This is a clip that discusses Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett, who was a former British military officer turned Archaeologist and South American explorer who disappeared (still under unknown circumstances) during an expedition to find the ancient lost city "Z".
Fawcett had been on numerous expeditions to map several jungle areas in Brazil and Bolivia on behalf of the Royal Geographic Society. He had studied many historical records and mapped out different regions of South America and became convinced that a lost city existed in Brazil's Mato Grosso region. In 1925 Col. Fawcett, his son Jack and Jack's friend Raleigh Rimell set off in search of the city...they were never heard from again.
There are, of course, many theories regarding the fate of Fawcett's final trek into this uncharted territory: many have speculated that one of the local tribes had killed them (more than a few of the native tribes near where Fawcett and his team vanished were known to be hostile). Falling prey to one of the many deadly animals in the Amazon, disease and even natural causes could all be possibilities as well. Following his disappearance, it is estimated that almost 100 people have either died or disappeared themselves searching for Fawcett over the years. The debate continues to this day over what really became of the eccentric explorer, so determined (almost to a maddening degree) to find the lost city that many have argued that he never had any intentions of returning to Britain and that he was to start and live in some sort of mystical commune in the jungle.
Percy Fawcett is truly a pioneer, a fearless and legendary British explorer and certainly the last of his kind. I strongly recommend reading about Col. Fawcett and his various expeditions, especially if you have an interest in exploration, adventure or mysterious disappearances. David Grann's excellent and captivating book The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, is a great place to start.
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