https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/survival-stories-24-7--7194394
Dive deep into real-life survival stories, essential bushcraft skills, and preparedness strategies that could save your life. We dissect critical decision-making in high-stakes scenarios, from wilderness survival to urban collapse, ensuring you're equipped with practical knowledge for any emergency. This isn't just theory; it's hardcore, actionable intelligence for those who refuse to be caught off guard.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Sunday, at 9:00 AM EST, offering a fresh dose of survival wisdom every single day. Each episode provides expert insights, gear reviews, and techniques for self-reliance, presented in a no-nonsense, direct format.

This podcast is for preppers, outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and anyone serious about developing resilience and an unshakeable survival mindset. If you're ready to transform fear into preparedness and instinct into skill, you've found your tribe.

Subscribe to Survival Instinct now and sharpen your edge.]]>enPersonal Journals© 2026 OBOMEDIA Creatorshttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/5c1351929edb17d6982daacfcc796f42.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/survival-stories-24-7--7194394Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:02:30 +0000Creator at ObomediaCreator at Obomediacreators@obomedia.comWhen the world goes sideways, will you be ready? Survival Instinct is your ultimate guide to mastering the wild, the unexpected, and the extreme. Dive deep into real-life survival stories, essential bushcraft skills, and preparedness strategies that...
Dive deep into real-life survival stories, essential bushcraft skills, and preparedness strategies that could save your life. We dissect critical decision-making in high-stakes scenarios, from wilderness survival to urban collapse, ensuring you're equipped with practical knowledge for any emergency. This isn't just theory; it's hardcore, actionable intelligence for those who refuse to be caught off guard.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Sunday, at 9:00 AM EST, offering a fresh dose of survival wisdom every single day. Each episode provides expert insights, gear reviews, and techniques for self-reliance, presented in a no-nonsense, direct format.

This podcast is for preppers, outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and anyone serious about developing resilience and an unshakeable survival mindset. If you're ready to transform fear into preparedness and instinct into skill, you've found your tribe.

Subscribe to Survival Instinct now and sharpen your edge.]]>false52c4688f-3c23-5d15-9dba-e7997bc6663cepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-lost-a-boot-to-the-ice-survived-27-hours-by-systems--73101198
Cold logic kept him alive: a 91°F core, a boot that traveled two miles to a fence post, and a man who rebuilt a mukluk out of spruce bark and a drawstring in sub‑zero windchill. Which single decision in the first ninety seconds prevented hypothermia from ending him?

In this episode, you'll hear the sequence of choices and small systems that shaped the outcome: the trailhead log, the missing boot found by a meter reader, the improvised insulation, and the routines that both failed and saved him. How did training, habit, and material thinking stretch life through 27 hours in near‑freezing conditions?

Person: Vernon Edwards
Date: December 9 (Tuesday), sign-in just after 9:00 AM; boot lost at 11:47 AM
Location: creek crossing on Vernon’s fourteen-mile route from Ridgeback trailhead; boot found two miles away on a fence post 47 feet from the road
Status: core body temperature recorded at 91°F; survived approximately 27 hours after immersion
Witness: Rhonda Campbell, utility meter reader who found the boot on the third Wednesday of December

- The boot detached at 11:47 AM when Vernon stepped onto ice thinned by a partially breached beaver dam.
- The boot was later found frozen solid on a fence post two miles from the creek, hanging 47 feet from the road.
- Vernon signed the Ridgeback trailhead log just after 9:00 AM, listing a planned route of roughly 14 miles.
- Vernon removed all wet clothing except a wool hat, wrapped his torso in a foil emergency blanket, and used a folding knife to cut spruce bark.
- He laced bark and boughs into an improvised mukluk with his pants drawstring threaded in alternating crosses, preserving circulation and insulation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101198Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Lost a Boot to the Ice - Survived 27 Hours by Systems Cold logic kept him alive: a 91°F core, a boot that traveled two miles to a fence post, and a man who rebuilt a mukluk out of spruce bark and a drawstring in sub‑zero windchill. Which single...
Cold logic kept him alive: a 91°F core, a boot that traveled two miles to a fence post, and a man who rebuilt a mukluk out of spruce bark and a drawstring in sub‑zero windchill. Which single decision in the first ninety seconds prevented hypothermia from ending him?

In this episode, you'll hear the sequence of choices and small systems that shaped the outcome: the trailhead log, the missing boot found by a meter reader, the improvised insulation, and the routines that both failed and saved him. How did training, habit, and material thinking stretch life through 27 hours in near‑freezing conditions?

Person: Vernon Edwards
Date: December 9 (Tuesday), sign-in just after 9:00 AM; boot lost at 11:47 AM
Location: creek crossing on Vernon’s fourteen-mile route from Ridgeback trailhead; boot found two miles away on a fence post 47 feet from the road
Status: core body temperature recorded at 91°F; survived approximately 27 hours after immersion
Witness: Rhonda Campbell, utility meter reader who found the boot on the third Wednesday of December

- The boot detached at 11:47 AM when Vernon stepped onto ice thinned by a partially breached beaver dam.
- The boot was later found frozen solid on a fence post two miles from the creek, hanging 47 feet from the road.
- Vernon signed the Ridgeback trailhead log just after 9:00 AM, listing a planned route of roughly 14 miles.
- Vernon removed all wet clothing except a wool hat, wrapped his torso in a foil emergency blanket, and used a folding knife to cut spruce bark.
- He laced bark and boughs into an improvised mukluk with his pants drawstring threaded in alternating crosses, preserving circulation and insulation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1008falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/maestro-pertence-a-opening-reservar-explicacion-para-resolution--73101192
The momentary calm before catastrophe: a Pentel mechanical pencil survived an 800°F window surface, its eraser intact and tip still sharp after the Cascino Fire passed-yet the lookout who owned it spent five days officially unaccounted for; what exactly happened at Harkin Peak that left a trained spotter isolated and a radio log that doesn't match her journal?

In this episode, we follow the timeline at Harkin Peak Lookout Station, tracing the entries in Dawn Stevens's journal, the district radio records, and the sequence of events from October 30 to November 5 that left a tower overlooked by search teams. How did a logged "confirmed" radio call appear in Dawn's handwriting when no electronic record exists?

Person: Dawn Stevens
Location: Harkin Peak Lookout Station
Event: Cascino Fire
Date: October 30-November 5, 2011
Dispatch Officer: Robert Garza

- The exterior glass surface of the lookout reached over 800 degrees Fahrenheit during the fire.
- A Pentel mechanical pencil found wedged in the east-facing window gap remained unburned with its eraser intact and tip sharp 14 days after the fire.
- Dawn Stevens noted a wind shift from southwest to north-northeast at 8:14 PM on November 4, moving 90 degrees in under 90 minutes.
- The Cascino Fire ignited on October 30, 2011, from an electrical arc roughly 40 miles south-southwest of Harkin Peak.
- The Burlin Spur road was recorded as passable by dispatch at 10:51 PM on November 4 and then burned at 12:40 AM on November 5, trapping Dawn with no evacuation route.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101192Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at Obomediamaestro. Pertence a: Opening. Reservar explicación para Resolution The momentary calm before catastrophe: a Pentel mechanical pencil survived an 800°F window surface, its eraser intact and tip still sharp after the Cascino Fire passed-yet the...
The momentary calm before catastrophe: a Pentel mechanical pencil survived an 800°F window surface, its eraser intact and tip still sharp after the Cascino Fire passed-yet the lookout who owned it spent five days officially unaccounted for; what exactly happened at Harkin Peak that left a trained spotter isolated and a radio log that doesn't match her journal?

In this episode, we follow the timeline at Harkin Peak Lookout Station, tracing the entries in Dawn Stevens's journal, the district radio records, and the sequence of events from October 30 to November 5 that left a tower overlooked by search teams. How did a logged "confirmed" radio call appear in Dawn's handwriting when no electronic record exists?

Person: Dawn Stevens
Location: Harkin Peak Lookout Station
Event: Cascino Fire
Date: October 30-November 5, 2011
Dispatch Officer: Robert Garza

- The exterior glass surface of the lookout reached over 800 degrees Fahrenheit during the fire.
- A Pentel mechanical pencil found wedged in the east-facing window gap remained unburned with its eraser intact and tip sharp 14 days after the fire.
- Dawn Stevens noted a wind shift from southwest to north-northeast at 8:14 PM on November 4, moving 90 degrees in under 90 minutes.
- The Cascino Fire ignited on October 30, 2011, from an electrical arc roughly 40 miles south-southwest of Harkin Peak.
- The Burlin Spur road was recorded as passable by dispatch at 10:51 PM on November 4 and then burned at 12:40 AM on November 5, trapping Dawn with no evacuation route.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>908falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/warm-glove-twelve-minutes-how-a-river-changed-everything--73101188
Cold precision: a neoprene glove kept warm for thirty-one hours inside a sealed dry-bag wedged in basalt, after a fifty-three-year-old kayaker vanished on October 21, 2019 - how could a woman with eleven years of glacial-river experience and swiftwater rescue training end up in a place that should not have been a river? What did the twelve minutes of hand function in forty-degree water really determine?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a failed beaver dam upstream to the moment Holly Sharp launched at 7:45 a.m., tracing the river changes, the rapid where she went into the water, and the clues left on the basalt shelf that together raise a single question: did her choices inside those twelve minutes make her findable?

