Daniel Egginton: Abandoned in the Darién Gap | The Survival Debrief

Human remains in the jungle. Armed groups. A guide who walked away on day two. British explorer Daniel Egginton joins me, Steven Kelly, on The Survival Debrief to tell the story of his third attempt to cross the Darién Gap from Colombia towards Panama.

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From Sumatra to the Darién Gap

Daniel first travelled to Sumatra as a teenager after using an £800 tax refund from Dudley Zoo to buy a flight. He went into the rainforest with local guides and spent his 18th birthday there. Adventures in Costa Rica, the Amazon and a 2018 canoe expedition along Guyana's Essequibo River followed.

Three attempts to cross one dangerous jungle

Daniel's first Darién Gap attempt in 2020 ended when officials took his passport and sent him away by boat. He called off his second attempt in 2021 after hearing fighting in the jungle. In August 2022 he returned, using local contacts to arrange a crossing. He recalls crossing seven rivers on the very first day.

Finding human remains

On day two, Daniel and his guide encountered a skeleton and a Venezuelan identity document. They couldn't establish whose remains they were, but the discovery brought home the human cost of journeys through this region.

When the guide left him alone

Later that day the guide refused to continue into Panama, fearing arrest. Daniel initially thought he was joking, but the guide left. Daniel says he spent the next three days alone in the rainforest, navigating towards a river while battling exhaustion, soaked terrain and the hazards of venomous wildlife. He had arranged a trusted UK contact to follow his progress, although dense canopy complicated satellite communications.

When he finally reached the river, Daniel broke down in tears. A local boy helped him travel by boat to a village, where border officers questioned him before helping him onwards.

Daniel's plan to walk the Congo River

Daniel is also planning to walk the length of the Congo River system, starting from a source in Zambia and travelling through the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He estimates around 14 to 15 months and says local communities and logistical support will be essential. The expedition is still a plan, and funding is a major challenge.

The Darién Academy

We also discuss the Darién Academy, which Daniel is developing with partners in Panama to help people prepare for working in jungle environments. Subjects include navigation, water and food discipline and expedition planning.

What I took from this conversation

I've spent years in the British Army and completed 56 days across Naked and Afraid and Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse. Daniel's account highlights a different set of risks: security, logistics and deciding when to turn back. His key advice is to plan properly, learn from local people and build up experience.

Watch or listen

Watch the complete Daniel Egginton interview on YouTube or listen on Spotify.

More survival adventures

Read my Andrew Thomas Price interview, watch Highland Reckoning or explore courses at South West Survival.

About Steven Kelly

Steven Kelly, known as Survival Ste, is a British television survivalist, former 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery soldier, founder of South West Survival and host of The Survival Debrief.