The Two Weeks Denali's Most Beautiful Ridge Turned Killer | Disaster Strikes E 268

In September 1983, Tami Oldham and her fiancé, Richard Sharp, set sail from Tahiti on what should have been a routine yacht delivery to San Diego. Weeks later, a hurricane they could not outrun found them in the open Pacific. Tami woke up injured, aboard a boat that barely resembled the one she had boarded, with one question that could not wait: where was Richard? What followed took more than a month, a navigation tool most of us have never used, and a decision at the very end that could have cost her everything. Julie and Kaycee tell the story and explain what a head injury like hers can meanContent note: This episode includes the death of a loved one, a serious head injury, and a brief mention of suicidal thoughts. In the United States, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text.Time Stamps - 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:30 Waking Up After Capsize01:56 Content Warning 03:01 Tahiti Departure And Crew04:54 Hurricane Raymond Forms08:44 Inside The Storm11:15 Richard Missing Aftermath13:02 Radios Fail Survival Plan15:44 Improvised Mast And Course17:36 Celestial Navigation Without Time22:35 Daily Routine Food Water Wounds25:07 Close Calls And Steering Trouble27:02 Third Man Factor 28:51 Land Signs 31:37 Hilo Harbor And Rescue34:17 Recovery And Life After35:27 Legacy And ClosingKey ReferencesUnited Press International, "A woman who spent 41 days alone in a..." (November 22, 1983).Lou Bodenhemier, "A Survival Classic: Tami Oldham Ashcraft's 41 Days Alone at Sea," ExplorersWeb (May 20, 2025). Wikipedia, "Tami Oldham Ashcraft." Wikipedia, "1983 Pacific hurricane season," Hurricane Raymond section."Adrift: Surviving a hurricane at sea," interview with Tami Oldham Ashcraft, RNLI magazine (April 4, 2019).Media kit for Red Sky in Mourning, Foggia+Associates Public Relations (about 2002).7Kara Warner, "41 Days Stranded at Sea: The Harrowing, Heartbreaking Real-Life Story Behind New Movie 'Adrift,'" People (June 1, 2018).Tim Schmit, "'Adrift' 1983 Hurricane (Raymond)," CIMSS Satellite Blog, University of Wisconsin-Madison (October 12, 2021).Defense Health Agency, "Traumatic Brain Injury" (VA/DoD severity classification)."Guardian Angels Or The 'Third Man Factor'?" NPR (September 13, 2009)."Shackleton's Fourth Man," National Catholic Register.Review of Red Sky in Mourning, Kirkus Reviews.New Idea interview with Tami Oldham Ashcraft (August 27, 2018).14. 'Adrift' | Local author's book hits big screen," San Juan Journal.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

In November 1934, 20-year-old artist and adventurer Everett Ruess disappeared into the remote canyons of southern Utah with two burros and a desire to explore some of the wildest country in the American West. He was never seen again.When searchers eventually retraced his route, what they discovered raised more questions than answers. And as the years passed, the mystery surrounding his disappearance only deepened. Did Everett fall victim to the unforgiving desert landscape? Did he encounter someone dangerous? Or was there something else behind his disappearance? In this episode of The Crux True Survival Stories: Disaster Strikes, Kaycee and Julie investigate one of the American West's most enduring mysteries—a disappearance that has puzzled investigators, historians, and adventurers for more than 90 years.SOURCES & REFERENCESBOOKSDavid Roberts - Finding Everett RuessW.L. Rusho - Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for BeautyW.L. Rusho - Wilderness Journals of Everett RuessW.L. Rusho - On Desert Trails with Everett RuessScott Thybony - The Disappearances: Three Stories of Lost People in the American WestARTICLES & REPORTINGJohn Upton Terrell - The Fate of Everett Ruess, Salt Lake Tribune (1935)Bob Silbernagel - Efforts to Find Everett Ruess Proved More Difficult Than Anticipated, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (2023)David Roberts - Solved: The Mystery of the Missing Artist, National Geographic Adventure (2009)Jim Scott - Solving a Mysterious Disappearance, CU Boulder Coloradan (2009)Howard Berkes - Mystery Endures: Remains Found Not Those of Artist, NPR (2009)Nicole Cowdell - Legacy of the Lost: Exploring One of Utah's Most Enduring Mysteries, University of Utah (2018)HISTORICAL RECORDS & ARCHIVESEverett Ruess family correspondence and journals, compiled by W.L. RushoUniversity of Utah Marriott Library - W.L. Rusho CollectionUniversity of Colorado Boulder - Anthropological and DNA research (2009)Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory - DNA reanalysis (2009)Oakland Museum of California - Dorothea Lange portrait of Everett Ruess (1933)Historical accounts of Clayton Porter, Addlin Lay, and Aneth NezBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

