Zac Efron was determined to leave the safe stages, the controlled sets and the comfort of Hollywood behind. In December 2019with 32 years recently fulfilled, the actor known worldwide for his role in High School musical, He undertook one of the riskiest challenges of his life.
The project was called Killing Zac Efrona documentary series of survival filmed in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea.
The proposal, which was announced as part of the initial catalog of the then brand new streaming platform QUIBI, consisted of passing 21 days In complete jungle immersion, far from any civilization, with a local guide, minimum team and the will to face the unknown.
What began as a professional adventure was transformed, in a matter of days, into a Real survival experience.
As he said The GuardianEfron arrived in Papua New Guinea at the beginning of December and soon entered the region of the SEPIK River, An isolated area, of dense vegetation, high temperatures, high moisture index and limited medical infrastructure.
His goal was to travel remote villages, document local customs and cross the jungle With the minimum of technology and assistance, in the style of the toughest survival formats.
He shared images on social networks in which he saw him rowing in a canoe, witnessing traditional ceremonies such as cutaneous scarification in Yanchan Village and living with local communities without major comforts than those that he and his companion could carry.
The health context, however, was far from being a minor detail. Papua New Guinea is a high epidemiological region, frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases transmitted by water and contaminated foods.
The trip was a challenge not only physical but also immune, and the dangers soon manifested. As reported Daily Telegraph, Efron contracted Typhoid fevera severe bacterial infection.
The first symptoms were discreet: General discomfort, nausea, fever. But they quickly worsened. Which began as a feeling of weakness evolved to becoming a International Medical Emergency.
Typhoid fever is a potentially mortal infectious disease caused by bacteria Salmonella Typhi.
According to the World Health Organizationit affects more than nine million people worldwide and causes more than one hundred thousand deaths.
In the most serious cases, it can cause Internal hemorrhages either Intestinal perforations.
Although it can be treated with antibiotics, bacterial resistance is increasing, which complicates clinical pictures.
In many industrialized countries, the disease is rare, but in areas such as Southeast Asia or Western Pacific, the risk is high. And Papua New Guinea’s jungle, far from hospitals, offered everything but security.
Faced with the aggravation of the table, the production team requested a Emergency evacuation. The company Medical rescuespecializing in international health transfers, sent a helicopter to rescue the actor and transfer him to Brisbane, Australia.
Dr. Glenn McKay, a member of the organization, refused to publicly confirm the patient’s identity for confidentiality reasons.
But after spending the hours and the insistence of the media, he finally confirmed that the patient was Zac Efron.
In a matter of hours, Efron was admitted to St. Andrews War Memorial Hospital at Spring Hillwhere he remained several days under observation and intensive treatment with intravenous antibiotics, constant hydration and monitoring.
The news of the incident began to circulate through Australian media on Sunday, December 29, 2019. Quickly, it went viral.
Social networks exploded with messages of concern. Headlines as “Killing Zac Efron almost kills Zac Efron”The entertainment pages flooded and generated a debate on the limits of the extreme show.
Some users criticized the recklessness of the project; Others highlighted the actor’s courage for leaving his comfort zone. Before the wave of rumors, Efron himself decided to speak publicly and confirm what happened.
On Monday, December 30, the actor published a message on his Twitter account, then replicated on Instagram, accompanied by a photograph in Papua New Guinea.
“Very grateful to all who have communicated. I got sick in Papua New Guinea, but I recovered quickly and ended up some incredible three weeks in PNG I am already at home for parties with my family and friends. Thanks for all love and concern. See you in 2020! ” wrote.
That message, brief and reassuring, did not denied the severity of the episode, but made it clear that the situation was under control.
According to CBS News, doctors authorized their return to Los Angeles on December 24, just in time to spend Christmas Eve with their family.
There were no press conferences or subsequent interviews about what happened. Efron chose silence in response to overexposure.
The questions about how the incident affected the production of Killing Zac Efron They never obtained official answers. What is known is that Quibi, the platform that was going to broadcast the series, closed its operations less than a year later, in October 2020, before the program could be released.
He material, Although filmed, it remains without public diffusion, and there is no confirmed information about whether it will be resumed by another channel or distributed in an alternative way.
