06x13 - 23 Days

[bunniefuu]

[ Bird chirping ]

[ Thunder rumbles ]

Don: straight
out of the northeast.

Just came out of the northeast
out of nowhere.

It's like a cold blanket

Of pea soup
is pulling right over us,

Covering up
all the blue out there.

*Bleep* damn it.

[ Thunder crashes ]

Please stop, rain.
Please stop.

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Shivering ]

Oh, this is how you
*bleep* die.

Narrator: one man...
[ Howls ]

One woman, exposed and alone...

So scary.

At nature's mercy for 21 days.

Aah!

There's a bear
outside my shelter.

Narrator: with no food...
I'm so cold.

...no water...
I'm hurting real bad.

...no clothes...
There's an alligator down here.

...do they have the skill...
Fire!

...and the will to survive

[ Groans ]

"Naked and afraid?"

God help us all.

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Even if I was on foot
out here with a r*fle,

I'd still be nervous.

I'm don.
I'm from ellensburg, washington.

And I'm training
to be a mountain guide.

I'm terrified.

Like, this is completely
different

From anything I've been to.

But I've done
every single preparation I can.

-What you doing?
-Studying plants.

I'm trying
to memorize the shapes.

I'm doing
a lot of book practice.

I was reading about these worms
from the mopane tree.

Apparently, they're
really nutritious

And people love eating them.

Ah!

Trying to understand
an environment like this

Without
ever having been there

Is like trying
to do open heart surgery

After reading a book
with no pictures

About open heart surgery.

Narrator:
don's extensive research

Will help him survive
in the african wild.

But with a lack
of hands-on experience,

He'll need to depend
on a seasoned partner

To make it the entire 21 days.

His primitive survival rating,
or psr, has been set at 6.0.

I'm not scared yet.

Uh, but I am also not naked.

My name is holly.
I'm 23.

I'm from fayetteville,
north carolina.

And I work
at a rock climbing gym.

I grew up in alaska.

I've been practicing
survival skills my whole life.

I know how to do a hand drill.

I've done friction fires.

I've done snares
and know how to trap.

Narrator: holly brings years of
training and physical toughness

Into this challenge.

But it remains to be seen
if her survival experience

In the alaskan wilderness
will help her succeed

On the sweltering landscape
of namibia.

She begins with a psr of 6.2.

Holly: I'm pretty confident
in the challenge

And being able to last 21 days.

The only thing
I'm super concerned about

Is getting sun burned early off

And then being in pain,
I guess, for the whole time.

Don: I'm gonna be up front
with you guys.

I think we should all be naked
with strangers more often.

I'm hoping this person's
some special forces badass

Because I sure as hell ain't.

Hey.

You must be my partner.

I always
wanted to be naked on camera.

I just didn't expect it
to happen this way.

Not this way?
I'm don.

I'm holly.
It's nice to meet you.

Holly, nice to meet you.

All right.
You ready to do this challenge?

Yeah.
I know, right?

We got some gear over here.

Naked...
Naked.

And afraid?

Hopefully lower --
lower on that end.

Yeah.

Okay. Let's make like a tree
and get the *bleep* out of here.

All right. Let's go.

Narrator:
this is namibia's caprivi strip.

Holly and don
are entering the heart

Of africa's animal kingdom,

One of the most dangerous areas
on the continent

Where hungry lions
lurk in the grasslands

And hostile gibbons
populate the trees up above.

Here in the wettest region
of namibia,

Broiling heat during the day

Is quickly replaced
by frigid temperatures

And violent storms at night.

Even though don and holly

Will benefit from
an abundance of water,

They will be living
in the deadly domain

Of the four-ton hippopotamus,

Which kills more than
2,000 humans per year.

I was doing my research,
and it turns out

The herbivores of africa

Are more likely
to k*ll you than a predator.

Holly: my first impression
of don is really good.

He seems really smart,
really book smart.

There's no cover
out here.

When that wind
stops blowing,

It's like an oven.

Oh, I see water.
Really?

Yeah.
No way.

Holy -- yay!