In the vast, frozen wilderness of Nunavut, Canada, even the most experienced hunters know that a routine trip can become dangerous in an instant.When Inuit hunter Ernie Etak headed out onto the Arctic tundra in December 2021, he couldn't have imagined the ordeal that lay ahead—or just how far he would be pushed to survive.In this episode of The Crux, Kaycee and Julie share Ernie's extraordinary true story and explore the traditional Inuit knowledge, survival instincts, and remarkable physiology that can mean the difference between life and death in one of the harshest environments on Earth.What happens when the human body reaches its limits? And what allows some people to survive when the odds seem impossible?Join us for a gripping story of survival in the Canadian Arctic.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

On a clear July evening in 2025, a seasoned hunting guide scouting for mule deer in Utah's Uinta Mountains felt his side-by-side begin to tilt at zero miles an hour. Minutes later, he lay on a steep slope with a shattered leg, his satellite messenger, radio, and phone scattered somewhere in the darkening brush, and only one companion left. What followed was an arduous journey of cold creek crossings, yipping coyotes, and a light no bigger than a quarter. Jake Schmitt thought he understood his dog, but somewhere in the dark, Buddy started doing something Jake still can't explain.Jake's GoFundMe Link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-rebuild-after-his-5mile-crawl-to-safetyReferencesFOX 13 News Utah, "Man crawls 11 hours to rescue himself after getting injured on Uinta Mountains," July 29–30, 2025. https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/man-crawls-11-hours-to-rescue-himself-after-getting-injured-on-uinta-mountainsKSL, "Ogden man crawls, drags self for 11 hours after side-by-side rollover in Uintas," July 31, 2025. https://ksltv.com/local-news/ogden-man-crawls-drags-self-for-11-hours-after-side-by-side-rollover-in-uintas/802952/The Park Record, "Hunter crawls 11 hours to safety after a crash in the Uintas," Aug. 12, 2025. https://www.parkrecord.com/2025/08/12/hunter-crawls-11-hours-to-safety-after-a-crash-in-the-uintas/Outdoor Life, "After Rolling His UTV, This Man Crawled 11 Hours Through the Mountains with Only His Dog to Guide Him," July 31, 2025. https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/utah-hunter-crawls-mountains-with-dog/WIVB News 4 Buffalo, "East Aurora native survives serious accident in Utah," July 30–31, 2025. https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/east-aurora-native-survives-serious-accident-in-utah/The Salt Lake Tribune, "How a dog helped a Utah man survive an 11-hour night crawl through the Uintas," Aug. 10, 2025 https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/08/10/he-shattered-his-ankles-utv-crash/Outside, "After Breaking Both Ankles, a Utah Man Crawled for Hours with His Dog Beside Him," Aug. 14, 2025. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/hunter-crashed-utv-dog-helped-survive/Mike Force Podcast, interview with Jake Schmitt, published around Aug. 4, 2025. https://youtu.be/Xu95PrMOoDMHushlife Podcast, interview with Jake Schmitt, early August 2025. https://youtu.be/kKLHd8GEUvgTeam Never Quit Podcast, "Jake Schmitt," around Oct. 1, 2025. https://teamneverquit.com/podcast/jake-schmitt/GoFundMe, "Help Jake Rebuild After His 5-Mile Crawl to Safety," organized by Kaitlynn Cline. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-rebuild-after-his-5mile-crawl-to-safetyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

