The 1954 Plane Crashes of Ernest Hemingway & His Bottle of Gin

Ernest Hemingway, the famous American writer known for books like The Old Man and the Sea, lived a life full of adventure. But nothing tops what happened to him in 1954 when he survived not one, but two plane crashes in just two days. People around the world thought he was dead. Newspapers even printed stories saying he didn’t make it. Then, almost 24 hours after the second crash, Hemingway walked out of the jungle holding a bunch of bananas and a bottle of gin, proving everyone wrong. This incredible story is one for the books, and at Phacts, we’re diving deep into every detail to bring you the full picture of this amazing survival tale.

A Christmas Gift Turns Into a Nightmare

It all started in January 1954. Hemingway, who was 54 years old at the time, was on a big trip in East Africa with his wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway. He had planned this adventure as a special Christmas gift for her. The couple had been exploring places like Kenya and the Belgian Congo, hunting and enjoying the wild beauty of Africa. On January 23, they decided to take a sightseeing flight over Uganda to see the stunning Murchison Falls, a powerful waterfall on the Nile River surrounded by jungle and wildlife.

They hired a pilot named Roy Marsh to fly them in a small Cessna 180 plane. The plan was simple: soar over the falls, snap some photos, and enjoy the view. But things went wrong fast. As they flew low over the jungle, a flock of big birds called ibises suddenly appeared in front of the plane. To avoid hitting them, the pilot swerved sharply. In the chaos, the plane clipped a telegraph wire and spiraled out of control. It crashed hard onto the crocodile-filled banks of the Nile River, near the falls.

The First Crash: Stranded in the Jungle

Amazingly, everyone on board—Hemingway, Mary, and the pilot—survived the crash. The plane was wrecked, but they weren’t hurt too badly yet. Mary had two cracked ribs, and Hemingway sprained his shoulder and back. With no way to call for help, they were stuck in the wild. Around them were crocodiles, elephants, and who knows what else lurking in the jungle. They had to spend the night there, camping out with just a few supplies, including some beer and whiskey they rationed to stay calm.

Hemingway later told reporters a funny story about that night. He said Mary’s loud snoring kept him awake, and he was sure it scared off an elephant that got too close. “We held our breath for two hours while an elephant 12 paces away stood in the moonlight, listening to my wife’s snores,” he said with a laugh. Even in a tough spot, Hemingway found a way to keep his spirits up.

Rescue by Boat

The next morning, January 24, luck finally turned their way. A boat full of tourists sailing down the Nile spotted the crashed plane and the stranded group. The tourists picked them up and took them to a small town called Butiaba, about 50 miles away. Hemingway and Mary were banged up but alive. They were grateful to be out of the jungle, but their troubles weren’t over yet. They still needed to get to a bigger town, Entebbe, for proper medical help and to let the world know they were okay.

In Butiaba, a second plane—a De Havilland Rapide—was waiting to fly them to safety. It seemed like the nightmare was ending. They climbed aboard with a new pilot, ready to leave the mess behind. But as the plane took off, disaster struck again.

The Second Crash: Fire and Chaos

Just seconds after lifting off the runway, the second plane hit a bump. It bounced, hit another bump, and veered off course. Before anyone could react, it crashed and burst into flames. The fire spread fast, trapping Hemingway, Mary, and the pilot inside. The pilot kicked out a window and pulled Mary to safety. But Hemingway was too big to fit through the small opening. With no other choice, he used his head—literally—to smash open the stuck door. He rammed it with his skull until it gave way, then stumbled out of the burning wreck.

This second crash was much worse than the first. Hemingway suffered serious injuries: third-degree burns on his right arm, burns on his left hand, a ruptured kidney, a damaged liver, and a bad head injury that left him leaking cerebral fluid. Mary was in shock, her memory fuzzy from the trauma. The pilot made it out too, but all three were in rough shape. The plane was destroyed, and their belongings—including Hemingway’s receipts for a magazine assignment—went up in flames.

A Long Ride to Safety

With no more planes to risk, Hemingway and Mary had to find another way to get help. They climbed into a car and endured a bumpy, 170-mile ride from Butiaba to Entebbe. When they finally arrived on January 25, reporters were waiting. The world had heard about the crashes, and many thought Hemingway was dead. Newspapers had already run headlines announcing his death. But there he was, stepping out of the car, his head and arm bandaged, limping a little—but alive. In one hand, he carried a bunch of bananas, and in the other, a bottle of gin. He grinned at the shocked reporters and said, “My luck, she is running very good.”

That bottle of gin became the stuff of legend. It showed Hemingway’s toughness and his ability to find humor even after staring death in the face twice in two days. At Phacts, we love how this detail paints a picture of a man who refused to give up, no matter what.

The Aftermath: Injuries That Lingered

Hemingway tried to brush off the crashes like they were no big deal, but his body told a different story. A few months later, on April 17, 1954, he wrote a letter to his lawyer, Alfred Rice, from a hotel in Venice, Italy. In it, he described just how bad things had gotten. “Couldn’t write letters much on account of right arm which was burned to the bone third degree and it would cramp up on me,” he wrote. “Fingers burned and left hand third degree too, so couldn’t type.” He also mentioned the internal damage: a ruptured kidney, an injured liver and spleen, and so much bleeding inside that he felt weak.

Mary wasn’t doing great either. Hemingway wrote, “Mary had a big shock and her memory not too hot yet and it will take quite a time to sort things out.” The head injury from smashing the door open was especially serious. Doctors later said he’d had at least nine major concussions in his life, and this one might have been the worst. Some experts believe it played a big role in the headaches, memory problems, and depression he faced in his final years.

A Legend Keeps Going

Even with all these injuries, Hemingway didn’t slow down right away. Just a few months after the crashes, he went on a fishing trip—and got caught in a bush fire. He came out of that with more burns on his arms and face. It was like he couldn’t catch a break. But 1954 wasn’t all bad for him. That October, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his amazing storytelling, especially in The Old Man and the Sea. He was too hurt to travel to Sweden for the ceremony, but the award showed the world that his talent was still shining bright.

Sadly, the crashes left scars that never fully healed. The head injuries might have added to the struggles he faced later. Hemingway battled depression and drank more heavily to deal with the pain. In 1961, at age 61, he took his own life in his home in Idaho. Some say those 1954 crashes started a downward slide he couldn’t escape. But back in that moment, walking out of the jungle with gin in hand, he was unbeatable.

Why This Story Matters at Phacts

At Phacts, we’re all about digging into the real stories behind the headlines. Hemingway’s 1954 plane crashes are more than just a wild tale—they show what a person can survive when the odds are stacked against them. From the first crash near the crocodile-infested Nile to the fiery wreck of the second plane, Hemingway faced danger head-on and came out swinging. That bottle of gin? It’s a symbol of his grit, his humor, and his refusal to let life knock him down.

This story also reminds us how news can spread fast—and get things wrong. When the world thought Hemingway was dead, he proved them wrong in the most Hemingway way possible. It’s a lesson in double-checking the facts, something we take seriously here at Phacts.

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