I kind of want to
get some water

From the water lilies
down there.

You can actually drink it
straight from the bulb,

And it's water.

I've heard that, too.

But I kind of doubt
it's truth.

Don: lilly straw is supposed
to purify some of the water.

I think it's just a myth
that does that.

What do you think?

I don't think it'll work at all
to filter out germs, but...

Mm, mmm, mm.

-Tastes clean.
-Yeah.

We'll find out
in like a day or two

If I have
the *bleep* or not.

Yeah.

Sun is going down.

Don: we're running
out of time right now.

It doesn't look super good
for shelter making.

I just don't know
what is possible by nightfall.

I read that at nighttime,
the breeze picks up.

And it gets really cold.

I can't hardly see anything
is the problem. [ Chuckles ]

Oh!

Super fire.

Yeah.

Um, we didn't get
the shelter done tonight

As you can see.

Definitely feel crappy
right now.

Tell me what you feel.

Having a nauseous tummy
and a horrible headache

Is not my idea of fun right now.

Well, my bad.

[ Growling ]

Uh, not feeling
super well right now.

[ Retching, coughing ]

Thrown up a few times.

So I think I'm super dehydrated.

And now I'm trying
to drink tons of water.

And it's not working out
very well

'Cause I'm just gonna
throw it back up.

[ Retching, coughing ]

Yeah, this is
tough as *bleep*

And I feel like poop.

**

You want to get to chores
and get a proper bed made?

Doesn't matter.

Night one definitely sucked.

I'm definitely not feeling
well today, for sure.

Can you walk right now?

I'm dizzy.

I'm gonna go chop
some more grass,

And I'll come get you.

Okay.

Don: I feel that I just
work better as a team.

And I'm just one little human
out here in the middle of africa

With all of these animals.

Just going lone wolf,
some people can manage that.

But it's not me.

Hm, I just walked
into a marula tree.

Narrator:
the marula tree is indigenous

To the miombo woodlands
of southern and western africa.

Giraffes, elephants, and baboons
all consume the sugary fruit,

Which contains eight times
the vitamin-c found in oranges.

Holy crap.

Kind of mucusy-looking,
but...

Mmm.

Sorry, baboons,
I'm eating all your foods.

Mm. [ Laughs ]

Have you guys tried these?

These are so good.

I think holly will change
her mind when she tries these.

She won't be down on herself.

Time to do damage control
and try to keep her in the game.

There you are.

Okay. Give me your hand
and don't open your eyes.

Taste this.

Ew.

What?!

That's amazing. Hold on.
Let me show you another one.

How about a more sour one.
This is a sweet one.

I do want to talk about
options with you?

What do you mean now?

Like, I'm pretty sure
I'm gonna probably drop out.

No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.

Don't. No, no.
Don't.

Why are you gonna drop out?
Why? Why?

I just --
I'm not emotionally up to it.

I know you need a partner,

But I feel like you can
do all this on your --

I can't do it on my own.

I think you can.

I can't.
You got this up here.

No.

I think you can.

I can't do it.

I really want holly to stay.

I think I wouldn't make it
if it was just me.

That'd be pretty awful.

I don't think
I have it in me.

I think I'm done.

No, no, no.

And I think you got it.

No, I don't got it.

You got all this --
I really don't got it.

No, I don't.

Please don't go.

I can't help it.
No!

Please don't go.

How much longer
will you stay?

I don't got it.

Don: I'm just feeling
really bummed right now.

On paper, yeah,
I can probably do it,

But I don't know.

Narrator: holly, physically
and mentally defeated,

Informs the production crew

She is quitting
on day two of the challenge.

I guess this is it.

I felt like
I invested everything,

Like, we were gonna
make it work no matter what.

Yeah. Damn.

You got this.
All right.

Holly: I think it's just like
the emotional aspect of it

Takes a lot out of you,
I guess.

This challenge is not
what I expected it to be.

Of course, I feel
like I abandoned him.

He definitely was counting
on me to be a strong person,

A strong teammate.

[ Insects chirping ]

Don:
my morale is pretty low.

I just committed everything.

