You don't really know
where your edge is
Until you've been pushed to it.
Woman: one thing I know
to expect is suffering.
Man: this is
a very hostile environment.
*Bleep* this.
There's too many
*bleep* mosquitoes.
Tyler:
they're eating us alive.
Ticks in my frickin' eyeball.
The one's trying to get
in my pee hole.
I got those.
Man #2: fire went out.
Things are definitely
getting harder.
Woman #2: my heart is pounding.
I feel hungry and cold.
Getting close to hypothermic.
You b*tch more
than anyone I know.
Woman #3: no, I do not.
You are a prima donna.
Yes, you are.
Whatever,
mr. "I need a pillow,"
"I need more padding,"
"my feet hurt."
Man #3: who knows what we're
gonna find in these caves.
What the *bleep* is that?
Oh, my god.
Tyler:
13 months in afghanistan
Didn't do to me
mentally and physically
What being out here
in the jungle has done.
Narrator:
two strangers...
...one man and one woman,
both experienced survivalists...
Whoa.
...have chosen to put their
skills to the ultimate test.
Just one victory, please!
Narrator: they have no water,
no food, and no clothes.
Their challenge
is to survive for 21 days...
Aah!
And I want to go home.
Narrator:
...knowing that the human body
Can only live three days
without water
And begins to shut down
after three weeks without food.
Get out of there!
This is the everest
of survival challenges.
Can a man and woman
Survive alone
in the wilderness...
Naked and afraid?
This place is here
to k*ll and destroy
And doesn't want us here.
Narrator: south america --
the peruvian amazon.
Dense rainforest covers 60%
of the land.
The vast wilderness is the most
bio-diverse on the planet.
The wet season
is about to be unleashed
When the amazon river
rises more than 30 feet,
Flooding an area
the size of south dakota.
The river --
the largest in the world --
Is home to over 60 species
of flesh-eating piranhas,
20-Foot black caiman,
and electric eels
Capable of shocking prey
with over 500 watts of power.
In the jungle,
relentless mosquitoes
And deadly anaconda
prey on the vulnerable,
While 300-pound jaguars --
The largest big cats
in the western hemisphere --
Are the apex predators
of the region.
The jungle is a deadly
and unpredictable foe,
And all but impossible
to survive.
The amazon has already claimed
its first victim.
One of the survivalists
was so overwhelmed by the jungle
That he tapped out
before he began.
The local guide
who met him on the boat
Was asked to take him home.
Five days later,
two survivalists
Finally venture deep
into the amazon jungle.
A.k.: When I found out
my partner quit,
It was completely insane.
I know my skills, and I know
that if I was alone, by myself,
I could survive.
My name is a.k.
I live in alabama.
I'm married.
I have three kids.
I'm a stay-at-home mom.
Since I was a kid,
I've been doing living history.
We would build our own fires,
make our own shelter,
Cook our own food
using resources
The native americans
only had during 1812.
To the people that think
That a married mother of three,
stay-at-home mom can't do this,
I'm gonna prove to myself
and everybody else that I can.
I hope my partner can stand up
to the challenges
And come out here and survive.
Narrator:
a.k. Is joined by tyler,
Who has been brought in
to replace her original partner.
Tyler: I feel very proficient,
as far as my survival skills go.
The only thing that's gonna stop
me from surviving these 21 days
Is if I get hurt or sick.
My name's tyler stinely,
I live in las vegas, nevada,
And I'm currently going
to school for criminal justice.
I'm married for seven years now.
I have two kids.
As far as my military training,
I've been to afghanistan.
I've trained in fort polk,
louisiana.
I've done high-altitude training
in colorado.
As far as fears
and being nervous,
I think it's just the unknown.
I've never been here before,
and there's piranhas, anacondas,
Caiman I'm gonna
have to watch out for
To keep myself
and my partner safe.
Meeting somebody for the first
time naked's just whacko,
But I don't know,
I'm sure we'll both get over it
real quick.
Game time.
This is crazy.
Being naked in front
of the opposite sex,
It's gonna take
some getting used to,
But I think I'm gonna be
able to overcome that
And focus on what needs to be
done to be able to survive.
I hope my partner is a man.
I am a stay-at-home mom,
So I have no problem being able
to play the role of a woman.
But, at the same time, I hope he
can stand up to the challenges,
Suck it up, and not be a sissy
little girl all the time.
Hi.
Hey, how's it going?
Good.
Tyler. Nice to meet you.
I'm a.k.
Awesome.
Nice to meet you.
I see you brought
the twig and berries.
You got the ladies along,
so we should be good.
This is awkward.
Very, very awkward.
First time you've been
in the jungle naked
Meeting somebody then.
Yes.
Okay.
Well, we got our bags
over here.
We should probably go over there
and check those out.
Narrator: both survivalists
are each allowed to bring
One essential survival item.
Cool, well,
I got my machete here.
It's gonna be real helpful when
it comes to making shelters,
Protection,
as far as hunting stuff.
What do you got?
I brought
the fire starter.
Perfect.
That's a must.
We need to get a fire going
so we can get rid
Of all these bugs.
Yes, definitely.
They gave us
our diary cams.
In addition, tyler and a.k. Have
been provided handheld cameras
To record their own experiences.
My name is a.k.
