2012-03-25

TITANIC ROMANCE It is one of the greatest real love stories never told. Until now. Sunday Night reveals the remarkable romance of Evelyn and William, who found love following the sinking of the Titanic. Evelyn was the only Australian on the great ship who survived. A nurse on the Titanic, she grew up in South Australia and learnt to row against the tides of the mighty Murray River. When the call came to get into the lifeboats after Titanic struck an iceberg, Evelyn took control of the oars and rowed survivors to safety. This little known Aussie heroine later married William, a doctor who also worked for the same shipping line, and should have been on the Titanic’s maiden voyage but for a last minute change of roster. THE BIRDMAN The most incredible vision of a man flying like a bird that has ever been captured on film. Wearing just a wing suit cape, and with absolutely no engine or jet pack involved, Jeb Corliss hurtles through the air at 200km/h. This crazy American, who leaps from mountains, skyscrapers and helicopters, met Sunday Night in 2009 when he outlined his dream to plummet thousands of metres and land without a parachute. But driven to pushing the limit, Jeb recently made a big mistake and pushed his luck too far. Jumping from South Africa’s Table Mountain Jeb was hoping to fly so fast and so close to the mountain he wanted to virtually touch it. But on the third day he miscalculated and slammed into the rock shelf at 200km/h. It’s amazing he lived. Instead he broke both ankles, and shattering his left leg. After seven weeks in a Cape Town Hospital, Sunday Night has returned with Jeb to the United States and followed his attempts to walk again. AN OUTBREAK Off the eastern coast of the United States, there lies a small and mysterious island which may unlock the key as to why hundreds of thousands of people are falling ill. There is growing evidence an outbreak with massive consequences has escaped from here, and in this special Sunday Night investigation, we look at the illness that’s infecting more than 225,000 Americans every year, with thousands more in Australia. Yet the Australian government refuses to admit the outbreak has reached our shores. And as we uncover, there is a secret US government research facility on this island – a facility where highly contagious and deadly virus’ were used in experiments and stored away from the mainland. Many believe the outbreak of the world’s fastest growing infectious disease has its origins on the island, and it’s now spreading across the globe.