Original title
I Shouldn't Be Alive
Released
10/28/2005
Origin country
US
Genre
Action & Adventure, Documentary, Drama
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
6
Number of episodes
60
The show features accounts of individuals and groups caught in dangerous scenarios, presented both through interviews and dramatic reenactments. The main focus is how the survivors survived and the decisions they made that kept them alive.
Jennifer and Jim Stolpa ended up lost in the snow miles from help. They survived for days alone and without help. Could YOU? In the coldest Colorado winter for a decade, survival expert Les Stroud shows what you can do to survive if you are trapped in a blizzard without any special gear. He strips his truck and turns a car seat into a makeshift pair of snow boots to battle his way through the Rocky Mountains. He shows you how to make a signal fire from an old tire and a car battery, then treks off through 80 mph winds and knee-deep powdery snow in temperatures of minus 86 degrees F wearing nothing more than an old overcoat and pants — just like the Stolpas had during their ordeal. Navigating his way eastward with only a watch, building a shelter from dead trees and starting a fire with baby supplies, Les shows how to get through a deadly winter night. Later in the program, he visits a military training lab to show you what happens when he exposes himself, unprotected, to extreme cold. Shivering in 41 degrees below zero — and worried about frostbite, Les experiences the ravages of hypothermia and watches as his ability to perform simple manual tasks deteriorates out of control.
If lost in the rain forest, could you beat the elements and avoid death? Would YOU know what to do? When adventurers Kevin Gale, Yossi Ghinsberg and Markus Stamm followed jungle guide Karl Ruprechter into the Amazonian rain forest, they were expecting adventure, not a life and death struggle that only two of them would survive. Based on their story, former Green Beret and special forces veteran Capt. Myke Hawke shows how you can make it out of the Amazon alive. He wrestles anacondas for food, and demonstrates how to find safe water, build shelters, spot poisons, and navigate your way out of the jungle to safety.
When Greg Rasmussen crashed his plane on the African savanna, he was at the mercy of boiling skies and savage wild animals. He survived ... would YOU? Safari guide Phil West imparts the secrets of survival on the African savanna. At age 30, Phil is already one of Africa's most respected trackers and guides. Trekking through hazardous bush terrain in northern Kenya, Phil gets up close and personal with lions, cobras, rhinos and elephants. He shows how to survive — and avoid — such encounters. Here on the savanna, the weather is just as terrifying as the wildlife. If you make the wrong decisions, dehydration can kill you within hours. Phil reveals the professional tracker's tricks for finding water, food and shelter in this fearsome terrain — and how to keep your nerve when confronted with the terrors of the African night.
Adrift in the open ocean could you beat the elements and avoid death? Would YOU know what to do? Ross McFadyen spent 12 years as a survival instructor for the U.S. Air Force. He's been in every conceivable sea survival situation. In this episode, Ross jumps overboard from a sailboat, gets stranded in a life raft, and shows you how to defend yourself against sharks. He advises that you should prepare ahead of time, stay positive, and make the most of the environment around you. While you can't predict what crazy disasters will happen to you if you go to sea, you sure can have a better chance of survival with Ross McFadyen's knowledge.
1982. Five people get caught in a tropical storm and their yacht sinks. They have to survive in the middle of the ocean on a raft with absolutely no survival equipment. To their horror they find the area of the ocean to be infested with sharks.
A U.S. Army Private, his wife, and their five-month old son travel to a funeral, but on the way there, they miss the sign that leads to the city and instead go into an uninhabited national park which is closed for the winter.
Three friends go to the Amazon for a trip but things get nasty when their guide leads them to jeopardy. As the four (three friends and guide) split into two groups, one pair faces disaster at every turn, while the other two are never heard from again.
Two friends go kayaking in the Strait of Georgia. When the tide comes in, one friend falls from his kayak and fears that he will end up in the Pacific Ocean.
A man involved in demining Cambodia accidentally steps on a landmine and blows off his leg. Two years earlier, he was kidnapped by a murderous group of Khmer Rouge.