Tyler stinely.
Las vegas, nevada.
A small crew will capture
the 21-day journey
With instructions
not to intervene
Unless a medical emergency
makes it absolutely essential.
Also have a map.
Cool.
Perfect.
It's pretty simplistic.
Tyler and a.k.
Have been dropped off
Where the jungle meets the banks
of the amazon river.
If they hike two miles southwest
through dense rainforest,
They'll find an area of high
ground surrounded by water
Filled with fish
and electric eel.
This will provide ample
resources for building shelter
And opportunities
for securing food and water.
Before day 21,
they'll need to build a raft,
As they face
a grueling 12-mile river voyage
Up the amazon
to arrive at this lake,
Where they'll be rescued
by helicopter.
We must be,
like, right here.
So we should probably start
walking up this way,
It looks like.
Let's go.
As part of their
selection process,
Tyler and a.k.
Have gone through rigorous
Psychological
and physical testing.
Their overall
survival assessment
Has been evaluated by experts
according to three categories --
Skill, experience,
mental toughness.
Tyler's army training
boosts his score,
But without
his military equipment
And easy access to food
and water, he may struggle.
A.k.'S experience teaching
native-american history
Will help her succeed,
But her strong-headed
personality
May work against her.
Tyler and a.k. Have been given
An overall primitive
survival rating, or psr.
Tyler's psr is set at 7.0.
A.k.'S is set 6.7.
Our experts will reassess
their primitive survival rating
At the end of the challenge...
If they make it that far.
Definitely gonna have to watch
where we're going.
I'm not trying to get bit
by a snake.
A.k.: Oh, yes.
So how old are your kids?
My daughter's 5
and my son, he's 3.
How old are yours?
I have an 8-year-old
little girl,
And then I have two boys
who are 2 and 3.
Whoo. Two boys.
I feel for you.
Oh, it's tons of fun.
A.k.: Now that I've met tyler,
I'm glad that he's my partner.
Seems like he's gonna be awesome
to work with.
It's a bird's nest,
so we can use it as tinder.
Tyler: that's cool.
If we can catch a spark with
that, that's gonna go up quick.
Oh, yes. Definitely.
Get some
of this wet stuff dry.
Tyler: a.k. -- She definitely
knows what she's doing,
And she's not just a girly girl.
You know, she knows how to get
down and get stuff done,
Which I like.
I just stepped
on a spider.
A.k.: There are a lot
of dangerous animals out here --
Snakes, piranhas, electric eels.
So we're really gonna
have to stay focused
And pay attention
to our surroundings.
There's the biggest caterpillar
I've ever seen in my life.
Tyler: what color is it?
Orange.
Eh.
Yeah, I know yellow and orange
you stay away from,
But it's a huge-a*s
caterpillar.
Tyler: I'm definitely
intimidated by the jungle.
For any gringo like me
To get dropped out
in the middle of the amazon
And not be scared or nervous,
you'd have to be crazy.
Man, I just keep running
into these frickin' --
Where the *bleep*
all right.
I must have taken
a wrong turn.
Another downed tree.
These are really
pissing me off.
Try to get out of here.
A.k.:
We got lost in the jungle.
We're running out of time...
I'm right behind you.
...and we have tons to do
before the sun sets.
Tyler: dang. It gets
real thick again right here.
This is not gonna be easy
at all.
Ow. *Bleep*
Try to cut back around.
Man, it's thick
through here.
We've been walking
For a good 30,
maybe almost 40 minutes.
We got to hurry up.
I would like to just
get a shelter up.
It's gonna get wet here
real quick.
Here we go.
We're coming up on something.
Hopefully cross this
and we'll be there.
A.k.:
Oh, just go for it.
Oh, watch your step.
Well...
I guess call this home.
This is it.
What do you think?
I don't see it getting
much better than this.
It's flat. It's high.
We're by the stream.
We're by the main river.
A.k.:
Sounds good to me.
A.k.: In order to save time,
tyler's gonna build a shelter
And I'm gonna start a fire
using a bird's nest
And hopefully
before the rain hits.
You need my help for anything?
You're good?
I'm failing miserably.
I keep putting it out.
Don't get discouraged.
It's gonna be like this
the whole time.
Tyler:
fire would be nice, but, for me,
Just not being on the ground
is important for me.
Right now, with this downpour,
I'm just focusing on getting a
shelter built, at least for now.
Building a fire in the rain
is extremely frustrating.
Everything's soaking wet.
I'm gonna start
building the shelter.
Trying to do the roof?
Well, just trust me,
once I get one more --
I don't care.
Just go for it. Go.
Well,
if you quit debating --
You're talking.
You're wasting time.
What the *bleep*
Quit debating
if you don't care.
Tyler: a.k. -- She's a hard-a*s
like me, and she's pretty blunt.
This environment is already
turning us against each other.
The rain sucks,
but it's the amazon.
Got to get used to this.
It's not gonna stop or let up.
It's gonna be like this
the whole time.
Narrator: as a.k. And tyler
finish constructing
Their makeshift shelter,
nighttime approaches.
With no fire, they are
at the mercy of the amazon.
*Bleep*
stupid bug.
Tyler: tonight's
definitely gonna suck,
But what are you gonna do?
I mean, don't have a fire.
