The Body Recovery: Fatal Cave Dive at Bushman's Hole | Disaster Strikes E 224

On the morning of May 5th, 1979, four residents of Estevan, Saskatchewan boarded a small Cessna bound for Boise, Idaho on what was supposed to be a day trip. By that afternoon, the plane was down in a remote canyon in the Salmon River Mountains, two of the four passengers were dead, and two badly injured survivors were completely alone. No gear. No supplies. No rescue coming. What Donna Johnson and Brent Dyer did over the next nineteen days to stay alive is one of the most remarkable — and least known — survival stories in North American history. This episode does not look away from any of it. Timestamps: 01:07 Crash Begins In Idaho 03:15 Meet The Passengers 05:28 Weather Route Decision 07:12 Impact And Injuries 10:51 Losses And Isolation 12:18 Search Misses Them 12:58 Cold Hunger And Journaling 15:25 Unthinkable Choice 18:25 Decision To Walk Out 21:53 Nineteen Day Escape 23:24 Rescue And Home News 24:30 Puppy And Lawsuit Fallout 27:01 Faith Legacy And Closing Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/   REFERENCES Johnson v. Pischke, 108 Idaho 397, 700 P.2d 19 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1985) Gzowski, Peter. The Sacrament. Atheneum Books, 1980. "We Had to Eat Him and We Did." Maclean's, June 11, 1979. Timson, Judith. "Survival on Faith and Human Flesh." Maclean's, October 6, 1980. "Father's Protective Instinct Led to Miracle in Idaho Mountains." Regina Leader-Post, May 26, 1979. "Pair Walk Away from Crash Site." Lawrence Journal-World, May 26, 1979. "Air Crash Survivor Recounts Ordeal." Brandon Sun, June 1, 1979. Penn, Alix and Carmella Lowkis. "ICE Part II — The Crash of the Skyhawk." Casting Lots: A Survival Cannibalism Podcast, December 2020. Emilson, K. When Memories Remain, 3rd ed. Perpetual Books, 2018. "Brent Dyer Survived a Plane Crash — Extraordinary Lives." YouTube, DoxNM, 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Crux podcast's Disaster Strikes segment, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into the harrowing story of Dave Shaw, a technical diver who tragically perished while attempting to recover the body of a fellow diver, Deon Dreyer, from the depths of Bushman's Hole in South Africa. Listeners are taken through the extreme dangers of cave diving, the physiological and equipment challenges faced at extreme depths, and the sequence of events that led to Shaw's death. The narrative also touches on the ethical debate surrounding the attempted recovery, the impact on the diving community, and the lessons learned from this tragic incident. 00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes 01:04 The Fatal Dive of Dave Shaw 01:46 Understanding the Dangers of Cave Diving 06:19 Dave Shaw's Background and Diving Career 10:14 The Discovery of Deon Dreyer's Body 11:56 Planning the Recovery Dive 14:37 The Final Dive 19:01 The Fatal Spiral Begins 19:10 Shaw's Descent and Initial Struggles 19:59 The Unexpected Buoyancy Challenge 20:46 The Entanglement and Panic 22:51 Shaw's Final Moments 25:01 The Aftermath and Recovery 26:58 Debates and Controversies 34:23 Changes in Diving Practices 36:28 Unresolved Questions and Legacy 38:01 Conclusion and Reflections Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Primary Sources: Zimmermann, Tim. "Raising the Dead." Outside Magazine, August 1, 2005. Main investigative article, extensive detail on Shaw and the incident Finch, Phillip. Diving Into Darkness: A True Story of Death and Survival. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008. Book-length treatment of the incident with detailed accounts Mitchell, SJ; Cronjé, FJ; Meintjes, WA; Britz, HC. "Fatal respiratory failure during a 'technical' rebreather dive at extreme pressure." Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, February 2007; 78(2): 81-6. Medical/forensic analysis of Shaw's death Dave Not Coming Back (2020). Documentary film. Features Don Shirley's firsthand account and helmet camera footage Secondary Sources: Wikipedia: Dave Shaw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Shaw Verified biographical details, dates, equipment specifications Wikipedia: Deon Dreyer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deon_Dreyer Verified details about Dreyer's death and recovery Wikipedia: Boesmansgat - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boesmansgat Geographic and depth record information All That's Interesting. "The Tragic Story Of Dave Shaw" https://allthatsinteresting.com/dave-shaw Dive-Scuba.com. "Dave Shaw: The Full Story of the Bushman's Hole Diving Incident" https://www.dive-scuba.com/dave-shaw-incident/ South China Morning Post. "Dead diver fulfills his last mission," January 13, 2005 Contemporary news coverage from Shaw's home base News24 (South Africa). "Divers' bodies 'unexpected,'" January 12, 2005 https://www.news24.com/divers-bodies-unexpected-20050112 Divernet. "Dave Shaw died from carbon dioxide black-out" https://divernet.com/scuba-news/dave-shaw-died-from-carbon-dioxide-black-out/ InDEPTH Magazine. "The Aftermath Of Love: Don Shirley and Dave Shaw" https://indepthmag.com/the-consequence-of-love-don-shirley-and-dave-shaw/ Technical Diving Forums (ScubaBoard, Yorkshire Divers) Contemporary discussions and firsthand accounts from support divers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Quicksand isn't a movie prop. It's real, it looks completely normal, and it happened to two men in the past three months — one in a frozen Utah canyon, one in a Florida mud pit. Austin Dirks is an experienced thru-hiker with thousands of backcountry miles. He stepped into what looked like an inch of water in Arches National Park and couldn't move for two hours. Andrew Giddens disappeared on Valentine's Day and wasn't found for days — shoulder-deep in saturated clay at an industrial site, invisible from 20 feet away. We cover the science of why quicksand traps people, why fighting back makes it worse, and what actually works — plus a 2026 NPS safety alert for Glen Canyon that's worth hearing before spring break. If you ever find yourself sinking, stop. Just stop. 00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:30 Quicksand Nightmare Setup 02:29 Utah Canyon Incident 06:06 Rescue In Courthouse Wash 08:00 Quicksand Myths Explained 08:44 How Quicksand Works 12:18 Rescue Tactics And Physics 14:17 Self Rescue Tips 15:17 Zion Subway Survival 18:20 Florida Mud Pit Case 21:40 Entrapment Survival Mindset 22:20 How Long Was He Stuck 23:27 Deputy Spots The Truck 24:49 A Face In The Mud 25:57 Two Hour Extraction 27:31 Aftermath And Medical Risks 29:15 Is Quicksand A Real Risk 30:55 Where Quicksand Forms 31:48 Warning Signs And Probing 32:53 Smart Moves If You Sink 34:43 Calling For Help Fast 37:32 Why Stillness Wins 41:34 New NPS Quicksand Alert 43:07 Final Takeaways And Resources Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Resources Austin Dirks / Grand County Search and Rescue — local Utah news coverage, December 2025 Andrew Giddens / Putnam County Sheriff's Office — Palatka Fire Department statement, February 2026 Ryan Osmond / Zion National Park — Utah DPS rescue records, February 2019 Science Daniel Bonn et al., Nature — "Granular media: how to pull out a foot" (2005) Safety & Alerts National Park Service — Glen Canyon National Recreation Area quicksand safety alert, March 2026 — nps.gov The Broomway Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broomway BBC Travel — "This desolate English path has killed more than 100 people" — bbc.com/travel Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways (2012) Crisis Resource 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 — 988lifeline.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When a 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Beaconsfield Gold Mine in Tasmania on ANZAC Day 2006, seventeen miners were underground. Fourteen walked out. One didn't survive. And two men — Todd Russell and Brant Webb — simply disappeared into the rock. In this episode, Julie and Kaycee go deep into the fourteen days that followed: the silence, the injuries, the moment rescuers heard something unexpected, and the painstaking engineering effort to bring them home — plus the part of the story that rarely gets told, what survival cost them long after they walked back into the light. 