A man crashes his plane in the African savannah. With legs broken in a total of six different places, he has to make it alive past lions and other dangerous predators in a state of intense pain and loss of leg mobility.
An environmentalist heads for a remote island off the coast of Queensland, he then meets a Dutch man on a deserted beach. A one ton slab of granite hits the environmentalist and pins him down to the bed of a creek. The Dutchman must find help for his new friend.
1995. A man and his son go on a skiing trip to Turkey. When a snowstorm arrives, they lose their way, and the father has to chose between staying with his son or finding help.
Two cousins go on a fishing trip when they realize they are shipwrecked on a deserted island.
Two climbers are scaling a sheer ice-wall in an Alaskan mountain when one of the climbers falls and is badly injured. A passing aircraft sees their SOS signal, but damages the landing gear in the process. Now, the people on board are also stranded on the icy wasteland.
Two sons looking to repair their relationship with their father plan a fishing trip with their father in Mexico. An unexpected storm leaves them stranded in the middle of the Sea of Cortez.
Three men filming a volcano in their helicopter crash after losing control and get trapped in a crater of the active volcano. Surrounded by unclimbable ridges and poisonous gases, they must send one of them to radio for help.
Five survivors of a private plane crash must survive the dangers of the desolate African wilderness. With two severely injured, some of the group must wander off to find rescue, even though there is no civilization for hundreds of miles.
Two brothers go on a hike in Utah's Canyons. They expect the trip will take no more than 8 hours, but when freezing temperatures come, one brother breaks his leg and the other has to find help... and fast.
A couple go on a tour of the San Jacinto Mountains, only to find themselves stranded and alone for 4 days fighting for their lives.
A man and his aged dad go kayaking in the Alaskan wilderness. Everything goes fine until they run into some ice on the river, and soon find themselves swept underneath.
Two close friends head for the Amazon rain forest and get lost in the jungle. They have to survive the dangers of the jungle and hold on to sanity as they find their way home.
Five boat safari goers find themselves stranded in the hippo and crocodile-infested Zambezi River when their watercraft sinks due to a mad hippo. Three get stranded on a submerged sand flat in the middle of the river and the other barely makes it to the shore. None of them are protected from Africa's deadly wildlife.
Two divers get stranded in the Pacific Ocean when their boat has to leave them. As they believe help is not coming they make a decision to swim for shore miles away or die trying.
A group of five teenaged scouts and three adult guides hike into the Grand Canyon during a heat wave. As their water runs out and the older members collapse in exhaustion, three of the teenagers must set out on their own to reach the Colorado River.
Two-time adventure racing world champion Danelle Ballengee suffers a pelvis-shattering 60-foot fall and 2 nights in sub-freezing weather in a Canyon near Moab, Utah, accompanied only by her dog, Taz.
A couple go on a tour of the San Jacinto Mountains, only to find themselves stranded and alone for 4 days fighting for their lives.
An 18 year-old elk hunter in Montana is seriously injured by a bear and must spend a night wandering the wooded mountain area in search of help before his injuries claim his life while his parents search for him.
A man drives his quadbike in the Canadian Wilderness, loses control of it and he and the quadbike topple over and he ends up getting his legs get crushed by the quadbike and survives for 4 days.
Two teenagers plan on going fishing in a less than seaworthy boat when a riptide drags them into the Atlantic ocean. They face extreme dehydration, hunger, and weather for 6 days while awaiting rescue.
Three friends sky diving trip goes horribly wrong when their plane gets caught by a storm, sending them into the shark infested waters of Costa Rica.
Four men fight for their lives against the very animals they have dedicated themselves to protect.
A treasure hunter gets lost in the Australian Outback and struggles to survive wild dingoes, as well as the scorching heat, until rescuers can find him.
A father and son on a hunting expedition in Kyrgyzstan are caught in a blizzard, and the rescue helicopter sent to retrieve them crashes.
A solo hiker in the Carpathian Mountains breaks his hip and femur when he is crushed by multiple avalanches.
