Survival is about much more than dealing with a disastrous event in the heat of the moment. While it's essential to stay alive in the minutes and hours immediately following a disaster, true survival is defined by how you deal with the ongoing effects of an adverse event. This may mean changing your entire lifestyle to adapt to your new circumstances.
The story of Eduardo Garcia is an excellent example of what it means to be an ongoing survivor. Eduardo, a successful chef with a promising career ahead, was hiking in the Montana backwoods and spotted a bear carcass. He walked over to investigate, drawing his knife as he approached the bear's remains. However, he had no idea that the bear's body was lying on top of a live power source.
A massive electrical surge of 2400 volts coursed through Eduardo's knife on contact, knocking him out and leaving him badly burned. However, Eduardo was not one to give up. He stood up and walked three miles to a nearby road, where he was rescued and transported to the hospital.
Eduardo lived through the event, dealt with a difficult recovery process, and learned to adapt to the loss of his left arm. Now, he continues to live life to the fullest, spending time in the outdoors despite his disability.
We heard about this story through YETI, as the company has announced that it will be supporting an upcoming documentary about Eduardo. This feature-length film is called “Charged”, and it will be released in 2017. For more information about the Charged film, visit ChargedFilm.com or check out the documentary's Facebook page. We're big fans of survival documentaries, so we'll definitely be watching this one when it comes out.