Flood in Myanmar: Hidden Dangers

Summary

Real Survival Stories – “Flood in Myanmar: Hidden Dangers”
Podcast: Real Survival Stories
Host: John Hopkins
Air Date: March 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this gripping installment, Real Survival Stories tells the true account of Joel Hoffman and his brother Silas as they battle catastrophic flash floods in a remote mountain town in eastern Myanmar during Typhoon Yagi (September 2024). Joel, a missionary worker, and his brother find themselves among the very few in their community capable of swimming—and therefore capable of trying to save others. The episode recounts the deadly hazards, improvised rescues, and life-or-death decisions the brothers faced, culminating in a desperate effort to cross flooded, debris-filled streets to reach safety and their families.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Life in a Vulnerable Community

• The story unfolds in Shan province, Myanmar—a region ill-equipped for natural disasters and where most locals lack swimming skills.
• Joel’s background as the son of global missionaries has made him both adaptable and familiar with adversity.
  [09:16] Joel Hoffman:
  “Being used to constant changes and paradigm shifts in culture and background and environment has, I think, definitely helped me to feel ready in a moment where everything's changed in the course of like a day.”
• Despite growing up amidst chaos, Joel admits to struggling with loneliness and a longing for connection.
  [12:15] Joel Hoffman:
  “There's a sense of loneliness there, which I think was one of the main things that was really hard, was just feeling very lonely.”
• The brothers’ Christian charity balances faith, support, and community projects in an area marked by instability and brokenness.

The Rising Threat: From Downpour to Disaster

• Tensions mount: The typhoon’s approach leads to days of heavy rain but little local anxiety due to the mountainous setting.
  [08:12] Joel Hoffman:
  “We were like not worried at all. We're in the mountains. You don't get floods in a mountain... The water goes downhill. Why would there be a flood in our town?”
• By evening, communications collapse (power, internet, cell service). The brothers and community are left with no official guidance or warning. [17:03] Joel Hoffman:
  “Where things started getting dangerous was there's no official communication... there was just none of that whatsoever.”

Deciding to Act: Becoming Rescuers

• Joel and Silas resolve to help, recognizing their rare ability to swim puts them in a position to save lives.
  [05:32] Joel Hoffman:
  “We're two able bodied young men. We know how to swim. That's more than pretty much anyone else in the town.”
• With meager equipment—ropes, a child’s swim ring, and a first aid kit—they brave the flood to rescue neighbors, friends, and strangers.
  [18:13] Joel Hoffman:
  “That was the only flotation device we had... we know how to swim, which that's more than pretty much anyone else in the town.”

On the Front Lines of Chaos: Mayhem and Rescue Efforts

• Field rescues: Joel and Silas help evacuate homes, relying on teamwork and swift decision-making amidst surging waters.
• School rescue: The brothers are flagged down to aid dozens trapped in a flooded school, guiding terrified non-swimmers across torrent waters by rope, prioritizing women and children.
  [23:14] Joel Hoffman:
  “With the women and children, like the Titanic, you know, women and children first. We ferry them across, and it's very hard... there's a language barrier as well.”
• Brutal triage: Exhausted, the brothers are forced to leave several men behind to avoid endangering themselves further.
  [24:17] Joel Hoffman:
  “We're able to get the women and children to safety and then end up abandoning the men. We're so physically tired by this point...”

Crossing to Safety: Extreme Peril & Hidden Dangers

• Crisis escalates: The main bridge is submerged, cutting off their route home and to Silas’ family.
• Debilitating obstacles: During a desperate river crossing, Joel and Silas must “leapfrog” from debris island to debris island, all while facing:
  • Thorn-covered trees
  • Barbed wire, razor-sharp sheet metal
  • Hidden glass walls and electrical wires
    [28:58] Joel Hoffman:
    “Every single tree in our path was like a thorn tree... you're like clinging for your life.” [32:01] Joel Hoffman:
    “If you're caught in like barbed wire underwater, you're going to drown quite painfully. That's where the current is pushing us.”
• Brief respite on a stranger’s flooded second-story balcony provides time to recover and spot a glass-studded wall they’d nearly tried to cross blindly.
  [33:46] Joel Hoffman:
  “...we do notice that it's covered in like shards of glass... So thankfully the water level goes down, we're able to see that.”
• With only a short window before dark, they take the final plunge, relying on a rope across the last stretch of water, clinging to it with every ounce of remaining strength.
  [37:10] Joel Hoffman:
  “I remember like clawing my way along this. Your legs are like being pulled away by the current and you're just like clinging on your last little bit of strength.”

