People Who Somehow Survived Freak Accidents

Listen to my podcast, @DoctorMikeCheckup here:

Here are five of the most incredible survival stories I've come across during my career in medicine. Phineas Gage survived a tampering iron that passed through his head. Aron Ralston survived having removed his own arm to escape a bouldering that trapped him in a canyon. Julianne Koepcke survived after she fell out of an airplane and crashed into the Amazon jungle. Michael Cassidy survived an accident on his motorcycle thanks to groundbreaking balloon technology. Loenid Rogozov survived after he performed an appendectomy on himself. Let me know down below if there are more stories of survival I should take a look at!

00:00 Jungle Plane Crash
01:40 Phineas Gage
03:42 Removing His Own Arm
05:21 Surgery On Himself
07:15 Motorcycle Crash
08:40 Blood Donation

Help us continue the fight against medical misinformation and change the world through charity by becoming a Doctor Mike Resident on Patreon where every month I donate 100% of the proceeds to the charity, organization, or cause of your choice! Residents get access to bonus content, an exclusive discord community, and many other perks for just $10 a month. Become a Resident today:

Let’s connect:

Executive Producer: Doctor Mike
Production Director and Editor: Dan Owens
Managing Editor and Producer: Sam Bowers
Editor and Designer: Caroline Weigum
Editor: Juan Carlos Zuniga
Animations by Hootan Poorzaki

* Select photos/videos provided by Getty Images *

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[LuisRomero-tgwg]

I could not imagine the pain Aron went through. Just thinking about having to cut my arm and snapping the bone in half with a rock just makes me feel uncomfortable. That man is a legend for taking that amount of pain and surviving to tell the tale.

[ellenkarlsson]

*Just a note on the first case:* Juliane's parents were biologists working in the jungle, she had been home schooled for most of her life, learning to live in the jungle. Her knowledge about the jungle was what saved her.

*EDIT:* To all of you discussing religion, could you *please tag the person* you're directing your comment towards? I'm getting a lot of notifications for (sometimes quite nasty) comments on religion and it's not doing my mental health any favors.

[tracyjoyce]

Aron's story is one of pure determination, its unbelievable to imagine the pain cutting that nerve but knowing it's the only way you will get out. He walked a long way across soon after escaping and luckily a family noticed him and got him help

[iamjoking]

Let's take a moment to give a heartfelt thanks to all the doctors and medical staffs in the whole world.

[anasazidarkmoon]

Mike, have you ever heard of Anatoli Bugorski? He's a retired particle physicist, and in 1978, he was working in the Soviet Union's largest particle accelerator, when the safety mechanisms failed. He took a proton beam through his brain and decided to *not* tell anyone about it until after he finished his task. He ended up deaf in his left ear, lost movement in that side of his face, and suffered seizures, but lost very little of his mental capability, and continued his studies, earning his PhD.

[nory]

I actually met Juliane Koepcke once. Read her biography for a reading competition in school. Wrote her a letter, and met her a year later. Very inspiring woman

[animaxalternate]

im pretty ok with gore- but the arm one gave me shivers with those sounds💀💀💀

[thatoneasmrfanlady]

I remember learning about Gage when I was in high school. The human body is freaking amazing…

[genderqueercam]

Aron’s story is a great example of why you always, always, ALWAYS tell people:
1. That you’re going hiking
2. Where you’re going hiking
3. When you can be expected to return home from hiking

[parisinthesx]

My friend survived a very freak accident. Car in front kicked up a metal pole, went through her windshield and through her abdomen. She thought a rock busted her windshield and pulled over, the guy who pulled over to help looked at her in shock cause she didn't even realise she was hurt. She survived and was very lucky.

[rue]

It’s good to see the real photos of the people behind these amazing stories! If it weren’t for the photos some people wouldn’t believe it. These injuries are so outlandish.

[CRThegoat]

“ This man died from a car wreck. AND SURVIVED!!”😂😂

[cloudyooo]

Mike is just the best person to watch when you're upset or sad

[R-A-Allan]

As a double amputee with degenerative conditions, I whole heartily and genuinely mean it when I say, nurses and doctors are my heros. I would not be alive without them. So to all nurses and doctors I am continually thankful and in awe at your commitment to helping others. I just wish nurses got paid more and all of you had enough support so you could have a healthy work life balance and adequate breaks. I'm from the UK, but I assume its a similar problem all around the world. But anyway thank you. ❤️

[CJAR-CR]

"Plot Armor is when the reader/viewer knows a character won't die because they're needed for the resolution of the story. "

[jailynaddison]

Phineas Gage is one of my all time favorite stories.

[zum]

Mike’s animations make the most terrifying things look hilarious 😂

[desertrose]

So glad to see you promoting blood donation. Blood is also essential for cancer patients, like my son. Chemotherapy kills the patient's healthy blood cells, which need to be replaced when they get too low.

[LilMS]

Dr. Leonid is so brave. He's so brave to do that to himself. Wow. What an amazing man.

[itsReality]

Every one Mike talked about are brave and legends, and I can’t imagine what pain they had to go through❤❤❤