It's too late
and everything's too wet.
Just didn't happen, you know?
A.k.: It's night one.
*Bleep* this.
There's too many
*bleep* mosquitoes.
I think the biggest thing
is the mosquitoes.
There's just a billion
mosquitoes out here right now.
Nothing really I can do.
They're eating us alive.
Oh, my god.
Oh.
Oh, stupid freakin' --
get off me.
Tyler: this is the worst
experience of my life.
*Bleep* everywhere.
Right now
they're eating my vajayjay.
13 Months in afghanistan
Didn't do to me
mentally and physically
What being out here
in the jungle has done.
Tyler: nothing really I can do.
They're eating us alive.
All right.
This is the morning of day two.
That was the worst night I can
probably remember ever having.
I've been through some *bleep*
in the military.
And it just never
stopped raining.
It's still raining now.
It hasn't stopped
and let up at all.
A.k.: Last night
was so incredibly painful.
You couldn't imagine how insane
those mosquitoes were.
We have got to get a fire going
to smoke out these mosquitoes
Because there is no way
I can survive another night.
I have never had this much
problem making a fire.
Never.
Tyler: I can try to find
something more dry.
I don't know,
there's just something about it.
It's not catching.
Nothing to burn.
I don't think
this is gonna work.
A.k.: We're gonna have
another horrible night.
Get off.
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
*Bleep*
There is no sleeping
without a fire.
You ready to start it?
Narrator: after 48 hours
Of torrential rainstorms
and mosquitoes,
The sun immerges,
Providing a.k. And tyler
a brief window to make fire.
A.k.: You know, I've been
breaking down since last night.
I miss my family
more than anybody could know.
Tyler:
a.k. Is slowly going down.
She's hurting.
I'm trying to pick her up
the best I can,
But everybody's
their own person.
You know, you can only
help them out so much.
I'm so sick and tired
of getting eaten by bugs.
The most important thing
for us to do right now
Is get this fire going,
And hopefully that's gonna
smoke the mosquitoes out.
Fire.
You know what this means?
We might finally get those
mosquitoes out of our hair.
Whoo!
A.k.: I am extremely happy
that he got the fire going.
There's no doubt about that.
Narrator: with fire,
a.k. And tyler can now focus
On procuring food
And protecting themselves
from the relentless mosquitoes.
I just broke this termite
nest open.
See how they're starting
to crawl into my hand?
Basically, this right here's
A natural insect spray
for mosquitoes,
But if it helps just a little,
that's enough for me.
So you just grind them up,
rub them all over you.
We'll see how good it works.
The real test will be
when we get up into camp
Because that's where
it was crazy.
This piece right here,
I'll probably throw on the fire
and smoke.
By smoking the termite's nest,
it's supposed to keep bugs away.
I got termites if you want
to come rub these on your body.
It seems like
it works a little bit.
Ooh, it's strong.
Tyler: you ready
for another long night?
No.
Now that we got
this termite mound burning,
I'm desperately looking forward
to a good night's sleep.
God dang.
Ah.
A.k.: Ah! *Bleep* me.
Yeah, this
is happening again.
I don't know.
The mosquitoes
are so bad everywhere.
Are you kidding me?
*Bleep*
fire's out.
Tyler: so now my only option
is to get down in the mud
And try to restoke this fire.
Aah! These *bleep*
stupid, little bugs.
There is no way
this is gonna work.
Aw *bleep* suck a*s.
Oh *bleep* you.
Today has been a really bad day.
Tyler broke the fire starter.
I don't know.
I've never had something
so small, like mosquitoes,
Mess with my head so much.
I couldn't tell you
which bite's from what,
But I think that's definitely
the most painful part.
Sometime last night,
when I was sleeping,
I think I started scratching it
on the tree next to me.
That's pretty nasty.
This probably is one
of the worst parts,
As far as I can tell.
It feels like
how cottage cheese looks --
Just that bumpy texture.
Fire ants are just biting the
*bleep* out of my butt*bleep*
And I just don't even care
anymore 'cause I'm so tired.
I think I'm just sitting
on a nest.
I don't even know.
I couldn't even tell you
what -- --
What this would do for morale.
Nothing is working at all
with the mosquitoes.
Only gonna get worse.
I don't think I've gotten more
than an hour of sleep
The whole time.
A.k.: There's just
no possible way.
'Cause right now, they're
eating my vajayjay alive.
Who the *bleep*
could come out here
And survive naked
in the amazon jungle?
I am not battling these
mosquitoes for any longer,
No matter what.
I have a family and husband
I have to get back home to.
Narrator:
after four grueling days,
The mighty amazon claims yet
another victim...
...and forces a.k. To tap out.
A.k.: This is the hardest thing
I've ever done in my life.
Going back home will be great.
At the same time,
it's gonna suck
'Cause I know
that I wanted to complete this
And I was not able to.
Narrator:
with a.k. Choosing to tap out,
The producer steps in
to confirm her decision.
Stephen: what I'm hearing
right now is that a.k.,
You want to quit and, tyler,
you do not want to quit.
You know, I'm gonna stay out
here as long as I can.
So say goodbye to tyler,
and then we're gonna walk out.
I'm sorry.
You got to do
what you got to do.
