Real Survival Stories

A chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger presents Warren Macdonald with the adventure opportunity of a lifetime. But deep in Queensland’s Hinchinbrook Island, a bizarre accident changes everything. Smashed to pieces and immobilised, Warren has to pin all his hopes on a man he only met the day before. And trapped in a streambed in excruciating pain, with water rising around him, the odds are n...

As his surname suggests, Jules Mountain is a man destined to scale the heights. After battling cancer and emerging with a new lease of life, he takes on the epic challenge of reaching the top of Mount Everest. But when an enormous earthquake causes the slopes to crumble around him, Jules is once again left staring death in the face…   A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins.   Written...

A merchant vessel departs Tasmania. The scheduled journey time is two days. But 18-year-old Mick Doleman and his crewmates will end up at sea for far longer than that. When their ship goes under, the seamen will find themselves stranded in a vulnerable life raft. The hellish experience will involve near starvation, brutal weather, physical turmoil and tragedy, as it becomes apparent that survival...

In 2013 a celebrated journalist travels to war-torn Syria. But near the front line he’s taken hostage by a group of rebel fighters. Over the next 81 days Jonathan Alpeyrie will get to know his captors extremely well. Harrowing, absurd, surreal… the ordeal will push his body and his mind to the limit. And with the threat of execution always hanging over him, forming a bond with his kidnappers will...

Dave Boyer heads to Brazil to explore the largest tropical rainforest on earth. It’s a place of breathtaking beauty and constant sensory stimulation. But here, just one step can lead to calamity. When Dave and his travel companion stray from the trail they realise that once you’re lost in the Amazon, you might never be found…   A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins.   Written by Nico...

Blue Lake holds a mystery deep beneath its surface. And Martin Robson wants to solve it. The British diver descends into the murky depths. But hundreds of feet underwater, an invisible and excruciating force suddenly overwhelms him. Semi-paralysed and sinking, Martin is only at the start of an extraordinary ordeal - one that will ultimately last not for hours, but days…   A Noiser podcast producti...

Deep in rural South Africa, it’s a tough life for a farmer. John Moor has spent years tackling thieves who pilfer his livestock. One day he takes a bold step - chartering a plane to search for some missing cattle in the Drakensberg Mountains. He hopes it’ll give him the upper hand… but everything comes crashing down. John and his companion will find themselves stranded and injured somewhere in the...

Josh Burns embarks on a solo expedition into the Blue Mountains of Oregon. But when a freak accident flips the script, this resourceful hunter is turned into potential prey. Alone in the domain of bears, wolves and mountain lions, Josh will have to find a way to rescue himself. All the while, he’ll struggle to move, stay conscious… and even draw breath… A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John...

Jon Ritchey sets out on a relaxing fishing trip in the Ivory Coast - a West African country that is close to his heart. But out on the tranquil water, Jon’s boat - and life - are turned upside down. He and his family have inadvertently strayed into the territory of one of the continent’s deadliest animals. Despite the best efforts of father and uncle, when the young man finds himself in its lethal...

High in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, a huge shift on the surface of a glacier sends two climbers hurtling down the slope at breakneck speed. With no time to react, Paul Rogers vanishes into the ice. He will find himself injured, without equipment and with no idea what’s happened to his partner. And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, they do… A Noiser production, written by Chris McDona...

Mark Lyons enters an epic mountain bike race through the heart of Costa Rica. Its fearsome reputation is well deserved. The father of two will end up caught in a river current and swept downstream for miles - deep into the jungle. Even if he can escape the water, with no GPS, no phone and no shoes, survival will still require a superhuman effort… A Noiser production, written by Joe Viner. For ad-f...

One of the world’s top cave photographers travels to Russian-occupied Georgia to capture images of a true natural wonder - a cave so deep it takes four days to reach the bottom. But when water cascades into the underground system, Robbie Shone will face a series of challenges beyond his worst nightmares. Soon he will find himself with literal inches of space in which to keep breathing… A Noiser pr...

On a foggy winter’s night in 2023, Matt Reum is driving home along a deserted stretch of freeway… when suddenly disaster strikes. As his truck swerves off the road, he plunges into a ravine underneath a bridge. Pinned within a twisted mass of metal and glass, Matt is helpless. Other drivers are mere metres away but cannot see or hear him. Over the course of the next few days, his efforts to free h...