On May 24, 1998, a Canadian climber lost his footing on Denali's West Buttress and disappeared down the north face toward the Peters Glacier. Two National Park Service volunteer rangers were a hundred feet ahead of him. One of them radioed for permission to go down and look, got it, and started descending — and somewhere on that slope a decision was made that two separate federal investigations would spend the following year trying to explain. What happened next left one man clipped to a single ice screw in a storm, with no radio, waiting to find out whether anyone knew where he was. Thirteen days later, on the same stretch of ridge, it happened again.00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro00:41 Whiteout On The Ice03:38 Denali Setup And Stakes04:18 High Camp And Ranger Program08:10 Gear Limits And Descent Plan10:13 Burrito Brothers And The Thumb13:41 Daniel Falls Off The Ridge15:13 Radio Call And Rescue Choice18:07 Unroped Descent Into Danger24:22 Mike Disappears, Hurtado Waits27:42 Rescue Team Rope By Rope31:09 Bodies Packs And Missing Mike34:34 Search Findings And Crampon Test37:00 Rescue Fever And System Lessons40:48 Aftermath; Another Fatal Fall42:59 Scholarship And FarewellREFERENCESAmerican Alpine Club, Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1999 — "Fall on Ice/Snow, Unable to Self-Arrest, Weather: Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress."NIOSH / Alaska FACE Investigation 98AK012, "Volunteer Ranger Dies from Fall on Denali," June 1, 1999.NIOSH / Alaska FACE Investigation 98AK016, "Assistant Mountaineering Guide Falls on Denali," June 22, 1999.American Alpine Club, Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1999 — "Fall on Snow, Unable to Self-Arrest, Descending Unroped, Weather: Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress."Porco, Peter. "Ridge Turns Killer." Anchorage Daily News, June 9, 1998.Anchorage Daily News, contemporaneous search coverage, May–June 1998, archived at akfatal.net."Denali Claims Another Climber." Mountain Zone. "Climber's Body Found — Man Loved Adventure, Family, Friends." Seattle Times, June 15, 1998."From a charmed life to learning how to cope with losing a son." Post Independent, April 18, 2011.Find a Grave memorial #28083415, Michael Adrian "Mike" Vanderbeek, Talkeetna Cemetery, Alaska.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! 

A day hike in Glacier National Park turns into a fight for survival when 19-year-old Matthew Read encounters deep spring snow near Huckleberry Lookout.What begins as an ordinary hike quickly goes wrong, leaving Matthew stranded in steep, heavily forested terrain as changing weather and cold exposure raise the stakes.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, we follow Matthew’s three-night ordeal and the massive search effort unfolding around him. Along the way, we break down postholing in deep snow, wilderness survival strategy, hypothermia versus frostbite, and the challenges search-and-rescue teams face trying to locate one person in Glacier’s vast backcountry.How do you survive when a simple step into the snow changes everything?00:00 Snow Trap Begins00:45 Meet the Hosts01:01 Huckleberry Trail and Terrain04:17 Meet Matthew Read06:22 A Warning on the Trail08:09 Postholing Explained09:25 Losing His Shoes and Sliding Off Trail11:39 Building a Debris Shelter13:32 Why Staying Put Matters15:33 Hypothermia vs. Frostbite20:06 Waiting and Signaling for Rescue22:13 Search and Rescue Begins24:55 Thermal Imaging Breakthrough27:51 The Nighttime Hoist Rescue29:46 Treating Severe Frostbite33:35 Recovery and Survival Lessons35:43 Final TakeawaysResources / ReferencesThese are the ones I'd actually put in your show notes rather than padding the list with generic sources:National Park Service — “Missing Hiker Rescued in Glacier National Park” — the primary official account of the search, Matthew's location, thermal detection and 175-foot hoist. National Park ServiceNational Park Service rescue reportNational Park Service — “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing 19-Year-Old” — contemporary search announcement documenting winter-like upper-trail conditions and the agencies involved. National Park ServiceNational Park Service search