Person: Holly Sharp
Date: October 21, 2019
Location: Clearbow River, near Ridgeline Road put-in to Flint Bend takeout
Age: 53
Water temperature: 40 degrees Fahrenheit

- The orange dry-bag was wedged in basalt for 31 hours before being unsealed.
- Holly launched at 7:45 a.m. and was last seen at the put-in by her partner George Sims.
- A beaver dam failure overnight raised the river 14 inches by morning, activating a side-cut channel.
- Gauge data show the pulse from the dam failure passed the critical section between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m.
- Andrea Cho found two parallel elbow/forearm drag impressions in silt leading from the waterline into the tree line.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101188Sun, 20 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaWarm Glove, Twelve Minutes: How a River Changed Everything Cold precision: a neoprene glove kept warm for thirty-one hours inside a sealed dry-bag wedged in basalt, after a fifty-three-year-old kayaker vanished on October 21, 2019 - how could a...
Cold precision: a neoprene glove kept warm for thirty-one hours inside a sealed dry-bag wedged in basalt, after a fifty-three-year-old kayaker vanished on October 21, 2019 - how could a woman with eleven years of glacial-river experience and swiftwater rescue training end up in a place that should not have been a river? What did the twelve minutes of hand function in forty-degree water really determine?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a failed beaver dam upstream to the moment Holly Sharp launched at 7:45 a.m., tracing the river changes, the rapid where she went into the water, and the clues left on the basalt shelf that together raise a single question: did her choices inside those twelve minutes make her findable?

Person: Holly Sharp
Date: October 21, 2019
Location: Clearbow River, near Ridgeline Road put-in to Flint Bend takeout
Age: 53
Water temperature: 40 degrees Fahrenheit

- The orange dry-bag was wedged in basalt for 31 hours before being unsealed.
- Holly launched at 7:45 a.m. and was last seen at the put-in by her partner George Sims.
- A beaver dam failure overnight raised the river 14 inches by morning, activating a side-cut channel.
- Gauge data show the pulse from the dam failure passed the critical section between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m.
- Andrea Cho found two parallel elbow/forearm drag impressions in silt leading from the waterline into the tree line.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>966falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-tied-her-shoe-on-purpose-nine-days-alone-in-the-sierras--73101185
Fear tightens when you imagine being forty-one miles from the nearest paved road with a broken ankle, one neon-yellow shoe upright on a granite shelf and the other missing-tied, dry, and deliberately placed. This episode reveals how meticulous choices, a lighter kept “almost without thinking,” and nine days of solo survival converged in a Sierra Nevada canyon; what led Rhonda Jenkins to lay a shoe neatly, and why that small act became the key clue?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Rhonda leaving a breakfast table in Fresno to her last logged race checkpoint, the split in a talus field that led her off course, and the discovery by a fisherman on Purpose nineteenth-asking how Rhonda’s training, gear, and decisions shaped her fate.

Person: Rhonda Jenkins
Date: Purpose 6-19, 2016
Location: Caldera Fork of the Hollow Pine River, Sierra Nevada foothills east of Fresno
Event: High Spine 50K race disappearance and nine days alone in a canyon
Finder: Fisherman Craig Dempsey, Purpose 19, 2016

- Rhonda was listed at mile 14 and passed Ridgeback Notch at 9:41 AM on Purpose 6, 2016, running 48th among 214 competitors.
- Her blue Subaru remained in the Garrett Flats parking lot the morning after the race, untouched.
- She carried about 600 calories of food, a mylar emergency blanket, a handheld water filter, a small first-aid kit, a GPS watch, and a lighter in her vest.
- A social trail split the talus field about 40 yards from the main course; the northern fork she took did not reconnect and dropped into a talus field.
- At 6:43 AM on Purpose 19, 2016, fisherman Craig Dempsey cut his engine and heard a whisper; he found Rhonda with one neon-yellow trail shoe upright on a granite shelf and the other missing, the upright shoe laced, tongue centered, bow symmetrical, and perfectly dry.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101185Sat, 19 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Tied Her Shoe On Purpose: Nine Days Alone in the Sierras Fear tightens when you imagine being forty-one miles from the nearest paved road with a broken ankle, one neon-yellow shoe upright on a granite shelf and the other missing-tied, dry, and...
Fear tightens when you imagine being forty-one miles from the nearest paved road with a broken ankle, one neon-yellow shoe upright on a granite shelf and the other missing-tied, dry, and deliberately placed. This episode reveals how meticulous choices, a lighter kept “almost without thinking,” and nine days of solo survival converged in a Sierra Nevada canyon; what led Rhonda Jenkins to lay a shoe neatly, and why that small act became the key clue?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Rhonda leaving a breakfast table in Fresno to her last logged race checkpoint, the split in a talus field that led her off course, and the discovery by a fisherman on Purpose nineteenth-asking how Rhonda’s training, gear, and decisions shaped her fate.

Person: Rhonda Jenkins
Date: Purpose 6-19, 2016
Location: Caldera Fork of the Hollow Pine River, Sierra Nevada foothills east of Fresno
Event: High Spine 50K race disappearance and nine days alone in a canyon
Finder: Fisherman Craig Dempsey, Purpose 19, 2016

- Rhonda was listed at mile 14 and passed Ridgeback Notch at 9:41 AM on Purpose 6, 2016, running 48th among 214 competitors.
- Her blue Subaru remained in the Garrett Flats parking lot the morning after the race, untouched.
- She carried about 600 calories of food, a mylar emergency blanket, a handheld water filter, a small first-aid kit, a GPS watch, and a lighter in her vest.
- A social trail split the talus field about 40 yards from the main course; the northern fork she took did not reconnect and dropped into a talus field.
- At 6:43 AM on Purpose 19, 2016, fisherman Craig Dempsey cut his engine and heard a whisper; he found Rhonda with one neon-yellow trail shoe upright on a granite shelf and the other missing, the upright shoe laced, tongue centered, bow symmetrical, and perfectly dry.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1008falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-left-boot-on-harrow-ridge-how-she-outwitted-death--73101182
A single left mountaineering boot, size seven, double-knotted and standing upright in a granite crack with dried blood inside - found three point two miles from active search teams who had been looking the other way for four days. What decision at ten thousand two hundred feet left behind that lone boot and no second shoe, pack, or person?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Holly Olson's solo alpine attempt to the discovery that changed the search direction. We cover her preparations, the search deployment, the discovery by a county surveyor, and the odd evidence that reshaped the story: what did that boot really mean?

Person: Holly Olson
Date: August 14-19, 2021
Location: Harrow Ridge, north couloir and eastern drainage
Finder: Darlene Draper
Search teams deployed since: August 15

- Boot: single left mountaineering boot, size seven, double-knotted, found standing upright in a granite crack
- Blood: dried blood present on the boot's interior cuff and tongue
- Distance: boot found three point two miles from search teams on western face
- Timeline: Holly started ascent at 5:20 AM on August 14; boot discovered at 6:41 AM on August 19
- Report: Darlene Draper called the sheriff at 6:53 AM, twelve minutes after finding the boot

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101182Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Left Boot on Harrow Ridge: How She Outwitted Death A single left mountaineering boot, size seven, double-knotted and standing upright in a granite crack with dried blood inside - found three point two miles from active search teams who had been...
A single left mountaineering boot, size seven, double-knotted and standing upright in a granite crack with dried blood inside - found three point two miles from active search teams who had been looking the other way for four days. What decision at ten thousand two hundred feet left behind that lone boot and no second shoe, pack, or person?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Holly Olson's solo alpine attempt to the discovery that changed the search direction. We cover her preparations, the search deployment, the discovery by a county surveyor, and the odd evidence that reshaped the story: what did that boot really mean?

Person: Holly Olson
Date: August 14-19, 2021
Location: Harrow Ridge, north couloir and eastern drainage
Finder: Darlene Draper
Search teams deployed since: August 15

- Boot: single left mountaineering boot, size seven, double-knotted, found standing upright in a granite crack
- Blood: dried blood present on the boot's interior cuff and tongue
- Distance: boot found three point two miles from search teams on western face
- Timeline: Holly started ascent at 5:20 AM on August 14; boot discovered at 6:41 AM on August 19
- Report: Darlene Draper called the sheriff at 6:53 AM, twelve minutes after finding the boot

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1172falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-radio-on-the-cooler-how-a-dry-beacon-broke-a-fisherman-s-memory--73101179
Fear and bafflement: a dry marine radio broadcasting Channel 16 is found upright on a bait cooler in a locked shed, 30 hours after the Marguerite B sank and a fisherman survived nine hours in frigid seas with a core temperature of 94.1°F-how did the radio get ashore and what did the survivor do that he cannot remember?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from departure to rescue, the mismatched search coordinates, and the shore-side anomalies that puzzled investigators; will the radio and small impossible details reveal what happened during the survival hours?

