In 1992, Annette Herfkens and her fiancé were on vacation in Vietnam when their plane crashed. Annette was the only survivor. She found herself alone and badly injured in the jungle.
At first, she panicked, but then she focused on her breath. She didn’t have time to worry about tigers or dying. She needed to be in the moment.
Her survival instincts kicked in, and she knew she had to find water. Annette had 12 broken bones in her hip and knee, so she could not walk. She dragged herself by her elbows to the broken plane wing to collect insulation to catch rainwater. The pain was so bad that she passed out.
Annette learned to be present in the moment, and a lesson in acceptance that she still carries today. Once she accepted that her fiance had died and her life was forever changed, she began to notice the beauty of the jungle all around her. She still describes the jungle as a safe place that she returns to in her mind when she is under stress.
After eight days alone, Annette was rescued. Years later, she applied the lessons she learned in the jungle to her life in New York. When she learned that her son Max had autism, she had to accept the new reality. Annette focused on what was there, connecting with other parents in the same boat and becoming part of a supportive community.
When Annette decided to write a book, she realized she didn’t want to focus only on her experience in the jungle. She also wanted to write about the people who helped her, the victims of the crash, and her son. When she went to Hollywood, they insisted the story be all about her, but Annette says this was counter to the qualities that saved her. She believes that her survival was due to getting over herself, living in the moment, and acceptance. Those lessons have helped her connect with other people and overcome obstacles in her life. She said, “You get over your little self, then you get your instinct to work, then you get to connect with other people, and then you achieve stuff.”
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I was the sole survivor of a plane crash
In 1992, Annette Herfkens and her boyfriend were in Vietnam when their plane crashed. Annette was the only survivor. She found herself alone and badly injured in the jungle.
At first, she panicked. Then she focused on her breath. She didn’t have time to worry about tigers or dying. She needed to be in the moment.
Her instincts kicked in. She knew she had to find water. Annette had 12 broken bones. She could not walk. She dragged herself to the broken plane wing to catch rainwater. The pain was so bad that she passed out.
Annette learned to be present in the moment. She also learned a lesson in acceptance that she still carries today. Once she accepted that her boyfriend had died, she began to notice the beauty of the jungle. She still describes the jungle as a safe place. She returns to it in her mind when she is under stress.
After eight days alone, Annette was found. Years later, she used the lessons she learned in the jungle in her life in New York. When she learned that her son Max had autism, she had to accept the new reality. Annette focused on what was there, connecting with other parents in the same boat.
When Annette decided to write a book, she didn’t want to focus only on her experience in the jungle. She also wanted to write about the people who helped her, the victims of the crash, and her son. When she went to Hollywood, they wanted the story to be all about her. Annette says this was counter to what saved her. She lived because she was able to get over herself, live in the moment, and accept her situation. Those lessons have helped her in her life. She said, “You get over your little self… and then you achieve stuff.”
Read More:
I was the sole survivor of a plane crash
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