Aftermath: Survival, Loss, and Community Resilience

• Both reach safety and reunite with family, stunned to find Joel’s home and vital possessions narrowly spared.
  [38:40] Joel Hoffman:
  “We saw the water level had literally come up to with, like, an inch of the floor... So we're like, thank you, God. It really felt like a miracle.”
• Community devastation: The true cost of the flood emerges: thousands homeless, entire streets swept away, more than 1,000 lives lost across Southeast Asia, and billions in damages.
• Community spirit blossoms in the aftermath, with survivors supporting each other and Joel finding renewed purpose in helping with recovery and relief.
  [40:35] Joel Hoffman:
  “Even for many of them, they had nothing but what they had, they did give, which is really cool to see.”
• Emotional toll and gratitude: Joel grapples with survivor’s guilt and the challenge of moving on. [41:57] Joel Hoffman:
  “There was a real sense of guilt I felt in leaving, of like, survivor's guilt of like, I get to leave and leave all this, this chaos behind.”
• Reflection: Joel credits survival to his fraternal bond, faith, and adaptability—resolving to pursue a life of helping others.
  [42:39] Joel Hoffman:
  “Having my brother there with me, I mean, I don't think I would have made it without him... the providence of God... and being used to changes and chaos and adapting... helped me to survive.” [43:24] Joel Hoffman:
  “There's a real sense of fulfillment and really gives your life meaning in helping people... that's what I've taken out of this whole experience.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments – With Timestamps

• On the sudden realization of danger:
  “We're surrounded by debris, hidden dangers, fallen fences and collapsed buildings. There's barbed wire underwater. That's when things like really start kicking and we're like, okay, now we're in danger.”
  — Joel Hoffman [02:42]

• Desperation in the face of exhaustion:
  “It definitely felt like, oh, I'm very close to, like, my body just giving out.”
  — Joel Hoffman [04:22]

• The importance of a strong sibling bond:
  “Having my brother there with me, I mean, I don't think I would have made it without him... helping each other, holding out each other's hands, pulling each other across certain sections...”
  — Joel Hoffman [42:39]

• On community in crisis:
  “There was so much to be done and so many ways we were able to be helpful. I think just a time of feeling very useful, and that's always very fulfilling.”
  — Joel Hoffman [41:18]

• Redemption even in survival:
  “There's a real sense of fulfillment and really gives your life meaning in helping people and helping people in need. That's what I've taken out of this whole experience.”
  — Joel Hoffman [43:24]

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:55] – [04:45] Initial disaster/Joel and Silas caught in the flood, immediate survival
• [08:12] – [11:41] Joel’s background, missionary life in Myanmar, cultural adaptation
• [14:11] – [17:36] Watching the rain, monitoring flood levels, loss of power and communications
• [18:13] – [20:59] Gathering supplies, venturing into the flood, first rescues
• [20:28] – [24:34] School rescues and impossible choices
• [25:20] – [32:21] Bridge disappearance, perilous river crossing, hidden dangers
• [33:46] – [38:16] Second-story respite, critical observations, final swim to safety
• [39:05] – [43:24] Aftermath, recovery, reflection, survivor’s guilt, and new purpose

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Takeaways & Themes

• Survival depends on split-second decisions, resilience, and teamwork—especially familial bonds.
• Inadequate infrastructure and lack of emergency guidance can multiply disaster impacts.
• Acts of bravery and community compassion emerge even in chaos and catastrophic loss.
• A brush with disaster can prompt deep personal transformation and a renewed drive to serve others.

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This episode is both a harrowing survival tale and a testament to altruism, resourcefulness, and human connection in dire circumstances.

Transcript

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[Joel Hoffman]

I'm Emmanuel Joci. I'm Kai Wright, and this is Big Lives.

[Narrator]

Listen to Big Lives wherever you get your podcasts. It's September 11, 2024, in the Shan province of eastern Myanmar. A small mountain town is slowly disappearing beneath a torrent of brown floodwater. The local river, swelled by days of torrential rain, has burst its banks. It now spills outwards, forming an unbridgeable swathe that surges through the town buildings, entire streets are swept away as the ground beneath their concrete foundations dissolves into liquid mud. Trees are uprooted and sucked downstream, branches thrashing like drowning limbs in the churning mass. Bulky items tumble and swirl tuk tuks and motorcycles, brick walls and chain link fences, items of furniture and household belongings, all are borne along by the fierce current. In the chaos, terrified townspeople seek refuge. Some huddle on the few remaining rooftops still visible above the water. Others shimmy up telephone poles or string together life rafts out of plastic bottles and rope. A few, meanwhile, have been left with no choice but to pit their own strength against that of the flood and swim for their lives. Among them are 26 year old Joel Hoffman and his brother Silas. The two men struggle against the deluge, fighting to keep their heads above the rampaging debris filled water.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're now in the middle of this flood. We're surrounded by debris, hidden dangers, fallen fences and collapsed buildings. There's barbed wire underwater. That's when things like really start kicking and we're like, okay, now we're in danger.

