: They rowed through hippo-infested waters, eventually having to abandon the raft to wade through a game trail.
The duo's journey culminated in a high-stakes extraction involving a handmade reed raft.
While Africa is famous for its "Big 5" predators, Joe and Andrea found themselves hunting what they jokingly called "Africa's Little 5"—minnows, chameleons, grubs, snails, and birds—just to stay afloat. The environment was brutal: [S5E3] The Darkest Hour
By the end of the challenge, both survivalists showed incredible resilience: lost 21 pounds, and his PSR rose to 8.0 . Andrea lost 7.5 pounds, and her PSR rose to 7.5 .
: They reached the rescue boat after 21 grueling days. Final Results The environment was brutal: By the end of
: A mountaineer and professional hide tanner from Wyoming, Joe brought a calm, steady energy and a starting PSR of 7.1.
In Season 5, Episode 3 of , titled " The Darkest Hour ," we witnessed one of the most mentally and physically taxing challenges in the series’ history. Set in the Zambezi region of Namibia , the episode paired Joe Brandl, a 55-year-old survival instructor, with Andrea Lopez, a 29-year-old personal trainer and former police officer. The Survivalists Final Results : A mountaineer and professional hide
: The area was teeming with dangerous animals, most notably the deadly hippopotamus.