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Thirty-three years ago, Dutch-born Annette Herfkens was swept away on what was supposed to be the ultimate romantic escape.<\/p>\n
Her longtime partner, William \u2014 the man she\u2019d loved for 13 years \u2014 had convinced her to take a much-needed break from their high-powered lives.<\/p>\n
William was the head of the Vietnam branch of Internationale Nederlanden Bank and Annette was a trader. After six long months of working in different countries, they finally carved out time for each other.<\/p>\n
This trip was meant to be their reunion \u2014 a chance to reconnect and recharge. The plan? Start in bustling Ho Chi Minh City, then head to the dreamy coastal resort of Nha Trang for sun, sand, and serenity.<\/p>\n
But along with 23 other passengers on Vietnam Airlines Flight 474, their journey would take a devastating turn,.<\/p>\n
A gut feeling before takeoff
\nAs a lifelong claustrophobe, Annette Herfkens felt a wave of dread as she stepped onto the Yakovlev Yak-40 on November 14th, 1992. The old, Soviet-built jet was supposed to carry her and her fianc\u00e9 to the sunny beaches of Nha Trang.<\/p>\n
Her partner, whom she called \u201cPasje,\u201d tried to soothe her nerves with a white lie: the flight would be just 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
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But when 40 minutes passed and they were still airborne, panic set in.<\/p>\n
\u201cPasje looked at me with fear. \u2018Of course, a shitty little toy plane drops like this!\u2019 I said, reaching for his hand. \u2018It\u2019s just an air pocket \u2014 don\u2019t worry.\u2019 But he was right to worry. We dropped again. Someone screamed. It went pitch-black. Seconds later, we made impact,\u201d Herfkens recalled to the New York Post.<\/p>\n
Waking up in a nightmare
\nWhen she regained consciousness, the Vietnamese jungle roared around her.<\/p>\n
A stranger\u2019s body was draped over her. Nearby, van der Pas remained strapped in his seat \u2014 smiling, motionless. Gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where you have fight or flight,\u201d she said. \u201cI definitely chose flight,\u201d Annette told The Guardian.<\/p>\n
Her memories of escaping the wreckage are a blur. \u201cIt must have been excruciating pain to get out of there,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I must have crawled out of the plane and lifted myself down. And then I must have crawled another 30 yards.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was badly injured \u2014 a shattered hip, broken leg, collapsed lung, and bone protruding from her jaw. But she was alive. And not alone.<\/p>\n
Surrounded by the dead
\nBecause the early hours after the crash, Annette wasn\u2019t the only survivor.<\/p>\n
Annette heard groans, cries. A Vietnamese businessman even gave her clothing after her skirt tore. But slowly, one by one, the voices faded into silence.<\/p>\n
Soon, she was surrounded only by the dead.<\/p>\n
To survive, she used yoga breathing to manage her lung injury \u2014 \u201cmindfulness before we all knew the word,\u201d she called it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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