Divorcee Mathew McGough is taking his five-year-old daughter Shannon for an overnight camping trip to Wallaroo Rocks, deep in the Western Australian Outback. It's Mathew's last chance to spend time with his daughter before he packs up and moves to South Australia to start a new life, so he's keen to make it a trip to remember. When Mathew takes a wrong turn it triggers a sequence of disastrous events that puts both their lives in serious danger. After 8 days in the outback Mathew is on the verge of death and confronted with an excruciating dilemma - kill his young daughter, or leave her to face a painful death alongside him, in one of the world's most hostile environments.
On the final leg of an amazing two year sailing voyage, the Silverwood Family hit some stormy weather 180 miles west of Bora Bora in the South Pacific. It's no big deal, until a broken mast pin and a submerged rocky reef suddenly turns their adventure into a potentially deadly one. As the mast snaps, it falls on dad John, severing his leg. It's up to teenage son Ben, to become the man and help to save his family. He gets the family off the sinking boat, but as they spend a terrifying night on a reef in the middle of the ocean, will rescue get to them before Ben's father dies of blood loss?
Charlie Hench has set himself a big challenge before he turns the big 50 - to fulfil his dream of a late-summer solo hike through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. But he underestimates the challenge ahead. Charlie is at 9,000 feet when an early snowstorm suddenly blows in. The amateur hiker is soon out of his depth, lost in the snow-covered landscape. A missed step on the treacherous boulders and he's crashes over the side of the mountain. Only a ledge, the size of a car bonnet, saves him from falling 500 feet to his death. Charlie is trapped and badly injured, with a shattered wrist and fractured spine. He's alone and there's no way up or down. He knows no-one will even know he's missing for days, but will he survive trapped on the exposed on the side of a cliff?
Trainee pilot Justin Kirkbride takes two friends, Tommy and Larry, on a sightseeing tour of the Rocky Mountains, but crashes on a steep, snowy mountainside. Larry breaks his leg, while best friend Tommy is knocked unconscious. Only Justin escapes unscathed. He decides to hike 45 miles down the treacherous mountainside in search of help. As darkness falls he picks up a cell signal and manages to summon a rescue helicopter. He joins the rescue pilots in the search for his two missing friends, but their crash site is hidden by thick pine forest. The search is about to be called off when disaster strikes again - the rescue helicopter clips a tree and smashes into the mountainside. Can Kirkbride escape with his life for the second time in 24 hours? And will his passengers now succumb to their injuries during the freezing night?
Lifelong friends Joseph Rangel and Lorenzo Madrid, both in their 50s, sign up for a five-day sport fishing trip in the Sea of Cortez. On their final day of fishing the two Americans and their Mexican guide Pepe are shipwrecked on a remote and hostile desert island. With no sign of a rescue mission and little in the way of food or water the three men are in dire straights. Their only hope of survival is to embark on an epic 12 day journey to the northern tip of the Island where they hope to attract the attention of passing fishermen. But the extreme heat and unforgiving landscape exacts the ultimate toll ... not all of them make it out alive.
Steven Callahan departs from El Hierro in the Canary Islands, in Napoleon Solo - a sloop he designed and built himself. He's bound for Antigua as part of the Mini Transat 6.50 single-handed sailing race from Penzance, England. One night a ferocious storm severely damages his boat. He escapes the sinking vessel in an inflatable life-raft, nicknamed Ducky, with a meagre supply of food and water. For 76 days he is adrift in the Atlantic Ocean at the mercy of the currents and winds. During his ordeal he is battered by the elements, attacked by sharks and plagued by constant punctures to his raft. It's an epic story where one man's will to survive is put to the ultimate test.
Fresh-faced twenty two year old Brit Benedict Allen embarks on an epic six-month expedition which will take him from the mouth of the Orinoco River to the Mouth of the Amazon River through six hundred miles of uncharted jungle. On the final leg of his journey Benedict meets two gold miners who steal his guides then threaten to kill him. Fearing for his life Benedict is forced to tackle the wilds of the Amazon with only his faithful dog, Cashoe, for company. His inexperience nearly costs him dear when he capsizes his canoe, losing virtually all his provisions. Embarking on the 100 miles journey through dense rainforest to safety Benedict is struck down by Malaria and a severe case of 'jungle madness'. On the verge of starvation he makes the drastic decision to eat the one living thing he can catch - his beloved dog. But will he ever find civilization?