[Narrator]

Joel flails his limbs, trying to retain some degree of control, but it's futile. The current whisks the brothers along, dragging them at full tilt through the flooded town. There's a crunch and A sudden sharp stabbing sensation as Joel collides with a tangle of tree branches. He instinctively grabs a handful of leaves and twigs, grateful for the brief respite from the current, an opportunity to catch his breath. Seconds later, however, he feels a fiery pain in his hands. The tree is full of thorns, little needles that scratch his skin and tear at his clothes.

[Joel Hoffman]

Every single tree in our path was like a thorn tree. And so we're like, getting catapulted by the current into these, like, thorn trees. But you're like, well, I don't want to hold onto this, but I also don't want to get pulled along by the current, clinging for dear life.

[Narrator]

Somewhere nearby, above the roar of the flood, you can hear Silas calling his name, asking him if he's all right. Joel yells back, assuring his brother that he's still with him. But after battling these floodwaters for hours, his body is spent. And as he clings desperately to this thorny tree, as the current continues to claw at him, pulling and tugging from below, how much longer can he hold on?

[Joel Hoffman]

It's like at the end of a workout where you're like, trying to lift, even just trying to get up. You know, it's like your muscles are done and your mind's like, well, I should be able to do this. Your body's like, no, we're not doing this. We can't do this anymore. It definitely felt like, oh, I'm very close to, like, my body just giving out.

[Narrator]

Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to real Survival Stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Joel Hoffman in 2024. He's living in the mountains of Myanmar, where his elder brother Silas runs a small Christian charity. Joel spends his days working with locals, trying to make life here easier if he can. But when a tropical typhoon unleashes catastrophic flooding on their quiet rural town, two brothers will find themselves thrust into a terrifying new position of responsibility.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're two able bodied young men. We know how to swim. That's more than pretty much anyone else in the town. We're in a position where we can maybe help some people.

[Narrator]

In the midst of this, Joel and Silas venture out into the flood to lend a hand. But what they find is utter mayhem. A chaotic scene of panic, fear and destruction. The brothers will face collapsing buildings, hidden hazards, and utter confusion. And when the flood cuts off their only route Back home, where they have family waiting for them, the stakes are raised once again. It's time to sink or swim.

[Joel Hoffman]

And I could feel the current, like pulling my legs under this kind of clump of debris. You're fighting for your life. You're trying to think of how do I get to safety, how do I keep surviving? What can we do next? How do we get through this?

[Narrator]

I'm John Hopkins from the Noiser Podcast Network. This is Real Survival Stories. It's the evening of September 9, 2024, in Southeast Asia. Across the Shan province of eastern Myanmar, heavy rain drums against the corrugated metal rooftops of a small mountain town. For days now, much of Southeast Asia has been swamped by torrential downpours as tropical typhoon Yagi works its way across the region. Low lying areas have already experienced severe flooding. But up here in the mountains, the steep valleys act like drainage canals, providing the rainwater with somewhere to go. Still, the river that runs through the center of the town has seldom risen this high before, prompting unease among some local residents. If it continues to rise, it could burst its banks. And in a region with very little infrastructure to deal with floods, the consequences could be dire. A short distance uphill from the river, 26 year old Joel Hoffman runs through the rain drenched streets, his jacket pulled over his head. For the last few days, he's been keeping a close eye on the typhoon as it barrels towards Myanmar. He's heard the reports of devastating flooding in coastal areas of Vietnam, but where they are this high up in the mountains, the threat still feels remote.

[Joel Hoffman]

We were like not worried at all. We're in the mountains. You don't get floods in a mountain. That's kind of, I don't know, that feels like somewhat conventional wisdom. The water goes downhill. Why would there be a flood in our town?

[Narrator]

Joel splashes his way down a narrow residential street. Eventually, he arrives at the place he's called home since arriving here last summer. A small wooden house raised off the ground by a slab of thick cement. He steps inside. He removes his waterlogged trainers and socks, then heads upstairs for a hot shower and a change of clothes. Though he's only lived here in Myanmar for a little over a year, Joel has become accustomed to life in this bustling market town. It's something he's always been good at, adapting to new environments. Due in no small part to his upbringing. He is the son of Christian missionaries whose work still takes them all over the world. From Germany, where Joel was born, to India, Australia, Greece.

[Joel Hoffman]

I had a very adventurous childhood, you know, like sitting on the top of cars, flying to new places, being in what some would consider like unreasonably hostile places. I grew up in India for like the first eight years of my life. Early 2000s India was a lot more dangerous than it is now. And so I think growing up I was okay with adventure and feeling unsafe, if that makes sense. Being used to constant changes and paradigm shifts in culture and background and environment has, I think definitely helped me to feel ready in a moment where everything's changed in the course of like a day.