Person: Earl Wells
Date: July 6-9, 2011
Location: Anslow Harbor area; Cutter's Point recovery at 6:40 AM July 8
Event: Sinking of the Marguerite B; survival of one crewman
Status: Phil Soto missing; Marcus Abney deceased; Earl Wells rescued and hospitalized

- The Marguerite B left Anslow Harbor at 6:15 PM on July 6 with three crew: Earl Wells (54), Phil Soto (38), and Marcus Abney (26).
- At 1:47 AM on July 7 a distress call was logged giving a position about 37 miles southwest, but the boat actually sank roughly 30 miles northeast due to a malfunctioning GPS.
- The vessel sank within 40 minutes of the distress call; debris including a life ring marked Marguerite B was found by 4:18 AM.
- Earl Wells spent approximately nine hours in the water, broke his right forearm, cracked two ribs, and his core temperature measured 94.1°F when assessed.
- On July 9 at 7:00 AM Cynthia Perry found a dry marine radio broadcasting Channel 16 sitting upright in an orange flotation holster on a bait cooler inside a locked shed that only three people could access.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101179Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Radio on the Cooler: How a Dry Beacon Broke a Fisherman's Memory Fear and bafflement: a dry marine radio broadcasting Channel 16 is found upright on a bait cooler in a locked shed, 30 hours after the Marguerite B sank and a fisherman survived...
Fear and bafflement: a dry marine radio broadcasting Channel 16 is found upright on a bait cooler in a locked shed, 30 hours after the Marguerite B sank and a fisherman survived nine hours in frigid seas with a core temperature of 94.1°F-how did the radio get ashore and what did the survivor do that he cannot remember?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from departure to rescue, the mismatched search coordinates, and the shore-side anomalies that puzzled investigators; will the radio and small impossible details reveal what happened during the survival hours?

Person: Earl Wells
Date: July 6-9, 2011
Location: Anslow Harbor area; Cutter's Point recovery at 6:40 AM July 8
Event: Sinking of the Marguerite B; survival of one crewman
Status: Phil Soto missing; Marcus Abney deceased; Earl Wells rescued and hospitalized

- The Marguerite B left Anslow Harbor at 6:15 PM on July 6 with three crew: Earl Wells (54), Phil Soto (38), and Marcus Abney (26).
- At 1:47 AM on July 7 a distress call was logged giving a position about 37 miles southwest, but the boat actually sank roughly 30 miles northeast due to a malfunctioning GPS.
- The vessel sank within 40 minutes of the distress call; debris including a life ring marked Marguerite B was found by 4:18 AM.
- Earl Wells spent approximately nine hours in the water, broke his right forearm, cracked two ribs, and his core temperature measured 94.1°F when assessed.
- On July 9 at 7:00 AM Cynthia Perry found a dry marine radio broadcasting Channel 16 sitting upright in an orange flotation holster on a bait cooler inside a locked shed that only three people could access.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1043falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sneaker-on-the-rock-how-dependability-became-survival-s-last-clue--73101175
A single child's red-and-white Talla five sneaker sat perfectly upright on a flat rock eighteen inches above a dry creek bed in 109°F Sonoran Desert heat - a placed clue that corrected a three-hour search mistake. How did a dependable twenty-two-year-old's routine choices and a roadside assistance database error turn a routine drive into a life-or-death navigation of wrong turns and dwindling water?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a 2:17 p.m. roadside assistance call to the discovery that redirected the search, tracing what Brenda Whitley and her six-year-old nephew Cooper carried, what they left behind, and the consequences of one misregistered location; could a single sneaker change everything?

Person: Brenda Whitley
Person: Cooper (age 6)
Date: June 17-19, 2009
Location: County Road 7, southeast of Blythe, California
Temperature: 109°F

- At 6:14 a.m. on June 19, 2009, Crystal Vaughn photographed the child's sneaker from four angles before calling 911.
- Brenda called roadside assistance at approximately 2:17 p.m.; the call lasted 49 seconds and said County Road Seven, south of the junction with Highway 95.
- The automated system registered the call as originating from Highway 95, so a truck was dispatched three hours later to the wrong location.
- The Neon contained a half-full gallon of water, an empty juice box, a granola bar, and a bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen; Cooper's sneakers were on the back floor.
- By about 7:00 a.m. the next morning, rancher Boyd Secker found the silver Neon on County Road 7 with the hood up and a rosary hanging from the rearview mirror.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101175Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Sneaker on the Rock: How Dependability Became Survival's Last Clue A single child's red-and-white Talla five sneaker sat perfectly upright on a flat rock eighteen inches above a dry creek bed in 109°F Sonoran Desert heat - a placed clue that...
A single child's red-and-white Talla five sneaker sat perfectly upright on a flat rock eighteen inches above a dry creek bed in 109°F Sonoran Desert heat - a placed clue that corrected a three-hour search mistake. How did a dependable twenty-two-year-old's routine choices and a roadside assistance database error turn a routine drive into a life-or-death navigation of wrong turns and dwindling water?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a 2:17 p.m. roadside assistance call to the discovery that redirected the search, tracing what Brenda Whitley and her six-year-old nephew Cooper carried, what they left behind, and the consequences of one misregistered location; could a single sneaker change everything?

Person: Brenda Whitley
Person: Cooper (age 6)
Date: June 17-19, 2009
Location: County Road 7, southeast of Blythe, California
Temperature: 109°F

- At 6:14 a.m. on June 19, 2009, Crystal Vaughn photographed the child's sneaker from four angles before calling 911.
- Brenda called roadside assistance at approximately 2:17 p.m.; the call lasted 49 seconds and said County Road Seven, south of the junction with Highway 95.
- The automated system registered the call as originating from Highway 95, so a truck was dispatched three hours later to the wrong location.
- The Neon contained a half-full gallon of water, an empty juice box, a granola bar, and a bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen; Cooper's sneakers were on the back floor.
- By about 7:00 a.m. the next morning, rancher Boyd Secker found the silver Neon on County Road 7 with the hood up and a rosary hanging from the rearview mirror.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1049falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-beneath-the-ladder-31-hours-trapped-in-talvert-basin--73101172
A single ski pole stood vertical in the Fircrest trailhead parking lot and a fleece hat draped its grip - an image that pulled a 17-year-old to stop and call 911, only to trigger a search for a woman who had been underground and alive for nearly 24 hours. How did an experienced 38-year-old geologic surveyor and backcountry skier with eleven years of mountain reading end up buried and counting in Talvert Basin?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Monica Becker leaving her Subaru at the Fircrest trailhead at 6:15 a.m. to the discovery that set a six-member search-and-rescue team into motion, and we track the small evidentiary details that opened the only lead the rescuers had: a partially latched driver’s door and a wallet left inside the car. What did those details reveal about her route, equipment, and the hours she spent underground?

Person: Monica Becker
Age: 38
Date left trailhead: Friday in May 2011
Time vehicle seen by Troy Vickers: 6:40 a.m. Saturday
Search team activated by: April Foster

- Monica had been reading mountain terrain for eleven years and had skied Talvert Basin four times before May 2011.
- She left the Subaru at Fircrest trailhead at 6:15 a.m. on Friday and did not file a trip plan or tell anyone her expected return time.
- Her phone and wallet (with $43 in cash and her driver's license) remained in the car; the driver's door hung unlatched through Friday and Friday night.
- The Colorado Avalanche Information Center rated the general snowpack danger that day at 2 out of 5 (Low).
- A ski pole Monica had left in November 2010 re-emerged vertical in the parking lot by Saturday morning, prompting Troy Vickers to photograph it and call 911.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101172Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive Beneath the Ladder: 31 Hours Trapped in Talvert Basin A single ski pole stood vertical in the Fircrest trailhead parking lot and a fleece hat draped its grip - an image that pulled a 17-year-old to stop and call 911, only to trigger a...
A single ski pole stood vertical in the Fircrest trailhead parking lot and a fleece hat draped its grip - an image that pulled a 17-year-old to stop and call 911, only to trigger a search for a woman who had been underground and alive for nearly 24 hours. How did an experienced 38-year-old geologic surveyor and backcountry skier with eleven years of mountain reading end up buried and counting in Talvert Basin?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Monica Becker leaving her Subaru at the Fircrest trailhead at 6:15 a.m. to the discovery that set a six-member search-and-rescue team into motion, and we track the small evidentiary details that opened the only lead the rescuers had: a partially latched driver’s door and a wallet left inside the car. What did those details reveal about her route, equipment, and the hours she spent underground?

