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Episode details

World Service,01 May 2021,26 mins

I was the sole survivor of a plane crash

Outlook

Available for over a year

When a plane carrying 11-year-old Norman Ollestad, his father and his father’s girlfriend got caught in a snowstorm and crashed into the remote California mountains in 1979, Norman was the only survivor. Stranded on the edge of a cliff, the boy relied on the skills his father had taught him throughout his childhood to make it down the treacherous mountain to safety. This extraordinary tale of survival is being told in two parts. Norman Ollestad’s memoir is called Crazy For the Storm. He has also written a short story called Formentera about the fraying relationship of a married couple. The archive you heard comes courtesy of CBS. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mariana Des Forges Producer: Mariana Des Forges Picture: Norman Ollestad Credit: Jeff Lipsky

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