Russian Kid Survives Ride on the Wing of a Boeing 737?

Several news agencies are reporting on the story of a 15-year-old Russian boy who climbed onto the wing of a Boeing 737 and hung on for two hours as the plane flew 800 miles to Moscow.

Is it even physically possible to hold onto something when traveling at over 500 miles per hour especially when the temperature routinely drops down to -58 Fahrenheit at cruising altitude? “His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes,” according to the Russian News and Information Agency.

I have a hard time believing it, and so does the Moscow Times. Its report reads a bit differently:

“A 15-year-old boy is recovering with severe frostbite after hiding in the wheel well of a plane flying from Perm to Moscow, Tvoi Den reported Monday.”

That sounds a little more likely. Even so, the wheel well can be a very dangerous place to hide, and many people have been found dead while attempting to stow away. He’s a lucky kid.