Newlyweds Brandon and Brandy Wiley are on a backpacking adventure in Costa Rica, when their 8 - person Cessna crashes in dense tropical rainforest. The pilots and one passenger are killed on impact. Of the five remaining survivors two are seriously injured, including American Michael Packard. With the plane's emergency beacon malfunctioning and the crash site obscured by thick cloud, the chances of rescue appear remote. When darkness falls, the group face poisonous spiders, swarming ants and jungle predators. By morning and with Michael's condition worsening by the hour Brandon and Brandy face a terrible dilemma - do they go in search of help or stay with the two injured men? It's a decision that could ultimately cost lives.
Running through the majestic splendour of the Grand Canyon the Colorado River offers construction contractor David Whittlesey with just the kind of challenge he craves. He embarks on a 3 week, 280 mile white-water rafting expedition, opting to tackle some of America's most gruelling rapids on his own. Just days away from completing his journey David's raft capsizes, gets stuck and he loses all of his life-saving supplies. As he attempts to scale a cliff face, which is his only way out, he falls and injuries himself. He is trapped, alone and knows that hypothermia could kill him before anyone even knows where he is or that his life is in danger.
Mountaineer Jim Davidson and best-friend Mike Price embark on a mountaineering expedition to conquer the snow-shrouded summit of Mount Rainier in Washington State. On the descent disaster strikes when, without warning, Jim plunges into an 80 foot crevasse, pulling Mike down with him. Having survived the fall and an avalanche of snow Jim discovers that partner Mike has not been so lucky. To save his own life, Jim has to figure out a way to scale the sheer frozen walls, injured, without the right gear or a climbing partner. Can Jim overcome his grief and find the courage and skill to attempt the toughest climb of his life?
Twenty five year old nurse Linda Forney and her pet dog Cocoa Gin set off to explore one of the seven natural wonders of the world - the Grand Canyon. On route to a native Indian village she takes a wrong turn and ends up lost, alone and with no food or water. Totally disoriented Linda hikes deeper into the maze of sub-canyons that make up the Grand Canyon. With temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and surrounded by exotic and dangerous wild animals, Linda finds herself in a real fight for survival. After weeks of little water, dehydration and starvation start bring her close to death. Then she finds herself trapped in a canyon, with no way out.
In January 1999, Jamie Andrew and his friend Jamie Fisher are trapped on a ledge in the French Alps when a surprise snowstorm blows in.
Just three months into a new relationship, Roger Sargeant, his new girlfriend Shelly and her two young daughters Tiffany (9) and Michaela (5) are on a day trip in the Arizona desert. Things go badly wrong when they get lost and are then forced to abandon their car. In a desperate bid to walk out they become separated. Over two hellish days and nights, Roger and Shelly's family, independently battle to escape soaring summer heat, dehydration, hostile terrain, rattlesnakes and prowling gangs of people smugglers.
Skipper Steve Conway, safety officer Roger Stone and four student sailors are competing in a 4 day, 600 mile yacht race from Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. But in the dead of night and just 60 miles in, their 38ft yacht, Cynthia Rose, springs a leak and capsizes. What began as a fun-trip has just turned into the men's worst nightmare. Roger and two students are trapped inside the capsized boat, whilst Steve and the other two students have been thrown overboard into freezing shark infested waters. Only five of the six men survive.
50 year-old Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall attempted to climb Everest in 1984 but didn't reach the summit. Now, 22 years later, he has a second chance. Despite his age, Lincoln fulfils his lifelong dream, but on the descent is struck by a deadly form of altitude sickness known as a cerebral oedema. Unable to climb and suffering from hypothermia, Lincoln is left for dead at 28,000ft. His survival is nothing short of a miracle.