00:00 Patreon 00:34 Podcast Intro And Setup 01:09 Mine Collapse Strikes 03:46 Meet Todd And Brant 05:42 Trapped In Darkness 08:44 Rescue Plan And Bad Ground 11:07 Singing Confirms Life 12:28 Borehole Lifeline Supplies 14:00 Injuries And Long Wait 16:05 Grief And Gallows Humor 17:57 Music And Foo Fighters Note 19:57 Drilling The Escape Tunnel 21:58 World Watches The Rescue 22:46 Day 14 Breakthrough 24:50 Aftermath PTSD And Community Cost 28:05 Why They Survived 30:22 Legacy And Closing Thanks 32:19 Reviews And Listener Outreach   Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ REFERENCES: Beaconsfield Mine Collapse, Wikipedia Bad Ground: Inside the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue — Tony Wright, Todd Russell & Brant Webb The Examiner, Launceston — "Rescuers Real Heroes," April 2016 Australian Geographic — "On This Day: Beaconsfield Miners Rescued," November 2013 SBS News — "Beaconsfield Miners Speak of Lasting Scars," April 2016 Raisebore Australia — Beaconsfield Rescue Case Study, raisebore.com.au Monument Australia — Beaconsfield Mine Rescue Plaque Record Celebrity Speakers Australia — Todd Russell Speaker Profile World Socialist Web Site — "The Australian Media and the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue," May 2006 Geoscience Australia — Seismic Event Records, April 2006 Channel 9 — Todd Russell and Brant Webb exclusive interview, May 21, 2006 60 Minutes Australia — Todd Russell interview on PTSD The Sydney Morning Herald — Beaconsfield Mine rescue coverage, May 2006 Prime Minister John Howard — Parliamentary Reception Statement, May 29, 2006 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Silver Plume, Colorado — population 130 — became the setting for one of the strangest unsolved disappearances in Rocky Mountain history. In the summer of 1988, sportswriter-turned-novelist Keith Reinhard rented a storefront on Main Street, began writing a fictional character based on the building's previous tenant — a reclusive man who'd walked into the mountains and never returned — and slowly lost the boundary between the story he was writing and the life he was living. On August 7th, hungover and wearing tennis shoes, Keith announced to multiple townspeople that he was going to summit 12,275-foot Pendleton Mountain alone, starting at 4:30 in the afternoon — then walked away and was never seen again. What followed was one of the largest search and rescue operations in Colorado history, a fatal plane crash, and a cold case that's now over 35 years old. Was it an accident? A suicide? A staged disappearance? Or did Keith Reinhard stumble onto something about his predecessor's death that someone didn't want known? 00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes 00:42 Keith Reinhardt's Mysterious Disappearance 03:01 The Life of Keith Reinhardt 05:20 The Eerie Connection to Tom Young 08:06 Keith's Obsession and Final Days 16:31 The Search and Theories 23:25 Unsolved Mysteries and Ongoing Questions 26:59 Conclusion and Dedication Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ References Colorado Cold Case Files - Keith Reinhard Case #307 - Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office (Contact: 303-679-2376) - https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=307 Chicago Tribune: "Search for Reporter Halted in Colorado" (August 15, 1988) Chicago Tribune: "A Chicago-area sportswriter disappeared 31 years ago in Colorado" (January 9, 2020) Daily Herald: "The anniversary of Keith Reinhard's disappearance sparks fresh perspectives" by Jim O'Donnell (August 8, 2023) CBS Colorado: "Still No Clues In Cold Case Of Man Who Went Missing 30 Years Ago" (August 7, 2018) Eric Walter Blog: "Mountain, Murder, or Mexico?" and "The Needle in the Haystack" - https://www.ericwalterdocs.com/ Travel Channel: "Lost in the Wild" - Keith Reinhard episode (January 2020) - Investigators: J.J. Kelley and Kinga Philipps Unsolved Mysteries: Original broadcast January 31, 1990 (Season 2, Episode 15 with Robert Stack); Rebroadcast Season 6, Episode 20 (with Dennis Farina) The Charley Project: Keith R. Reinhard case file - https://charleyproject.org/case/keith-r-reinhard StrangeOutdoors.com: "The bizarre disappearance of Keith Reinhard and death of Tom Young in the Rocky Mountains" - https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/keith-reinhard Missing NPF: Keith R. Reinhard case listing - https://missingnpf.com/listing/keith-r-reinhard/ Historic Mysteries: "The Bizarre Disappearance of Keith Reinhard in Silver Plume, Colorado" (April 17, 2020) Locations Unknown: Keith Reinhard case profile (November 28, 2021) Unsolved Mysteries Wiki: Keith Reinhard and Tom Young case pages Our Community Now: "Cold Cases: The Disappearances of These 2 Colorado Men Are Eerily Similar and Creepy as Hell" Substack: "Twin Disappearances into the Peaks" by Thorne (July 22, 2021) Unsolved.com: Keith Reinhard case discussion forum