And I'm just so crushed
that all the effort I felt

Emotionally
to try to convince her

And try to be a good teammate
just fell apart.

I don't know how things
are gonna turn out next.

[ Birds chirping ]

Good morning, africa.

Spent the first long night
alone in the night.

Some lions were calling
in the distance.

Baboons are a lot closer.

And hippos are a good distance
closer, too.

I heard them splashing
and snorting around.

All right.
Well, I have some news for you.

Since holly quit
on basically day two,

We're gonna get
a new partner out here.

We're gonna just restart.

Okay.
Okay?

Okay.

And then y'all will start
a new 21-day challenge.

I'm really excited
for a second chance.

You know, cross my fingers
that the partner

I'm gonna get is really strong

And just really into
getting through this as I am.

Whoo!
Second rodeo!

Ow!

My name is amber.

I'm 32 years old,
and I'm a u.s. Army instructor.

This is my second time around.

On my last experience
in the everglades,

I started to get really sick
around day nine.

Oh.

Anytime I had any type
of food in me,

I would start
regurgitating it severely.

It just got worse and worse.

And on day 16, it got so bad
that I couldn't stand up.

If I was to even stay there
the rest of the 21 days,

I probably would have died.

My last adventure
and journey was traumatic.

So this is my time
to completely redeem myself.

I'm ex-soldier, military.

I've been to iraq.
I've been shot at. I shot back.

My partner, as long
as he's motivated,

I know he has the will
to go, we're great.

But if he's lazy,

I will be busting
his a*s with a stick.

Narrator:
amber's no-nonsense leadership

Should be invaluable
to the lesser-experienced don.

Her psr remains the same

From when she tapped out
in the everglades at 7.4.

Oh, you must be my partner.
You're naked.

Hi.
Hi.

This is becoming a bit
of a habit for us, I guess.

Amber.
Amber?

Don.
Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. I'm excited
to rock this. Are you?

Yeah, definitely.
All right. Double whammy, then.

Whoo!
We got to do this.

I'm excited, so...

Don: I'm just really glad
to have a partner

Who's, like, just
came right out of the truck

Super excited.

To get a second chance
with a partner

Who's already experienced,

It's amazing.

Cool. All right.
Let's get going.

Okay, yeah, the little poach
starts over here.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

This is it.

Ah.

Here's the old fire ring.

Here's remnants
of the old bed.

Watch out,
that's the puke tree.

Holly puked like three or four
times on that tree right there.

So don't step in that area.

Amber: wow.

It's holly's old place.

So I would like to start
something new with you.

So that way,
we can have good juju,

Good luck over there.

Definitely, okay.
I understand.

Let's go. I haven't
explored this way.

Let's keep going this way,

And see if we can
find a campsite.

All right.
Let's go farther.

The last partner,
I actually slept next to

On the last challenge
the continent in abject terror,

Which is actually very typical
of my normal dating life.

[ Laughs ]

Let's figure out
where we want to set up camp.

I mean,
we should start there.

We could use
that tree right there

And make
a shelter out of it.

Don: yeah, I think amber's
really strong.

I love her outgoing attitude.

She's a go-getter.

Drag that big one back.

-This one?
-Amber?

Drag that big log back.

[ Sighs ]

I'm gonna have to
take a break for a second.

This log's kind of heavy.

That was funny,

"Just go ahead
and carry that log back."

It's a *bleep* log, not a stick.

I noticed I do a little bit
more heavy work than him,

But that's fine.

Amber, you're about to enjoy
the wonder that is the marula.

Ooh, that's good.

And your partner said,
"no," the last one?

She licked it,
and she said, "no."

Oh, my god.

If we could have a couple
a day, we'd be great.

Yeah, two a day at least.
I'd prefer five a day.

I'm all about eating
fruits and stuff,

But my partner
is absolutely obsessed

With the marulas, which is good
if that's what

His body's craving, that's fine,
but they're very acidy.

So it's kind of starting to hurt
my stomach, not gonna lie.

So it's pretty late
in the night.

My stomach and my abdomen
are rolling right now.

