10 Haunting Goodbye Messages Made By People Who Survived
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio
From desperate situations in the wilderness to terrifying accidents, join us as we explore remarkable farewell messages from people who faced death but lived to tell their tales. These emotional recordings remind us of human resilience and the will to survive against overwhelming odds. Our countdown includes stories of survival from natural disasters, hiking accidents, and transportation mishaps. From Aron Ralston's famous canyon ordeal to Paula Lane's winter survival story, these individuals thought they were saying their final goodbyes but fortunately lived to share their experiences.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most harrowing and emotional goodbyes from people who survived dangerous situations.
In 2012, 46-year-old Paula Lane and her boyfriend were driving in the latter’s Jeep when they became isolated in a devastating snowstorm. Lane’s boyfriend left to find help and never returned. Lane, fearing for her own life, left a goodbye message for her sons, telling them, “I'm so sorry this has happened,” and even scarier, “Nobody’s ever going to find me.” However, she also claimed with some confidence that she was leaving in the morning to find help. She proceeded to trek seven miles in six feet of snow, surviving on tomatoes and sleeping in hollow trees. After six days in the freezing wilderness, Lane was found by her own brother, who had been using a friend’s front loader to find his missing sister.
Back in February 2023, Turkey and Syria were struck by a number of catastrophic earthquakes. These affected millions of people, including Turkish teenager Taha Erdem. He and his family were sleeping when the first earthquake hit. Unfortunately, the damage was horrendous and Erdem’s apartment complex collapsed. Stuck in a mangle of concrete and steel, a surprisingly calm Erdem takes his phone out and films his final goodbyes. Erdem also speaks of his regrets and says a Muslim prayer while accepting his tragic fate. But fate was actually on his side, as neighbors soon found Erdem and pulled him from the rubble. Miraculously, the rest of his family were also found and saved. They were left homeless, but alive and together.
In 2022, just a few months before the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, Florida was struck by Hurricane Ian. Reaching winds of 160 miles per hour, Ian became the costliest hurricane in Florida history, causing $112 billion worth of damage. Jennifer O’Neill realized that the storm was worse than she thought and recorded a final goodbye to her mother and father. In the video, O’Neill had already accepted her fate, stating, “I didn’t know if the next morning they were going to find my body.” Once the storm intensifies, O’Neill says her final farewell, thanking her parents “for everything [they] ever did.” Luckily, O’Neill would be one of the survivors, as her friend Judd was able to rescue her in his personal boat.
On November 18, 2006, Daryl Blake Jane of Washington left for a personal visit to Trout Lake. But his Jeep became stuck in a snowstorm and he failed to arrive at a family gathering the next day. Jane lived inside his Jeep for nearly two weeks, surviving on the small rations of food and water that he had brought with him. He also spent his time laying inside his sleeping bag and periodically running the engine. Feeling hopeless of rescue, Jane eventually left a goodbye message to his friends and family members. But rescue did come, in the form of a private snowmobile team called the Drift Skippers. They were hired by Jane’s family and found Jane on the isolated Forest Road 23.
Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most popular parks in America, but it is nevertheless extremely dangerous. Hot, barren, and enormous, it’s not the place you want to injure yourself. Unfortunately, in 2024, that’s what happened to Robert Ringo, who slipped on some rocks and broke his leg. Citing “unbelievable pain,” Ringo was unable to move and was left exposed to the boiling desert sun. While he never lost faith, Ringo grew increasingly pessimistic and began filming his predicament. At one point he even stated, “Probably nobody will ever see this,” indicating that he feared the worst. Luckily, that did not come to pass. Ringo’s family had notified the authorities of his disappearance and a rescue helicopter made contact after 40 long hours.
A crashing plane is one of our biggest collective fears, and Marty Martinez was one of the unlucky few to experience it firsthand. He was flying on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 in 2018 when a horrific engine failure caused metal parts to break off and hit the fuselage. A cabin window was damaged, causing explosive depressurization and one death. Fearing the extensive damage, Martinez hopped on Facebook Live and documented what he believed were his final moments. Luckily, the plane was able to make a safe landing in Philadelphia, saving 148 lives, including that of Martinez. He later posted photos of the damage as a memento.