The Curious Case of Keith Reinhard and Tom Young blog (February 24, 2025) - https://www.asheycakes.com/post/the-curious-case-of-keith-reinhard-and-tom-young Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On May 20, 2016, ICU nurse Amber Kornhorst set out on a solo late-afternoon hike near Cane Beds, Arizona, and climbed a deceptively "sticky" sandstone wall she couldn't safely descend. With no cell service and no way out, she fell about 100 feet into a narrow rock "dungeon," suffering three spinal fractures, a crushed pelvis, head and facial injuries, severe dehydration, and hypothermia — and typed goodbye messages to her family on her phone. Refusing to give up, she crawled and climbed to a more visible ledge and blew her whistle three blasts every half hour until search-and-rescue teams and a helicopter located her nearly 24 hours later, executing a technical rope raise and hover-load evacuation to a Utah hospital. Her story drives home survival essentials: always tell someone your plan, never hike alone, start early, carry extra water and a whistle, consider a satellite communicator, and never climb anything you can't safely descend. 00:46 Show Intro And Setup 01:40 Amber Hits The Trail 03:02 Climbing The Sandstone Wave 04:10 No Way Down Desert Trap 05:32 The Hundred Foot Fall 06:20 Shock And Goodbye Texts 08:27 Painful Climb And Whistle 11:03 Search Effort Mobilizes 12:41 Helicopter Spots Her 14:16 Technical Rope Rescue 16:10 Hover Pickup Extraction 17:02 Helicopter Evacuation 17:43 Hospital Recovery Journey 19:06 Why She Survived 19:43 Whistle and Visibility 21:55 Search Mobilized Fast 22:50 Wilderness Safety Takeaways 25:03 Desert Hiking Mistakes 27:08 Survival Mindset Lessons 29:47 Final Wrap and Credits Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Primary/First-Person Account Kohnhorst, Amber. "Surviving Alone After a 100-Foot Fall in the Arizona Wilderness." Backpacker Magazine, February 28, 2017. https://www.backpacker.com/survival/surviving-a-100-foot-fall-in-arizona/ News Coverage "Rochester Woman Survives 100-Foot Tumble On Hike In Arizona." WCCO/CBS Minnesota, May 24, 2016. https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/05/24/rochester-woman-100-foot-fall-arizona "Hiker Recovering After Northwest Arizona Fall." KTNV, May 25, 2016. https://www.ktnv.com/news/hiker-rescued-in-rural-northwest-arizona "Hiker Who Fell Is Mending at Home." Post Bulletin, 2016. https://www.postbulletin.com/newsmd/hiker-who-fell-is-mending-at-home "The 100-Foot Fall. The Long Climb Back." Post Bulletin. https://www.postbulletin.com/news/the-100-foot-fall-the-long-climb-back Institutional Coverage "Nurse Becomes Patient After Surviving 100-Foot Fall While Hiking." Mayo Clinic In the Loop, June 9, 2016. https://intheloop.mayoclinic.org/2016/06/09/nurse-becomes-patient-after-surviving-100-foot-fall-while-hiking/ "Amber Kohnhorst's Trip to the Sanctuary." Best Friends Animal Society. https://bestfriends.org/stories/features/mayo-clinic-nurse-who-survived-100-foot-fall-returns-best-friends Background "Cane Beds, Arizona." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_Beds,_Arizona Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When the ice cracked beneath Darven Miller's feet on December 13, 1979, it triggered a cascade of events that seemed impossible to survive. The 11-year-old remained trapped under the frozen surface of Duncan Creek for nearly 30 minutes, his body temperature plummeting to 82 degrees. By the time rescuers pulled him from the water, he had no pulse, no breathing, and pupils fixed and dilated—clinically dead by every measure. What the medical team at a small Wisconsin hospital did next, and what happened 70 minutes into their desperate resuscitation attempt, would challenge everything doctors thought they knew about the limits of human survival. This is a story about the microscopic margin between death and life, and about a boy who became a man determined to live every moment to the fullest. 