So I'm really hoping
this is gonna be gone

Because it hurts so bad.

[ Sighs ]

Hopefully, tomorrow
will be a better day.

But I'm feeling pretty
*bleep* right now.

Ooh, what's that?

Is that you?

-That's me. Don't look at it
-*bleep*

Amber: that was
an emergency situation.

Okay, I'll just...
When you get back, you can...

I'll cover it.
Bury that.

It just sucks
because it's so easy

To transfer that between person
to person, you know?

So you just
got to be careful.

I cannot transfer
dysentery to you.

No, no, no, like,
fecal-oral transfer.

No, yeah, that's right.
That's how you get it.

I know.
I washed my hands.

I know,
but leaving it around camp,

The flies
can bring it around, too.

We got to be
really careful about that.

The game and both of us are out,
then that's the end of that.

He can kiss
my *bleep* a*s.

It's not about him
being rude about it.

But he has to give me,
like, a spiel.

Instead of saying,
"why don't you just bury it?"

And I was gonna do that today,

But last night,
my stomach was so shaky.

I'm feeling it again now.
I'm kind of like, "eh."

And that's how
you bury *bleep*

Don: forecast, I saw it
before I hopped off the truck,

Was that in five days
from insertion day,

There would be cloudy weather
moving in, chance of rain.

The only thing I'm
worried about with the rain

Is that, at nighttime,
the breeze kicks up

And the rain comes down.

It's 60 degrees with rain
and wetted out insulation,

That's a good risk
of hypothermia.

That'd probably
disqualify us immediately.

We'd have to tap out.

[ Thunder crashes ]

Last night was very cold,
very windy, very rainy.

It's better just
to be safe than sorry.

We got to do
the palm mission.

I was, like, getting to the edge
of hypothermia, you know?

I start shivering
and that'd be probably...

I would rather stay here
and collect wood

While you did that.

No, come on, come with me. We
can both do the wood together.

No.
And we can both

Do the palms together.

No, you can go by yourself
and collect the palms.

He wants to just
keep pushing me.

And I'm like, "if I don't
sit down and let my body heal,

I'm gonna be
totally *bleep*"

Well, listen to me...

I'm telling you right now,
I'm not going.

It's not gonna be enough.
We're gonna do it again.

And we're gonna die
because of it.

She's probably getting
a little bit irritated.

I'm asking maybe more
than she's capable of doing.

But really, what I'm asking
is for the both of us.

I really want
your support on this.

I really just think
that we need a stronger shelter.

I'm not giving you support.

I am gonna tell you
to go get palms,

And I will get the wood.

Amber:
my partner is very book smart.

He is incredibly knowledgeable,

Which is a huge benefit
out here.

But here's the real deal.

Until you come out here
and experience it,

All that knowledge
means nothing.

Trying to be
mr. Know-it-all all the time

Just makes me want to...

Amber: look at the monkeys
in our backyard.

Hello.

Don: as we're leaving camp,

We notice, like,
a troupe of monkeys,

Little, uh...
What are they? Gibbons.

Amber: do they attack?

Don: they'll probably bite
the *bleep* out of you.

And they're just howling,
making noise,

Giving us the weird
monkey treatment,

Shaking their tails around.

Don't be picky.
Just cut them.

Narrator: after chopping
palm leaves for more than hour

To reinforce their shelter,

Don and amber
head back to camp.

Oh, look at the monkey,
he's in our --

He's in our shelter,
you little *bleep*

*Bleep*
he took the fruit!

I knew it!

I told you they'd
steal our *bleep*

*Bleep* damn it.
Ow. b*stards!

Damn it.
What do we do?

We didn't have any
hardly food to begin with.

[ Gasps ]

Got straight-up
robbed in africa.

*Bleep*

They don't even
eat the whole thing.

They just bite into it.

[ Sighs ]

That's a huge loss
right there.

I'm not gonna lie. I've never
really gone hungry...

Mm.
Doing this.

I'm just letting you know

That I don't know
how I'm gonna react

Because I've never
been hungry before.

Marulas and their nuts have been
our entire source of food.

