Against All Odds: Survival Stories

In this gripping episode, Brittany & Vanessa recount two of the most astonishing survival stories in modern history.

Jan Baalsrud: The Escape

During World War II, Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud found himself on the run after a sabotage mission went horribly wrong. Betrayed to the Nazis, he was the sole survivor of his team and had to evade capture in the brutal Arctic wilderness. With frostbitten feet and a gunshot wound, Baalsrud survived for two months in the harsh Norwegian landscape, enduring avalanches, near-starvation, and amputating his own toes to prevent gangrene. Thanks to the help of brave locals, he miraculously made it to Sweden, where he recovered and continued fighting for the resistance.

José Salvador Alvarenga: 438 Days Adrift

In 2012, José Salvador Alvarenga, an experienced fisherman from El Salvador, set out on what should have been a routine fishing trip off the coast of Mexico. But a sudden storm disabled his boat, leaving him stranded in the Pacific Ocean with no engine, no radio, and only a teenage crewmate for company. Over time, his companion succumbed to starvation, but Alvarenga, relying on his survival instincts, drank rainwater, caught fish and birds with his bare hands, and even drank turtle blood to stay alive. After 438 days drifting across the ocean—over 6,000 miles—he finally washed ashore on the Marshall Islands, weak but miraculously alive.

Lessons in Survival

The episode delves into what makes survival possible in extreme conditions, from sheer mental resilience to resourcefulness and luck. The hosts discuss the psychological and physical toll on both men and reflect on the human spirit’s capacity to endure the impossible.

https://nordnorge.com/en/artikkel/jan-balsrud-is-the-man-that-never-gave-up/ 

https://explorersweb.com/great-survival-stories-jan-baalsrud-evades-nazi-dragnet/ 

https://www.historynet.com/sole-survivor-commando-evaded-nazis-arctic/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost-at-sea-436-days-book-extract 

https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/castaway-that-survived-a-record-438-days-at-sea-sued-for-eating-crewmate 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QPSFNLXQiz0 

Franklin, Jonathan. 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea. Atria Books, 2016.