Surviving Against the Odds

**Eagle** · 09-08-2008, 02:48 PM

Check out this story from CNN. This subject has always facinated me. Many years ago my father was supposed to be a passenger in a small private aircraft flight to Denver. For some reason he did not go, and the plane crashed killing two of his good friends. Two things are burned in my memory about that story. 1)It's the first time I saw my dad cry, and 2)the twists of fate that can occur seemingly at random that can save your life.

Some disasters are so catastrophic there are no survivors. Yet in so many others a few people manage to come out against all the odds. Surviving is sometimes so astronomically remote that it staggers the mind to hear about them. It amazes and inspires me, and makes me wonder if I initially survived some horrible event would I have the stuff to make it the rest of the way? I think I would like to check out this guys book. Anyone here survive against the odds?

**kongjie** · 09-08-2008, 03:28 PM

I wonder about this: "Gonzales looks for people like Ma Yuanjiang, a 31-year-old power plant executive who survived seven days buried under rubble by drinking his urine and eating paper after a massive earthquake struck China in May."

I'm sure he did drink his urine and eat paper, but did that help him survive? I think the average person can survive 7 days without eating, and most experts I have read advise against drinking urine.

I think they meant he was reduced to drinking his urine and eating paper to survive, not that it was the instrument of his survival.

**arfed** · 09-08-2008, 07:04 PM

Drinking urine will actually kill you somewhat faster, as the sodium content will dehydrate you more quickly. You can rig up a distiller, but I think you need a heat source <sun at least> for that.

Ack I post to the strangest topics,
Sim

**Eagle** · 09-08-2008, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by arfed

Drinking urine will actually kill you somewhat faster, as the sodium content will dehydrate you more quickly. You can rig up a distiller, but I think you need a heat source <sun at least> for that.

Ack I post to the strangest topics,
Sim

No. No. Thank you. My poor little thread here was dying a lonely death. She may be a wallflower, but she's mine.

If urine talk is the best we can do for her then so be it.

**arfed** · 09-08-2008, 07:23 PM

I survived against all odds. Ten years of marriage to Satan's and Hitler's love child. I have 90% scarring on my man card and PTSD.

Sorry, back on topic. I have always been amazed with the jumpers whose chutes don't deploy properly and they hit the deck after hundreds and hundreds of unarrested free fall. They (seemingly could of walked away) as the only injuries are bruises and a broken clavicle or some other minor fracture.