Tyler: I'd love to have her
stay, but she is going,
And I'm not gonna hold that
against her.
That's not my point,
to hold that against her.
You know,
nobody's gonna stop her.
A.k.: I've always known
That family is always
the most important thing,
But being out here in the amazon
Has just shown me
how much more they mean to me.
Thinking about doing it
by myself, it's just...
It's not even fathomable.
I just can't believe how fast
This place has k*lled me
like this.
17 Days. Now alone.
Tyler:
a.k. Decided she's gonna leave.
If I were to make it
And be mentally
and physically strong enough
For the next 17 days,
that's 17 days alone.
Narrator: 72 hours
into their survival challenge,
The amazon claims its second
victim and a.k. Taps out.
Desperate, malnourished,
and now without a partner,
Tyler remains
in the jungle alone
And in dire need of a plan.
Off my private parts.
I mean, this is
what I'm dealing with.
You know, they just --
all day long.
I don't like this camp.
The conditions are horrible,
And I don't think it can get
any worse than it already is.
Narrator: in hopes of escaping
the onslaught of mosquitoes,
Tyler makes the calculated
but dangerous decision
To cross the river
filled with deadly predators.
Razor-tooth piranha --
One of the world's
most aggressive fish --
Are known for attacking prey
much larger than themselves.
I'm gonna go up and look
for a good place to sleep --
Probably won't be too far --
Get a couple vines, and I'm
gonna build a little cot.
I'm so exhausted.
Be low to the ground.
I'm not gonna have a roof,
so hopefully this will work.
It's gonna be my first night
alone here in the amazon,
But I don't really have
a choice.
I can't even think
'cause lack of the food.
"Lack of the food" --
yeah, exactly.
So that was two
pretty good examples
Of just how low energy I am.
My brain just doesn't even work.
Narrator:
after five days
Of debilitating insect bites,
no food, and no sleep,
The amazon jungle breaks tyler.
13 Months in afghanistan
Didn't do to me
physically, mentally
What this five days being out
here in the jungle has done.
When we were out
on the frontline, you know,
The taliban were coming in and
getting shot at and blown up,
And the worst parts
of afghanistan
Don't even start to equal
how bad it is here.
At this point, this place
Is just the craziest *bleep*
I've ever seen.
I'm done.
Narrator: beaten down
by the brutal conditions,
Tyler becomes the third casualty
and taps out.
Because both tyler and a.k.
Spent less than a week
Surviving the amazon
before tapping out,
Their primitive survival ratings
go down.
Tyler ends up with a psr of 4.4.
And a.k. Scores lower to 4.3.
The amazon has claimed
three victims.
Two new survivalists now enter
The heart
of the merciless jungle.
E.j.: I'm in the amazon,
One of the most dangerous
jungles on the planet.
This is not just
your average jungle.
This is a jungle on steroids.
My name is e.j. Snyder.
I'm a retired 25-year army vet.
I've been married for 20 years.
To me, survival, it's heart,
spirit, and mind.
We're gonna kick you
in your keister, africa!
Narrator: e.j. Snyder survived
for 21 days in tanzania
And he comes into the amazon
With a primitive survival rating
of 8.2.
Laura: it's a huge honor
To be able to take
on the challenge of the amazon.
It's probably gonna be
pretty brutal.
My name is laura zera.
I'm from new hampshire.
I'm a primitive survivalist
and a backcountry guide.
That's awesome.
Narrator: laura zera
survived 21 days in panama
And also starts
with a psr of 8.2.
Laura: there's places that
are really dark and wet
And look like they'd be a great
breeding ground for bugs.
E.j.: When you come out
in a wild environment,
This is no joke.
This is for real.
If you don't have your *bleep*
together, you could die.
Laura:
I'm a very independent person.
I have a really
independent spirit.
If someone wants to do something
And I don't think
it's a good idea,
They're gonna have a hard time
convincing me to do it.
I hope my partner
is really strong mentally.
I hope that I don't have to
emotionally carry him
Through the situation.
It will be
very mentally challenging.
E.j.:
This is a survival situation.
It's about being a team.
And there's give and take.
I'm a nice guy at times.
Don't take my kindness
for weakness.
But if the ogre comes out,
it's gonna be a bad thing.
Well, here we go.
Well, well, well.
Laura zera.
E.j.
Fancy meeting you here.
I know.
Middle of the amazon.
You're as crazy as I am.
Probably. Maybe more.
Cool.
Wow.
You ready to rock this?
I'm ready to knock this out,
kick this jungle in the butt.
Narrator: e.j. And laura
have been provided
The same survival items and map
that a.k. And tyler were using.
So why don't we head on
over here,
And then loop around and we can
see what we're working with.
Laura: I'm really excited
to work with e.j.
I know that he is
really mentally tough.
You can tell he's all heart.
Oh, yeah,
bug activity's much higher.
Yes.
My concern is that the bugs
will overwhelm my body.
You can almost see
The mosquito larvae
writhing in it.
Yep.
I'm still not 100%
back to normal
From my first experience
in panama.
Mosquitoes, they're a really
formidable opponent.
E.j.: I think laura
will make a great partner.
I know she's got good skills,
good energy, a good vibe.
My skills compiled with hers,
Hopefully everything's
gonna go pretty well.
