Miracle in the Amazon: Juliane's Astonishing Survival Story

The Incredible Survival Story of Juliane Köpke in the Peruvian Jungle

Juliane Margarete Beata Köpke, born on October 10, 1954, found herself in an extraordinary family with renowned biologists as parents. Her father, Hans-Wilhelm Köpke, was captivated by the allure of the jungle and dreamt of working in Peru. However, the post-war circumstances made it challenging for him to reach the country.

Hans embarked on a journey, trekking to the nearest port, traversing several mountain ranges, and even enduring arrest and internment in an Italian prisoner of war camp. Once he obtained his freedom, he eventually made his way to a ship bound for Uruguay, where he had to hide amidst a pile of rock salt. Crossing the ocean and Uruguay, he finally arrived in Peru. There, Hans was appointed the manager of the museum's ichthyological collection. In a more peaceful manner, Maria joined him later, and they married. They worked in a museum until 1968 when they journeyed to Panguana, an untamed area of the rainforest.

It was in Panguana that Juliane acquired the knowledge and skills vital for survival in the jungle, residing at a research station surrounded by nature.

The Ill-Fated Flight of the Frankenstein's Monster-Like Plane

After spending two years in Panguana, Juliane was required to move to Lima, the capital of Peru, to continue her education. Boarding a LANSA plane on December 24, 1971, accompanied by her mother, despite her father's warning about the airline's notorious reputation, Juliane embarked on a life-changing journey.

Her father's suspicions turned out to be accurate. As recounted in Rebecca Armitage's article, "How teenager Juliane Koepke survived a plane crash and an 11-day solo escape from the Amazon," the Lockheed L-188 Electra they boarded was pieced together using parts salvaged from other planes, akin to Frankenstein's monster. This unfortunate fact would soon play a tragic role.

Initially, the flight proceeded normally until fifteen minutes before landing when the sky ominously blackened, and a monstrous thunderstorm raged. Juliane vividly described the terrifying ordeal:

"The daylight faded into darkness, and lightning flashed from all directions. The plane shook violently, leaving the passengers breathless. Bags, gifts, clothes tumbled from overhead compartments, sandwich trays floated through the air, and drinks spilled onto passengers. People screamed and cried."

This was just the beginning of the horror. Suddenly, lightning struck one of the plane's engines, propelling it into an almost vertical descent. Juliane's mother said calmly, "It's all over now," which would be their final interaction before Frankenstein's monster of a plane disintegrated.

Quoted by Franz Liedz in the article "She fell almost two miles and walked away," Juliane remembered, "The next thing I realized, I was no longer inside the cabin. I was outside, in open air. I did not leave the plane; the plane left me."

Her last memories before losing consciousness were of the swirling wind and the jungle landscape resembling broccoli.

Surviving a Three-Kilometer Fall

How did Juliane survive a 3,000-meter fall? In Werner Herzog's documentary, Wings of Hope, Juliane provides three possible explanations. Firstly, during intense storms, the upward flow of air may intermittently counter the downward fall, potentially slowing her descent. Secondly, she was strapped into a three-seat row, which may have rotated during the fall, resulting in reduced speed. Finally, the area of her landing was covered in dense vine networks that could have cushioned her fall. Regardless, upon regaining consciousness, she found herself on the ground.

Juliane shared in the film, "Before awakening from a deep unconsciousness, I had two peculiar dreams. In one, I was wildly flying through a dark space, propelled along a wall with a roaring, rumbling sound—a sensation as if I had an engine inside me. I desperately wanted to wash my face as I felt utterly dirty, as though covered in swamp mud. Then, in my dream, I thought, 'It's simple, just get up and go to the bathroom.' When I made that decision, I awoke."

Upon waking, Juliane discovered that, astonishingly, she had survived the fall with a broken collarbone, damaged knee ligaments, a concussion, and two wounds—one on her arm and the other on her leg. She found herself alone in the depths of the Amazon jungle.

Realizing she had survived but with no one around, Juliane made the courageous decision to venture forth on her own.

Despite losing a sandal and her glasses during the fall, which greatly impacted her myopia, Juliane relied on the skills ingrained in her by living with her parents in the research station. She began by locating a small stream, following her father's advice that tracing water downstream would eventually lead her to a larger river and people. And so, she embarked on her journey.

Juliane's Harrowing Journey and Controversial Rescue

Four days after the plane crash, Juliane encountered the grim aftermath. She heard the flapping wings of a royal vulture and instinctively knew that there were corpses nearby. As described by Brittany Shammas in "How a Teen Survived 11 Days in the Amazon After a Plane Crash in the '70s," Juliane followed a stream and stumbled upon a scene of horror - a row of seats jutting out of the ground, with the passengers' legs eerily sticking straight up.

Juliane recollects, as quoted by Tom Littlewood in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth," "I found a row of seats driven into the ground. The impact must have been so strong that they pierced the ground three feet deep. The three people strapped into those seats must have died instantly." Tentatively, she touched the body of a deceased woman using a stick, fearing it might be her mother. However, upon noticing painted toenails, which her mother never had, Juliane's relief washed over her. Nearby, she discovered a bag of sweets and a mud-soaked Christmas cake. She took the candies but refrained from eating the spoiled pie, a decision she would later regret.

Throughout her arduous journey, Juliane survived solely on that bag of sweets. Fruits were scarce during that time of year, and her weakened state prevented her from catching fish or hunting any animals. However, she quenched her thirst with copious amounts of water, attempting to placate her hunger. In Werner Herzog's documentary, she candidly admits that hunger clouded her mind to the point where she even contemplated catching and eating a poisonous frog, a feat she was unable to achieve.

Juliane's knowledge of the local environment proved invaluable during her perilous journey. Unfazed by the presence of caimans, as she knew they wouldn't attack humans, she carefully waded through shallow waters, cautiously aware of the stingrays and the impact of their tails. Recognizing the calls of hoatzins, birds perched along the riverbanks, she was able to find a large river.

Thus, she swam downstream along the river, occasionally surrendering to fatigue, anchoring herself to the shore during the night to seek refuge from frequent heavy rains.

Finally, on the tenth day of her journey, when hope seemed to dwindle entirely, Juliane stumbled upon a motorboat. Not far from the boat, she discovered a hut housing a motor and a canister of kerosene. Here, her parents' teachings once again proved crucial. The wound on her hand had become infested with fly larvae, causing immense pain and discomfort. Juliane, inspired by her father's example, filled her mouth with kerosene, poured it onto her wound, and managed to extract most of the larvae. This method was reminiscent of how her father had treated their dog, Lobo.

After spending the night in the hut, Juliane awoke to the sound of men's voices - a sound akin to angels to her ears. The Peruvian men who found her initially recoiled in fear. As Barbara Tash writes in the article "A woman describes what it’s like to be the only survivor of a flight destroyed by a thunderstorm," they mistook her for a water spirit, with her pale, dirt-covered skin, torn dress, and bloodshot eyes from the rapid pressure changes during the fall.