Rachel and Jeremy head to Switzerland to explore a notorious peak in the Alps. They’ve planned meticulously... but Mother Nature has other ideas. Marooned 3,000 metres up, they are at the mercy of lightning, snow and howling gales. With the weather too extreme to coordinate a rescue, this first date threatens to become their last day… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free lis...

Glen Gantz is a biologist from Utah who likes to take a walk, or a row, on the wild side. In August 2000, he embarks on a never-before-attempted challenge: a 12-day rafting trip down northern Canada’s perilous Firth River… alone. It was always going to be tough, but things take a serious turn when Glen finds himself stranded on a narrow spit of land. He soon realises he isn’t as alone as he though...

Tara Pyfrom and her family live a life of idyllic bliss in the Bahamas. That is, until 2019 - when Hurricane Dorian makes landfall, plunging their peaceful island existence into chaos. As this record-breaking storm swamps the land, Tara’s house is engulfed - becoming a deathtrap. The family will have to go to increasingly extraordinary lengths just to keep their heads above water… A Noiser product...

When a US Navy fighter pilot loses control of his jet it seems his fate is sealed. Even if Kegan Gill can bail himself out of immediate danger, further perils await: debilitating injuries, a desperate fight to stay conscious, and an epic struggle in great white shark territory. Kegan may be a young and inexperienced pilot, at the start of his career. But no amount of training could have prepared h...

A young Brit arrives in Sri Lanka to spend Christmas with family. Festivities over, Shenth Ravindra heads off on a solo trip around the country’s stunning coastline. But barely has his adventure begun when catastrophe strikes. As their train grinds to an unscheduled stop, something seems wrong. And then, from the tightly packed carriage, Shenth can only watch as a monstrous wave approaches… A Nois...

May 1982 in the South Atlantic. Argentine jets speed towards a British naval destroyer. On board the vessel, down in the communications room, Chris Howe waits with bated breath. In a matter of seconds his life will be thrown into the balance. Engulfed by flames, it’ll take extraordinary bravery, and sheer luck, if he’s to make it off the ship alive… A Noiser production, written by Luke Lonergan. F...

Leif Videen lives a pared back, outdoorsy life in the remote reaches of the Mid West. In October 2015, he embarks on an elk stalking trip in the Wind River Mountains. But when he finally pulls the trigger, after days of tracking his quarry, he never expects that he will soon be the one fighting for his life. As a mysterious set of grisly symptoms takes hold, Leif must rely on his loyal steed to ca...

This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famous ship in history. You’ll be right there on board - setting sail from Southampton, chugging across the Atlantic, striking the iceberg and sinking into the icy depths. We’ll hear the harrowing tales of the victims and the testimonies of the lucky surv...

London to Guernsey - a simple trip transporting cargo via the world’s busiest shipping lane. Or so you might think… When pounding waves flood their craft, the three-person crew of the Hooness will be forced to do something every sailor dreads: abandon ship. With no help in sight, 20-year-old Sheenagh Levett will find herself alone in the water, without a lifejacket, unsure if she’ll ever see her c...

An expedition to the deepest known cave in the world goes suddenly wrong. In 1977, British caver Dick Willis and his companions descend into the dark heart of the French Pyrenees. But with the three friends thousands of feet underground, an electrical storm breaks out on the surface - sending torrents of rain cascading into the caves. As the water level rises around their feet, the race to escape...

Justine Barwick loves the Whitsundays. The picturesque Australian islands have been the scene of many a family holiday. But one day - swimming in waters she’s safely explored hundreds of times before - things take a sudden and shocking turn. Out of nowhere, Justine faces a monstrous attack. With major trauma to a main artery, the life is literally draining from her. The countdown has started… A No...

One of the biggest offshore disasters in history. In July 1988, a fire breaks out on the Piper Alpha - a vast oil rig in the North Sea. Those stationed on board are thrust into a hell on earth. As the conflagration grows around him, 29 year-old Joe Meanen must make a desperate decision. Stay patient and put his faith in the remote chance of rescue? Or take his survival into his own hands? A Noiser...