Person: Monica Becker
Age: 38
Date left trailhead: Friday in May 2011
Time vehicle seen by Troy Vickers: 6:40 a.m. Saturday
Search team activated by: April Foster

- Monica had been reading mountain terrain for eleven years and had skied Talvert Basin four times before May 2011.
- She left the Subaru at Fircrest trailhead at 6:15 a.m. on Friday and did not file a trip plan or tell anyone her expected return time.
- Her phone and wallet (with $43 in cash and her driver's license) remained in the car; the driver's door hung unlatched through Friday and Friday night.
- The Colorado Avalanche Information Center rated the general snowpack danger that day at 2 out of 5 (Low).
- A ski pole Monica had left in November 2010 re-emerged vertical in the parking lot by Saturday morning, prompting Troy Vickers to photograph it and call 911.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1202falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-swam-past-the-map-found-alive-340-meters-in--73101168
Cold, claustrophobic, and three hundred and forty meters from the known map: a 61-year-old cave diver surfaced a question that should have been impossible-how could she survive in an unmapped, gated cave passage with a broken hand and limited gas? What did the dive slate found on a gravel road reveal about where she actually went?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the dive plan left at the sink to the discovery of the slate on April 3, 2011, and the facts that forced rescuers to confront an unknown passage. How did Jennifer Clark plan to push one hundred meters beyond the mapped limit, and what did she find?

Person: Jennifer Clark
Date: April 1-3, 2011
Location: Kellner Sink, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Status: Found alive after penetrating beyond mapped passage
Event: Dive slate with handwritten maps discovered by Dean Mueller

- Jennifer Clark was 61 years old at the time of the dive.
- Her logbook documented more than 1,200 cave dives and technical certification for penetrations beyond 500 meters.
- Kellner Sink had been gated since 1994 after a University of Knoxville survey mapped roughly 300 meters.
- Jennifer’s dive plan dated April 1, 2011 called for a maximum penetration of 400 meters, one-third gas reserve, and 90 minutes bottom time.
- A dive slate covered in handwritten maps was found by Dean Mueller on the gravel access road on the morning of April 3, 2011, 230 yards from the nearest water.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101168Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Swam Past the Map - Found Alive 340 Meters In Cold, claustrophobic, and three hundred and forty meters from the known map: a 61-year-old cave diver surfaced a question that should have been impossible-how could she survive in an unmapped, gated...
Cold, claustrophobic, and three hundred and forty meters from the known map: a 61-year-old cave diver surfaced a question that should have been impossible-how could she survive in an unmapped, gated cave passage with a broken hand and limited gas? What did the dive slate found on a gravel road reveal about where she actually went?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the dive plan left at the sink to the discovery of the slate on April 3, 2011, and the facts that forced rescuers to confront an unknown passage. How did Jennifer Clark plan to push one hundred meters beyond the mapped limit, and what did she find?

Person: Jennifer Clark
Date: April 1-3, 2011
Location: Kellner Sink, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Status: Found alive after penetrating beyond mapped passage
Event: Dive slate with handwritten maps discovered by Dean Mueller

- Jennifer Clark was 61 years old at the time of the dive.
- Her logbook documented more than 1,200 cave dives and technical certification for penetrations beyond 500 meters.
- Kellner Sink had been gated since 1994 after a University of Knoxville survey mapped roughly 300 meters.
- Jennifer’s dive plan dated April 1, 2011 called for a maximum penetration of 400 meters, one-third gas reserve, and 90 minutes bottom time.
- A dive slate covered in handwritten maps was found by Dean Mueller on the gravel access road on the morning of April 3, 2011, 230 yards from the nearest water.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nine-days-buried-how-a-surveyor-survived-forest-road-7-echo--73101161
Cold, methodical survival: a 26-year-old GIS technician spent nine days trapped in a snow-buried truck with forty-one laminated parcel cards taped over the rear window while nights fell to 19°F - how did she ration fuel, stay alive and build a shelter from survey paperwork? What was inside that go-bag and why were the cards not a distress signal?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a routine solo fieldcheck to the discovery on Forest Road Seven-Echo and lay out what was found at the scene and in the vehicle, asking how preparation, training, and improvisation combined to keep her alive.

Person: Megan Cook
Occupation: GIS technician
Location: Forest Road Seven-Echo, Tolliver Hills
Duration: 9 days
Discoverer: Deputy Francine Okafor

- Truck found half-buried in a drainage cut thirty feet off the road with snow packed to the door handles.
- Rear window covered edge-to-edge with forty-one laminated survey parcel cards, thirty-seven with writing.
- Temperature in the upper Tollivers dropped to 19°F on three nights during her entrapment.
- Go-bag on back seat contained a moving blanket, a water filter, about a week's worth of protein bars (almost gone), and a sealed unused fire kit.
- Fuel gauge read almost empty and her engine-run pattern was recorded as forty minutes on followed by three hours off.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101161Sun, 13 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaNine Days Buried: How a Surveyor Survived Forest Road 7-Echo Cold, methodical survival: a 26-year-old GIS technician spent nine days trapped in a snow-buried truck with forty-one laminated parcel cards taped over the rear window while nights fell...
Cold, methodical survival: a 26-year-old GIS technician spent nine days trapped in a snow-buried truck with forty-one laminated parcel cards taped over the rear window while nights fell to 19°F - how did she ration fuel, stay alive and build a shelter from survey paperwork? What was inside that go-bag and why were the cards not a distress signal?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a routine solo fieldcheck to the discovery on Forest Road Seven-Echo and lay out what was found at the scene and in the vehicle, asking how preparation, training, and improvisation combined to keep her alive.

Person: Megan Cook
Occupation: GIS technician
Location: Forest Road Seven-Echo, Tolliver Hills
Duration: 9 days
Discoverer: Deputy Francine Okafor

- Truck found half-buried in a drainage cut thirty feet off the road with snow packed to the door handles.
- Rear window covered edge-to-edge with forty-one laminated survey parcel cards, thirty-seven with writing.
- Temperature in the upper Tollivers dropped to 19°F on three nights during her entrapment.
- Go-bag on back seat contained a moving blanket, a water filter, about a week's worth of protein bars (almost gone), and a sealed unused fire kit.
- Fuel gauge read almost empty and her engine-run pattern was recorded as forty minutes on followed by three hours off.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>915falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-knew-the-pin-would-fail-5-days-alone-beacon-unused--73101146
Adrenaline and dread: a fully charged emergency beacon sat twelve feet away as a broken man lay unable to reach it for five days-what makes a sailor ignore the one device that could save him? Could a note written nine days earlier explain why he never pushed the button?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events aboard a thirty-eight-foot sloop from the day the skipper left port to the moment the mast came down, and we trace the decisions Keith Collins recorded in his log that led to five days alone with a working EPIRB he could not use. What did his own checklist and a single line-"Running out of time"-mean for what happened next?

Person: Keith Collins
Date: February 8-17, 2019
Location: off Point Conception, west-southwest about 90 nautical miles
Vessel: Meridian Blue, 38-foot sloop
Equipment status: EPIRB fully charged, never transmitted

- Keith Collins was 48 years old and a marine diesel mechanic with eleven years of ownership of the Meridian Blue.
- On February 9 he noted corrosion on the forestay clevis pin and wrote "Running out of time" in the log.
- He filed a float plan on February 8 and departed February 10, checking in with the marina daily until February 12 at 18:17.
- The mast fell the night of February 12, striking Collins and breaking his left collarbone in two places, leaving him unable to reach the stern-mounted EPIRB.
- Investigators confirmed the EPIRB battery was at 100% when the boat was towed to port and it had never transmitted.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101146Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Knew the Pin Would Fail - 5 Days Alone, Beacon Unused Adrenaline and dread: a fully charged emergency beacon sat twelve feet away as a broken man lay unable to reach it for five days-what makes a sailor ignore the one device that could save him?...
Adrenaline and dread: a fully charged emergency beacon sat twelve feet away as a broken man lay unable to reach it for five days-what makes a sailor ignore the one device that could save him? Could a note written nine days earlier explain why he never pushed the button?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events aboard a thirty-eight-foot sloop from the day the skipper left port to the moment the mast came down, and we trace the decisions Keith Collins recorded in his log that led to five days alone with a working EPIRB he could not use. What did his own checklist and a single line-"Running out of time"-mean for what happened next?

Person: Keith Collins
Date: February 8-17, 2019
Location: off Point Conception, west-southwest about 90 nautical miles
Vessel: Meridian Blue, 38-foot sloop
Equipment status: EPIRB fully charged, never transmitted

- Keith Collins was 48 years old and a marine diesel mechanic with eleven years of ownership of the Meridian Blue.
- On February 9 he noted corrosion on the forestay clevis pin and wrote "Running out of time" in the log.
- He filed a float plan on February 8 and departed February 10, checking in with the marina daily until February 12 at 18:17.
- The mast fell the night of February 12, striking Collins and breaking his left collarbone in two places, leaving him unable to reach the stern-mounted EPIRB.
- Investigators confirmed the EPIRB battery was at 100% when the boat was towed to port and it had never transmitted.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1010falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-11-days-found-by-a-water-bottle-in-canyon--73101144
A sealed, factory-full water bottle sat upright on a sandstone ledge forty feet above a canyon floor where no trail had ever been cut - and that bottle led a meter reader to a woman who survived eleven days with a fractured foot and a core temperature of 94°F. What chain of small failures put a meticulous, map-drawing hiker into Mespar Canyon without her emergency beacon, and what did the untouched water bottle reveal before rescuers even saw her?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of choices, equipment, and landscape details that produced a near-fatal isolation and an improbable rescue. How did a moved cairn, a washed-out culvert, and a borrowed locator beacon conspire to strand a careful planner - and what decisions kept her alive long enough to be found?