Oh, oh, oh.
Ants, ants, ants.
Aw, they're angry.
Laura: aw, man.
I see them all.
Holy *bleep*
Oh, they're angry.
Hey, look what I found.
Check it out.
Oh, my god.
I would -- look at that.
I would n-- I think we should
get far away from here.
So we just arrived
at the old camp,
And it must have been
horrible here.
It has water
on three sides of it,
So it's literally in the center
Of a breeding ground
for mosquitoes.
They did a triangular shelter
in this place?
Bad deal.
Look at this.
Flat roof, rain hits you.
It was probably hell here.
I don't know if I could make it
21 days if I was here.
I say let's get out of here.
E.j.: Next move is to get
on our merry-gary way
And get up to higher ground.
This is definitely
the highest thing
That we've seen since
we've been out here.
I'll go gather vines,
and you can start --
Yeah, let me start hacking.
Yep.
We're running
out of daylight fast,
So I'm gonna just
start gathering
As much material as possible
So we have stuff to burn
through the evening.
There we go.
There we go.
There you go, laura.
Yes!
Ha ha!
Yeah!
Yes!
Yeah!
Whoo!
Amazon fire!
Yeah!
E.j.: Get busy and do
what we came here to do.
Get a shelter up
with some good overhead cover
So we're protected from the rain
And then figure out
how to box that thing in
So the bugs won't mess with us
at night
And we can get some rest.
Good?
Good.
All right.
This is gonna be the best
we can do with the time allowed.
I think we got about an hour
of light left, maybe.
Hour and a half if we're lucky.
Yeah.
The mosquitoes
have been relentless, really.
They're unforgiving,
those things.
Almost maddening how many
mosquitoes are out here.
Oh, my *bleep* god.
Holy *bleep*
Aw *bleep* me.
This is like testing the limits
of my everything.
Oh *bleep*
I'm gonna have to
just get out of here.
I'm kind of offended.
I offended you?
That's what I've done
in the military.
This isn't w*r.
Boa bite is nasty.
Boa's chasing him.
Whoa.
Ah!
You hear that?
We got a jaguar in the area.
Guess I'll be sleeping
with one eye open now.
E.j.: This place has turned into
an infestation of mosquitoes.
It's gonna be a breeding ground
for them,
So we're gonna need
to get out of here fast.
Oh, god, you got bites
everywhere.
Laura: last night
Was probably one
of the worst nights of my life.
It was horrible.
The mosquitoes that came in
Were unlike anything
I've experienced.
And they didn't stop.
There was just wave after wave
after wave of them.
To the point, we were choking
on them, literally.
E.j.: I kind of sensed
That laura, you know,
through the night,
You know, with all these bug
bites and stuff, it's just --
It gets at you.
Psychologically,
it's a tough thing.
Last night gave us a little
taste of how it's gonna be,
And, yeah,
it's enough to get anybody down.
E.j.: So last night sucked.
Yeah.
To say the least.
I don't know.
I think maybe
we trek that way?
After last night, we're finding
out that these mosquitoes
Are just gonna chase after you.
So we need to just stay
a few steps ahead of them.
We need to find another location
that's better to operate out of.
Laura: we're thinking
it's a better idea to move.
We're extremely dehydrated
And in need of dealing
with the mosquitoes
In a more effective way tonight.
We have nothing to lose
to move down,
And we have everything to gain.
Aah. Look what
I just stepped on.
Geez.
Hold on.
Got it.
Oh, my gosh.
Yeah, that was a multi-leveled
thorn for sure.
Where the heck
did that come from?
I don't know.
This place is just
so thick.
It's so hot.
Yeah.
Brutal.
Brutal.
Laura: yeah,
and I think water --
Mm-hmm.
Water and more water.
Yep.
So let's keep our eyes
peeled as we go.
Narrator: e.j. And laura
Each need at least
a gallon of water per day.
They know that cat's claw vine
Will provide some much needed
water if they can find it.
E.j.: Let me take a little
stroll down there real quick.
Let's try it.
All righty.
E.j.:
Without water, in this heat,
With the humidity,
you do the math.
It's never enough.
Nope.
Oh, man.
Look at this.
Coming.
I like the way
this opens up here.
This is kind of
working for me.
Mm-hmm.
If we somehow incorporated
a massive tree like this --
What if we had an a-frame
coming out this way?
E.j.:
This is a big decision.
It's important we take the time
now and build the shelter
That we know we need to
to get off the ground.
So I'll work on poles.
Perfect.
You work on
getting cordage.
I love it.
And we'll just stay paced.
Just don't burn ourselves out
for the day.
You've been selected.
Welcome to the infantry.
How's it going?
It's going good.
Laura.
Yeah?
Help me.
Your machete got me.
It's bleeding real bad.
*Bleep*
You all right?
E.j.: Yep.
Wrap it.
I was using the machete,
And it grazed off
when I was cutting,
And it's very sharp,
and it cut my leg.
Laura: I'm worried 'cause I know
how sharp that machete is.
It's a lot of blood
pouring down his leg.
We're both exhausted.
And it's so easy
to cut yourself on.
Narrator: after examination,
Medics decide to stitch
e.j.'S leg as a precaution.
The challenge now is to keep it
clean and free from infection
For the next 19 days.