There hasn't been any other.

We're gonna die.

Probably.

We're gonna *bleep* die.

Amber: moving forward for me,
the biggest concern is food.

So right now,
I'm gonna teach don

How to make a spear.

You know why
that's so hard and tough?

It's a thornwood.

Oh.

Don: she's done
this challenge before.

And she's actually
an actual veteran of the army.

Maybe she can teach me
a thing or two.

Where's the pointy end?
The point end's the big end?

The big end.

You want
to go in the swamp?

Amber: there's definitely
an abundance of food out here,

And we just have to find it.

He's the funniest spearfisher
I've ever seen in my life.

He'll get it,
just gonna take some time.

Don't hold your spear
like a baby.

Come on.

I see one. I see one. Okay.
I'm gonna try to get him.

Little tilapia.

Just go for it.

Don't hesitate.

Damn. He's too fast.
I missed completely.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

I have implants.

And when I laid
on my boob last night,

I felt liquid come out of it.

Maybe it's just nothing.

Don't think about it
too much.

It hurts.

Don: she just got over
her sickness,

And now she popped
her breast implant.

I have a really good,
high pain tolerance.

So I can handle it,
but it just hurts.

If you leave me,
I don't know

What the *bleep*
I'm gonna do.

I'm not gonna
leave you here.

Amber: I know this kind of thing
can be dangerous.

But I failed
on my last challenge.

So I want to redeem myself.

I'm gonna try to stick it out
as long as I can.

Damn, the rain's back in.

[ Thunder rumbles ]

To help fortify our camp?

Yeah.

Let's do this.

Oh.
Okay.

We got to get, like --

Well, I'm gonna carry
what I can,

And I'm heading back.
Yeah.

So...

Bummer.

Don: yeah,
I'm just really hoping

Amber would put out
some more work.

She's acting really nonchalant
about camp chores.

Come hand this one,
put it under my arm.

Since
you're only carrying one.

Can you crouch and get it?

Well, the more I bend,
it pinches my boob.

He's like, "there you go,
pick up your two bundles.

And I'm gonna carry one."

I wish we would've got
more workload done.

Everything's gone wrong.

You can carry two now.
We'll switch.

How many pounds do they make
you ruck in the army?

My body weight, pretty much,
and I'm used to it.

Okay. Cool.
Just checking.

See, this is what I mean.
You're a man, okay?

So you should be carrying
the bigger load.

I've done a lot more
in my life than you.

I've worked harder than you.
I know you worked very hard.

You didn't boil the water.
I didn't see combat --

I didn't see
combat like you did.

I'm not saying that.

I didn't fight
for my country.

And I never had to face
challenges like you did.

You just need to stop
acting like a kid.

I appreciate
you don't call me a kid

And keep throwing
your experience around.

I appreciate your experience.
But every time --

You've been acting like a kid.
What do you want me to call you?

You've been acting
like a young child.

He is a hot mess at times.

See, I can see what point
you're trying get across

Without name calling.

You immediately went
to the name calling.

And that kind of hurt,
you know?

When you act like a kid,
you should be called out on it.

See, look? When did
I act like a kid, though?

Oh, dear jesus.

We can go through
the conversations, honey,

Come on.

Okay. Yeah, yeah.
You have all this stuff over me.

But, you know, that negativity
is really getting to me.

I was in so much pain today.
My boob hurts so bad.

It's, like, pulsating.

And it feels like every time
I even touch it,

It feels like a nerve's
going through it.

I can handle pain.
But this is a bit much.

It's like it's torn.

And it hurts bad.

And I'm in pain, and I can't
do anything about it.

Yeah.

Every time I get really hurt,
I get irritable, too, I guess.

Yeah. I know.
I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have
called you those names.

I was just so mad.

Mm-hmm.

Going into day nine.
Um, severe pain on my boob.

I don't know how much longer
I can take this, dude.

When I was in the everglades
and I got really sick,

It was because I had
all those parasites in me.

And I didn't know it

I should've listened
to my intuition.

And because of me
not listening to my intuition,

I almost caused myself
to die.

