Friday the 13th (1980): Deleted Scene Revealed How Young Jason Survived Drowning

Made for less than one million dollars, Friday the 13th became a massive hit, earning nearly 60 million dollars worldwide. But even after more than four decades, this movie is still hiding some secrets. Did you know the official novelization actually explained how young Jason survived drowning and came back to life? Or that the original screenplay actually explained what happened to Jason as a child that gave him his superhuman strength? Today, we're uncovering 13 hidden truths about Friday the 13th from 1980, including deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and the mysterious fate of Jason's father. In the film, we learn that Pamela Voorhees began terrorizing Camp Crystal Lake because her son Jason had drowned there years earlier. But then, in the later sequels, the franchise suddenly revealed that Jason was actually still alive and had grown into an adult. For years, fans have wondered how child Jason could possibly have survived drowning. Did someone rescue him, or did he somehow survive on his own? The 1980 film, including its later sequels, never really explains this. However, the Friday the 13th Part II novelization, written by Simon Hawke, eventually gave us an answer. According to the novel, Jason really did drown and die, with his body sinking to the bottom of Crystal Lake. After spending some time underwater, his body even began to decompose. Then something strange happened. The cells inside Jason’s body began regenerating and repairing the damage caused by the drowning. His lungs began to recover, bringing Jason back to life. His body then gradually floated back toward the surface and eventually reached the shore. Once there, Jason slowly regained consciousness and began hiding in the woods surrounding the camp. Simon basically explained that it was nature itself that gave Jason this ability, similar to how a starfish can regenerate when part of its body is damaged or torn off. He also described Jason as essentially a mutant created by nature. So Jason did not survive because someone rescued him. He really did drown, but nature simply refused to let him stay dead. Nearly five decades later, Jason Voorhees remains one of horror’s greatest unanswered mysteries. The more we learn about Jason’s past, the more mysterious his origins seem to become. Was Jason simply a mutant of nature, did he inherit his powers from his father, or was he the result of a secret human experiment? Maybe that uncertainty is exactly why Friday the 13th still fascinates audiences today, because behind that iconic hockey mask is a boy who should never have survived Crystal Lake. So why do you think nature chose to bring Jason back to life, and what was it trying to accomplish? Let me know in the comments, and subscribe for more hidden stories from classic movies.