In 1994, 39-year-old Mauro Prosperi went missing in the Sahara Desert while running the Marathon Des Sables, a 155-mile race across Morocco. Prosperi signed on for the six-day ultra-marathon to enjoy the sights of the desert and to spend time in nature. But when a sandstorm hit on the fourth day and sent him off course, he got much more than he bargained for — 10 consecutive days wandering through the desert in the sweltering heat.
Prosperi was eventually found alive, severely dehydrated and 181 miles off course in the neighboring country of Algeria. He told the public that he had only survived by carefully rationing his food, drinking his own urine and drinking the blood of scavenged wildlife for sustenance. He had dropped 35 pounds during his time in the desert and spent the next two years recovering from the effects of severe dehydration on his body.
