SURVIVAL STORIES
JULIANE KOEPCKE
THE GIRL WHO FELL
FROM THE SKY
A True Story of Courage, Resilience and Hope.
1971
Amazon Rainforest, Peru
1 Survivor
SURVIVAL STORIES
JULIANE KOEPCKE
THE GIRL WHO
FELL FROM THE
SKY
A True Story of Courage, Resilience and Hope.
1971
Amazon Rainforest, Peru
1 Survivor
QUICK FACTS
11 Days
Alone in the Amazon Rainforest.
3,000+ KM
3,000 km of forest crossed on foot.
Only Survivor
From LANSA Flight 508.
A Story of Hope
And Extraordinary Human Strength.
BACKGROUND
1971
On December 24, 1971, Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year old German-Peruvian student was travelling with her mother, Inge, on a LANSA Flight 508 from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru. When the plane entered a violent storm over the Amazon rainforest, it crashed. Juliane's mother was killed and Juliane was the only survivor-falling from over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) and landing in the dense jungle below.
THE CRASH SITE
INFORMATION
LANSA Flight 508 crashed in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, killing 91 people on board - including Juliane's mother, Inge. The wreckage fell into the remote rainforest near Puerto Inca. Juliane who was only 17-years old at that time was the only survivor who survived that plane crash and was later rescued from the Amazon Rainforest.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
DEC 24, 1971
Plane (LANSA Flight 508) crashes in the Amazon rainforest of Peru.
DEC 24 - 26, 1971
Juliane survives the crash and spends the first two days alone in the jungle with only basic belongings and her courage.
DEC 27 - JAN 3, 1971
She begins following a river, believing it might lead to a settlement.
JAN 4, 1972
After 11 days, Juliane is found by a group of loggers, exhausted but alive.
Map shows an approximate location and route for illustrations;
it is not a precise reconstruction.
HOW SHE SURVIVED
For 11 days, Juliane survived alone in the vast Amazon rainforest.
DAY 1
After the crash, Juliane fell into the jungle and managed to get up despite serious injuries.
Finding a Way
She crawled through the dense forest, following a small stream as a guide.
Food & Water
She ate wild fruits, roots and small animals and drank water from the stream.
Shelter
She built a makeshift shelter using leaves and branches to protect herself.
Resilience
Despite being alone, injured and exhausted, she kept going-driven by the will to survive.
ABOUT JULIANE KOEPCKE
Born: 1964
Nationality: German - Peruvian Profession: Biologist, researcher and author
Known for: Being the only survivor of LANSA Flight 508 and her lifelong dedication to the Amazon rainforest
CURRENT STATUS
RESOLVED - SURVIVOR FOUND
Juliane Koepcke survived the 1971 LANSA Flight 508 crash and was rescued after
about 11 days in the Peruvian Amazon. She later became a biologist and continued
her connection with the Amazon through scientific work the Panguana research station,
where she has been involved in preserving the rainforest and its biodiversity.