05/15/2026
The jungle could not defeat her. Juliane survived in part because the plane disintegrated at 3,000 meters, and the dense rainforest trees helped soften her fall. But she also survived because she remembered the lessons her father had taught her: follow a stream to find help, and avoid dry leaves where snakes often hide. During her journey, she discovered a small bag of candy that had belonged to another passenger who had died in the crash. It became the only food she had during the 11 days she spent alone in the jungle. When she noticed king vultures circling overhead, she understood they gather where there is carrion, helping her navigate through the wilderness.
What many people may not know is that her mother also survived the crash at first, but severe injuries left her unable to move, and she died several days later. Juliane did not learn this until she later helped search for the wreckage of the plane.
Years later, in 1998, Juliane returned to the Amazon with filmmaker Werner Herzog to make the documentary Wings of Hope. During that trip, she sat once again in seat 19F—the same seat she occupied on the day of the crash. She went on to study Zoology and Biology, and today works as a librarian for the Bavarian State Zoological Collection in Germany.