E.j.: I'm sitting
In one of the most dangerous
places on the planet
For infection to bacteria.
Laura: how's that?
Does that hurt?
No, it's good.
Laura: so I took
these incredible leaves
That we've been using
for everything,
And by putting
this leaf bandage on,
We're hoping
that it doesn't get infected.
How you feeling?
Pretty good.
Got to finish
this out today.
Yes, we are.
Narrator: e.j. And laura spend
the rest of the afternoon
Completing the shelter.
In building the shelter
higher off the ground,
They hope it will protect them
from the mosquitoes.
Down a tiny bit.
Hold on.
Yeah.
Right there?
Yep.
A little higher.
Heck yeah.
Nice work.
E.j.: Amazon lodge
open for service!
Ye-hoo!
Whoo-hoo!
Ow.
Laura: *bleep*
You hear that?
We got a jaguar in the area
that's not far away.
We knew we moved
into more hostile territory,
But this is very dangerous.
There it is again.
E.j.: All right.
We got a jaguar in the area.
There he is again.
We're in his turf, I guess.
Tangle with one of them,
You better
have your *bleep* together.
We got to get our security up,
'Cause we --
Wow. He's going crazy.
'Cause that's not far away.
Narrator:
e.j. And laura have survived
the amazon jungle for five days,
But have yet
to find a source of protein
To keep their bodies going.
Our primary need
at this point has become food.
I am really, really hungry.
They're biting pretty good
down there,
So we shouldn't have
to wait too long.
We need some protein,
So fishing is on the agenda
for this morning,
And I really hope it pans out.
E.j.: I'm anxious.
I hope we catch something, man.
Narrator: using a hook made from
a thorn, baited with a grub,
They hope to catch piranha
or other cichlids.
Ohh.
Yes!
Nice!
Nice!
No!
Damn it.
That was a piranha.
He bit through the whole hook.
Laura: did he bite through
the whole hook or did the
hook not stay on?
Yeah, I lost the whole thing.
It's definitely us, not them.
I really wanted some fish.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow for sure.
We've got to find food today.
It is critical.
We're both very hungry,
getting low on energy.
So we've got to do some things
maybe outside the box.
Holy *bleep*
I need a spear!
E.j.: What do you got?
A huge *bleep* boa.
He's right in there.
He's getting away.
He's going over there.
Holy *bleep*
Did he come this way?
There he is.
He came right at me.
Holy *bleep*
look at how big he is.
Wow.
Hold on, now.
He can spring the length of his
body, so, that's the problem.
And a boa bite is nasty.
Narrator: the amazon tree boa
has a vicious bite
That can cause
a serious infection
And even lead to gangrene.
They are aggressive and will
attack humans without warning.
All right, he's coming.
He's coming.
Step back.
All right.
The boa's chasing him.
Whoa.
See him flare up?
He means business.
He's aggressive.
He's very aggressive.
He's in the tree now.
Holy *bleep*
look how fast he's moving.
*Bleep*
damn.
Damn it. Yeah,
he's going up high. *Bleep*
'Cause everything in
the amazon got to be worked for.
That must be the answer
to the question.
She ain't giving it to us
unless we work for it,
So let's go *bleep* work for it.
I'm gonna have
to take what I want.
Seems that's the way
it's gonna be.
The psychological toll
of being out here, it's intense.
It's easy
to lose your optimism out here.
But I don't think it's a very
positive way to look at life.
It's all about
learning the balance.
I'm about tired of mother amazon
kicking our a*s.
Two weeks
in the peruvian amazon.
No food.
I'm a little concerned
that with our hunger today,
E.j. And I
may both be a little grumpy.
E.j.: I know we're at that wall.
We got to get some protein fast.
Our energy levels are crashing,
and we're getting in that stage.
Here's a waterhole right here.
Some bubbles
coming out of it, too, laura.
Laura:
let's check it out.
Holy...
Is that what I think it is?
Where?
There's a huge *bleep* eel
in there.
Holy crap!
Wow.
That's the --
I thought it was a log.
I could spear the *bleep*
that damn thing right now.
Wait, wait, wait.
I think this is an electric eel.
If you decide to get the eel,
like, we need to make a plan,
'Cause they can be
very dangerous.
That's a lot of chow.
That's a lot of food.
If we manage
to get this thing out,
It's still
gonna have a charge.
And if it starts thrashing all
about -- I mean, it's very long.
This thing can k*ll you.
I'm all about *bleep*
sticking this b*tch
Right behind his eyeballs.
He's not a b*tch.
Well, I don't know what he is,
but he's dinner.
I mean, how long is it gonna
take for him to freakin' die
After I stick him?
I've never k*lled
an electric eel before.
Me, either.
Take you last breath,
*bleep*
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
What?
I don't want him
to die like that.
Just give him
a little bit of respect.
This is our food.
It's gonna save our life.
Excuse me, mr. Eel,
do you mind if I take this stick
And shove it
up your brain cranium
So that I can eat you
tonight?
Huh?
Thank you very much.
Damn, that's deep.
All right.
Yeah!
Look at that!
That's dinner.
How about that, mr. Eel?
You may not want
to watch this.
I appreciate
a swift death, so I --
I don't have a problem
with k*lling, I just --
Yeah. Give him --
Was that nice enough?