Person: Marie Hamilton
Age: 31
Location: Mespar Canyon, Portero Mesa area near Caliche Junction
Date: January 19, 2017 (discovery); January 8, 2017 (hike start)
Injury: fractured foot; core temperature 94°F

- A factory-sealed water bottle was found sitting upright on a sandstone ledge forty feet above the canyon floor.
- Marie Hamilton had been in Mespar Canyon for eleven days before being found.
- Pamela Hall called the sheriff at 8:47 AM on January 19, 2017, after spotting the water bottle.
- Marie was found three-quarters of a mile away from the bottle, curled in roadside brush with a fractured foot.
- Marie left Portero Mesa on January 8, 2017, carrying one liter in a hard-sided bottle, a half-empty soft flask, a headlamp with fresh batteries, one protein bar, two granola bars, paracord, a rain shell, a fleece, her phone, a roll of orange surveyor's flagging tape, and a laminated index card; she did not have her emergency locator beacon.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101144Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 11 Days: Found by a Water Bottle in Canyon A sealed, factory-full water bottle sat upright on a sandstone ledge forty feet above a canyon floor where no trail had ever been cut - and that bottle led a meter reader to a woman who...
A sealed, factory-full water bottle sat upright on a sandstone ledge forty feet above a canyon floor where no trail had ever been cut - and that bottle led a meter reader to a woman who survived eleven days with a fractured foot and a core temperature of 94°F. What chain of small failures put a meticulous, map-drawing hiker into Mespar Canyon without her emergency beacon, and what did the untouched water bottle reveal before rescuers even saw her?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of choices, equipment, and landscape details that produced a near-fatal isolation and an improbable rescue. How did a moved cairn, a washed-out culvert, and a borrowed locator beacon conspire to strand a careful planner - and what decisions kept her alive long enough to be found?

Person: Marie Hamilton
Age: 31
Location: Mespar Canyon, Portero Mesa area near Caliche Junction
Date: January 19, 2017 (discovery); January 8, 2017 (hike start)
Injury: fractured foot; core temperature 94°F

- A factory-sealed water bottle was found sitting upright on a sandstone ledge forty feet above the canyon floor.
- Marie Hamilton had been in Mespar Canyon for eleven days before being found.
- Pamela Hall called the sheriff at 8:47 AM on January 19, 2017, after spotting the water bottle.
- Marie was found three-quarters of a mile away from the bottle, curled in roadside brush with a fractured foot.
- Marie left Portero Mesa on January 8, 2017, carrying one liter in a hard-sided bottle, a half-empty soft flask, a headlamp with fresh batteries, one protein bar, two granola bars, paracord, a rain shell, a fleece, her phone, a roll of orange surveyor's flagging tape, and a laminated index card; she did not have her emergency locator beacon.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-with-a-torn-knee-32-hours-in-a-whiteout-night--73101140
The fear here is visceral: a seasoned 53-year-old ultrarunner stranded alone on a ridgeline with a torn ACL, a makeshift splint, and eighteen inches of fresh snow - how did she survive thirty-two hours in a whiteout? This episode centers on a single human body against a dark storm and a question that won’t let go: how did she navigate forty miles of remote, exposed terrain with a ruptured knee?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from dawn on December 9, 2017 through the race advisory, search response, and the hours Debra Wilson spent alone after her knee tore. We cover the injury, the emergency improvisation she performed, and the conditions that turned a routine checkpoint into a fight for survival; what choice kept her moving and alive?

Person: Debra Wilson
Date: December 7-9, 2017
Location: Creston Divide Recreation Area, Creston Divide course
Event: Knee ACL tear during the Narrows section of the Creston Divide
Status: Survived after 32 hours alone in storm

- 74 runners started the Creston Divide at 6:02 a.m, on December 7, 2017.
- Debra Wilson logged through Ute Spur at mile 50 at 5:20 p.m., 11 hours 40 minutes into the race.
- The storm dropped 18 inches of fresh snow overnight and arrived nine hours earlier than forecast.
- Wilson hit the Narrows at approximately 9:40 p.m. when her left ACL tore with an audible pop.
- She improvised a rigid splint using three ACE bandages, medical tape, trauma shears, and one trekking pole, then continued for 32 consecutive hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101140Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone with a Torn Knee: 32 Hours in a Whiteout Night The fear here is visceral: a seasoned 53-year-old ultrarunner stranded alone on a ridgeline with a torn ACL, a makeshift splint, and eighteen inches of fresh snow - how did she survive thirty-two...
The fear here is visceral: a seasoned 53-year-old ultrarunner stranded alone on a ridgeline with a torn ACL, a makeshift splint, and eighteen inches of fresh snow - how did she survive thirty-two hours in a whiteout? This episode centers on a single human body against a dark storm and a question that won’t let go: how did she navigate forty miles of remote, exposed terrain with a ruptured knee?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from dawn on December 9, 2017 through the race advisory, search response, and the hours Debra Wilson spent alone after her knee tore. We cover the injury, the emergency improvisation she performed, and the conditions that turned a routine checkpoint into a fight for survival; what choice kept her moving and alive?

Person: Debra Wilson
Date: December 7-9, 2017
Location: Creston Divide Recreation Area, Creston Divide course
Event: Knee ACL tear during the Narrows section of the Creston Divide
Status: Survived after 32 hours alone in storm

- 74 runners started the Creston Divide at 6:02 a.m, on December 7, 2017.
- Debra Wilson logged through Ute Spur at mile 50 at 5:20 p.m., 11 hours 40 minutes into the race.
- The storm dropped 18 inches of fresh snow overnight and arrived nine hours earlier than forecast.
- Wilson hit the Narrows at approximately 9:40 p.m. when her left ACL tore with an audible pop.
- She improvised a rigid splint using three ACE bandages, medical tape, trauma shears, and one trekking pole, then continued for 32 consecutive hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1110falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-two-minute-mistake-that-kept-her-fire-invisible-for-days--73101136
Fear of being missed: a woman left alone at 6,200 feet in November built a textbook signal fire that rose into a horizontal layer and vanished from the sky-no rescue call came for six days. How did two minutes between a helicopter leaving and her stepping outside turn a planned signal into an invisible flame, and what did she do next to survive?

In this episode, we follow the ten-day story of Teresa Harrison on Raske Peak and the precise choices she made about fire, fuel, and sleep while stranded; the episode traces geography, wind patterns, and one two-minute gap that altered the outcome-how did a temperature inversion hide her smoke from above?

Person: Teresa Harrison
Age: 44
Location: Raske Peak, Flatrock County, Montana
Date: November 3-11, 2019
Team member injured: Marcus Webb, 31

- Helicopter departed the station at 11:42 AM on November 4; Teresa stepped outside at 11:44 AM - a 120-second gap.
- Station elevation recorded as 6,200 feet where Teresa waited alone.
- Teresa had been alone on the mountain for ten days before search-and-rescue was called.
- Teresa worked six years as an expedition cook for Ridgeline Research Associates and kept a fuel logbook in her fleece pocket.
- Smoke from the station stove spread horizontally at roughly 30 feet due to a temperature inversion, becoming invisible from aircraft above.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101136Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Two-Minute Mistake That Kept Her Fire Invisible for Days Fear of being missed: a woman left alone at 6,200 feet in November built a textbook signal fire that rose into a horizontal layer and vanished from the sky-no rescue call came for six...
Fear of being missed: a woman left alone at 6,200 feet in November built a textbook signal fire that rose into a horizontal layer and vanished from the sky-no rescue call came for six days. How did two minutes between a helicopter leaving and her stepping outside turn a planned signal into an invisible flame, and what did she do next to survive?

In this episode, we follow the ten-day story of Teresa Harrison on Raske Peak and the precise choices she made about fire, fuel, and sleep while stranded; the episode traces geography, wind patterns, and one two-minute gap that altered the outcome-how did a temperature inversion hide her smoke from above?

Person: Teresa Harrison
Age: 44
Location: Raske Peak, Flatrock County, Montana
Date: November 3-11, 2019
Team member injured: Marcus Webb, 31

- Helicopter departed the station at 11:42 AM on November 4; Teresa stepped outside at 11:44 AM - a 120-second gap.
- Station elevation recorded as 6,200 feet where Teresa waited alone.
- Teresa had been alone on the mountain for ten days before search-and-rescue was called.
- Teresa worked six years as an expedition cook for Ridgeline Research Associates and kept a fuel logbook in her fleece pocket.
- Smoke from the station stove spread horizontally at roughly 30 feet due to a temperature inversion, becoming invisible from aircraft above.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1110falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hours-on-a-knife-how-a-transposed-digit-nearly-killed-her--73101133
A woman survived for sixty-seven hours on an eight-foot sandstone ledge above a wall of red-brown floodwater that filled a narrow canyon in under ninety seconds - and the rescue teams spent hours searching two thousand feet in the wrong direction. How did a transposed digit in a coordinate and a missing satellite communicator turn a routine drainage survey into a life-or-death countdown?

