If "Baywatch" babes are not typically drawn to historical legend, then Donna D'Errico is not your typical "Baywatch" babe. D'Errico recently set out on a quest for Noah's Ark in Turkey, but halted the hunt after injuring herself on a mountain and fearing abduction.
D'Errico had been traveling along Mount Ararat, where the Ark is said to be hidden, when she suddenly slipped on a rockslide, according to TMZ. Her climbing partner caught her before she fell off a cliff, but it was enough to shake the actress up.
"I've just always wanted to climb Mt. Ararat and search for Noah's Ark," she told TMZ. "And I know everybody thinks it's funny and it's a big joke and people don't believe in it ... but I do ... and I've wanted to do it ever since I was a kid."
However, bloody cuts and bruises were not all the 44-year-old actress had to worry about. She also feared abduction.
D'Errico and her fellow Noah's Ark hunters faced the possibility of being kidnapped by rebels, as previous climbers of Mt. Ararat have described such dangers, according to LiveScience. When the posted photos of D'Errico's injuries gained attention, the mission became doomed. Her being there coupled with her celebrity status only increased the odds of being kidnapped for ransom.
"If they [potential kidnappers] found out that there's someone, even of minor notoriety on the mountain, it could put the whole group in serious danger," D'Errico told LiveScience.
The mother of two knows that there are doubters, but D'Errico thinks the legendary vessel is out there.
"I know it sounds ludicrous and I know that most people out there don't think that Noah's Ark ever really happened," she told ABC News. " But that's not how it is for me. I'm looking for something that is there and this is my lifelong dream."
D'Errico rediscovered her faith after divorcing Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx in 2007 and after a near-fatal MRSA staph infection.
Christians believe Mt. Ararat is the final resting place of Noah's Ark, according to National Geographic. The Bible says the ark protected Noah, his family and two of every animal on Earth during a great flood that wiped out most of humanity.
Noah's Ark has purportedly been seen many times in the past. Violet E. Cummings, author of "Noah's Ark: Fable or Fact?" claimed the ark had been found on Mt. Ararat, without evidence, 40 years ago. In 1993, CBS aired a special titled, "The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark," which turned out to be a hoax. In 2006, a Christian archaeology expedition thought they found the ark in Iran.
Despite her injuries and the danger, D'Errico is going back to continue her search for Noah's Ark.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go back," the former "Baywatch" star and Playboy cover girl told ABC News.
She is already packing.
CORRECTION: A previous version of the article stated that Donna D'Errico was with a film crew while searching for Noah's Ark. This information proved to be incorrect. D'Errico filmed the journey herself. She traveled Mt. Ararat with two fellow ark hunters and their guide.
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