(June 8) -- A young American tourist survived a life-threatening test of endurance while clinging to the outside of a moving train through bitter cold and high speeds in Australia.
Chad Vance, 19, a native of North Pole, Alaska, and student at University of Alaska-Fairbanks, hung on to a small stairwell as the Ghan train trekked for 120 miles through the South Australian Outback, according to a report in London's Times Online.
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Vance, who originally boarded the train at Adelaide, got off during a brief stop to stretch his legs and explore the city of Port Augusta. But he lost track of time and got back just as the train was pulling away.
In a scene straight out of a movie, Vance took off after the train, knocking on the windows of a dining car to no avail. As the train began moving, he brazenly jumped into the stairwell of a car and hung on for dear life. Wearing only a t-shirt, jeans and boots, he suffered through freezing winds and 70-mph speeds.
Vance, who recorded part of the ordeal on cell phone video, was out in the cold for 2 hours and 20 minutes before a member of the train's crew heard his cries and got the train stopped. He was described as having white skin and blue lips.
Vance was headed to Sydney after the ordeal, where he planned to catch a flight home.
Get more on the story from London's Times Online.
