Humans Can Hibernate For Survival?
It's incredible the teen stowaway lived through the five-and-a-half hour flight from California to Hawaii in the plane's wheel well given the intense pressure from altitude and below freezing temperatures he experienced.
The temperature outside the plane at 38,000 ft. would be between -60 to -80 degrees Fahrenheit. With heat from the wheels and from hydraulic fluid lines, the temperature where the teen hid would be around -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Which begs the question – how did he survive?
Answer: Hypoxia and hypothermia.
On "New Day" Thursday, Dr. John Boockvar, an expert on neuroscience, said hypoxia is the result of a lack of oxygen in the body, which can cause a person to lose consciousness.
High altitudes are known to restrict oxygen flow to the body.
Dr. Boockvar says this condition is akin to sending a person into hibernation:
"Think of an animal that has to hibernate. It goes into a deep sleep – sleeping to such an extent that all of its organs are asleep. The body survives because you don't need the same food or oxygen requirements that you do when you're warm."
Hypothermia can also help people survive in extreme conditions.
When your body goes into hypothermia, it redirects warm blood flow from your extremities to the core portions of the body – the internal organs and the brain – in an effort to keep them working.
After someone who is essentially hibernating and frozen gets medical attention – doctors can sometimes save lives with a device known as the Arctic Sun.
This helps physicians slowly warm a patient’s body.
Miraculously, an hour after the plane landed at Kahului Airport, the boy regained consciousness and was captured on security footage crawling out of the left main gear area of the plane.
It's still unclear if he will suffer any lasting effects from the journey.
HERE ARE TWO OTHER REMARKABLE CASES OF HYPOTHERMIA & SURVIVAL:
Marcia Page, 43 – Skiing Accident
In 2001, while snowboarding on Oregon's Mount Hood, Marcia Page, 43, a neonatal nurse, fell off a 65-foot cliff.
Page laid in the snow for 45 min. at 6,000 ft. Hypothermia set in and brought her body temperature down to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
David Samuels, 63 – Spent Night in Snow Bank
When Wisconsin resident David Samuels, 63, was found in a snow bank he had no pulse for more than 30 minutes.
His body temperature dropped to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here's another case where a woman cheated death.
Malaysia to Release MH370 Report, Prime Minister Tells CNN
Facing anger from families of Flight 370 passengers, Malaysia's Prime Minister said Thursday his government will release its preliminary report on the plane's disappearance.
In a TV exclusive, Najib Razak told CNN the report will be available to the public next week.
"I have directed an internal investigation team of experts to look at the report, and there is a likelihood that next week we could release the report," Najib said. Later in the interview with CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest, he gave a more definitive statement, saying the report will be released next week.
Najib also discussed why he is not yet officially declaring the flight - and the 239 people on board - lost.
The report has already been sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.N. body for global aviation, but not made available to the public.
The ICAO told CNN about a safety recommendation in the report: Malaysia said the aviation world needs to look at real-time tracking of commercial aircraft. It's the same recommendation that was made after the Air France Flight 447 disaster in 2009.
Earlier Thursday, the partner of one of the passengers accused Malaysian authorities of seeming "to be choosing to treat us as if we are the enemy as opposed to an interested party in helping to solve this mystery."
"We need a fresh start here," Sarah Bajc, partner of passenger Philip Wood, said on CNN's "New Day."
"We've been sitting on opposite sides of the table. They have a briefing, they tell us what they know and we ask them questions. That's just kind of broken. I think we need to start from scratch and sit down and have a positive dialogue."
Families don't "necessarily believe" that the Malaysian authorities are "withholding any new information other than the facts that we've already asked for," she added.
A committee representing some of the Chinese families have posted 26 questions on the Chinese social media site Weibo.
Usually, such reports to the ICAO are public, Quest says.
"In most cases, the report is published because it's not a controversial document," he said. "It's a statement of facts - what happened. And if there are any controversial or difficult facts, they can be redacted."
Malaysia has insisted it has nothing to hide and is working to find answers.
MORE on CNN.com
What's On Your Bucket List?
In today's edition of the "Good Stuff," an elderly woman crosses a wish off her bucket list. CNN's Chris Cuomo reports.
For more than 40 years, Gary, Indiana, resident Willie Tillman, 102, wanted to visit the top of the Sears Tower.
Although the name of the landmark has changed to the Willis Tower, Tillman has reached her goal.
"I like it ... I like it," Tillman said. "That's the greatest."
See the full story at CNN affiliate WLS and if you have #GoodStuff news, let us know!
Leave a comment, post on Facebook, or tweet to @ChrisCuomo & @NewDay using #NewDay and submit your story on iReport.
"Morning Minute" with Michaela Pereira – April 24, 2014
Need to get today's top stories on-the-go? Watch Michaela Pereira's morning minute now!
And here's a rundown of the top stories from today's show:
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