Was I polite?
No.
I'm kind of offended.
I offended you.
Thank the eel.
He just gave his life for you.
That's something
you say "thank you" for.
That's not something you say,
"*bleep* you" for.
When you decide that you're
gonna take something's life
To further your own --
I understand that.
It's an act of huge respect.
It's not an act of violence.
Listen, this thing
could have zapped me,
Like you said, with its tail,
And I'd have been laying there
instead of this thing.
Of course it could.
But I don't think you need
to be angry to k*ll something.
When you're about
to stick something
That will stick 500 volts
through your body
And possibly k*ll you,
If you hesitate,
then that's what happens.
In my business,
where I came from,
One second --
this isn't w*r.
Excuse me, mr. Eel,
do you mind if I take this stick
And shove it
up your brain cranium?
Yeah!
Look at that!
That's dinner.
How about that, mr. Eel?
Was that nice enough?
Was I polite?
No.
I'm kind of offended.
I offended you.
It just was really shocking
for me to see --
I had no idea that
you were gonna be like that.
I had to make sure --
I had one shot at this thing.
I don't think you need
to be disrespectful to the eel
To have it not get you
with its tail. I guess,
Maybe, my strength comes from
a different place than anger.
When I got to do
something like that,
I just get in a mind-set
of "you got to get fired up."
There's that ogre
in the closet from...
You know?
I don't want to be thought of
like this violent, ugly human.
Hey.
Laura:
I think it just really struck me
Because it's a sacred act to me,
And it's life and death.
It's all part of it.
Before you k*lled the eel,
I felt like you were,
like, mocking me,
The fact that I wanted you
to respect it.
It just shocked me,
coming from you.
You know, it -- it...
It bothered me that I offended
you that way, in such a matter,
And I just...
You know, 'cause respect you,
And I care about what you,
you know -- you think.
I understand I offended you,
And I just want you
to understand how much,
From the bottom of my heart,
I am sorry.
I-i am.
Thanks, e.j.
E.j.: I was a soldier
in the army for 25 years.
I have seen lots of terrible
things and violent things,
And I can get intense, and...
And it's a side of me
that I don't like,
And I put it away.
And that's what I meant
When I said,
"hey, the ogre in the closet."
That's what she was seeing,
And it scared me,
because I'm not that guy.
So, she taught me that if you're
going to k*ll something to live
And to eat, that you can do it
with compassion.
Laura:
the skies just opened up.
Laura kicked a*s.
She was a hero
keeping the fire going.
The storm was raining on her.
It's been days of nothing,
And now we're gonna be eating
meat that we caught,
And it feels
pretty incredible.
This meal means so much to us.
Laura: well-deserved.
To the eel.
Well-earned.
Teamwork.
Oh, my god.
Mmm.
Electric eel.
Give us the energy we need
to go all the way to 21.
Mm-hmm.
Narrator:
hemmed in by the jungle
And with the extraction point
9 miles away,
E.j. And laura
have less than a week left
To work out how to get there.
Open water -- it's just
such viable means of travel.
It's a highway
that goes through the jungle.
That's what I like about it.
That's why I would really like
to figure out a raft,
'Cause then we could raft
to the location
To do what we got to do.
I think that's our next push
is building that raft.
Yeah.
I agree.
Beautiful.
Everything right now is riding
on us building an awesome raft.
E.j.: That's the only way
we're gonna be able
To traverse this river
to our extraction point.
That one's
gonna float us good.
We're building
a catamaran-type raft,
And we want it to be solid.
We put a lot of energy
into this raft.
It has to last us
several days
So we can get
to our extraction point.
Got you now.
We're pushing ourselves so hard
to build this raft.
My body is starting
to consume itself
At a very high rate.
I can tell.
Holy *bleep*
it's working.
Laura:
I'm concerned about e.j.
He's been working crazy days
Doing very intense physical
labor that would wipe me out
Even if I was getting
three square meals a day.
This is taking longer
than we thought it would.
We are running out of time.
I'm about tired of mother amazon
kicking our a*s.
Narrator: e.j. And laura
Have taken on
the seemingly impossible task
Of surviving 21 days
in the deadly amazon jungle.
These are amazonian mosquitoes.
Narrator:
before they began,
They were both given a primitive
survival rating, or psr.
E.j. Has shown
incredible fortitude,
But his bravery in k*lling
the electric eel was compromised
By his overly aggressive
attitude to his partner...
Do you mind if I take this stick
And shove it
up your brain cranium?
Narrator: ...causing
a brief rift between them.
His psr shows no net change.
Laura has carried on bravely and
shown strong survival skills,
Despite her acute sensitivity
to the amazon mosquitoes.
Her psr has slightly improved.
With only four days left
to extraction,
They both still have time
to increase their ratings.
E.j.: Whoa.
Laura:
everything right now is riding
on us building an awesome raft.
If we don't make this raft
And we don't make it
b*mb-proof enough
To get us
to our extraction point,
We're not getting
to our extraction point.
And we're totally
out of the water.
I love it.
Whoo!
Is that down
all the way?
What? Yeah,
it's all the way down.
Now we've got the flooring
starting to go in.
We've got the side rails on so
we can put some chairs on there.
It's sturdy, though.