[Narrator]

Now aged 26, Joel has followed in his parents footsteps. After spending a few years doing missionary work in Canada, he came out here to Myanmar, where his older brother Silas runs a small Christian organization in the mountains of the Shan province. In a country blighted by social and political unrest, the work they do is challenging.

[Joel Hoffman]

The brokenness in the country is extreme. It's a really broken society, a lot of broken families. So the young people are the ones that really suffering. Because the saddest part is they all have smartphones and the Internet. They see what's out there and yet for most of them it feels totally unattainable to, you know, even travel or to just visit one other country or to, you know, have a home and a career that's somewhat fulfilling. Realistically, a lot of our work was just navigating the chaos. It genuinely felt like every week was like, what's changed? What's the new playing field? What can we do in this? It did feel at times very discouraging because like everything you're planning on doing, it felt like it always was taken away.

[Narrator]

But there are of course, rewarding aspects too, like working with local kids and setting up support programs. Joel's brother Silas lives here permanently with his wife and three children. He has established the mission in a remote rural town.

[Joel Hoffman]

My brother has been there for over a decade. There's a balance between sharing faith but also being practically helpful. And so a big part of what they're doing is community development projects and education projects. And so that's why I joined them, just to help them out and spend some time there.

[Narrator]

Joel makes himself as useful as he can, but he hasn't found his time here easy for a variety of reasons. And now he's feeling the need for a change. A few months ago, he made the difficult decision to leave Myanmar for Australia, where he hopes to do something different for a while. He'll be getting on a plane in a few weeks time. It'll be tough parting with his family and the many local people he's met. But it feels like the right decision, a fresh start in a place with more people his own age who speak his language, where he won't feel so isolated.

[Joel Hoffman]

I was with family, but there's still a sense of loneliness where, you know, I'm the only young person of my culture there who I could talk with and like, do things as simple as, you know, play board games with or watch a movie with. So that kind of missing friendship definitely weighed on me. There's a sense of like loneliness there, which I think was one of the main things that was really hard, was just feeling very lonely.

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[Narrator]

Learn [e-mail] M365 copilot It's around 5pm on September 10th. Joel sits in his brother's small kitchen, watching the rain lash against the window pane. Silas is checking the weather reports on his phone. Silas is a decade older than Joel, but despite this significant age gap, the two brothers share a close bond.

[Joel Hoffman]

He's 10 years older, so I've looked up to him my whole life. He's the cool older brother that would take me to the arcade, and there's a unique relationship there.

[Narrator]

All day, Joel has been keeping tabs on the water levels outside, watching the rain collect in the street, the separate puddles gradually joining up to form large muddy lakes, the pavements slowly sinking from view.

[Joel Hoffman]

You're starting to monitor it in the back of your head, like, well, let's keep an eye on this. It's still raining, but at that time we still felt, well, the water should have somewhere to go, and it was moving.

[Narrator]

Despite the continuing rain, the floodwater in the streets does appear to be draining away. One advantage of living in the mountains is that everything eventually flows downhill but then, just as the sun is beginning to set, a power cut plunges the room into darkness. Joel and Silas look at each other as the flood brought down a utility pole. Could rainwater have seeped into the power supply? Whatever the case, it's a troubling development. At least they still have cell service. Silas lights a candle, and in the flickering glow, the brothers start sending out texts, keeping their loved ones abreast of the developing situation.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're like texting our family we're overseas. Hey, you know, there's some flooding here. The power's gone out. And then suddenly, I don't know, Maybe like around 8, 9pm the Internet cuts out completely and there's no cell service. We're essentially cut off from the rest of the world.

[Narrator]

In that moment, this remote place suddenly seems more remote than ever. After eating dinner at his brother's, Joel makes the five minute walk back to his own house. Rainwater spills beyond the gutters, forming two torrents on either side of the road. He sticks to the single dry strip of dirt running between them, picking his way carefully in the dark. The town they live in sprawls across two sides of a lush mountain valley with houses reaching high up the opposing slopes. Joel and Silas live partway up one of these slopes, but there are many who live further down, closer to the river, where the flooding must be more severe. As he walks, he looks down the hill. The entire town has been plunged into darkness by the power outage. He can't see a thing. He quickens his pace, anxious to get home and dry. The following day brings no let up from the rain. Still without cell service, Joel spends the morning watching the flood levels rise in the street. Despite the evident seriousness of the emergency, there is no official word from the state authorities.

[Joel Hoffman]

Where things started getting dangerous was there's no official communication going out of like, hey, if you're in these areas, go to somewhere safe or things like that where there was just none of that whatsoever.