announcementFlathead Beacon — “Stranded Glacier National Park Hiker Shares Story of Survival and Hope” — the best detailed account, including Matthew's own description of losing his shoes, building shelter, staying put and the Two Bear Air search. Flathead BeaconFlathead Beacon feature on Matthew ReadDaily Inter Lake — “19-year-old rescued from Huckleberry Mountain in May avoids double amputation” — follow-up reporting on Matthew's frostbite treatment and recovery. Daily Inter LakeDaily Inter Lake recovery follow-upUndark — “The Burgeoning Science of Search and Rescue” — later reporting that uses Matthew's case to explain lost-person behavior and search strategy. Undark MagazineUndark search-and-rescue featureBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

Doug Scott broke both his legs 23,900 feet above sea level on one of the world's most technically demanding mountains. No rescue team was waiting. No helicopter stood by. For eight days, Scott and his climbing partner Chris Bonington faced a descent that should have killed them—navigating crevasses, rappelling with broken legs, surviving a five-day storm with no food and wet sleeping bags in the death zone. But the real question isn't how they survived the mountain. It's what each person on that team did at every moment when survival seemed impossible. This is the story of how humans respond when everything goes catastrophically wrong.00:00 Welcome to The Crux01:50 Meet the Climbers03:24 Why the Ogre Matters04:47 Expedition Setup and Early Injury07:35 Final Summit Push11:44 The Fall and Broken Legs15:56 Night on the Ledge19:49 Crawling Descent and Regroup23:08 Stormbound Survival28:26 Base Camp Abandoned30:37 Mo Runs for Rescue33:33 Porter Carry and Helicopter Twist37:35 Aftermath and Lessons40:56 Closing ThoughtsREFERENCES:Chris Bonington, "The Ogre," American Alpine Journal, 1978Doug Scott, "A Crawl Down The Ogre," Himalayan Journal, 1979Doug Scott, The Ogre: Biography of a Mountain and the Dramatic Story of the First Ascent, Vertebrate Publishing, 2017Gripped Magazine, "The Climber Who Broke Both Legs and Crawled Off a Himalayan Mountain"Mo Anthoine, expedition audio recordingsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

A late-afternoon hike in Glacier National Park seemed simple enough: climb toward the Mount Brown Fire Lookout, watch the sunset, and head back down.But as darkness settled over Mount Brown, 33-year-old Anthony Pollio found himself descending alone through steep, heavily forested terrain. Somewhere in the woods, a grizzly bear was moving through the darkness.In this episode of Disaster Strikes, we examine Anthony Pollio’s final hike, the search-and-rescue operation that followed, and the investigation into what happened on Mount Brown. We also look at a second grizzly bear encounter in Glacier National Park just 25 days later—and the warning signs, environmental conditions, and safety decisions that can turn an ordinary hike through bear country into a life-threatening situation.This episode explores:Anthony Pollio’s final hike on Mount BrownThe Mount Brown Fire Lookout trail in Glacier National ParkThe search for Anthony PollioGrizzly bear attacks and encounters in GlacierWhy hiking alone after dark can be dangerousHow to stay safe in grizzly countryWhat hikers should know before entering bear habitat00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro00:37 Alone After Dark on Mount Brown02:03 Glacier’s Grizzly Country03:57 The Mount Brown Trail05:18 Our Bear Encounters08:18 Who Was Anthony Pollio?10:02 A Late Start Up Mount Brown12:33 A Surprise in the Deadfall14:32 The Search for Anthony16:23 How Rare Are Fatal Bear Attacks?17:59 Another Grizzly Attack, 25 Days Later20:20 What the Two Attacks Had in Common24:32 Where Was the Bear?27:35 Staying Safe in Grizzly Country34:34 Remembering Anthony PollioReferences — Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National ParkPrimary / Official SourcesNational Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing Hiker.” May 6, 2026.NPS — Search Underway for Anthony PollioNational Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Missing Hiker and Bear Encounter Victim Identified.” May 9, 2026.NPS — Anthony Pollio IdentifiedInteragency