5. John McCain
This popular politician may not have won the election, but he definitely won the battle for life in October 1967. His stay at the Hanoi Hilton lasted five and a half years and was marked by horrific events, including repeated torture, two years in solitary confinement and an attempted suicide. "I learned what we all learn there: Everyone has their own breaking point," McCain says of his experience. I had come to my senses."
4. Douglas Mawson
The Australian Antarctic Expedition, which began in December 1911, saw the end of its adventures almost forever. Lt. Ninnis, a fellow scout, was the only survivor of his team after he fell through a crevasse with dogs and supplies and was lost. Xavier Mertz, another member of the reconnaissance team, died of weakness, colds and vitamin A poisoning from eating dog livers. Unfortunately, Mawson fed the livers of the weaker dog Mertz, thinking they were more nutritious than the dogs' muscle tissue, causing Hypervitaminosis. By the time he reached base camp, he was in such bad shape that his rescuer asked, "Oh my God, what are you?"
3. Juliane Koepcke
On December 24, 1971, only 17-year-old Juliane survived the 93 passengers and crew on board LANSA Flight 508. The plane was struck by lighting above the Peruvian rainforest, and Juliane flew out of the plane, still strapped into her seat, and landed two miles down in dense bush. He walked around blind in one eye, with a broken collarbone, cuts and bruises. Taking the advice of her biologist father that water flows downstream and where there is civilization, Juliane - dressed in a mini skirt and sandals - wandered for nine days until she found a small cabin. He cleaned his wounds and maggot-infested cuts and waited until his host returned. He eventually reunited with his father and continued his studies to become a zoologist.
2. Andes Flight Disaster
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into cloud-obscured peaks while flying over the Andes on October 13, 1972. Others died from injuries or exposure to cold during the accident, a few days later, and eight were trapped in an avalanche on the 17th.
1. Paul Templer
During a routine trip, he was taking a group of tourists down the Zambezi River when he was suddenly attacked by one of Africa's most dangerous animals, the bull hippopotamus. The behemoth nearly overturned one of the canoes, throwing another guide into the dangerous water. Templer jumped in to save his colleague, but the giant hippo burst through them and swallowed Templer's head, while pinning his arms to his side with his razor-sharp teeth. Behemoth took him underwater and momentarily confused, all Templer could think was "wow, it's dark in here." Somehow, he opened his body, grabbed the hippo's jaws and swam to the surface – but the furious attack wasn't over. Undeterred, he still leads safaris, is also a coach, speaker and major fundraiser for the children's charity Make a Difference.
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