She Fell from the Sky and Survived: A Story of Unbelievable Rescue

In December 1971, Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year-old girl, was flying with her mother on a small plane over Peru. Without warning, the plane flew into a terrible storm. It was hit by lightning, broke apart in the air, and fell to the ground from a height of 3 kilometers (about 2 miles). All 91 people on board died—except for Juliane.

By an incredible miracle, she survived the fall. She was still strapped into her seat and somehow landed safely through the trees. She was hurt—her collarbone was broken, her arm was badly cut, and one of her eyes was swollen shut. But she was alive.

Juliane had grown up in Peru. Her parents, scientists from Germany, had moved there to study animals. At the time of the flight, she and her mother were on their way to visit her father.

After the crash, Juliane’s first thought was to look for her mother, who had been sitting beside her. Sadly, she never found her. She later learned that her mother had also survived the fall—but passed away soon after from her injuries.

Alone in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, Juliane did something amazing. She remembered what her father once told her: “Follow the stream. It will lead you to people.” So she began walking. With no food except a few candies she found near the crash site, she followed a small stream, day after day. At night, she was bitten by mosquitoes. Her wounds became infected. But she didn’t give up.

On the ninth day, she found a small boat near a wooden cabin. Inside was a can of gasoline. She remembered seeing her father once use gasoline to treat a dog’s wounds, so she poured some on her infected arm. It was painful, but it worked. She later said she counted 35 maggots coming out of her wound.

Juliane didn’t want to steal the boat. So she waited.

A few hours later, the people who lived in the cabin came back. They cared for her injuries and then brought her by boat to a nearby town. From there, she was taken to a hospital. She had survived 11 days in the jungle.

Years later, Juliane shared how this experience stayed with her. “I had nightmares for years,” she said. “The question of why I was the only one to survive—it still stays with me.”

After this terrifying experience, Juliane moved to Germany and recovered. She later wrote a book about her story, and her survival became known all over the world.

This story reminds us that life is full of mystery. Sometimes Hashem gives us strength in the most unexpected ways. We may not always understand why things happen—but even in the darkest moments, we’re not alone.