The text is a script of a video that tells several stories of survival against the odds. Here is a concise summary:
- The video begins with a scene of a hang-gliding instructor forgetting to strap in a tourist, Chris Gursky, who is left hanging in the air. Gursky survives the terrifying experience and walks away with a torn left bicep tendon and a fractured wrist.
- The narrator then introduces Danny Balch, who was camping near an active volcano in 1980. The volcano erupts, and Balch is hit by a blast of heat and a shower of ash, mud, and ice. He manages to survive and is eventually rescued.
- The video then moves on to Helen Klaben, who was flying with an amateur pilot, Ralph Flores, in 1963. Their plane crashes in a snowstorm, and they are stranded in subzero temperatures. After 10 days, they are rescued by a pilot flying supplies to a nearby trapper's cabin.
- The next story is about Juliane Koepcke, who was flying over the Peruvian rainforest in 1971 when her plane crashed. She survives the crash and spends 10 days alone in the wilderness before being rescued.
- The video then tells the story of Danie Pienaar, who was bitten by a black mamba snake in 1998 while studying the habits of white rhinos in South Africa. Despite the venom's fast-acting nature, he survives and is released from the hospital with only the bite marks and an awesome story to tell.
- Poon Lim is introduced next, who survived 133 days at sea after his ship was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942. He spends the time drifting aimlessly until he is rescued by Brazilian fishermen.
- The video then tells the story of Kootoo Shaw, who was attacked by a 400-pound polar bear while working as a guide on a hunting trip in Canada in 2003. Despite being dragged towards the ocean and gouged by the bear's claws, Shaw survives and is rescued by his colleagues.
- Chris Lemons's story is about a diving accident in the North Sea in 2012. Lemons was lowered 91 meters in a diving bell to fix a pipe on the seabed when the ship moved away due to a computer failure. Lemons was left hanging in the air and was rescued 38 days later.
- The video then tells the story of Coolidge Winsett, a retired janitor and World War II veteran, who fell into an outhouse pit in 2000. He was rescued by a 17-year-old mailman after three days in the pit.
- The final story is about the Robertson family, who were stranded at sea for 38 days after their wooden schooner was damaged by a pod of killer whales in 1972. They were eventually rescued by a Japanese fishing trawler.
- The video ends with a story of a motorist in Western China who survives a car accident involving a circular saw blade. The video concludes with a message to stay safe.
1. The text describes a terrifying moment for tourist Chris Gursky, who was hang gliding without being properly strapped in, leading to a terrifying experience.
2. Danny Balch and his friend Brian Thomas were camping near Mount St. Helens when they were jolted awake by an intense rumbling sound. An eruption was heading their way, and they had to dash for the treeline.
3. Helen Klaben was on a budget and decided to fly with an amateur pilot, Ralph Flores, in his single-engine plane. The plane crashed into a desolate stretch of wilderness near the Yukon/British Columbia border.
4. Juliane Koepcke was flying over the Peruvian rainforest on LANSA Flight 508 when the plane flew into a dark, violent storm. The plane disintegrated about two miles above the ground, and she was in free-fall, still strapped to her seat.
5. Danie Pienaar was a research student studying the habits of white rhinos in the Phabeni tributary in South Africa. He was bitten by a black mamba snake, and he had to make a long trek back to the main town.
6. Poon Lim was a steward on a British ship named the SS Ben Lomond, which was sunk by a German U-boat. He was the only survivor and spent a total of 133 days at sea.
7. Kootoo Shaw was a guide on a hunting trip in Kimmirut, Canada, when he was attacked by a polar bear. The bear dragged Shaw towards the ocean, then gouged its claws into his back and sunk its teeth into his head.
8. Chris Lemons was working in the North Sea, diving from his ship, the "Bibby Topaz," to repair oil rig structures. His umbilical cable became snagged on part of the metal structure, and he was plunged 100 meters down towards the seabed.
9. Coolidge Winsett, a 75-year-old retired janitor and World War II veteran, fell into a pit when the rotting floorboards of his outhouse gave way. He was able to stay afloat after landing on the remains of the floorboards, which acted like a makeshift raft.
10. The Robertson family from the village of Meerbrook in Staffordshire, UK, set off on a voyage to parts unknown on a 43-foot wooden schooner called "Lucette." They encountered a pod of killer whales near the Galapagos Islands, which launched an attack, damaging the boat beyond repair.
11. Rooi Mahamatsu, a football player for Johannesburg's Orlando Pirates, had a narrow brush with death on the highway. His BMW 3-Series slipped on a wet patch of road, causing him to lose control. The entire vehicle was impaled by a guardrail that pierced the windscreen and exited through the back.