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Dove into the ocean in subfreezing temperatures?
"People ask, 'Why dive in Antarctica, where the water is 28 degrees? What could possibly live there?' But it's as rich as the tropics. Above the sea is the colorless world of penguins, black rock, white ice, and snow. Below are vibrant shell-less snails and sea peaches with splashes of pinks, purples, reds, and oranges—creatures you've never seen before, living in one of the harshest environments. And there are big, sexy predators like the humpback whale or the leopard seal, which glides like an underwater ballet dancer. When I first jump in, it's a shock to go from sweating in the boat to being enveloped by below-freezing water. But after a few minutes, my face becomes numb and I'm completely entranced by the incredible world surrounding me. Even with 150 pounds of gear, you're weightless. And all you can hear is the sound of your own breathing. About 30 to 45 minutes into the dive, I start to get cold, and it becomes a tug-of-war between wanting to stay in this extraordinary environment and needing to get to the surface. I feel such a completeness down below—t's like home." — Lisa Trotter, undersea specialist and marine biologist who was the first person to obtain her open-water certification in Antarctica

Came back to life after flatlining?

"I was driving on the Long Island Expressway in icy conditions when my car slid off the highway. I remember hearing glass breaking and metal crunching before I blacked out. I was airlifted to the nearest hospital, but as the doctors worked to stop the bleeding, I flatlined. I remember watching the whole scene in the operating room from above, as if I were observing a stranger. It was really bright, and I could hear the doctors in gowns quietly talking through their masks and the metal clanging of the instruments. Then I saw my own face with my eyes closed and covered with blood, and thought, How could I be watching from above if that's me down there on the table? What the heck is going on? Up until that point, I really thought that I was watching some kind of surgical documentary. Then the vision suddenly ended. The doctors had restarted my heart. I was in a lot of pain, but I felt so grateful to be alive." — Thomas Foote, who "died" after a 1992 car accident and was brought back to life

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