The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Join hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they discuss one of the most remarkable survival stories in maritime history. The episode delves into the harrowing tale of 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault, whose family vacation in 1961 turned into a nightmare when their chartered boat, the Blue Bell, was sabotaged by the captain, Julian Harvey. After a brutal attack that left her fami...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, medical professionals Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into the extraordinary story of 11-year-old Norman Ollestad, Jr., the sole survivor of a 1979 plane crash in the San Gabriel Mountains. Despite his young age, Norman's extensive training in extreme sports, imparted by his adventurous father, equipped him with the skills necessary to navigate down an 8,600-foot m...

This episode of The Crux True Survival Story Podcast with Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen explores the harrowing tale of Ryan Wardwell, an experienced canyoneer who survived three days trapped in hypothermic conditions behind the Seven Teacups waterfall in California. The story delves into Ryan's ordeal, the geological and technical challenges of the canyon, the critical decisions made, and the incredible multi-agency rescue o...

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Join Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh on The Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they delve into the extraordinary...

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen unravel the harrowing tale of 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who miraculously survived a catastrophic accident during sailing camp in Biscayne Bay, Miami. The story highlights the resilience and incredible survival instincts of a child caught in an underwater disaster caused by a massive commercial barge. The episode also delves in...

This episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosted by Kaycee McIntosh, recounts the harrowing tale of Eric Murda, a 43-year-old irrigation contractor from Sarasota. On July 17, 2022, Eric’s routine day turned into a nightmare when a seven-foot alligator attacked him while he swam across Lake Manatee in Florida. The attack resulted in Eric losing his arm, leading to a grueling 72-hour survival ordeal in the harsh Florida s...

Join Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen on The Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they dive into the extraordinary journey of Tony Peniche, Founder of the Pacific Northwest Survival Games. Discover how a backyard BBQ among friends evolved into a viral survival competition, attracting contestants and survival celebrities from popular TV shows. Tony shares his transition from a serial entrepreneur to a key figure in the survival c...

In this episode, we dive into a harrowing story of a bear attack on a popular hiking trail in Anchorage, Alaska, involving a 67-year-old woman. She is attacked and dragged into the dense wilderness but manages to call 911. With her life hanging in the balance, cutting-edge drone technology is deployed to find her. We explore the specifics of the rescue operation, the capabilities of search and rescue drones, and how modern technolo...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh recount the astonishing real-life story of six teenage boys from Tonga who were stranded on a deserted island for 15 months in 1965. Contrary to the dark narrative of 'Lord of the Flies,' these boys formed a harmonious and organized mini-society, showcasing the best of human nature under harrowing conditions. The hosts dive deep into...

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen explore the harrowing survival stories from the South Tower during the 9/11 attacks. When United Airlines Flight 175 struck between floors 77-85, only one stairwell remained intact - Stairwell A. Faced with conflicting information and impossible choices, 18 people made the critical decision that saved their lives.

The episode follows...

This episode of the Crux True Survival Stories Podcast examines the events of July 26, 2003, when a lightning strike on Grand Teton's Exum Ridge triggered what became known as the most spectacular rescue in American mountaineering history.
Thirteen climbers from an Idaho health products company were ascending the technical route at 13,000 feet when a massive lightning bolt struck the granite ridge at 3:35 PM. The strike killed 27-y...

In March 2012, two lifelong friends and former Marines, Ken Henderson and Ed Cohen, embarked on what should have been a perfect fishing trip to the oil rigs 50 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Within minutes, their 30-foot boat suffered catastrophic failure and sank beneath them, leaving them stranded in frigid 65-degree waters with no rescue in sight.

Learn about this harrowing 30+ hour survival ordeal that tested every limit...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh recount the harrowing tale of a French family's dream vacation that turned into a nightmare at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. The episode delves into the extreme conditions and decisions that led to the deaths of David and Ornella Steiner, who sacrificed their lives to save their 9-year-old son amidst the park's unforgiving...

In this explosive episode of The Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen dive into five days of pure terror on the high seas. When four armed Somali pirates stormed the Maersk Alabama in 2009, Captain Richard Phillips made a split-second decision that would either save his crew—or cost him his life.

What followed was a heart-pounding standoff in a sweltering lifeboat with AK-47-wielding captors,...

On December 20th, 1980, 19-year-old Jean Hilliard experienced what doctors call medically impossible. After her car slid off an icy road in rural Minnesota during a blizzard with temperatures at -22°F, Jean made the difficult decision to walk two miles through whiteout conditions to reach her friend Wally Nelson's farmhouse. Dressed only in cowboy boots and a winter coat, she battled brutal winds and life-threatening cold for over ...

In 2002, 23-year-old French snowboarder Marco Siffredi vanished without a trace while attempting to snowboard down Mount Everest's treacherous Hornbein Couloir. This gripping episode of Disaster Strikes explores the tragic story of an elite extreme athlete whose deadly obsession with conquering Everest's most dangerous descent route led to one of mountaineering's most haunting mysteries.

Picture this: You're a medical professional on a routine work trip when suddenly you're playing a real-life game of survival that makes Bear Grylls look like a weekend camper. Meet Tiffany Slaton, the dialysis tech from Georgia who accidentally became the Sierra Nevada's most badass temporary resident.

This gripping episode explores one of climbing's most harrowing incidents—the 2000 kidnapping of four young American climbers in Kyrgyzstan's remote mountains. Tommy Caldwell, Beth Rodden, Jason Singer Smith, and John Dickey were world-class athletes with a North Face sponsorship to establish first ascents on untouched granite walls. Their dream expedition turned into a nightmare on August 12, 2000, when they were awakened by bulle...

Get ready for the most unbelievable survival story you've ever heard. Hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen deliver a jaw-dropping tale that sounds like Hollywood fiction but is 100% real—and it happened at 400 mph, 17,000 feet above ground.