00:00 Welcome to Crux 00:31 Ice Breaks Open 02:09 Setting the Scene 03:26 Under the Ice 04:19 Rescue at 30 Minutes 06:10 ER Fight Begins 06:54 Acidosis Explained 08:07 Rewarming and Defib 10:50 Heartbeat Returns 11:43 Wakes Up Asking Water 13:15 Rehab and Full Recovery 14:57 Why He Survived 17:40 Life After the Miracle 19:01 Lessons for Medicine 25:34 Final Takeaways 27:26 Listener Wrap Up Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ REFERENCES: 1. "45 years pass since boy survived cold water drowning," WEAU, March 23, 2024 2. "Boy who almost drowned as good as new," UPI Archives, December 15, 1980 3. "Recovery of a 62-year-old Man From Prolonged Cold Water Submersion," ScienceDirect, November 4, 2005 4. "Hypothermia. Cold-water drowning," PubMed, PMID: 2054134 5. "Survival after prolonged submersion in cold water without neurologic sequelae," PubMed, PMID: 7387271 6. "Ice Water Drowning Survival After 147-Minute Submersion and 7°C Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest," JACC: Case Reports, 2025 7. "How to bring cold water drowning victims back to life," MyPoolSigns Blog, March 11, 2025 8. "Cold water immersion: sudden death and prolonged survival," The Lancet, December 1, 2003 9. "Anna Bågenholm," Wikipedia, November 6, 2025 10.     "Successful resuscitation after drowning with severe hypernatraemia," PMC, December 2019 11.     "Hypothermia – Core EM," coreem.net 12.     "Duncan Creek Trail," GO Chippewa County Wisconsin 13.     "HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital," Hospital Sisters Health System website 14.     "St. Joseph's Hospital memorialized in exhibit at History Center in Chippewa Falls," Chippewa Herald-Telegram, November 29, 2024 15.     "Our History at HSHS Medical Group," HSHS website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On July 17, 2006, 29-year-old Dave Buschow collapsed and died from dehydration less than 100 yards from water during a Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) course in Utah. Despite showing clear signs of severe dehydration for hours—pale skin, muscle cramps, slurred speech, and hallucinations—his guide never offered the emergency water he carried in his pack. This episode examines how institutional philosophy can override basic safety protocols, and asks: who is qualified to make life-or-death medical decisions in the wilderness? 00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes 00:46 The Tragic Story of Dave Buschow 01:29 Understanding Wilderness Survival Schools 02:36 The Appeal of Survival Challenges 06:46 The Psychological and Physical Risks 07:54 The Boulder Outdoor Survival School 12:38 Dave Buschow's Final Journey 18:45 The Effects of Severe Dehydration 21:24 Dehydration and Volume Shock 22:53 Recognizing and Reversing Symptoms 25:40 The Tragic Collapse 27:02 Emergency Response and Aftermath 29:01 Legal and Institutional Repercussions 31:41 Lessons and Changes 35:56 Ongoing Debate and Reflection 41:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts References: 100 Yards from Water | Disaster Strikes Primary Sources Legal & Investigation Documents Garfield County Sheriff's Office Investigation Report, July 2006 Utah Office of the Medical Examiner Autopsy Report (Dr. Edward Leis), July 2006 Associated Press FOIA Documents, May 2007 Hebert/Buschow v. Boulder Outdoor Survival School, Federal Lawsuit, May 2007 US Forest Service Permit Suspension Documents, 2006-2007 Key Witness Statements Sean O'Neill (guide) written statement to Garfield County Sheriff's Office, July 19, 2006 Course participant accounts (via FOIA documents) Deputy Ray Gardner, Garfield County Sheriff's Office Family Sources Patricia Hebert (mother) and Rob Buschow (brother) public statements RememberDave.net (memorial website) Organization Information Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) Official website: www.boss-inc.com Course materials and policies (2006 and current) 501(c)(3) nonprofit filing (2018) Medical References Wilderness First Aid (WFA) vs. Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification standards Standard medical protocols for dehydration and hypovolemic shock Wilderness medicine oral rehydration protocols Additional Context Milgram obedience experiment (authority compliance research) Dave Buschow's BOSS application and medical clearance (May 2006) News coverage: Associated Press reports (May-November 2007) Note: Settlement terms are confidential. No criminal charges were filed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 28, 1987. Miller Cave, Iowa. Five college students, their geology professor Kathy McCluskey, and staff member Mike Price descended 112 feet into a vertical shaft in an Iowa farm field. What should have been a routine winter caving trip became a fight for survival when a storm shifted direction and water began pouring into the cave. Student