I feel like I'm ready
to figure out

What's going on with my boob
and just be done with this pain.

I can't stop thinking
about the pain.

It hurts.

I'm rocking right now
my boob.

I think I'm gonna go.

Don: it doesn't even
benefit me

To say anything
mean-spirited right now.

I just want her to help me

Best they can and get ready
for the long haul.

I love you, okay?

Amber: this is completely
destroying my redemption.

But I'm gonna be that person

With a hole in her boob
that had to leave.

I'm super sad
that I'm not able

To end this journey
with him on day 21.

But I'd rather take care
of myself now

Than wait it out
and just get worse.

This is something
I can't tolerate anymore.

I can't be alone.

I mean, it was already
crushing enough

To have holly
leave me immediately.

So I have two women leaving me.

And I feel so like,
what's wrong with me?

[ Thunder rumbles ]

It's not much
of a reinforcement.

Last night, the fire
was dying down.

And it wasn't enough heat.

And it was raining so hard
that we had to use body heat.

You know, it was the only way to
stay warm between the two of us.

There's no way that one person
could get through that

Without going into hypothermia

Without clothing
and a limited bed system

And an open-face shelter.

When that wind and rain comes,
that'll be the true test for me.

[ Thunder crashes ]

Last night, I just had to think
and reassess why I was out here.

The biggest obstacles
up to this point

Have been trying
to keep naked women in africa.

It has so far not worked.

I realize that I'm here because
I wanted to learn

Primitive skills firsthand.

And I wanted to explore
and test myself.

And I still want to do that.

Four and a half hours till dark.

Damn.

I'm worried about the nighttime.

Body just knows that it's alone
and it's more dangerous.

Quite late.

It's much harder
to maintain this fire alone.

But the fire's the only thing
that lets the hippos

And other creatures
in the night

Know that I'm human
and not just some

Lone, lost baboon
who's sitting and waiting

To be eaten or pushed away
out of this territory.

[ Chopping ]

[ Monkeys squeaking ]

I still have a tiny percentage
of body fat left.

But I'm weakened.

Prime objective is to get at it
and get some food.

I think I can make a fish trap.

I've only read about this
in boy scout manuals.

This is my amateur attempt
translating a textbook image

Into a real-life concept.

I think it'll work really well.

This is a good-looking trap.

**

It took a lot of energy
to make that fish trap.

I got to make it pay off.

[ Insects chirping ]

A hippo is walking by my camp.

I hear it going [ snorts ]

I only got like
an hour or two of sleep.

I had to tend the fire.

I don't want a hippo
to wander into my camp

And stomp me to death
while I'm sleeping.

Narrator:
it's been over two weeks

Since don first arrived
in namibia.

So far, he's been
surviving solely

On the sugars and nuts
in marula fruits,

Which have drastically
dwindled in number.

His need for animal protein
is greater than ever.

Don:
I never had to face hunger.

I've never had
to face starvation.

This is kind of a big thing
to take on.

Now the moment of truth.

Ah, nothing.

Nothing's down there.

Oh.

I'm really close.

Not close enough.

Today, I can count my own ribs,

Top of my sternum.

Oh, crap.

If my luck doesn't change,
then I will just end up

Barely skidding by
or not making it at all.

Something building out there
coming this way.

[ Birds chirping ]

[ Thunder rumbles ]

Straight out of the northeast,

Just came out of the northeast
out of nowhere.

It's like a blanket,

A cold blanket of pea soup
is pulling right over us,

Covering up
all the blue out there.

*Bleep* damn it.

[ Thunder crashes ]

I need to get the fire
going as fast possible.

Without an extra person
in there to have body heat,

That's the end of the game.

This is hypothermia conditions.

Keep my bedding
as dry as possible.

This is my only
insulation source.

Even now,
as I'm being dripped on

And sprayed upon by the rain,

I still can't stop thinking
about food.

Protection of the shelter,
fire's big.

Could be bigger.

Hopefully this rain
will be short.

The shelter is pretty much
compromised.

And I'm being soaked.

And I think this is how it ends.