In this episode, we lay out what happened step-by-step: who Shannon Erickson was, the gear and field plan she followed, the flood’s timing, and the exact mistakes that delayed rescue - and we ask whether training and preparation can ever fully guard against a single human error.

Person: Shannon Erickson
Age: 28
Event: Flash flood in Sulfur Fork canyon
Duration on ledge: 67 hours
Distance search error: 2000 feet

- Flood filled the Sulfur Fork canyon from wall to wall in under 90 seconds at 12:12 PM on October 10, 2019.
- Shannon found a sandstone ledge approximately 8 feet above the canyon floor and remained there for 67 hours.
- The storm above the Crestfall Plateau dropped 3 to 4 inches of rain over six hours.
- The field plan allocated two satellite communicators; one remained in the field vehicle and was not packed with Shannon.
- The search team looking for Shannon was searching 2,000 feet in the wrong direction.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101133Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHours on a Knife: How a Transposed Digit Nearly Killed Her A woman survived for sixty-seven hours on an eight-foot sandstone ledge above a wall of red-brown floodwater that filled a narrow canyon in under ninety seconds - and the rescue teams spent...
A woman survived for sixty-seven hours on an eight-foot sandstone ledge above a wall of red-brown floodwater that filled a narrow canyon in under ninety seconds - and the rescue teams spent hours searching two thousand feet in the wrong direction. How did a transposed digit in a coordinate and a missing satellite communicator turn a routine drainage survey into a life-or-death countdown?

In this episode, we lay out what happened step-by-step: who Shannon Erickson was, the gear and field plan she followed, the flood’s timing, and the exact mistakes that delayed rescue - and we ask whether training and preparation can ever fully guard against a single human error.

Person: Shannon Erickson
Age: 28
Event: Flash flood in Sulfur Fork canyon
Duration on ledge: 67 hours
Distance search error: 2000 feet

- Flood filled the Sulfur Fork canyon from wall to wall in under 90 seconds at 12:12 PM on October 10, 2019.
- Shannon found a sandstone ledge approximately 8 feet above the canyon floor and remained there for 67 hours.
- The storm above the Crestfall Plateau dropped 3 to 4 inches of rain over six hours.
- The field plan allocated two satellite communicators; one remained in the field vehicle and was not packed with Shannon.
- The search team looking for Shannon was searching 2,000 feet in the wrong direction.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>944falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-woman-who-vanished-in-ninety-seconds-dry-goggles-on-a-cliff--73101127
Fear of disappearing in plain sight grips this episode: a swimmer in a bright yellow cap and reflective wetsuit vanishes from clear water within ninety seconds while her daughter, two vessels and good visibility are within shouting distance - how can someone evaporate from the sea and leave only dry goggles knotted to a rosemary branch 41 meters above the Atlantic?

In this episode, we tell what happened the morning Jean Barnes left the Tarifa breakwater and why the search teams followed the wrong drift for hours; we follow the moment the escort boat was carried three hundred meters off track and the evidence that finally pointed away from open water - could a westward eddy and a flash of amber on a bluff hold the answer?

Person: Jean Barnes
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, near Tarifa
Witness: Megan (daughter)
Escort captain: Hector Fuentes

- Jean Barnes was 55 years old and had completed the North Channel in 14 hours and 9 minutes at age 53.
- The escort vessel Rosamar departed Tarifa at 5:47 AM on the morning of the swim.
- At 9:22 AM a recreational motorboat’s wake carried the escort captain 300 meters off course in under four minutes.
- A county surveyor, James Baker, found amber swimming goggles knotted to a rosemary branch 41 meters above the Atlantic three days after the search ended.
- The westward eddy along the Spanish coast runs at one to one-and-a-half knots and pulled Jean northwest while search teams scanned southeast.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101127Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Woman Who Vanished in Ninety Seconds - Dry Goggles on a Cliff Fear of disappearing in plain sight grips this episode: a swimmer in a bright yellow cap and reflective wetsuit vanishes from clear water within ninety seconds while her daughter,...
Fear of disappearing in plain sight grips this episode: a swimmer in a bright yellow cap and reflective wetsuit vanishes from clear water within ninety seconds while her daughter, two vessels and good visibility are within shouting distance - how can someone evaporate from the sea and leave only dry goggles knotted to a rosemary branch 41 meters above the Atlantic?

In this episode, we tell what happened the morning Jean Barnes left the Tarifa breakwater and why the search teams followed the wrong drift for hours; we follow the moment the escort boat was carried three hundred meters off track and the evidence that finally pointed away from open water - could a westward eddy and a flash of amber on a bluff hold the answer?

Person: Jean Barnes
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, near Tarifa
Witness: Megan (daughter)
Escort captain: Hector Fuentes

- Jean Barnes was 55 years old and had completed the North Channel in 14 hours and 9 minutes at age 53.
- The escort vessel Rosamar departed Tarifa at 5:47 AM on the morning of the swim.
- At 9:22 AM a recreational motorboat’s wake carried the escort captain 300 meters off course in under four minutes.
- A county surveyor, James Baker, found amber swimming goggles knotted to a rosemary branch 41 meters above the Atlantic three days after the search ended.
- The westward eddy along the Spanish coast runs at one to one-and-a-half knots and pulled Jean northwest while search teams scanned southeast.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>789falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-thirteen-pounds-lighter-how-she-survived-eleven-days--73101124
Every detail of survival matters when the landscape wants you gone - a green roll of electrical tape, a dried strip of willow bark, and a Mylar blanket the size of a napkin helped a trained cyclist stay alive for eleven days; how did those small items become the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from the moment she left her truck on August 11 to when a volunteer found her on August 22, laying out the route choices, the missing signage, and the improvised repairs that signaled her path - could a decommissioned road and a single makeshift bike fix explain how she ended up twenty miles from her truck?

Person: Laura Vickers
Date: August 11-August 22
Location: Calloway Creek canyon, Warrick Hills loop, Oregon high desert
Distance from vehicle: more than 20 miles
Weight loss: 14 pounds

- She left her truck at the Calloway trailhead on August 11 with two energy gels, half a protein bar, a small multi-tool, a patch kit, a roll of green electrical tape, and a folded Mylar blanket.
- At about 2:15 p.m. on August 11, the summit recorded 0.75 inches of rain in under 90 minutes with lightning and winds up to 38 mph.
- The forest road she descended had been decommissioned and closed that spring and was not marked on the cycling map she carried.
- A carbon fiber road bike was found wedged under a culvert on August 19, handlebars tucked in, rear derailleur fixed with green electrical tape wrapped around dried willow bark.
- Search and rescue volunteer Brian Kocher found Laura alive eleven days after she left, with a fractured foot and roughly fourteen pounds lighter.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101124Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone, Thirteen Pounds Lighter: How She Survived Eleven Days Every detail of survival matters when the landscape wants you gone - a green roll of electrical tape, a dried strip of willow bark, and a Mylar blanket the size of a napkin helped a...
Every detail of survival matters when the landscape wants you gone - a green roll of electrical tape, a dried strip of willow bark, and a Mylar blanket the size of a napkin helped a trained cyclist stay alive for eleven days; how did those small items become the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from the moment she left her truck on August 11 to when a volunteer found her on August 22, laying out the route choices, the missing signage, and the improvised repairs that signaled her path - could a decommissioned road and a single makeshift bike fix explain how she ended up twenty miles from her truck?

Person: Laura Vickers
Date: August 11-August 22
Location: Calloway Creek canyon, Warrick Hills loop, Oregon high desert
Distance from vehicle: more than 20 miles
Weight loss: 14 pounds

- She left her truck at the Calloway trailhead on August 11 with two energy gels, half a protein bar, a small multi-tool, a patch kit, a roll of green electrical tape, and a folded Mylar blanket.
- At about 2:15 p.m. on August 11, the summit recorded 0.75 inches of rain in under 90 minutes with lightning and winds up to 38 mph.
- The forest road she descended had been decommissioned and closed that spring and was not marked on the cycling map she carried.
- A carbon fiber road bike was found wedged under a culvert on August 19, handlebars tucked in, rear derailleur fixed with green electrical tape wrapped around dried willow bark.
- Search and rescue volunteer Brian Kocher found Laura alive eleven days after she left, with a fractured foot and roughly fourteen pounds lighter.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>871falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-fell-through-the-ice-12-minutes-that-should-have-killed-him--73101122
Adrenaline and calculated calm: a man falls through three-inch ice into 34°F water at 30 mph, survives alone through a Minnesota winter because of choices made in the first 12 minutes-what did he do that kept him alive?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a February morning when a snowmobile broke through Pell Lake's ice to the July discovery that reopened the case. You will hear how those first minutes shaped an impossible survival and what remained unanswered when the machine surfaced in summer.

