by Ashley Thompson

The two survivalists are near the Danube River in Croatia at the Kopeck Rit. It hosts mazes of lakes and rivers, a ridiculous amount of disease carrying mosquitoes, wild boars and jackals. For now it also hosts Lee from Australia, and Stacey from Idaho.

Lee teaches bushcraft survival and re-wilding (what the hell is that?) and grew up in a "hippie commune" in London. He studies wilderness survival in the US. Two years ago he lost his three year old daughter to cancer and is looking at this situation for new perspective. He brings with him a pot and a PSR of 7.6.

Stacey is a science major, mom, punk rocker and field-data collector. A few years ago she got lost in the desert without any resources and decided that would be the last time that happens. She is doing this challenge to show her kids how bad-ass they can be. She brings along a kukri and a PSR of 6.2.

Their first encounter brings us back to the super awkward days of stuttering and staring. But the cutest part is Stacey putting mud on her partner's back to protect from mosquitoes and the look she gives the camera. He is an attractive and chiseled man, Stace... we'll give you that. Unfortunately that's the last smile we'll see for a while because Lee has such a difficult time getting a fire started he blisters his hands. Without fire they can't drink the swampy bubble water at their camp.

They decide tome on from water to shelter and the idea is that if they bury themselves in the sand and cover their faces in fern then the mosquitoes won't bite. Cute but no. They spend their night being eaten alive by the bugs so they spend their time talking. Lee discloses that the lost his daughter and proceeds to break down, reaching his emotional toll on night one.

On day 2 they get fire which means they get water. To get food Lee makes a corral in the water to trap the fish in one spot for easy pickins. It actually works! The fish are dead already, but the fabacea plants are like fish poisons which affect the fish's ability to take in oxygen but safe for humans to eat if fresh. Meanwhile, Stacey is laying near the fire getting a wicked burn on her bum when the pot falls over. To avoid contamination she is taken to a base amp so that medics can dress the burns. Their concern is keeping the wound clean. With a third degree burn she could get an infection. They encourage her to go to the hospital, she decides to stay. But on day 8 the pain is unbearable so she calls on the medic to check the wound. It had gotten infected, which can lead to shock and death, so she is forced to tap out. You're no less a bad ass in our opinion!

Alone, Lee is deteriorating emotionally and physically. His brain is consuming it's now cells due to lack of protein and fats causing anxiety and depression. In the silence he grieves for his daughter an makes the decision that when he gets home he and his wife will try for another child. The release has also given him the energy to make his extraction trek. In the trees, void of sunlight, Lee now faces the risk of hypothermia. What a change. De debris next to land prevents a boat from coming to get him, so he must swim.

Lee lost 18 pounds and his PSR rose to 8.4.

Stacey lost 5 pounds in her 8 days and her PSR stays at 6.2 because of the freak accident that caused her to tap out.

Photo credit: Discovery Channel