Grizzly Bear Committee Board of Review. Final investigation into the May 3, 2026 fatal grizzly encounter involving Anthony Pollio on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail. July 2026. The review reconstructed the encounter using physical evidence, DNA, trail conditions and Pollio’s communications and concluded that Pollio likely surprised an adult male grizzly at close range while descending in darkness.National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Hiker Injured by Grizzly Bear at Glacier National Park.” June 2, 2026. Official account of the May 28 Grinnell Glacier Trail attack discussed in the episode.NPS — Grinnell Glacier Grizzly EncounterReporting & Additional SourcesFlathead Beacon. “Report Details Fatal Glacier Park Grizzly Bear Attack.” July 24, 2026. Detailed reporting on the final interagency investigation.Flathead Beacon — Fatal Grizzly InvestigationHungry Horse News. “Grizzly Bear Mauling Death in Glacier: A Closer Look at Full Report.” July 24, 2026. Includes details from the final investigation regarding the trail conditions, darkness, deadfall and circumstances of the surprise encounter.Hungry Horse News — Full Report CoverageMontana Free Press. “Glacier’s First Fatal Bear Attack in Almost 30 Years Came After Surprise Encounter.” July 24, 2026.Montana Free Press — Anthony Pollio InvestigationAssociated Press. Coverage of Anthony Pollio’s death and Glacier National Park’s first fatal bear attack since 1998. May 2026.People. Interview with Anthony Pollio’s father, Arthur Pollio, including Anthony’s background, his plans to watch the sunset from Mount Brown, and his final communication with his father. May 2026.ABC News / Good Morning America. Interview with Daniel Crago regarding the May 28, 2026 Grinnell Glacier Trail grizzly attack. June 8, 2026.ABC News — Daniel Crago InterviewBackpacker. “‘Pure Panic’: Glacier Grizzly Attack Survivor Shares the Story of the Rescue That Saved Him.” June 5, 2026.Backpacker — Daniel Crago Grizzly AttackLos Angeles Times. Reporting and interview with Daniel Crago following the Grinnell Glacier Trail attack. June 7, 2026.Los Angeles Times — Grinnell Glacier AttackBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

On February 17, 2024, five experienced cyclists set out on a familiar gravel-bike route through Washington's Cascade foothills. Nineteen miles into their ride, two cougars appeared on the trail. Seconds later, 60-year-old Keri Bergere was on the ground with a cougar's jaws clamped around her face.Her four friends rushed toward the attack. Armed with little more than rocks, sticks, and the equipment they carried on their bicycles, they faced a predator that refused to let go. With unreliable cell service and another cougar somewhere in the surrounding forest, the women were running out of options.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, Kaycee and Julie reconstruct the terrifying encounter, examine the medical dangers of a cougar attack, and explore the survival decisions that followed.A true story of wilderness survival, extraordinary friendship, and a fight that lasted far longer than anyone could have imagined.Episode Chapters 00:00– Introduction00:28 – A Cougar Encounter in Washington01:54 – Meet the Five Cyclists03:23 – The Magic Carpet Gravel Route05:30 – Two Cougars Appear06:16 – The Fight to Save Keri11:19 – The Medical Dangers of a Cougar Attack13:35 – A Multitool and a Chance to Escape16:00 – Trapping the Cougar With a Bicycle19:12 – Calling 911 and Finding GPS Coordinates21:57 – Wildlife Officer Arrives24:07 – Keri's Injuries and Recovery26:17 – Why Did the Cougar Attack?27:36 – Cougar Safety and the Fatal 2018 Attack32:00 – Life After the Attack35:29 – Survival Lessons and ClosingDan Becker Podcast. (2025, December 9). The BRUTAL Cougar Attack That Lasted 55 Minutes. Interview with Keri Bergere and fellow survivors.Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qYp058PJe8UxMIK83wTf7Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brutal-cougar-attack-that-lasted-55-minutes/id1867315096?i=1000744190052REFERENCES & FURTHER LISTENINGWashington Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2024). WDFW Statement on Cougar Incident in King County.https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/wdfw-statement/wdfw-statement-cougar-incident-king-countyCarnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). 