Miraculous survival stories ‘he survived by eating butterflies’
Here at Outdoor Revival we always marvel at what it takes to survive in, well, survival situations. If we analyze the various survival stories from around the world and from different periods in history, one factor that quickly pops out of the myriad of factors has to be the sheer combination of luck and personal resilience.
Here is a glimpse into some of the most talked about survival stories on the web.
Stephen Currie – survived by eating mussels, fruit and BUTTERFLIES
This most recent survival story emerged from Queensland and brought forward one of the most iconic survival stories of all time. Stephen Currie had to endure upwards of 40-degree heat and was forced to live off butterflies and water from holes in the ground, along with some wild fruits when he had to fight for his life a couple of years ago. After Stephen was officially listed as missing by his family on December 29th 2013, local authorities had to give up the search for him after three long weeks. No one expected him to emerge alive from the woods at that time. However, he was later found disoriented and in pretty bad shape walking on a remote track some 10km from the west Tableland town. He was only wearing a pair of shorts at the time. Mareeba Police Department’s senior constable told the reporters that Stephen’s decision to follow the Walsh River eventually saved his life.
Marco Lavoie – forced to eat his beloved companion to stay alive in wilderness
Perhaps the most painful thing any pet lover has to do is when they have to kill their pet animal to save their own life. This is exactly what Trekker Marco Lavoie had to go through when his campsite was attacked and destroyed by a bear along with his limited provisions, 800 kilometers northwest of Montreal. Lavoie was in fact on a three-month trekking and climbing trip in the Canadian wilderness along with his beloved dog when he was attacked by the vicious animal.
Remarkably Lavoie’s life was saved by his German Shepherd, who chased the bear away after having a fierce fight with the animal. After finding himself without food and water, Lavoie had to kill his beloved dog a few days into his ordeal. The devastated trekker was found in November last year, suffering from hypothermia and severe dehydration and had lost more than 40 kilograms of his weight, News.com.au reported.
Peter Trayhurn – the unluckiest and luckiest man alive
Trayhurn and his diving mate Geoff Tosio lost their way at sea when they found themselves stranded off the NSW Mid-North Coast after their anchor line snapped from their diving boat. Both men soon realized that they were alone at sea and that there was no help coming for them anytime soon. Mr Trayhurn decided to take some pictures using his camera to search for help.
However soon after they lost all the hope, the duo was spotted and picked by a tanker, which then handed them over to the police. However, their ordeal was nowhere near finished; their dive boat quickly capsized as they tried to cross the port’s treacherous area, known as Wooli bar. Both men were right back in the sea. They swam back to the safety but lost their camera during the struggle, which was found fully functional nearly four years later in 2010.
Tseng Lien-fa – saved after 60 hours in sea off Taiwan after clining to coffin lid to survive
Tseng Lien-fa, a Taiwanese man, fought for his life and miraculously survived his 60-hour ordeal when he faced rough seas off the east coast of Taiwan in January 2014. Tseng was working at sea collecting eels for some extra money that he needed for his family. During his otherwise peaceful search, he was suddenly caught off guard by a huge wave that threw him away from the shallow waters and into the deep sea. Tseng was repeatedly hit by large waves that drew him even further away from the shallow waters but luckily he grabbed hold of an old coffin lid and stayed above the surface.
Tseng had to hold onto the wooden lid for the next 60 hours before the waves eventually swept him onto a beach 75km away from where he was originally taken by the sea. He was quickly taken to the hospital where he was treated for dehydration and fatigue. Doctors reported that it was a miracle that Tseng had survived through that ordeal.