Person: Carl Christensen
Date: February 9, 2014
Location: Pell Lake, northern Minnesota
Temperature at incident: 14°F air, wind chill below -30°F, water 34°F
Land size: 260 acres

- The ice at the eastern margin of Pell Lake was three inches thick over an underwater spring with water at 39°F.
- Carl was traveling at 30 miles per hour when the ice gave way and he was submerged for 4-5 seconds.
- The snowmobile sank to rest eight feet below the surface with an orange dry bag still strapped to the rear platform.
- The orange dry bag contained a down sleeping bag, a length of rope, and an emergency kit with a space blanket and a lighter.
- The snowmobile's registration led investigators in July to a ranch outside Ely where Carl, who had been missing for five months, answered the phone and said he was home.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101122Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Fell Through the Ice-12 Minutes That Should Have Killed Him Adrenaline and calculated calm: a man falls through three-inch ice into 34°F water at 30 mph, survives alone through a Minnesota winter because of choices made in the first 12...
Adrenaline and calculated calm: a man falls through three-inch ice into 34°F water at 30 mph, survives alone through a Minnesota winter because of choices made in the first 12 minutes-what did he do that kept him alive?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a February morning when a snowmobile broke through Pell Lake's ice to the July discovery that reopened the case. You will hear how those first minutes shaped an impossible survival and what remained unanswered when the machine surfaced in summer.

Person: Carl Christensen
Date: February 9, 2014
Location: Pell Lake, northern Minnesota
Temperature at incident: 14°F air, wind chill below -30°F, water 34°F
Land size: 260 acres

- The ice at the eastern margin of Pell Lake was three inches thick over an underwater spring with water at 39°F.
- Carl was traveling at 30 miles per hour when the ice gave way and he was submerged for 4-5 seconds.
- The snowmobile sank to rest eight feet below the surface with an orange dry bag still strapped to the rear platform.
- The orange dry bag contained a down sleeping bag, a length of rope, and an emergency kit with a space blanket and a lighter.
- The snowmobile's registration led investigators in July to a ranch outside Ely where Carl, who had been missing for five months, answered the phone and said he was home.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>925falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-at-dawn-the-rising-tide-closed-in--73101119
Tide, fog, and a photographer's routine turned into a six-hour disappearance where a neatly placed camera bag and a clipped whistle became the only clear traces-how did someone who knew the shelf's tides vanish before low water at 6:14 AM? What decision on worsening fog led to the rising tide closing in?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 12, 2019, on Gellen Shelf and recount the sequence of events that unfolded from a pewter Subaru parked with headlights on to a small discovery that triggered a search; how did footprints, a misdirected search, and one deputy’s different reading of the ground change everything?

Person: Amanda Carter
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: Gellen Shelf, Brackmore coastal area
Time low water predicted: 6:14 AM
Finder: Erin Price

- Amanda Carter had lived on Cliffside Loop for 23 years and had photographed Gellen Shelf for 11 years.
- Low water was predicted for 6:14 AM, giving roughly four hours of safe shooting from dawn.
- A pewter Subaru was at the trailhead at 5:40 AM with headlights on; twenty minutes later the lights were off.
- At about 10:45 AM Erin Price, age 16, found a Canon camera bag upright on the harbor road with two bodies, three lenses, a spare battery, half a granola bar, and a whistle clipped to the exterior.
- Search teams spent two hours looking in the wrong direction while the tide continued to rise.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101119Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out at Dawn - The Rising Tide Closed In Tide, fog, and a photographer's routine turned into a six-hour disappearance where a neatly placed camera bag and a clipped whistle became the only clear traces-how did someone who knew the shelf's...
Tide, fog, and a photographer's routine turned into a six-hour disappearance where a neatly placed camera bag and a clipped whistle became the only clear traces-how did someone who knew the shelf's tides vanish before low water at 6:14 AM? What decision on worsening fog led to the rising tide closing in?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 12, 2019, on Gellen Shelf and recount the sequence of events that unfolded from a pewter Subaru parked with headlights on to a small discovery that triggered a search; how did footprints, a misdirected search, and one deputy’s different reading of the ground change everything?

Person: Amanda Carter
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: Gellen Shelf, Brackmore coastal area
Time low water predicted: 6:14 AM
Finder: Erin Price

- Amanda Carter had lived on Cliffside Loop for 23 years and had photographed Gellen Shelf for 11 years.
- Low water was predicted for 6:14 AM, giving roughly four hours of safe shooting from dawn.
- A pewter Subaru was at the trailhead at 5:40 AM with headlights on; twenty minutes later the lights were off.
- At about 10:45 AM Erin Price, age 16, found a Canon camera bag upright on the harbor road with two bodies, three lenses, a spare battery, half a granola bar, and a whistle clipped to the exterior.
- Search teams spent two hours looking in the wrong direction while the tide continued to rise.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>879falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-on-road-7-how-she-survived-nine-hours-above-9-000--73101117
Cold, isolated, and precise: a single mountaineering boot sits upright on unbroken snow at 6:20 AM, no tracks, no pack, and a woman struggles nine hours above 9,000 feet with a fractured ankle-could one decision save her life? Discover how a veterinary tech's training, a dead radio repeater, and a boot lowered on paracord intersected in a survival choice that left rescuers scrambling for answers.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning discovery on Forest Service Road 7-Alto to the climb, the fall, and the night that followed, piecing together what Frances Berry did when radios were silent and darkness closed in. What made her choose to remove and lower the boot, and how did that action change everything?

Person: Frances Berry
Date: Tuesday in May 2009
Location: Forest Service Road 7-Alto; Arrochar Wall ridge
Injury: fractured right ankle (lateral malleolus, distal fibula)
Temperature: overnight low recorded later as 17°F

- Boot found at 6:20 AM by snowplow operator Gordon Dixon, upright on unbroken snow with laces loosened but threaded through every eyelet.
- Frances reached the summit of Arrochar Wall at 12:53 PM and began descent; weather moved earlier than forecast.
- At ~2:15 PM she fell 6-8 feet on a snow-covered slab, fracturing her right ankle (lateral malleolus, distal fibula).
- SAR repeater on the Arrochar ridge had been taken offline the previous Friday for scheduled maintenance; no notice posted at the trailhead.
- Between 2-4 AM she removed the rigid double-walled boot, wrapped her foot, lashed it with webbing, threaded paracord through the lacing hardware, and lowered the boot ~300 feet until the cord went slack.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101117Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot on Road 7: How She Survived Nine Hours Above 9,000 Cold, isolated, and precise: a single mountaineering boot sits upright on unbroken snow at 6:20 AM, no tracks, no pack, and a woman struggles nine hours above 9,000 feet with a fractured...
Cold, isolated, and precise: a single mountaineering boot sits upright on unbroken snow at 6:20 AM, no tracks, no pack, and a woman struggles nine hours above 9,000 feet with a fractured ankle-could one decision save her life? Discover how a veterinary tech's training, a dead radio repeater, and a boot lowered on paracord intersected in a survival choice that left rescuers scrambling for answers.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning discovery on Forest Service Road 7-Alto to the climb, the fall, and the night that followed, piecing together what Frances Berry did when radios were silent and darkness closed in. What made her choose to remove and lower the boot, and how did that action change everything?

Person: Frances Berry
Date: Tuesday in May 2009
Location: Forest Service Road 7-Alto; Arrochar Wall ridge
Injury: fractured right ankle (lateral malleolus, distal fibula)
Temperature: overnight low recorded later as 17°F

- Boot found at 6:20 AM by snowplow operator Gordon Dixon, upright on unbroken snow with laces loosened but threaded through every eyelet.
- Frances reached the summit of Arrochar Wall at 12:53 PM and began descent; weather moved earlier than forecast.
- At ~2:15 PM she fell 6-8 feet on a snow-covered slab, fracturing her right ankle (lateral malleolus, distal fibula).
- SAR repeater on the Arrochar ridge had been taken offline the previous Friday for scheduled maintenance; no notice posted at the trailhead.
- Between 2-4 AM she removed the rigid double-walled boot, wrapped her foot, lashed it with webbing, threaded paracord through the lacing hardware, and lowered the boot ~300 feet until the cord went slack.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>974falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-52-hours-why-dawn-left-a-dry-map-above-the-flood--73101114
Fear and focus collide in a frozen spring flood: a laminated topographic map marked D.H. sits perfectly dry on a sandstone shelf four feet above the crest line two days after the Amidor River overflowed - and its owner is missing. How did a 48-year-old paddler who capsized in 41°F water survive long enough to leave that impossible, unwrinkled map where searchers would find it? What did she have to give up to place it there?

In this episode, we follow the events from Dawn Hansen’s planned 14-mile paddle to the moment she capsized and the choices she made afterward. You’ll hear how her trip planning, the flood’s timing, and a single map shaped a search that went almost entirely the wrong way - and whether that map was her last calculated move.

