From car crashes and crane collapses to explosions, freak accidents, and extreme stunts gone awry, we chronicle the most spectacular close calls and seek to explain how these survivors managed to walk away. Was it science? Luck? Or a bit of both? You'll see near-death footage from dashcams and CCTV and hear the first-hand accounts of those who managed to live to tell the tale.

From car crashes and crane collapses to explosions, freak accidents, and extreme stunts gone awry, we chronicle the most spectacular close calls and seek to explain how these survivors managed to walk away. Was it science? Luck? Or a bit of both? You'll see near-death footage from dashcams and CCTV and hear the first-hand accounts of those who managed to live to tell the tale.