Look at that.
That's some good,
primitive work right here, man.
E.j.: Not too wobbly?
No, it's great.
It's been days
since we've had a decent meal.
We're pushing ourselves so hard
to build this raft
Because we need a safe vessel.
This is a caiman-anaconda-
Water-snake-infested-
with-piranha tributary.
Laura:
and we're gonna sleep out on it,
Not to mention the exposure
we're gonna be experiencing.
We're very vulnerable
on this raft.
E.j.:
What do you think?
I love it.
It's beautiful.
Okay.
Getting out of this place.
Let's do it.
E.j.:
Time to go!
There we go.
Narrator: e.j. And laura
begin their 9-mile journey
Into the perilous
and unpredictable waters
Of the amazon.
Laura:
oh, my god.
Ooh, this
is *bleep* thick.
E.j.:
We're going nowhere.
Yeah,
move the *bleep*
Laura:
oh, man.
It is so difficult
with the oars
That we have to row
through this green stuff.
You have no idea.
That's impossible.
Laura:
oh, my god.
E.j.:
Unbelievable.
Man, this green
just keeps going.
Holy *bleep*
they bite it.
Careful.
Tired and sun-burned
and thirsty and hungry.
Yeah.
Maybe we should think about
finding a spot to pull over.
Laura: yeah, I think
it's about that time.
Narrator:
it's been 7 hours,
And e.j. And laura have paddled
a fraction of the distance
They'll need
to reach their extraction point.
Exhausted, dehydrated,
and desperate,
They are still a long way
from home.
Today's my wife's birthday.
I love you very much,
And I hope you're doing good
at your job with your new stuff.
It's been
a hard day today for you...
For me to not be there
to celebrate with you again.
I love you so much.
I wish you could
see this jungle with me.
Laura: it's day 20,
and I'm concerned about e.j.
My partner is feeling the
effects of building the raft.
Hit me hard.
I know.
I'm hoping
that e.j. Gets recovered,
'Cause it's gonna be
a lot of work
For me to try to drag us both
down the river.
I'm really overwhelmed.
E.j.: I pray to god to give me
the power to go 22 more hours.
The paddle's probably
gonna get bound up, too.
Got a long ways to go yet.
Long ways to go,
But no matter what, you have
to just keep paddling forward.
Keep on going.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, hey.
Look right there.
Holy crap.
Holy *bleep*
We're sitting ducks.
We really have
to be careful.
Oh, geez.
Oh, my god.
I think...
Can you push us in?
Yeah. Hold on.
E.j.:
We can't see anything,
So we're just trying to make
the best of a bad situation.
Hopefully,
we won't get hypothermia.
Geez.
It's so bad.
Aah.
E.j.: Geez.
Narrator:
battered by a biblical storm,
E.j. And laura are forced
to seek safety on the riverbank.
Unaware that they are
just 2 miles from extraction,
They're in the early stages
of hypothermia.
In a few hours, their organs
will start to shut down.
E.j.:
Every stroke burns.
E.j.: Last night
was such a gut check.
I am physically exhausted...
And I left everything
on the field.
Pure exhaustion.
All right.
Feels like you need
to pull yourself through it.
E.j.: Ah, man.
Laura: so close.
Dig in deep, e.j.
I know you're on empty.
Shh. Shh.
Laura: you hear that?
Sounds like a plane.
Here! Hey, what's that
right there?
Oh, gosh. Yeah, look.
Oh, my god! Lookit!
Yeah, I see it.
Holy crap!
That's awesome!
There it is.
Yeah!
Hey!
Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Whoo-hoo!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Paddle forward!
Laura:
having the chopper blow us back,
I mean, almost blow me
off the raft --
We have nothing left in us.
Go! Go!
Come on, e.j.!
Right here. Go! Go!
Go, go, go!
Go, go!
Laura:
we *bleep* did it!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Head down!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Ohh!
E.j.: Step-by-step, side-by-side
we walked together.
That's what makes greatness.
Your survival depends
on you and your partner.
If you don't have the teamwork
to survive, you will not.
Goodbye, amazon!
Thank you!
Laura:
the need for companionship --
It's a new thing for me,
being such a loner.
Having someone there
can make all the difference.
I trust e.j. With my life.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
We did that!
Narrator: after 21 days
in the peruvian amazon,
E.j. And laura
survived the un-survivable
At great physical cost.
E.j. Lost a total of 44 pounds,
and laura, 12 pounds.
Laura began with strong
survival skills and instincts,
Which she used effectively
to support her partner
When he needed it most.
Ex-army sergeant e.j.
Had the fortitude to soldier on
In the face
of exhausting adversity.
E.j. And laura receive a step up
in their survival ratings,
Finishing equally at 9.1,
Proving once again
they both have what it takes
To survive naked and afraid.
Yeah, we did it!
21 Days!
E.j. And laura!
They said
it couldn't be done!
We came here,
and we showed you how to do it!
Epic!
Yeah!
This was epic!
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02x01 - Man vs. Amazon
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Each episode chronicles the lives of two survivalists who meet for the first time naked and are given the task of surviving a stay in the wilderness for 21 days.
Each episode chronicles the lives of two survivalists who meet for the first time naked and are given the task of surviving a stay in the wilderness for 21 days.