[Narrator]

But Joel is less concerned for his own safety than for the people who live next to the river. They're the ones facing the most immediate danger. Just before noon, he wades up the road to Silas house. There, the two brothers begin discussing whether they should head down the hill to see if anyone needs their help.

[Joel Hoffman]

Around midday, I meet up with my brother. We kind of decide we're in a position where we can maybe help some people in the midst of this.

[Narrator]

Another thing about living in the mountains hundreds of miles from any coast, is that most of the locals here can't swim. Joel and Silas are no Olympians, but they're both able enough in the water. If they don't try to help, who will? And so the brothers start getting themselves ready. They gather together what few useful supplies they can lay their hands on. Then after saying goodbye to Silas wife and children, they head out into the flood.

[Joel Hoffman]

Dan brought one of his kids full floaties, like a little yellow swim ring because that was the only flotation device we had. We didn't have life jackets or anything. We had like a couple of ropes that we found lying around. I think I had a first aid kit. We were just like, well, this is what we have. But you know, we're two able bodied young men, we know how to swim, which that's more than pretty much anyone else in the town.

[Narrator]

With their scant gear in tow and with little understanding of what lies ahead, they set off across town.

[Joel Hoffman]

We had local friends from the churches and people we work with who we knew were to be close to the river. So we're like, okay, well they probably need some help to evacuate their homes and save some of the possession. You know, it's not like there's flood insurance there. A lot of these people, everything they have is in their home.

[Narrator]

As the brothers approach the bottom of the hill, they begin to get a clearer picture of this unraveling disaster. It's complete pandemonium. The river has swelled to several times its usual size, engulfing the streets that lie nearest to it, inundating shops and houses. Hordes of people stream outside, wading through the ankle deep water, carrying young children and bags of belongings in their arms. Trucks and motorcycles plow through the deluge, seizing their chance to escape before the flood rises any further. There isn't an official anywhere in sight. Fortunately, the river hasn't yet risen above the main bridge. Joel and Silas cross it, then make their way to the houses of some friends nearby.

[Joel Hoffman]

And we're able to help some friends evacuate. I remember like moving jugs of water through some flooding streets, pushing some bikes to get it up to higher ground and things like that, and helping people get situated with somewhere with other friends and other churches where they could at least stay dry and have some food and things like that.

[Narrator]

Once their friends are safely positioned on higher ground, Joel and Silas turn around and head for home. Two hours have passed and the floodwater has risen to their waists. They wade back towards the bridge they crossed earlier. But before they can get there, they're flagged down by a gaggle of local school children, shouting and Waving their arms.

[Joel Hoffman]

They asked us to help because there were some people trapped in the school. It's along like one of the main roads, a two story building. The ground floor is almost entirely underwater. And there was these two guys stuck on the second floor, couldn't swim and they were trapped there.

[Narrator]

The brothers are exhausted from their earlier efforts. And with the flood getting worse, they need to get home. The bridge back to the other side of the town is still visible, but only by a few inches. If it disappears, they'll have no way to get back. Still, they can't just leave these helpless people trapped. And so with one last glance at the bridge, they turn and head towards the school. It's about an hour later. Joel and Silas have strung a length of rope from the street to the school building where two men are trapped on the second story. The current surges around Joel as he feels his way along the slippery line, Foul smelling floodwater lapping at his face.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're starting to get tired and the dangers start becoming realities. We're like, okay, you know, this water is totally brown. We were swimming in sewage basically. Most of the housing have like cesspits and so all these tanks obviously are flooded and now mixing in with this flood water, which is already dirty, we're swimming in that. There's like furniture floating by, getting caught in the rope.

[Narrator]

Eventually, palms roar and arms shaking, they reach the school building. The stranded men inside are terrified, shivering violently in their sodden shorts and T shirts. With reassuring words and gestures, the two brothers guide the men into the water, then steer them gently back along the rope.

[Joel Hoffman]

As we're getting these two guys across, we're like yelling them like, is there anyone else stuck here that you know that needs help as well? And they did, like, no, no, it's just us. Just us.

[Narrator]

They escort the two men to a safer spot. But just when they think their work might be done, they hear something. Turns out there is a second school building partially hidden by the first. And in this second building there is a huddle of about 10 people, a mixture of adults and children, all screaming and waving their arms from the second floor as the rising water threatens to sweep them away. Joel and Silas grimly set about repeating the arduous process. They swim across with the rope secured in place, then begin escorting the terrified people across the watery divide.

[Joel Hoffman]

We set up one bridge from like the street to the first building. And then from that first building to the second building, we set up another rope to kind of help people, pull them along with the women and children, like the Titanic, you know, women and children first. We ferry them across, and it's very hard. They're panicked. They don't even know the sensation of being submerged in water totally. And so they're like holding onto the rope and clinging to everything for dear life while we're trying to pull them along. But then there's a language barrier as well.

