before’’ operation got underway. In the delicate procedure that lasted more than 28 hours and sedated for a whole week, her left leg, half of her pelvis and huge chunks of her back were removed. When done, the doctors reshaped a piece of her amputated leg and used it the reattach the dislocated right leg before suturing her up again. As frightful as it sounds, she made a quick recovery, thanks to the effort of the gallant doctors along with the family support. Lucky Janis ranked fifth in our list of tales of survival against all odds.
4. The Atomic Bomb Incident
History lovers know Atomic bombs are not toys and the Japanese learnt the tough way after a 22 kiloton Atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on 1945 killing over 80,000 people in a single clap of explosion. As the world attention quickly focused to the ghostly town, the second explosion ripped through the skies of Nagasaki forcing the Japanese emperor to admit surrender.
With the Hermit’s state in ruins, the world got a closer look at the destructive power of the atomic bombs and regulations put in place to control their production and use in warfare. However, as clear as the memo was, the world inched closer to destruction as the Americans and Russians squared off for supremacy with neither accepting to back down.
It was in this melee that the Americans came closer to demarcating their own yard after a freak air accident. On March 11 1958, an American jet fighter left Hunter Air base, Savannah for the United Kingdom. However, this was no ordinary flight as she was equipped with a nuclear bomb in case of war with the Russians. However, after attaining the cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, the pilot noted a red warning light indicating the bomb harness pins were not locked.
In one of the most amazing tales of survival against all odds, the pilot made a fatal decision to summon the captain Bruce Kulka who really messed things up by literally releasing the bomb over the town of Mars Bluff, South Carolina. Bruce had accidentally pulled a latch to support himself as he jumped over the bomb. With the latch now open, the bomb rolled free of the latch and rested on the door. The weight forced it open plunging down the plane. With the bomb on the loose, the pilot immediately notified the command center and they were ordered back to the base. As for the bomb, it plunged on Frances Gregg compound injuring his two daughters and killing a number of resting fowl. He immediately sued the Air force and fearing contamination by radiation sold off the property. Thanks to the decision of removing cores from bombs, catastrophe would have been made.
3. Marcus, The Last Seal Standing
Here’s another of those delightful tales of survival against all odds. Though USA is the power house of the free world, the super power has had its fair share of shame beaten and defeat in a series of combat over the years. They are known to have taken a serious beating during the Vietnam War. A clear memo even the high and mighty do succumb to defeat and the same shocking script repeated itself On June 28, 2005 but on a sadder note.
Al shabab, Taliban and the like minded are known to roam the world unleashing a pogrom of terror and havoc leaving buildings a heap of rubble and innocent population a mess of flesh. Encountering these radicalized civilians is a bad news and if wishing your enemy death at the hands of terror group is not bad enough, encountering a heavily armed battle hardened militant in the middle of a picnic is a death sentence. After the 9/11 bombing of America, the giant state hurriedly picked up the pieces and went after the masterminds, capturing and killing as many they could and in 2005, a team of four heavily trained seals headed deep into the enemy territory of Afghanistan hunting for a blood thirsty fugitive Ahmad Shah.
Immediately after landing, they took cover in the bushes as the sun slowly rose. Determined to keep their location a secret, the hid among logs and rocks but their luck ran out after being discovered by herders. Caught up in a tight place, of either killing them or tying them up, they opted to release them as killing unarmed herders would most likely court martial them. And the hundred of bellies bloating around unattended would raise more question.
Their fears were confirmed barely an hour later when dozens of militants emerged with Ak 47s and rocket propelled grenade that rained death on their hideout. In the subsequent battle, Michael Murphy Danny Dietz and Matt Axelson were killed. The last surviving seal Marcus Luttrell crawled a dozen of kilometers under fire with the militants in hot pursuit until he stumbled across a sympathetic herder who briefly hid him in his house. Minutes later, the militants pounced demanding the American but he didn’t fringe.
After being sneaked into the caves by Mohammad Gulab, the Samaritan rushed to the American post with a message and within minutes, heavily armed American Chinook helicopters, heavy air support bombers and a couple of jet fighters pounced on the small village and rescued him on the verge of despair. At the end of the ordeal, 19 American seals laid dead. He is the only known Operation Red Wing survivor. And now he has one of the world’s most amazing tales of survival against all odds ever.
2. Mark’s Cabalistic Dance with Death
If you imagine surviving a series catastrophe is an adventure, well chat with Mark Weingard and you will change your mind. Being stalked by death is a horrifying experience and chances are, if you saw death, donned in black stealthily walking your direction with a broad smile and open arms ready to take you away, I bet my last pay everyone reading this list will bolt for cover and suppose he gives a chase, most of us will probably scream on top of the voice while unleashing the “Uasin Bolt character’’ safely stashed in the muscle.
As a business man, Mark traveled far and wide and on September 11 2001, he was in America for a meeting scheduled in the South tower. However, he made a late start after a busy night and before he entered the tower, it was struck by the hijacked plane on killing everyone aboard. On checking the location of the office, he was horrified to see huge menacing flames that killed 23 employees. Unknown to him, fate wasn’t done and before the memories settled, he survived another devastating bomb blast in Indonesia on October 2002 that killed more than 202 civilians along with his finance administrator Annika Linden.
In one of the most amazing tales of survival against all odds, on the boxing day of 26th December 2004, the grim reaper took another shot at him on a frightening scale. As the world reeled in shock and television news reporting a massive tsunami headed for the coastlines, Mark was unperturbed as never realized he was in harm’s way. While living in Phuket, Thailand, he alongside few of his friends was suddenly trapped by the increasing ocean levels and before long, the waves arrived: fast and furious. With no minute to waste, they quickly huddled up the roof top just as the wall of water slammed hard threatening to wash them to their watery graves. Fortunately, he wasn’t part of the statistic.
1. Missing The Fatal Flights
On 8th March 2014, Flight MH 370 departed from Kuala Limpur Airport for a routine flight to Beijing, China when she mysteriously vanished in the wide ocean never to seen or heard from again. In the subsequent days, conspiracy theorist quickly took over the gossip mills churning out bizarre theories of sighting in the Maldives and even down wrenching confession of a tourist who swore to have seen the “plane on fire’’ out of the entire ship screw. Unsurprisingly, a relative to one passenger took the game a notch higher by claiming to have received ‘’information’’ the plane had landed in a military base.
Though she is presumed to have crashed somewhere in the isolated pockets of Indian Ocean, there have been no substantial progress on her whereabouts and two years later, the mystery persists. A month later, a sister plane MH 17 was shot down by unknown militants when flying over the lawless Ukraine region sparking heated arguments between the Russian and the Ukrainian Government on who the culprit was. As the world sorrowfully acknowledged how misfortune Malaysian airline was and promising to ‘’deal with the culprits’’, Maarten de Jonge was counting his luck after missing both doomed flights.
As impossible as it sounds, De Jonge and a friend had opted to fly aboard the ill fated flight MH 370 but pulled out after they discovered the flight had unnecessarily long stop over. They flew in a different plane and landed safely. A few months later, he booked in flight 17 but pulled out at the last minute, a decision that spared his life. De Jonge is one lucky man and ranks first in our list of tales of survival against all odds.
Author: Moses Onyango is a Laboratory student at Kisii Polytechnic. He loves parasitology, driving and enjoys writing for wonderslist. You can check him out here.