Table of Contents FREE FALLING ALONE IN THE JUNGLE FOUND AT LAST MORE ABOUT JULIANE KOEPCKE GLOSSARY TO LEARN MORE INDEX 4 10 16 22 23 24 24 Red text identifies historical quotes
FREE FALLING I’m glad we’ll make it back before Christmas December 24 1971 Me too It’s been so long since I’ve been home Juliane Koepcke is 17 years old She has just finished high school in Lima Peru She and her mother Maria are on their way home to Panguana a research station deep in the Amazon Rain Forest LANSA Flight 508 to Pucallpa now boarding I can’t wait to hear the birds again Juliane has spent her life surrounded by animals Her mother is an ornithologist Her father Hans-Wilhelm is a zoologist They have passed on their love of nature and wildlife to Juliane Maria does not like to fly But Juliane doesn’t mind it Don’t be nervous We’ll be back on the ground soon 4 The flight to Pucallpa usually only lasts about one hour But Flight 508 will never make it there
About halfway to Pucallpa the plane runs into a thunderstorm Please remain seated We’re experiencing some turbulence Then a bright flash of lightning strikes the plane For about 10 minutes the plane rocks and shakes through the air Thunder roars while lightning flashes Crack Now it’s all over 5