[Narrator]

It's chaotic, noisy, a melee of frantic rain, soaked limbs. Joel and Silas coax and cajole, urging the townspeople along the rope. At last, they managed to shepherd all the women and children safely to the other side. There are still a few men stranded in the school. The two brothers are completely spent. Ultimately, they are forced to make a tough decision.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're able to get the women and children to safety and then end up abandoning the men. We're so physically tired by this point. Like struggling to keep myself above water because you're constantly fighting against the current.

[Narrator]

If they go back again, the risk to their own lives is enormous. And so, exhausted and soaked to the bone, Joel and Silas wade back towards the bridge. But when they get there, they make an alarming discovery. The bridge, the only safe route to the other side, is gone. Submerged beneath the roiling flood. The brothers stare at the yawning expanse of water, its turbid brown surface pockmarked by heavy rain. Slowly, they both come to the same conclusion. In order to get to the other side, in order to reach their houses and return to Silas family, they're gonna have to do something drastic.

[Joel Hoffman]

We should have made a decision to stay, honestly. And if anyone's in that situation, I would say stay put where you're safe. But I don't know, for one reason or the other, we felt we needed to cross.

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[Narrator]

It's mid afternoon on September 11, 2024, in the mountains of eastern Myanmar. In the middle of a flooded town, brothers Joel and Silas wade through the shallows at the edge of the river, scouting around for the best place to try to cross. Because the flood has now engulfed several streets on either side, the water is littered with obstacles, some visible, some hidden. Treetops, telephone poles, barbed wire fences, concrete walls, all lurk dangerously in the murky, muddy rapids.

[Joel Hoffman]

We kind of figured where the river is the widest, that's where the current is going to be the least dangerous. Where the building density kind of reduces a bit, where it's a bit more spread out, housing fields and things like that, that's a good area to cross.

[Narrator]

After a while, Joel and Silas reach the widest section of river. And it is wide, a near thousand foot stretch of fast flowing water, broken in places by half submerged buildings and thick clumps of vegetation. Daunting as it may appear, they agree that this is the place. Cautiously, the brothers step forward, easing themselves into the deep water. In theory, the flow should be less furious here, but as soon as their feet are no longer touching the bottom, the current takes hold, whisking the young men downstream. With a flurry of kicks and strokes, they are just about able to steer themselves in a diagonal direction, aiming for calmer sections where they can grab hold of something and catch their breath.

[Joel Hoffman]

And so we're kind of like leapfrogging our way across to these sections of strong current. As you hit the current, you kind of get pushed downstream a bit and then you're trying to find somewhere. I can get heat from here to here with the current. I can take a breath there and make our way kind of hopscotching along the way.

[Narrator]

As Joel approaches one clump of dense undergrowth, he reaches out and grasps the vegetation. Instantly, sharp, needling pain fires through his hands.

[Joel Hoffman]

Every single tree in our path was like a thorn tree. And so we're like getting catapulted by the current into these like thorn trees. But you're like, well I don't want to hold onto this, but I also don't want to get pulled along by the current. So you're like clinging for your life. That's when things really start kicking and we're like okay, now we're in danger.

[Narrator]

As he clings to the branches of the tree, feeling its thorns slice into his skin, Joel looks around wide eyed. It's as if the dangers have multiplied. Everywhere he looks gnarled wooden stumps and sharp spars of rusty metal protrude from the water like fangs. The roar of the flood in his ears is deafening. He's increasingly powerless, caught in a situation way beyond his control.

[Joel Hoffman]

We're now in the middle of this flood. We're surrounded by debris, hidden dangers. There's fallen fences and collapsed buildings. There's barbed wire underwater everywhere, probably tin roofing, which is obviously like razor sharp, especially if it's been like torn up. And it definitely felt like, oh, I'm very close to like my body just giving out.

[Narrator]

But they're in the middle of the crossing. They can't turn back now. Joel pushes off from the thorn bush and thrashes his way across the next section of flood. With each stroke he could be impaled on a coil of razor wire or electrocuted by a downed power line. Instead, he careens into the remains of a fallen building, a tangled clump of concrete slabs and snapped wooden beams. He grabs hold and clings on as the current claws at him from below.

[Joel Hoffman]

I could feel the current like pulling my legs under this kind of clump of debris that was definitely, you know, quite scary. Feeling of if my muscles give out, if my strength gives out, I'm getting pulled under this and then I don't know what's happening. I think realistically I could have very easily died.

[Narrator]

The brothers are now separated. Silas is a short distance away, downstream, pinned between the current and another clump of rubble. They call out across the divide, each reassuring the other that they're okay, that they feel just about strong enough to continue in the moment.

