In 1992, Annette Herfkens was living a dream life — a successful Wall Street trader, in love, and thriving. She and her fiancé, William “Pasje” van der Pas, planned a romantic getaway to Vietnam after months apart. But Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashed en route to Nha Trang, killing all but one: Annette.
She awoke in the jungle, badly injured and alone. Her fiancé was gone. Over eight harrowing days, she endured a shattered hip, broken leg, collapsed lung, and profound grief. To survive, she used yoga breathing and collected rainwater with scraps of the wreckage.
Declared dead by the world, she was rescued by chance. Her return was marked by heartbreak, resilience, and transformation. She later married the friend who refused to stop searching for her and became a mother. Her trauma lingered, but she rebuilt — becoming an author and speaker.
Her survival mantra: “You mourn what’s not there, but you live for what is.”
Now, each year, she honors those eight days. Because for Annette, survival isn’t about luck — it’s instinct, loss, and choosing life again and again.