The Dragon is a dangerous piece of road on U.S. Route 129, comprising 318 curves in just eleven miles - about 29 curves per mile. In 2016, Kevin Diepenbrock and his friend, Phillip Polito, were riding their motorcycles on The Dragon when Diepenbrock crashed into Polito, sending them both down a steep embankment. Polito was killed in the accident, but Diepenbrock survived with punctured lungs and broken bones. While he tried calling for help, no one came to his rescue and he resorted to filming goodbyes for his family. Bloodied and hoarse, Diepenbrock apologizes for “being stupid” and tells his family that he loves them. Some passersby finally heard his calls for help and notified the authorities, who rescued Diepenbrock after 27 hours.
Hiking alone can be relaxing, but it’s also very dangerous. 25-year-old Amber Kohnhorst was walking on Arizona’s Rose Cliffs trail in 2016 when she lost her footing and fell down a 100-foot hill. The damage was extensive - a broken nose, a partially-torn ear, a crushed pelvis, and a fractured back. Her cell had no service, so she blew a whistle to alert nearby hikers. Unfortunately, it was late and no one heard her. After many hours alone and unable to move, Kohnhorst began writing goodbye letters on her phone. Luckily, Kohnhorst had previously checked into a bed and breakfast, and the owners grew suspicious when she didn’t arrive back. They alerted the authorities, and a search and rescue team found Kohnhorst after 28 hours.
We go from the desert to the sea for the story of Jacob Childs. Childs was scuba diving off Bundaberg, Australia in 2016 when he became separated from the group. He was left bobbing in the water for six hours, attempting to alert the rescue helicopters that were flying overhead. With hope waning, Childs started filming himself. He’s surprisingly calm throughout the ordeal, even bordering on nonchalant as he says, “That’s a wrap on old Jakey.” However, one of the helicopters finally spotted Childs and he was rescued. True to character, he was totally nonplussed about the near-death experience. He claimed that he was warm, alert, and craving a cup of tea. He even stated with confidence, “I'll be in the water tomorrow probably.”
And here we come to what could be the greatest survival story of the 21st century. It’s certainly the most popular. Back in 2003, Aron Ralston was in Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon when he dislodged a massive boulder, which in turn pinned his arm to the canyon wall. He was unable to free himself and spent five days alone in the narrow canyon. Believing that he would die, Ralston carved his name into the canyon wall and filmed his final goodbyes with the video camera he had brought with him. But with one last surge of desperation, Ralston freed himself in grisly fashion, rappelled down a 65-foot cliff, and walked six miles before encountering some hikers and getting help.
Are there other memorable goodbyes that were fortunately unnecessary which you cherish? Tell us about them in the comments.
#10: Paula Lane
In 2012, 46-year-old Paula Lane and her boyfriend were driving in the latter’s Jeep when they became isolated in a devastating snowstorm. Lane’s boyfriend left to find help and never returned. Lane, fearing for her own life, left a goodbye message for her sons, telling them, “I'm so sorry this has happened,” and even scarier, “Nobody’s ever going to find me.” However, she also claimed with some confidence that she was leaving in the morning to find help. She proceeded to trek seven miles in six feet of snow, surviving on tomatoes and sleeping in hollow trees. After six days in the freezing wilderness, Lane was found by her own brother, who had been using a friend’s front loader to find his missing sister.
#9: Taha Erdem
Back in February 2023, Turkey and Syria were struck by a number of catastrophic earthquakes. These affected millions of people, including Turkish teenager Taha Erdem. He and his family were sleeping when the first earthquake hit. Unfortunately, the damage was horrendous and Erdem’s apartment complex collapsed. Stuck in a mangle of concrete and steel, a surprisingly calm Erdem takes his phone out and films his final goodbyes. Erdem also speaks of his regrets and says a Muslim prayer while accepting his tragic fate. But fate was actually on his side, as neighbors soon found Erdem and pulled him from the rubble. Miraculously, the rest of his family were also found and saved. They were left homeless, but alive and together.
#8: Jennifer O’Neill
In 2022, just a few months before the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, Florida was struck by Hurricane Ian. Reaching winds of 160 miles per hour, Ian became the costliest hurricane in Florida history, causing $112 billion worth of damage. Jennifer O’Neill realized that the storm was worse than she thought and recorded a final goodbye to her mother and father. In the video, O’Neill had already accepted her fate, stating, “I didn’t know if the next morning they were going to find my body.” Once the storm intensifies, O’Neill says her final farewell, thanking her parents “for everything [they] ever did.” Luckily, O’Neill would be one of the survivors, as her friend Judd was able to rescue her in his personal boat.