In 2003, David Hunt and his 11-year-old daughter Leia, set off on a snowmobiling adventure in the Quebec back country. Disaster strikes when David's snowmobile hits a snow drift and crash lands into a ravine. Stranded miles from safety with a badly broken leg in sub zero temperatures; David's only chance of survival rests with his daughter Leia. It's the greatest test of her young life and one she can't afford to fail.
Five young guys from Bozeman, Montana have got together for a back-country ski trip to celebrate New Year 2005. Sam Kavanagh, Blake Morstad, Jason Thompson, Chris Maki and Matt Schuyler have grown up together. They're close friends and expert skiers. On the final day of their trip they accidentally trigger a huge avalanche. One of the gang is killed and another is left critically injured. Miles from safety, a dream adventure turns into a living hell.
British hiker Matt Briggs spends ten days stranded in the mountains of New Zealand's South Island following a crippling fall on a solo trek. With no sign of rescue and his supplies running low, Matt and his canine companion 'Little Dog' must fight horrendous injuries and brutal terrain to save their own lives.
Experienced climbers Rachel Kelsey and Jeremy Colenso are in the Swiss Alps descending the Piz Badille Mountain when they are caught up in a terrifying electrical storm. Anchored onto the mountain with their metal climbing equipment, Rachel and Jeremy have become human lightning conductors. They have a heart-stopping dilemma - risk it all climbing down through the storm or spend the night on the mountain, where temperatures dip to -20.
Students Sonja Rendell and Marni Sheppeard are on a 3-day hike in Arthur's Pass National Park, staying in picturesque huts and planning to visit thermal mud pools, before returning home for a family Christmas. But when their path is blocked by ice, the girls take a detour. What started as a steep slope quickly becomes a sheer cliff - with Sonja clinging to the rock with just her finger tips. Returning to the trail is no longer an option as the girls fight to survive on a tiny rock ledge in torrential rain and wind. Will Sonja and Marni be able to climb their way to safety?
Amateur photographer Jordan Nicurity is exploring a beautiful cove on Hornby Island in British Columbia when he falls 20ft from a cliff, shattering his pelvis and rupturing internal organs. Crippled by injury Jordan faces a life and death struggle only miles from where he lives. For 4 days his will to survive is put to the ultimate test.
In 2009, Tom and Linda Bosworth set off on a short 'jeeping' adventure to a beautiful but remote canyon in New Mexico.. Disaster strikes when their jeep hits a large rock causing it to roll. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, their car broken beyond repair, Tom and Linda are suddenly thrown into a desperate fight for survival.
Businessman and entrepreneur Dewey Gaedcke decides to check out the spectacular Kilauea Volcano, driving down a secluded local road, before hiking through the dark to a viewing spot. But in the dead of night, becomes disorientated - in the heart of a 330,000-acre national park, covered with deep craters, steaming volcanic vents and crusty lava fields. Dewey is faced with a five day battle to live in this arid, lunar landscape.
School teachers and old friends, Ben Gowans, Jason Cox and Clay Craig embark on a 'guy's trip' to the remote wilderness of Utah. Ben has talked his friends into canyoneering through some of the states most beautiful slot canyons. But after taking a wrong turn the friends quickly find that they are in way over their heads. With no way out, Ben decides to climb 60ft up and out of the canyon. As he's nearing the top disaster strikes - the rock he's holding onto snaps and he freefalls back down the canyon. Severely injured and unable to move Ben's life rests in the hands of his friends.
In 2006, ex-Navy diver Rob Hewitt embarks on a short recreational fishing dive off the Kapiti Coast near Wellington, New Zealand. A fun day turns into a living nightmare when he gets caught in a vicious rip current and gets dragged out to sea. Coming face to face with a huge shark and suffering dehydration and exposure Rob is driven to the limit of human endurance.
In the summer of 2010 Texan Gary Nall and his friend Dave Akers take a trip in Dave's Cessna to the Knick Glacier deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Out of the blue they hit a pocket of turbulence and crash land into the mountainside. Seriously injured and stuck in the middle of bear country the two friends face a fight to survive.
Ken gets lost alone on a trip to Mayan ruins.
A helicopter rescue crew fight for their lives.
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