18 Will Receive Carnegie Medal for Extraordinary Acts of Heroism.https://www.carnegiehero.org/awardee_pr/18-will-receive-carnegie-medal-for-extraordinary-acts-of-heroism/Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). Carnegie Medal Presentation to Annie Bilotta, Tisch Schmidt-Williams, Aune Tietz, and Erica Wolf.https://www.carnegiehero.org/carnegie-medal-presentation-to-annie-bilotta-tisch-schmidt-williams-aune-tietz-and-erica-wolf/King, A., & Newcomb, N. A. (2024). A Cougar Attacked Them. They Fought Back for 45 Harrowing Minutes. KUOW.https://thankyou.kuow.org/stories/cougar-attack-washington-state-cyclistsThe Seattle Times. (2024). What Life Has Been Like for the 5 WA Cyclists Who Survived a Cougar Attack.https://replica.seattletimes.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?appcode=SEATTL&artguid=fc562bab-2913-4872-aecc-4e00f32a1b88&eguid=898dacfc-ca94-4db7-9458-9e581ee289e2&pnum=138The Guardian. (2024). Women Rescue Friend Being Mauled by Cougar in Washington State.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/18/washington-state-cougar-attackWroe, S., McHenry, C., & Thomason, J. (2005). Bite Club: Comparative Bite Force in Big Biting Mammals and the Prediction of Predatory Behaviour in Fossil Taxa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 272(1563), 619–625.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2986Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.

Philip Kreycik was 37, a Harvard graduate, an ultramarathoner, and an experienced outdoorsman. On July 10, 2021, he left for a training run at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in California, telling his wife he'd be back in an hour. He never returned. The search that followed became one of the West Coast's largest rescue operations, involving nearly 300 volunteers, multiple agencies, helicopters, and thermal imaging. But GPS data from his smartwatch revealed something investigators initially missed: he likely died within 75 minutes of going missing, before rescue teams could even fully mobilize. Julie and Kaycee walk through the timeline, the medical reality of heat illness, and the margins of error that collapse faster than experience can account for.Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to Disaster Strikes00:42 Heatwave Run Begins02:26 Who Was Philip Kreycik03:35 GPS Shows Trouble05:25 Wrong Turn Off Trail06:17 Heat Illness Explained09:06 Minutes to Heatstroke10:56 Smartwatch Timeline13:06 Massive Search Effort15:14 Found After Four Weeks17:13 Family Reflections17:51 Lessons and Takeaways18:57 Why Heat Sneaks Up20:48 Closing and TributeKEY REFERENCESPleasanton Police Department Missing Person Investigation Files (2021)Alameda County Sheriff's Office Autopsy and Investigation Report (2021)Dapcevich, Madison. "The Fastest Heat Death: Investigation into Philip Kreycik's Disappearance," Outside Online (2021)Silacci, Erik. Official Statement and Timeline Analysis, Pleasanton Police Department (2021)"Philip Kreycik '06, Who Died at 37 After Going Missing on Run," The Harvard Crimson (August 2021)Kelly, Ray. Investigation Summary, Alameda County Sheriff's Department (2021)Pleasanton Weekly: "Authorities: Philip Kreycik Likely Died Before Search Even Got Off the Ground" (2021)NBC News Dateline: "Family Holding Hope of Finding Philip Kreycik" (August 2021)ABC News: "California Dad Found Dead Weeks After Vanishing on Run" (August 2021)First-Year Outdoors Program, Harvard University — Remembrance Documentation (2021)Yao, Jen. Family Press Conference Statement (August 2021)East Bay Regional Park District — Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Records (2021)Smartwatch GPS Data Analysis — Alameda County Investigation (2021)Search and Rescue Volunteer Accounts — San Francisco Bay Area News Archives (2021)Heat-Related Illness Medical Analysis — Emergency Medicine Literature (2021)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcastEmail us! [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course! This episode includes AI-generated content.