For most people, the Amazon rainforest is a place of mystery.
For British explorer Percy Fawcett, it became an obsession that would eventually cost him his life.
In the early 1900s, large parts of the Amazon had never been mapped by Europeans.
Fawcett was hired to survey remote regions and settle border disputes between South American countries.
During his travels, he heard stories of an ancient lost civilization hidden deep within the jungle.
Most experts dismissed these stories as myths.
They believed the rainforest was too harsh to support a large civilization.
Fawcett disagreed.
He became convinced that a lost city, which he called "Z," existed somewhere in the Amazon.
Over the next twenty years, Fawcett organized several expeditions.
He endured disease, insects, floods, and dangerous animals.
He also met indigenous tribes, some friendly and some hostile.
Despite the hardships, he never found convincing proof of the city.
In 1925, Fawcett decided to make one final expedition.
This time he was accompanied by his son Jack and Jack's friend Raleigh.
Before leaving, he warned people not to search for him if he disappeared.
The three men entered the jungle carrying only basic supplies.
Weeks later, they sent their final message.
Then all contact stopped.
Search parties later entered the Amazon looking for the missing explorers.
Some investigators believed they had been killed by a local tribe.
Others thought they may have died from starvation, disease, or an accident.
A few people even claimed that Fawcett had found the lost city and chosen to remain there.
More than one hundred years later, nobody knows exactly what happened.
The mystery has inspired books, documentaries, and movies.
Percy Fawcett never found the city he was searching for.
Yet his story raises an enduring question: How far would you go to pursue a dream that everyone else believes is impossible?