It's just over.

I can't keep up
body heat on my own.

Ah.

Shelter's leaking all over me.

Ah, this is how you *bleep* die!

[ Breathing heavily ]

Calm down.
Calm down.

[ Shivering ]

[ Breathing heavily, shivering ]

Me having to leave for my boob

Is just, like,
it's really sad.

It really is 'cause, um,
I know I can do it.

Freak accidents happen.

And this is what you get.

You get a big, bruised boob,
and it's swollen.

And, um, it's embarrassing.

And now I'm gonna have to go
have surgery, probably.

I hope don's doing good
out there.

I really do.
He, uh, he's got a good spirit.

[ Don breathing heavily ]

Narrator: although don
has been on his own

For the past nine days,
freezing rain threatens

To send him into
life-threatening hypothermia

Three days shy
of completing the challenge.

Don: last night, just burned
so much energy being cold,

Definitely
the hardest night by far.

I don't feel like
doing anything.

But I got to eat.

Oh, light-headed.

Nothing.

All right.

I haven't had
any luck spearfishing.

But it's my only chance
if I want to survive.

Got blue sky breaking out.

The weather is just so related
to emotion here,

More so than other places,
I feel.

I'm too awestruck
about how gorgeous this is.

The water is crystal clear.

The sky is just so stark.

Oh, I'm gonna -- I'm crying.

I just want to cry.
It's too pretty.

This is why I'm alive.

It's to see places
that haven't had

Their beauty and rawness

And amazingness bled away.

This reminds me why,

You know, I'm so glad
to be alive.

Every one of my senses is alert.

You know, the mud
between my toes,

The cool water, the current,

The trees, and this huge sky.

This is why I'm
gonna stay afterwards,

Even after 21 days.

Gonna stay here for 21 more.

Oh.

Yeah, two fish!

Whoo!

Thankful for that.

Would you look at that,
two beautiful fish.

Highs and lows out here.

Near-death experience at night

And now crazy existential moment
in the water.

I never know what to expect.

I need every ounce of nutrition
I can get out of these two fish.

The desired caramelization
going here.

Ah.

I'm just gonna eat them
whole, bones and all.

Mm, look at that flaky flesh.

This is the first meat
I've had since I've been here.

So happy I could cry.

Mm.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

This is my last day.

Walk out of here
and get a proper meal

And begin rebuilding my body.

Somewhere over here,
there's these small pools.

So I need to cross
these pools directly

Or go the long way around.

**

I'm just gonna go
straight through

Even though there could be
dangerous animals in the water.

Got to stay alert
for the crocs and hippos.

This mud's really thick.

But it's either through here

Or I have to go
all the way around.

Ah.
All the cuts burn so much.

And the grass
is rubbing on them.

I'm definitely nervous
walking through this tall grass.

I know the animals are down here
in the daytime to stay cool.

And I can't see anything.

[ Growling ]

Got to get the hell out of here.

Got to move.

Whoo!

Oh, crap.
He's not gonna see me.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

I'm heading to cincinnati.

I've read a lot of books
about survival skills.

Coming out to africa and having
to practice them in real life

Was like trying
to go through survival school

With no instructor

And the environment
just crushing in all around.

Yeah, I can't learn that
in a book.

Whoo!

I didn't expect
two partners to leave me.

Nothing I could've done that
could've prepared me for that.

I spent a total
of 23 days out here,

But I was able to do it alone.

I pushed myself to the edge
of what I could do

Physically and mentally.

An opportunity like this
is the reason I'm alive.

Whoo!

Another 21 days,
bring it on, africa.

Narrator: even though don spent
23 punishing days in namibia,

He only lost a total
of 14 pounds.

Enduring the final
two weeks on his own,

Don showed remarkable resilience
as he battled loneliness

And persevered in the face
of life-threatening hypothermia.

As a result, his psr
rises from 6.0 to 7.5,

Demonstrating how a resourceful,
self-motivated attitude

Can get a relatively
inexperienced survivalist

Through the hardships
of being "naked and afraid."

Don: be confident
and get through

Even the hardest situation.