Luckiest Unlucky Man In The World
Frane Selak: The Luckiest Unlucky Man in the World
Early Life and First Brush with Death
- On a cold January morning in 1962, Frane Selak's train derailed, plunging into an icy river. He managed to escape with only a broken arm and hypothermia while 17 others drowned.
- This incident marked the beginning of a series of near-fatal experiences for Selak, who was previously living a quiet life as a music teacher.
Subsequent Near-Death Experiences
- A year after the train accident, Selak flew for the first time to visit his ill mother. During landing, the rear door of the plane blew open, ejecting him and a flight attendant; he survived by landing in a haystack.
- Four years later, while commuting on a bus that skidded into a river, Selak again escaped with minor injuries as four other passengers drowned.
- In 1970, his car exploded while driving; he dove out just in time to avoid serious injury. Three years later, another vehicle caught fire but he escaped once more with only minor burns.
Continued Struggles and Surviving Against Odds
- After 22 years of relative peace, Selak was hit by a bus in Zagreb but sustained few injuries. A year later, he swerved off a mountain road to avoid an oncoming truck and jumped from his car before it crashed down below.
A Twist of Fate: Winning the Lottery
- In 2003, after decades of misfortune, Selak won a million-dollar lottery prize. He reflected on his life stating that one could view him as either "the unluckiest man" or "the luckiest." He preferred to see himself as lucky despite his past experiences.
Public Perception and Skepticism
- Despite winning the lottery and surviving numerous accidents, many people distanced themselves from Selak due to fears of bad luck associated with him; some even canceled travel plans upon hearing about him booking flights or trains.
- Doubts arose regarding some details of his story due to inconsistencies over time and lack of official records for certain incidents mentioned by Selak; this has led skeptics to question the authenticity of his claims about surviving multiple disasters.