leader Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) shares his firsthand account of climbing through freezing spray in complete darkness while battling severe hypothermia—making impossible decisions when conditions turned deadly. Seven people entered Miller Cave that day. Only five would make it out alive. This episode explores the technology limitations of 1987, the split-second decisions that determined who lived and who died, and the survival lessons that matter today: trust your gut, avoid sunk cost fallacy, and respect how quickly conditions can change in the wild. We honor the memory of those lost that day. Hosted by Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen ️ Contains descriptions of hypothermia, drowning, and death. Share your survival story: [email protected] 0:00 Welcome to The Crux: True Survival Stories 2:12 Miller Cave, Iowa, 1987: The Sinkhole That Became a Death Trap 4:04 Meet Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) and the Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program 7:06 The Haunting Breakfast: Plans and Futures 7:51 Inside Miller Cave: 112 Feet Down, 42°F, and Vertical 11:00 Prepared But Vulnerable: 1987 Gear and Technology Limits 17:22 Water on the Rope: The First Sign of Trouble 18:36 Chad's Climb: Total Darkness, Freezing Spray, and Hypothermia 22:05 Four Still Trapped Below: The Crisis Escalates 24:00 Mike Price's Climb and Chad's Impossible Choice 28:37 Survival in a Chimney: Bart and Stone Wait in Rising Water 30:20 No Cell Phones: Racing for Help in a Snowstorm 32:09 The Rescue: 75 Responders, Bodies Recovered 34:52 Aftermath: Guilt, Media Scrutiny, and Panic Attacks 40:03 The Thin Margin: Leadership, Intuition, and Split-Second Decisions 41:22 Chad's Second Chance and Final Lessons 43:48 Closing: Trust Your Gut, Honor the Lost Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On February 10, 2008, Fred Frederickson and James Osborne started what should have been a routine winter day hike on New Hampshire's Franconia Ridge. Within hours, conditions changed catastrophically—temperatures plummeted to single digits, winds reached seventy miles per hour, and both men were fighting for their lives on an exposed mountain ridge. As night fell and the storm intensified, rescue teams mobilized for a desperate search in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable. This episode explores the cascade of small decisions that turned a beautiful Sunday hike into a tragedy, and the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers who risked everything to bring them home. A story about friendship, survival, and the unforgiving nature of winter in the White Mountains. 00:46 Welcome to The Crux + Listener Shoutout 01:25 Eyelids Frozen Shut on Little Haystack 02:17 Meet Fred & James + The Franconia Ridge Loop Plan 04:47 Overdressed, Sweating, and Wet Layers 05:46 The Forecast They Missed: 70–100 MPH Winds Incoming 06:40 Above Treeline: The Storm ‘Switch’ Flips 08:48 No Shelter, No Fire: Hypothermia Signs and the Fight Back to Haystack 11:12 Night in a Rock Cave: Deep Hypothermia and Rewarming Basics 15:24 Missing from Work: Search Teams Mobilize in Brutal Conditions 17:37 Found on the Ridge: Black Hawk Night Landing Rescue 19:07 Hospital Battle: ‘Warm and Dead,’ Rewarming, and Frostbite Losses 20:58 Aftermath & Lessons: Hike Safe Tips 27:14 Final Takeaways + Book Rec  Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ References: Boston Globe, September 15, 2008 - "Hiker recounts horrific struggle for survival on icy N.H. ridge" Boston Herald, February 18, 2008 - "Hub hiker escapes death" New Hampshire Public Radio - "Author Ty Gagne on The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites," December 31, 2020 Union Leader, November 29, 2020 - "A tale of life and death on Franconia Ridge" Conway Daily Sun, January 17, 2021 - "The Last Traverse chronicles wintry search-and-rescue mission" SkinnyMoose.com, February 12, 2008 - "Missing Hikers Found In Franconia Notch – One Dead" WhiteBlaze.net forum discussion, February 2008 VFTT (Views From The Top) forum, September 14, 2008 - "James Osborne & Fred Fredrickson Follow-up Story" Boston Globe, December 23, 2024 - "White Mountains, New Hampshire search and rescue data" Mount Washington Observatory weather archives NH Fish and Game Department rescue reports Nashua Telegraph, September 14, 2008 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.