Survivor (noun)

1. A person who survives, especially after overcoming great danger or hardship.
2. A person who continues to live or exist, especially despite difficult circumstances.
3. A person who continues to function or remain in existence after others have failed or ceased to do so.

Origin:

From middle english survivour, from old french survivor, from latin superstes, from super- + sistō ("stand"), from proto-indo-european *sta- ("to stand"). cognate with english assist.

Examples:

1. The shipwreck survivors were rescued after three days at sea.
2. He was the sole survivor of the plane crash.
3. She is a survivor of cancer.
4. The town was destroyed, but a few survivors managed to escape.
5. The survivor of the disaster told the story of how they managed to survive.