Lost in the Amazon: The True Story of Five Men and their Desperate Battle for Survival

In 1995, Stephen Kirkpatrick joined a five-man expedition into the remote jungles of the Peruvian Amazon. Kirkpatrick's assignment was to document an area of the rainforest that had never before been photographed, nor by most accounts, ever explored by white men.

Within hours of their departure, an inaccurate map and a series of bad decisions leave the group hopelessly lost in the depths of the Amazon jungle. What began as a career-making photo expedition quickly turned into a desperate struggle for survival.

The five men battle poisonous reptiles, hungry bugs, torrential rains, brutal heat, and an unforgiving landscape in an attempt to find their way back to civilization. They soon learn that survival is not only a physical, but a mental and spiritual challenge as well.

Lost in the Amazon is a gripping, sometimes humorous, and ultimately inspirational story about the human drive to survive, and about clinging to faith in the worst circumstances imaginable.

Adult/High School–Freelance wildlife photographer Kirkpatrick made a trip to the Peruvian Amazon in 1995. His need to find good material was so paramount that it pushed his expedition to start out with hand-drawn maps of an area virtually unvisited by humans, and with only a general idea of the route that would lead to the planned pick-up point. The hastily put together plan fell apart very quickly, and it wasn't long before the group was lost in the rainforest. This book is more than just a retelling of what happened–there's plenty of drama, comedy, suspense, fast-paced action, and nature to satisfy any reader. Kirkpatrick took comfort in thinking about his three sons and from his belief in God. His narrative is not particularly liturgical, doctrinal, or objective; his was an experiential faith that wavered, struggled, and was almost lost completely at times, but somehow held on. He eventually realized that faith was what sustained him, but there was no guarantee as to the outcome of the journey. Readers will not only feel like members of the expedition, but will also discover hidden truths about life, love, and faith.–Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA
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Desperate, divorced, with collection agencies breathing down his neck, freelance photographer Kirkpatrick, in a last ditch effort to salvage his career and, perhaps, himself, in 1995 makes a trip to the Peruvian Amazon. Things quickly go awry—faulty maps, appalling conditions, recalcitrant porters and plain bad luck combine to put Kirkpatrick and his party near death. Lost in the dense jungle with a ragtag band of gringo adventurers and native guides, Kirkpatrick manages to capture the prey he had come to find: photographs. Then, exposed to the environment's unrelenting moisture, his cameras go bad and subsequently his film is tragically lost in the river. Twelve days later, Kirkpatrick emerges from the jungle battered, bloodied and starving, but alive. The author, a devout Christian, pulls no punches as to who's responsible for his safe return. At each crisis, Kirkpatrick turns to prayer for guidance. Alone in the forest, in a blinding rainstorm, exhausted, filthy, injured, he scribbles in his notebook, "I have to be realistic. Christians die just like everyone else." His tone isn't preachy; it merely reflects one man's deep faith. The narrative has a crude, immediate feel, which for this small story is just enough. Photos. (July 14)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.