Have you ever wondered how resilient you would be in the case of a traumatic event? Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor of a plane that crashed over the Peruvian rainforest. The plane was hit by lightning and Juliane Koepcke survived a two-mile fall when the plane broke in mid-air and crashed in the jungle. Although it happened in 1971, today it still haunts Juliane Koepke. She was only 17 at the time.
Juliane’s mother was seated next to her. Her mother and all of the other passengers died. Some were strapped to their seat. Juliane had a severe concussion, a compression of the cervical spine, a fracture of the collarbone, a torn cruciate ligament, and a few wounds, including a deeply gaping cut on the leg that was later infected with fly maggots. She was unconscious and woke up the next day. She lost her glasses and only had one shoe. But she had to keep moving. Eventually, she heard vultures in the distance and she knew she had to find help or become a victim herself. She found some candy from the plane for food. But that’s all she had.
Juliane’s parents were both biologists. Her father had taught her how to survive in the rainforest. “He said if you find a creek, follow it because that will lead to a stream and a stream will lead to a bigger river and that’s where you’ll find help.” Although she had some experience, nothing could prepare her for the ordeal she faced. Juliane continued through the rainforest, wading through jungle streams infested with crocodiles, piranhas, and devil rays. After ten days, she found help. She was starving and exhausted but she finally found a group of Peruvian lumberjacks who took her to the next town. Fortunately, she spoke Spanish and was able to converse with the locals. They were suspicious at first.
Juliane’s life was saved and she reunited with her father. Juliane’s amazing persistence and survival techniques are something that not everyone can imagine. Faced with terrifying events, people react differently. Juliane Koepcke was young and she wanted to see her father and friends. She had experience with the rainforest which helped. But her resilience during the event is commendable.
According to Oxford University, trauma may lead to feelings of guilt and shame. Many people blame themselves for things they did or didn’t do to survive. For example, some assault survivors believe that they should have fought off an assailant, and blame themselves for the attack. Others who may have survived an event in which others perished feel that they should have been the one to die, or that they should have been able to somehow prevent the other person from dying. Sometimes, other people may blame you for the trauma. Feeling guilty about the trauma means that you are taking responsibility for what occurred. While doing so may make you feel somewhat more in control, it is usually one-sided, inaccurate, and can lead to feelings of depression.
I cannot imagine surviving through something like that.