[Joel Hoffman]

The adrenaline and the kind of focus of like, we just need to keep going, keep going, keep going. You're in the moment. You're fighting for your life. You're trying to think of how do I move forward from this, how do I get to, how do I keep surviving.

[Narrator]

With trembling arms, Joel yanks his legs out from beneath the concrete slab. He pushes off again, letting the current carry him to the next tree, the next toppled building, the next fence. On and on, he and Silas forge their way across the river. Finally, with muscles searing, they find themselves around 150ft from the opposite bank, separated from their objective by two final stretches of fast flowing water.

[Joel Hoffman]

And by this point we can like see the end 50 meters away. But we also recognize, like, if we get caught in this is very much the end. The current is pushing us straight into like a section of debris that looks real dangerous. If you're caught in like barbed wire underwater, you're going to drown quite painfully. That's where the current is pushing us.

[Narrator]

They need a place to rest, a safe haven to regain their strength before attempting this final leg. As luck would have it, there is a house just downstream and the floodwater has risen so high up its walls that Joel and Silas are able to swim straight onto the second story balcony. They pull themselves up and collapse onto the tiled floor, much to the surprise of the homeowners sheltering inside, who stare in bewilderment at the two sopping wet strangers. While Silas tries to communicate with the family, Joel peers over the wall at the final stretch. They still need to swim. The current looks fierce, coursing powerfully over invisible dangers, creating waves and ripples. He looks up at the sky. It can't be long until nightfall. Attempting to swim across in the dark would be complete madness. They'll have to stay here for as long as they dare, recuperating as much as possible before making their final push. Two hours pass as they wait, trying to get some blood flowing again into their exhausted limbs. Joel inspects the water levels for the first time. He notices that the flood seems to be slightly receding. He can see things in the water that he couldn't before. Dangers gradually reveal themselves.

[Joel Hoffman]

There's a section of wall that we were going to swim across, but as the current goes down, we do notice that it's covered in like shards of glass embedded there and like we were planning on swimming right across that. So thankfully the water level goes down, we're able to see that.

[Narrator]

It's a good thing they waited. Had they not, they would have unwittingly swam right across the glass covered wall, shredding their bodies in the process. It's a bit of good luck, but they can't delay much longer.

[Joel Hoffman]

It's getting too dark now. We have to get across this current. We don't know what's going to happen. We can't do anything in the night. The building we're on right now, cement construction, but it could very easily collapse in the middle of the night. That's a real possibility. We've seen other buildings collapsed already, so there was a sense of like a ticking time bomb. It's now or never. We have to jump and try this.

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[Narrator]

It's about 6pm Joel and Silas balance on the edge of the balcony wall, getting ready to jump. They'll need to propel themselves several feet to clear a wall below a wall strewn with shards of broken glass. But even if they avoid that obstacle, who knows what lurks beneath the gloomy water beyond? It's a risk they're going to have to take. Silas goes first. The older brother bends his knees, then springs forward, landing with a splash several feet beyond the glass topped wall. Joel nervously adjusts his position. He plants his feet, sinks into a crouch, then pushes off sharply, hurling himself after his older brother. A stench fills Joel's nostrils as he resurfaces, gasping for air, coughing up lungfuls of fetid floodwater before the current whisks them off. Joel and Silas start to swim, powering themselves forward towards the bank, now less than 150ft away. They are drained, weak, and then they see a literal lifeline flapping in the current. To their enormous relief, the brothers discover that someone has set up a rope from the flooded streets to the dry ground. They grab hold and begin pulling themselves along it.

[Joel Hoffman]

I remember like clawing my way along this. Your legs are like being pulled away by the current and you're just like clinging on your last little bit of strength.

[Narrator]

Joel grits his teeth. His head drops forward, lank strands of hair tumbling into his eyes. Everything in his body is screaming at him to let go of the rope, to relax his muscles and allow the water to taken.

[Joel Hoffman]

I feel like at the end of a workout where you're like trying to lift, even just trying to get up. You know, it's like your muscles are done and your mind's like well I should be able to do this. Our body's like no, we're not doing this. We can't do this anymore.

[Narrator]

He looks up. Silas is a Few feet ahead of him, battling the current. He watches the back of his brother's head bowed with effort, knuckles whitening around the rope. As he inches closer to dry land, Joel drops his gaze. Focus. He places one hand after another, repeating the process again and again, until at last, he feels it. Solid ground

[Joel Hoffman]

for the first time in several hours of, like, feeling soil under your feet, where you feel like, okay, I can stand, I can walk, but I've made it.

[Narrator]

The brothers wade up the bank until the flood waters recede to a shallow pool around their ankles. They make their way uphill, weaving through the waterlogged streets, bracing themselves for the damage their homes must surely have sustained.

