The CRUX: True Survival Stories

In this episode of the Crux podcast's biweekly segment, Disaster Strikes, host Julie Henningsen explores the tragic story of Christopher McCandless, also known as Alexander Supertramp. Julie shares her personal experience traveling in Alaska, including her visit to important locations tied to McCandless's story, such as the replica Magic Bus and the actual bus 142 being restored. The episode dives...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen recount the gripping survival story of Alec Luhn, a 38-year-old climate journalist, who endured six days stranded on a remote Norwegian mountain. After a catastrophic fall left him with a broken femur, fractured pelvis, and multiple fractured vertebrae, Luhn faced treacherous weather conditions and...

On Mother's Day weekend 2025, four friends set out to climb North Early Winters Spire in Washington's North Cascades, but a single rusted piton anchor failed during their descent, sending all four climbers plummeting 500 to 700 feet down the mountain. Three men died instantly from the fall, while 38-year-old Anton Tselykh miraculously survived despite suffering a cracked skull, broken ribs, intern...

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Stories, host Kaycee McIntosh chats with Tony Peniche, one of the founders of the Pacific Northwest Survival Games. They discuss the intense challenges of wilderness survival, the adrenaline-filled competition, and exciting updates about expanding the games nationally. Tony shares insights from his recent trip to New Mexico and plans to team up with Scouti...

**Content Warning: This story contains graphic details about a fatal cave accident involving prolonged entrapment in a confined space. It includes descriptions of claustrophobic conditions, failed rescue attempts, and a tragic death. The content may be particularly distressing for those sensitive to themes of confinement or helplessness. In this segment of the Crux podcast called Disaster Strikes,...

Join hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen on the Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they delve into the harrowing tale of Carolina Wilga, a 26-year-old German backpacker who survived 12 days lost in the remote Karroun Hill Nature Reserve of Western Australia. After a vehicle rollover left her with a severe head injury, Carolina made the decision that every survival expert warns against—she...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen recount the harrowing 20-hour survival and rescue ordeal of 65-year-old Lithuanian adventurer Valdas Bieliauskas in the wilderness of Tasmania. After a tragic fall left Valdas' leg wedged between two boulders in freezing rapids, his friends and a dedicated Australian rescue team faced impossible dec...

Welcome back to Disaster Strikes! In this episode of The Crux podcast's biweekly segment, Disaster Strikes, hosts Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh delve into the heartbreaking tale of 66-year-old Geraldine Largay, a retired Air Force nurse, who tragically lost her life on the Appalachian Trail in 2013. Despite Jerry's extensive hiking experience, her poor sense of direction led to her getting...

Join hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen on The Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they share the remarkable story of Zach DeMoss, a 24-year-old motorcyclist whose perfect afternoon ride along Idaho's Highway 12 turned into a desperate fight for survival. In August 2024, a split-second decision to avoid a deer sent Zach airborne—launching him 40 feet through the air into the remote Idaho w...

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Stories podcast, host Julie Henningsen interviews Sheryl Ramstad, a burn survivor, former criminal trial attorney, and Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections, who shares her harrowing story of surviving an airplane crash. Sheryl details the events leading up to the crash, the critical decisions she made during the incident, and her miraculous survival despi...

Join hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen on The Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they delve into the harrowing ordeal of Andrew Barber. On July 28, 2025, while searching for his missing dog in the remote Cariboo region of British Columbia, Andrew's tire blows out, leaving him stranded in the wilderness. With no cell service and miles from help, Andrew faces a brutal nine-day survival fig...

In this episode of 'The Crux: True Survival Stories,' hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into the astonishing tale of Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant who miraculously survived a fall from over 33,000 feet without a parachute. The episode explores Vesna's early life, the fateful flight in 1972, and the extraordinary series of events that led to her survival. It also discusse...

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 bru...

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 necessa...

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 t...

Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine!  https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Join Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh on The Crux True Survival Story Podcast as they delve into the extraordinary t...

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 commercia...

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 sur...

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 entrepreneu...

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 res...

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 c...

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 sav...

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...

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 surv...

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-ol...