Frane Selak, a humble Croatian man, is often referred to as the luckiest person alive, with a life that reads more like a dramatic movie script than reality. Born in 1929, Selak’s seemingly normal existence as a music teacher took an unexpected turn, leading to a series of near-death experiences that are hard to believe. Yet, Selak insists that real life is far stranger than any movie.
Selak’s incredible journey of survival began in 1957 when he was involved in a bus accident that plunged into a river. This was only the start of his extraordinary brushes with death. According to the BBC, he experienced six more life-threatening incidents. He survived a train derailment that also ended up in a river, walked away from two cars that exploded, and even escaped a plane crash by being thrown out of the aircraft and landing safely on a haystack. In another incident, after driving off a cliff, a tree stopped his fall, saving him once again. He also survived being hit by a bus.
As if his unbelievable survival record wasn’t enough, Frane Selak proved he wasn’t just the world’s “unluckiest” man. According to Ripley’s, in the mid-2000s, Lady Luck seemed to change her mind when he won a lottery in Croatia, netting him approximately $1 million (Rs 8.36 crore). With this newfound fortune, Selak bought a luxury house but eventually sold it in 2010, choosing to return to a modest lifestyle with his fifth wife.
Despite the series of horrifying events, Frane’s story ends on a positive note. He used the last of his lottery winnings to fund a hip operation and build a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary as a gesture of gratitude for his survival and good fortune.
Selak’s life may be hard to believe, but his resilience and gratitude offer an inspiring reminder that sometimes, reality can be stranger than fiction.
