Christian "Miracle" Hugo survives a plane crash in Cuba by parachuting to safety. After landing on the island, he searches the wreckage of the plane's tail for supplies. Unable to find much, he sets out to explore the island and finds coconuts for food and water. While jogging, he encounters a venomous snake but manages to kill and preserve it for food. He continues his journey, climbing a sheer limestone cliff and making a daring leap across a 20-foot gorge. Though exhausted, he perseveres in his will to survive.

1. MAYDAY AT 10 000 FT
My name is Christian “Miracle” Hugo. I get the nickname because…… well because
I’m a miracle. I live in small town in Manitoba called Grand Rapids. Once when I was 5
years old I was walking in the kitchen when I hit my head on the countertop, and the
cabinet where my mom held all of our cooking knives fell open and every single knife fell
and narrowly missed me. When I was 15 I was playing baseball with a couple of my
buddies. Jim was up to bat I was running around Greg pitched the ball and Jim swung and
missed then let go of the bat, I tripped and the bat flung right over my head. I’m also a
track and field champ. I’ve won five consecutive times. I also have the record for 100
metre dash in Manitoba.
Anyways now I’m 18 and going to Cuba for a little break from the Harvard College.
I pack up my things and go to the airport. In half hour I’m on a plane and have been
flying for about fifteen minutes. About halfway to Cuba the plane went quiet. It was too
quiet. Suddenly the intercom blared out, “Everybody quickly grab a parachute and exit
the plane.” I was the nearest to the exit, the pilot must have opened the door. I quickly
grabbed a parachute and then ran and jumped out. About four seconds later the plane
flew into an immense rock and it was a huge explosion. Chunks of metal were flying there
was lots of smoke and fire, there was a mushroom cloud. I was plunging down; the
ground was getting larger and larger. I pulled the right string on the parachuteand the
canopy wrenched me up. I looked up and saw the tail of the plane falling towards me. I’ve
watched some movies where they pull the things on the sides that turn the parachute. I

2. think there called toggles.I pulled on the right toggle and turned hard right. I held onto
the right toggle, hard. Without warning the tail of the plane roared by me. Again
MiracleKid.I landed within a minute on the island. I decided to grab the cord from the
parachute. It might come in handy.It looks like I’m in the tropics. I went over and
looked at the tail. It smelled like rotting flesh. I vomited. I looked again. It was a wreck. I
went to the back of the tail and looked for a little hatch. That’s where the survival kit
will be. I looked and searched I couldn’t find it. I looked around the corner. BOO YEH!
There it was. It was already half opened. I pulled with all my might. I opened it. I felt
crushed. The survival kit was gone. Then all of the sudden I saw a glint. I grabbed at it
was a Gerber knife with a sheath. I strapped it around my leg. Perfect. I went over to the
water. Salty. It was undrinkable.
I decided to move to the other side of the island. I trudged for about five minutes
then I saw a source of fluids.
Coconuts. I tramp over to the tree; I put my hands on the tree and jumped up. I
grab the tree with my knees and clamber up the tree. I pull down about five coconuts. I
cut one open and drank the milk. I spit some of it out. It tasted vulgar. I decided just to
man up and drink some. I buffaloed the rest. I cut out the flesh of the coconut. It tasted
foul. How do people eat this stuff? I chowed it down. I decided to make a pack to hold
my coconuts. “I’m going to make it out of the cord from the parachute and some
branches.Or should I go back to the plane and rummage through some luggage.” I
murmured. I’m going insane, I’m hysterical.

3. I went over to some trees and cut the branches. I put my bundle in a pile and grab
my cord out ofmy pocket and cut some off. I molded the shape of a large vase and put a
bottom in. I piled up my coconuts to the top and then I moved on. The pack is pretty
light. I started out at a jog, five minutes later I came across a colorful snake.
I stopped dead in my tracks. I picked up a stick and kind of challenged it. Dumb
move with a capital D. It started hissing and struck. I moved back quickly I just dodged
it. It struck again it narrowly missed me again. My stick was forked so I jumped over him
and trapped him. I stabbed him in the back of the head with my knife. Meat, should
taste good after I cook it. I saw on a survival show they urinate into the snake skin,
and then they drink it. I peed in the snake skin then used my cord and tied its mouth
together and put in my pack.
I moved out, again I started out at a jog. Fifteen minutes later Igot to the base of a
sheer limestone face. I started to escalade the face. I was getting tired, but had to live up
to my favorite motto from Rocky Balboa. ‘The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a
very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your
knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as
hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and
keep moving forward.’ So I kept on climbing and pushing myself. There were a few
frightful times when some of the limestone crumbled under my weight and I had to swing
my body and smash myself into the rock to stabilize my body. I finally got to the top of
the immense rock.

4. There was a bijou hill. I stumbled down it. I gazed at 20ft gorge. I looked around I
couldn’t see any other way across. I’ve got to jump. I backed up to the bottom of the hill.
THS IS INSANE! I break into a sprint. I’m giving everything I’ve got. There is 15ft left, 10ft,
5ft. Leap. I’m falling to fast I’m not going to make it. I’m 18 and I am going to die.