[Joel Hoffman]

I remember getting to my house, and we saw the water level had literally come up to with, like, an inch of the floor. My house was, like, up on a bit of, like, a cement block bit raised off the ground, and the water had come up, like, within an inch of the floor. So we're like, thank you, God. It really felt like a miracle.

[Narrator]

Silas is reunited with his family, all of whom are safe. As well as Joel's house remaining intact, his truck and his laptop, both vital for his work, are also undamaged. On a personal level, the brothers have been deeply fortunate, but many others have not. As reports of the devastation continue to emerge in the coming days, Typhun Yagi is soon recognized as one of the most destructive tropical cyclones ever to hit southeast Asia. Across Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and beyond, the storm has wreaked untold HAVOC, inflicting roughly $14 billion worth of damage and tragically claiming around a thousand lives. In the wake of the flood, Joel and Silas. Small town looks like a bomb site. Entire streets have been washed away, leaving heaps of rubble and mud where homes and businesses once stood.

[Joel Hoffman]

The next morning, be able to start taking stock of the situation, and we can see the devastation and the destruction that's been wrought. You know, like, thousands of people don't have a home, don't have anywhere to stay. And so that's when the kind of community effort kind of kicks in. It was really heartwarming to see

[Narrator]

even amidst all this destruction. In the days that follow, the community spirit reveals itself to be alive and well. Joel and Silas try to play their part, too.

[Joel Hoffman]

The next couple days was just a lot of driving around, trying to organize food and clothing and things like that and delivered to different impromptu community centers that have kind of cropped up where people were gathered cooking food and distributing goods. I remember in the moment being, like, really impressed to see, like, how generous people were Even for many of them, they had nothing but what they had, they did give, which is really cool to see.

[Narrator]

Over the next few weeks, Joel throws himself into helping the townspeople recover after the flood. For the first time in months, he feels like he is truly able to make a real measurable difference to people's lives.

[Joel Hoffman]

There was so much to be done and so many ways we were able to be helpful. I think just a time of feeling very useful, and that's always very fulfilling. It's hard to feel depressed and discouraged when you're being useful and being able to meet people's needs very practically.

[Narrator]

Helping out in the immediate aftermath of the disaster puts a pause on Joel's plans to leave Myanmar. But after a time when he's done as much as he can, he reappraises the situation again and decides he will go ahead with a move to Australia after all. Not that the decision is an easy one.

[Joel Hoffman]

Osway, struggling with the instability. It was tough. There was a real sense of guilt I felt in leaving of, like, survivors, guilt of like, I get to leave and leave all this, this chaos behind.

[Narrator]

Indeed, the devastating impact of Typhoon Yagi is still being felt in the affected regions today. The damage has left permanent scars, and the work to recover by locals and charities goes on. Looking back now, Joel has a few possible theories to explain how he managed to survive his dramatic ordeal. A key element, he says, was a strong fraternal bond.

[Joel Hoffman]

Having my brother there with me, I mean, I don't think I would have made it without him practically and physically like we were, you know, helping each other, holding out each other's hands, like, pulling each other across certain sections and things like that. I think the combination of being there with my brother, I think the providence of God and then also just the upbringing of, like, being used to changes and chaos and adapting to new challenges quickly. I think that combination helped me to survive.

[Narrator]

A few weeks after the flood, Joel moves to Brisbane, where he starts working a more conventional 9 to 5 job. It's an opportunity to reassess, to figure out what his next steps are. And while much remains uncertain, one thing has become crystal clear to him. In the wake of the flood, there's

[Joel Hoffman]

a real sense of fulfillment and really gives your life meaning in helping people and helping people in need. That's what I've taken out of this whole experience. I desire to want to do that and figure out a way where I can make a living and have a career in that kind of work. Whatever that exactly is, I'm not sure yet, but that's what I'm thinking about. I want to continue to find ways to work with people and help people out in crisis.

[Narrator]

Next time on real survival stories. We meet Iowa farmer Eric Baker in June 2013. The 23 year old is working full time on his father's farm. As the youngest and fittest employee, Eric is left with with some of the toughest tasks, including laboring inside a giant, swelteringly hot storage container full of hundreds of tons of corn. And it's here that a strange and horrifying disaster unfolds. A bizarre series of events leads to Arik suddenly sinking into the mountain of grain, swallowed whole like he's falling through quicksand, subsumed and crushed within around 1.3 million pounds of corn. He is buried alive, barely able to breathe and heading towards the rotating blades of the container's machinery. Any hope of escape seems impossible as every movement crushes him further. That's next time on REAL SURVIVAL stories. Listen right now without waiting and without ads, by joining Noiser plus

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[Narrator]

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