#7: Daryl Blake Jane
On November 18, 2006, Daryl Blake Jane of Washington left for a personal visit to Trout Lake. But his Jeep became stuck in a snowstorm and he failed to arrive at a family gathering the next day. Jane lived inside his Jeep for nearly two weeks, surviving on the small rations of food and water that he had brought with him. He also spent his time laying inside his sleeping bag and periodically running the engine. Feeling hopeless of rescue, Jane eventually left a goodbye message to his friends and family members. But rescue did come, in the form of a private snowmobile team called the Drift Skippers. They were hired by Jane’s family and found Jane on the isolated Forest Road 23.
#6: Robert Ringo
Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most popular parks in America, but it is nevertheless extremely dangerous. Hot, barren, and enormous, it’s not the place you want to injure yourself. Unfortunately, in 2024, that’s what happened to Robert Ringo, who slipped on some rocks and broke his leg. Citing “unbelievable pain,” Ringo was unable to move and was left exposed to the boiling desert sun. While he never lost faith, Ringo grew increasingly pessimistic and began filming his predicament. At one point he even stated, “Probably nobody will ever see this,” indicating that he feared the worst. Luckily, that did not come to pass. Ringo’s family had notified the authorities of his disappearance and a rescue helicopter made contact after 40 long hours.
#5: Marty Martinez
A crashing plane is one of our biggest collective fears, and Marty Martinez was one of the unlucky few to experience it firsthand. He was flying on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 in 2018 when a horrific engine failure caused metal parts to break off and hit the fuselage. A cabin window was damaged, causing explosive depressurization and one death. Fearing the extensive damage, Martinez hopped on Facebook Live and documented what he believed were his final moments. Luckily, the plane was able to make a safe landing in Philadelphia, saving 148 lives, including that of Martinez. He later posted photos of the damage as a memento.
#4: Kevin Diepenbrock
The Dragon is a dangerous piece of road on U.S. Route 129, comprising 318 curves in just eleven miles - about 29 curves per mile. In 2016, Kevin Diepenbrock and his friend, Phillip Polito, were riding their motorcycles on The Dragon when Diepenbrock crashed into Polito, sending them both down a steep embankment. Polito was killed in the accident, but Diepenbrock survived with punctured lungs and broken bones. While he tried calling for help, no one came to his rescue and he resorted to filming goodbyes for his family. Bloodied and hoarse, Diepenbrock apologizes for “being stupid” and tells his family that he loves them. Some passersby finally heard his calls for help and notified the authorities, who rescued Diepenbrock after 27 hours.
#3: Amber Kohnhorst
Hiking alone can be relaxing, but it’s also very dangerous. 25-year-old Amber Kohnhorst was walking on Arizona’s Rose Cliffs trail in 2016 when she lost her footing and fell down a 100-foot hill. The damage was extensive - a broken nose, a partially-torn ear, a crushed pelvis, and a fractured back. Her cell had no service, so she blew a whistle to alert nearby hikers. Unfortunately, it was late and no one heard her. After many hours alone and unable to move, Kohnhorst began writing goodbye letters on her phone. Luckily, Kohnhorst had previously checked into a bed and breakfast, and the owners grew suspicious when she didn’t arrive back. They alerted the authorities, and a search and rescue team found Kohnhorst after 28 hours.
#2: Jacob Childs
We go from the desert to the sea for the story of Jacob Childs. Childs was scuba diving off Bundaberg, Australia in 2016 when he became separated from the group. He was left bobbing in the water for six hours, attempting to alert the rescue helicopters that were flying overhead. With hope waning, Childs started filming himself. He’s surprisingly calm throughout the ordeal, even bordering on nonchalant as he says, “That’s a wrap on old Jakey.” However, one of the helicopters finally spotted Childs and he was rescued. True to character, he was totally nonplussed about the near-death experience. He claimed that he was warm, alert, and craving a cup of tea. He even stated with confidence, “I'll be in the water tomorrow probably.”
#1: Aron Ralston
And here we come to what could be the greatest survival story of the 21st century. It’s certainly the most popular. Back in 2003, Aron Ralston was in Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon when he dislodged a massive boulder, which in turn pinned his arm to the canyon wall. He was unable to free himself and spent five days alone in the narrow canyon. Believing that he would die, Ralston carved his name into the canyon wall and filmed his final goodbyes with the video camera he had brought with him. But with one last surge of desperation, Ralston freed himself in grisly fashion, rappelled down a 65-foot cliff, and walked six miles before encountering some hikers and getting help.
Are there other memorable goodbyes that were fortunately unnecessary which you cherish? Tell us about them in the comments.
