Juliane Koepcke

Today flying is one of the safest forms of transit that exists. Out of the millions of flights every year, only about 30 of those result in an accident in the US, and very few result in any serious injury. However, this hasn't always been the case. In recent history, regulations on air travel were much laxer and allowed for a far greater rate of failure. On Christmas Eve 1971, Juliane Koepcke witnessed how dangerous air travel can be when her plane broke apart in mid-air and plummeted 10,000 feet into the Amazon rain forest. Defying all odds, Koepcke survived the fall. Unfortunately for Juliane, it was an out-of-the-frying pan into the fryer sort of a situation. She awoke after the crash to find herself stranded in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Her story has inspired for decades.