They went looking for a lost city in the Brazilian jungle
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖John Reed vanished in the Amazon in 1980, searching for the legendary city of Aakor, based on a book and the guidance of 'Chief Tatunka Nara'.
- ❖Nine years later, John's sister Sandy discovered 'Tatunka' was Gunther Hawk, a German man who invented Aakor to evade child support and profit from tourism.
- ❖Sandy and German police suspected Gunther Hawk murdered tourists, including John, who got too close to exposing his fraud.
- ❖Dwit Finley, a religious salesman, crashed his truck in a remote Oregon snowstorm in 1994 and remained stranded for months.
- ❖Dwit's strong belief that God would save him led him to stay in his truck, despite a clear, snow-free path to civilization being nearby.
- ❖Dwit Finley died of starvation in his truck, discovered five months after his crash by another stranded motorist.
Insights
1The Aakor Hoax and Its Deadly Consequences
The lost city of Aakor, described in Carl Buger's book 'The Chronicle of Akor,' was a complete fabrication. The 'legendary chief' Tatunka Nara, who supposedly guided seekers, was actually Gunther Hawk, a German man who fled to the Amazon to avoid child support. Hawk created the Aakor myth to blend in, convince authorities he was indigenous, and later profit from tourism. He allegedly killed tourists, including John Reed, who pressed to find the non-existent city to protect his secret.
John Reed's sister, Sandy, investigated his disappearance, receiving a letter from a German detective about multiple disappearances linked to Aakor. Sandy later confronted Gunther Hawk, who was identified by the turtle tattoo described in the book, but his demeanor and accent revealed he was not an Amazonian chief. German police believed Hawk was killing tourists.
2Fatal Faith in the Oregon Wilderness
Dwit Finley, stranded in a severe Oregon snowstorm after a truck crash, died of starvation because his unwavering religious faith convinced him that God would miraculously rescue him. Despite having a functional truck heater and melted snow for hydration, he never left his vehicle, believing God's plan was to be found there. Unbeknownst to him, a paved, snow-free path leading to civilization was a short distance from his crash site.
Dwit Finley meticulously crossed off days on his calendar and wrote letters to loved ones and his boss, expressing his calm and certainty that God would save him. His body was found in his truck five months later by another motorist, and he had died of starvation, likely on the last day marked on his calendar.
Lessons
- Always verify information, especially when it involves significant personal risk or financial investment, to avoid falling victim to hoaxes or scams.
- Develop critical thinking skills to assess situations objectively, even when strong personal beliefs or emotions are involved, especially in survival scenarios.
- Prioritize practical survival strategies and self-reliance in emergencies; do not solely rely on external intervention, even if you believe in it.
- When exploring remote areas, prepare thoroughly with emergency supplies, communication devices, and detailed travel plans, and inform others of your route.
Quotes
"Most people called Carl's book complete fiction and said that its author just sort of made it up to make money. But Jon hadn't paid any attention to the naysayers."
"Aakor didn't exist. However, it was not just a fake city created by that author Carl Buger to sell his book. No, it was something much much weirder than that."
"Dwit was so convinced that if he just waited here, somebody would save him because God was going to save him again. He just didn't leave his truck."
Q&A
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