Why Is This Baywatch Star & Former Playboy Playmate Searching for Noah's Ark?

You probably didn't expect to see a headline that included the words "Baywatch," "Playboy" and "Noah's Ark, " but, alas, here we are. On Tuesday, TMZ reported that 44-year-old actress Donna D'Errico is recovering from some injuries she received while on an expedition to find Noah's Ark in Turkey.

D'Errico put out some photos showing her wounds, which included cuts and bruises around her mouth and on her cheek. TMZ reports that she also had an injury on her leg. So far, it's unclear how she fell and, for that matter, exactly what unfolded. Despite the pains, she vowed to continue her trek to discover one of the Old Testament's most famous relics.

Following the release of the images, she tweeted, "Thank you for all the well wishes - I am fine - no broken bones - skin heals."

Prior to announcing her injuries and releasing the photos, D'Errico also warned that she was in "serious danger" due to her proximity to the PKK, a Kurdistani terror group. Considering these challenges, it's no wonder the actress is asking fans to pray for her. In a blog post published last Friday, she wrote:

Early this morning I was awakened by one of our Kurdish guides saying that we had to leave the mountain immediately because there was trouble with the PKK and the Turkish Military on the mountain and that we were in serious danger. Then I got a call from our main Kurdish guide saying to stay where we are and that there was no problem. The two guides spoke back and forth a while, then it was decided that we would stay for another couple hours here at our high camp, then go down to base camp, then tonight our main guide will meet us there. We are going to try to go to (***this section has been removed for Miss D'Errico's safety***) to get a different view of (***this section has been removed for Miss D'Errico's safety***). I think we should be ok. But please pray for us. I love you all. This is my dream.

Love,

Donna

While the trip is dangerous, D'Errico certainly isn't the first person to take it. That being said, as she noted in her update last Friday, finding Noah's Ark -- or at least searching for it -- has been a lifelong dream for the former Baywatch star. In a 2011 AOL News article, she described her aspirations in detail.

"This has been a dream of mine since I was 9 or 10," she explained. I went to Catholic school and was fascinated by Noah's ark. I would do class projects based on the ark."

As she grew older, these dreams continued to evolve and she decided to one day climb Mount Ararat and search for Noah's Ark. So, she set out on a path to mentally and physically prepare for the journey. Aside from swimming and running to make sure she was in shape for the climb, D'Errico also did an intensive exploration of the available data on the famed Ark.

"I've been studying this for years and know where the sightings have been. According to my research, the ark lays broken into at least two, but most likely three, pieces," she explained. "I believe that one of those pieces is in the uppermost Ahora Gorge area, an extremely dangerous area to climb and explore."

D'Errica made the final decision to take the trip after a near-death experience involving MRSA. Following her recovery, she decided that she needed to make good on the promise she made herself to go and investigate the Biblical tenet.

While some expenses associated with the trip were purportedly donated, the actress also has an Indiegogo account setup, where's she's raising funds for the production of a documentary about Donald MacKenzie, a man who went missing on the mountain two years ago.

(H/T: Gawker)