TheFW » Survival Stories

Woman Sleeps Through Tornado Tearing Away Her Roof

Jeremy Taylor — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 20:30:51 +0000

If you’d asked Betty Russell a week ago, she’d have told you she’s a light sleeper. However, since the tornado that ripped apart her home Thursday night, the 76-year-old has a new opinion of her sleeping style. “I didn’t know I was that heavy a sleeper,” the Mobile, Alabama woman said. “[The tornado] had caved in [...]

13 Year Old Braves Snowstorm To Rescue Classmates Trapped On Bus

Jeremy Taylor — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 21:50:46 +0000

Alexi Catellier is only thirteen, but the Canadian youngster was one of the oldest kids on his school bus when it broke down during a Manitoban snowstorm. The storm had also knocked all the region’s power out, making it impossible to call for help. As the minutes turned to hours, Catellier comforted the younger students, including [...]

Man Miraculously Walks Away After Horrific Motorcycle Crash [VIDEO]

Chris Illuminati — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:46:30 +0000

Let this video of a motorcyclist crashing at top speed into a passing truck be a lesson to all drivers: Motorcycles are dangerous, riders should always wear a helmet and Ryan Gosling probably won't be around to smooth things over when the two drivers meet. Despite the severity of the crash (which shatters the motorcycle in question), its rider miraculously gets up and walks it off.

Man Impaled Through Eye by Pruning Shears, Retains Sight [PICTURE, VIDEO]

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:21:41 +0000

86-year-old LeRoy Luetscher dropped his pruning shears while gardening, and tripped and fell when he went to pick them up. In a horrifying mishap, the handle of the shears entered into his right eye-socket and made its way all the way to the middle of his neck. After being rushed to get medical attention, the [...]

Driver Miraculously Rescued as Sanitation Truck Crashes Through Third Story of Building [VIDEO]

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:05:03 +0000

A Department of Sanitation truck somehow managed to smash halfway through the wall of a third story parking garage in Queens, New York Wednesday morning, leaving both the vehicle and the driver dangling perilously in the air. Over 100 firefighters respond to the scene, and within 30 minutes they were able to rescue 56-year old [...]

Pro Skier Ani Haas Punched a Bear to Survive Attack [VIDEO]

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:09:55 +0000

Ani Haas, a former member of the U.S. ski team, was jogging on an outdoor trail in Missoula, Montana Friday when she inadvertently got between a mother black bear and her cubs.

When momma bear attacked the 24-year-old, Haas "got big," which is the counter-intuitive protocol for dealing with an aggressive black bear. Since that wasn't enough to stop the bear's charge, Haas was forced to punch the wild beast in the head, and then beat it with a rock.

Florida Grandmother Survives Being Trapped in Swamp for Four Days [VIDEO]

Andy Scott — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:16:38 +0000

On Monday morning, the 'Today' show interviewed Kathy Shino, a Florida grandmother who found herself trapped in a muddy swamp up to her neck for an astounding four days.

On June 17, the 62-year-old grandmother decided to take an evening stroll. But things went horribly wrong when she became hopelessly trapped in a dense thicket of mud and branches.

Digital Camera Found With Photos Still Intact After Four Years at Sea

Chip Sandalwood — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:52:09 +0000

When Aptos, California resident Peter Govaars went with his daughter to examine the the damage that a two-day storm had wrought on nearby Hidden Beach, he discovered the skeleton of a digital camera. It was beaten and battered by the ocean but, amazingly, the memory card was still intact. After opening and cleaning the card with rubbing alcohol to remove the salt and sand, Govars inserted it into his computer and found 104 photographs taken in nearby Santa Cruz during a two-week period in June of 2007. The images, he concluded, had just survived a possible and remarkable four years at sea.