A man who got trapped in the Amazon Rainforest for 18 days and thought he was “going to die” has revealed how he made his lucky escape.
Callan Bole is an avid traveller, sharing his wild adventures with his 296,000 followers on TikTok (@callanbowl ).
After visiting over 60 countries, he wanted to try something new – and so set about on an expedition with no planning or survival skills to the Amazon.
The 25-year-old jetted off to Colombia, before taking a small flight to a nearby town and then boarded a four-man charter to his destination.
All seemed fine; until he found himself in a remote indigenous village with less than 3,000 people in the rainforest, where he couldn’t speak the local language.
And there was no clear way out, as shown in a clip that racked up 12.6 million views and 1.5 million likes.
“I genuinely thought I was going to die there,” Callan, from Stockton-on-Tees, told Need To Know.
“I stayed in one spot for nearly three weeks and felt trapped with paranoia.
“Usually, no one goes there – but if you do, you’re lucky to get out alive.”
Upon arriving in Mitú, a small town outside the Amazon Rainforest, he had planned to take a boat across the river to Brazil.
His trip should have taken five days to complete, but Callan didn’t realise it was wet season.
After three days of treacherous weather, the boat’s motor broke – leaving him stuck.
He ended up in the remote town, called lauaretê, in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Municipality, on the border of Colombia and Brazil.
It’s located in the State of Amazonas, where the Rainforest runs through, and it’s believed they speak a little-known language, Tariana.
Callan said: “It was never dry.
“There was never a moment with no rain.
“When I needed to sleep, I had to stop off on the river bed and set up camp.
“After a few days, I was having a really hard time, so I asked if there was a shack I could stay in.
“A man overheard me and took me to his, where there was a bed and food.
“They didn’t speak a word of English, only a local dialect that not even my phone could translate.
“Luckily, he had a son I could communicate with as he was learning Portuguese.”
In the clip, he scans the camera around the rustic home, which has a television, a hammock and some other general household items.
After a few days there, a miracle happened.
Someone had injured themselves and had to be transported via a military aircraft to a hospital in Brazil – and they offered Callan a seat on the plane.
He arrived safely back on UK soil last week after being stuck in the Amazon Rainforest for 18 days.
Callan lost over a stone in weight during the ordeal and his skin is still recovering from various insect bites – though says the experience has made him hungry for more.
Callan added: “The people were absolutely fantastic.
“I was scared I’d be there for a few more months, but their hospitality was next to nothing.
“It was a great time overall.
“I do think it was only a matter of time before I got malaria or yellow fever, though.
“This is nothing new to me – I’ve been through much worse.
“It’s only made me hungry for more adventure.”