Person: Dawn Hansen
Age: 48
Location: Portsmith
Event: Canoe capsize on Amidor River
Date: April 5-9, 2019

- River flow doubled between Dawn’s Thursday gauge check and her Friday launch after roughly two inches of rain upstream.
- She launched at 7:15 AM on Friday, April 5, and capsized near mile 11 at approximately 11:00 AM.
- Water temperature when she surfaced was 41°F; air temperature was 44°F and falling.
- She retained a life jacket with a laminated topographic map, a waterproof lighter, folding knife, and a quarter-full water bottle; her dry bag with sleeping bag, tent, stove, food, and extra clothing was lost.
- She chose to hike 1.5 miles straight-line to County Forest Road Fourteen after building a lean-to and letting a fire burn to coals, leaving the campsite nearly spotless.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101114Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 52 Hours: Why Dawn Left a Dry Map Above the Flood Fear and focus collide in a frozen spring flood: a laminated topographic map marked D.H. sits perfectly dry on a sandstone shelf four feet above the crest line two days after the Amidor...
Fear and focus collide in a frozen spring flood: a laminated topographic map marked D.H. sits perfectly dry on a sandstone shelf four feet above the crest line two days after the Amidor River overflowed - and its owner is missing. How did a 48-year-old paddler who capsized in 41°F water survive long enough to leave that impossible, unwrinkled map where searchers would find it? What did she have to give up to place it there?

In this episode, we follow the events from Dawn Hansen’s planned 14-mile paddle to the moment she capsized and the choices she made afterward. You’ll hear how her trip planning, the flood’s timing, and a single map shaped a search that went almost entirely the wrong way - and whether that map was her last calculated move.

Person: Dawn Hansen
Age: 48
Location: Portsmith
Event: Canoe capsize on Amidor River
Date: April 5-9, 2019

- River flow doubled between Dawn’s Thursday gauge check and her Friday launch after roughly two inches of rain upstream.
- She launched at 7:15 AM on Friday, April 5, and capsized near mile 11 at approximately 11:00 AM.
- Water temperature when she surfaced was 41°F; air temperature was 44°F and falling.
- She retained a life jacket with a laminated topographic map, a waterproof lighter, folding knife, and a quarter-full water bottle; her dry bag with sleeping bag, tent, stove, food, and extra clothing was lost.
- She chose to hike 1.5 miles straight-line to County Forest Road Fourteen after building a lean-to and letting a fire burn to coals, leaving the campsite nearly spotless.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1121falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-in-a-silo-the-glove-that-saved-him--73101107
Cold, confined, and alone for fifty-three hours, a yellow rubber glove at the base of a fifty-three-foot steel silo became the only visible sign of a man buried under forty tons of wheat; how did a ratchet, a one-and-a-quarter-inch gap, and a border collie’s routine combine to keep him alive? What did he do in total darkness to engineer his own survival?

In this episode, we tell how the collapse at Aldenmoor Co-op silo Number Four left a maintenance worker sealed inside and what precise actions he took over two days to stay alive, from using tools to tracking temperature cycles - could those choices have been the difference between life and death?

Person: Carl Hunt
Location: Aldenmoor Co-op, Silo Number Four, Tulloch Flats, Kansas
Date: March 9-11, 2009
Duration: Fifty-three hours
Animal: Patch, three-year-old border collie

- At approximately 2:00 p.m. on March 9, roughly forty tons of wheat, ice, and compacted chaff fell through the silo in under three seconds.
- The sealed steel cylinder measured fifty-three feet tall and had been certified empty since the previous harvest.
- A residual grain crust about eighteen inches deep remained at the base of the silo after harvest.
- Carl finished disassembling a gasket to create a gap of roughly 1.25 inches around a six-inch drive-shaft port, preserving air flow.
- Neighbor Terri Yount administered Patch’s insulin at 7:15 p.m. the first night after Carl missed the 7:00 p.m. dose.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101107Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive in a Silo: The Glove That Saved Him Cold, confined, and alone for fifty-three hours, a yellow rubber glove at the base of a fifty-three-foot steel silo became the only visible sign of a man buried under forty tons of wheat; how did a...
Cold, confined, and alone for fifty-three hours, a yellow rubber glove at the base of a fifty-three-foot steel silo became the only visible sign of a man buried under forty tons of wheat; how did a ratchet, a one-and-a-quarter-inch gap, and a border collie’s routine combine to keep him alive? What did he do in total darkness to engineer his own survival?

In this episode, we tell how the collapse at Aldenmoor Co-op silo Number Four left a maintenance worker sealed inside and what precise actions he took over two days to stay alive, from using tools to tracking temperature cycles - could those choices have been the difference between life and death?

Person: Carl Hunt
Location: Aldenmoor Co-op, Silo Number Four, Tulloch Flats, Kansas
Date: March 9-11, 2009
Duration: Fifty-three hours
Animal: Patch, three-year-old border collie

- At approximately 2:00 p.m. on March 9, roughly forty tons of wheat, ice, and compacted chaff fell through the silo in under three seconds.
- The sealed steel cylinder measured fifty-three feet tall and had been certified empty since the previous harvest.
- A residual grain crust about eighteen inches deep remained at the base of the silo after harvest.
- Carl finished disassembling a gasket to create a gap of roughly 1.25 inches around a six-inch drive-shaft port, preserving air flow.
- Neighbor Terri Yount administered Patch’s insulin at 7:15 p.m. the first night after Carl missed the 7:00 p.m. dose.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>971falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-nine-days-on-a-6-300-foot-rocky-ledge-how--73101102
Cold, isolated, and immobile at 6,300 feet with a fractured leg and eleven degrees Fahrenheit on the platform-she survived nine days with nothing but a paraglider wing and a pocket kit; how did a pilot’s training and an improvised shelter keep her alive, and why did every search system look the wrong way? What single decision finally made her visible to rescuers?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from launch to rescue and describe the key decisions, equipment, and routines that shaped the outcome, ending with the moment a parachute-shaped wing on a boulder field closed the gap and prompted the helicopter extraction.

Person: Valerie Olson
Date: February 5-14, 2019
Location: Oberin Bench, Pinecrest Foothills, 6,300 feet
Temperature: 11 degrees Fahrenheit on the platform
Duration: 9 days on the ledge

- Launched at approximately 12:15 and was carried east by an unexpected thermal active from about 11:00 to 13:45.
- Set down hard at 12:55 on a bench 40 meters wide by 60 meters long with sheer drops of 200-400 feet on three sides.
- Carried in her harness pocket: a space blanket, a lighter, two protein bars, a whistle, and a folding knife; no rope.
- Dragged and cut a roughly 8-kilogram paraglider wing on Day One to build a shelter against the north rock wall.
- Spotted from the valley by Sharon Marshall at 9:40 on February 14; sheriff called 40 minutes later and helicopter extraction occurred at 11:47 that morning.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101102Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Nine Days on a 6,300‑Foot Rocky Ledge-How? Cold, isolated, and immobile at 6,300 feet with a fractured leg and eleven degrees Fahrenheit on the platform-she survived nine days with nothing but a paraglider wing and a pocket kit; how...
Cold, isolated, and immobile at 6,300 feet with a fractured leg and eleven degrees Fahrenheit on the platform-she survived nine days with nothing but a paraglider wing and a pocket kit; how did a pilot’s training and an improvised shelter keep her alive, and why did every search system look the wrong way? What single decision finally made her visible to rescuers?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from launch to rescue and describe the key decisions, equipment, and routines that shaped the outcome, ending with the moment a parachute-shaped wing on a boulder field closed the gap and prompted the helicopter extraction.

Person: Valerie Olson
Date: February 5-14, 2019
Location: Oberin Bench, Pinecrest Foothills, 6,300 feet
Temperature: 11 degrees Fahrenheit on the platform
Duration: 9 days on the ledge

- Launched at approximately 12:15 and was carried east by an unexpected thermal active from about 11:00 to 13:45.
- Set down hard at 12:55 on a bench 40 meters wide by 60 meters long with sheer drops of 200-400 feet on three sides.
- Carried in her harness pocket: a space blanket, a lighter, two protein bars, a whistle, and a folding knife; no rope.
- Dragged and cut a roughly 8-kilogram paraglider wing on Day One to build a shelter against the north rock wall.
- Spotted from the valley by Sharon Marshall at 9:40 on February 14; sheriff called 40 minutes later and helicopter extraction occurred at 11:47 that morning.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1056falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/forty-meters-no-line-how-she-rose-from-the-red-zone--73101099
Cold fact: a diver surfaced sixty meters from the ramp after descending to 38 meters with her anchor line abruptly gone; thirty minutes later a weight belt with a propeller-style cut in its line was found coiled in nearby bushes - what happened in the gap? Searchers will want the answer to the one question that turns every assumption upside down: was this accident, equipment failure, or something else entirely?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from the morning of January ninth as recorded by gear, messages, and witness accounts, and how those details force a different search theory. We follow the diver’s routine, the missing anchor line, the cut rope, and a timeline that leaves a thirty-minute silence - could the evidence itself tell the real story?

Person: Beverly Clark
Date: January 9
Location: Pelican Shoals ramp
Status: Freediver surfaced without line; weight belt recovered
Witness: Carol Edwards

- At 6:18 AM Beverly sent a check-in text targeting 35-40 meters, eight dives, out by 9:00.
- Harold Oates acknowledged at 6:21 and did not hear from Beverly for 4 hours and 17 minutes.
- Beverly completed four dives, then on the fifth descended to 38 meters when the anchor line went slack and then absent.
- She surfaced 60 meters from the ramp, coughing, after counting kicks and holding a trained cadence through the red zone.
- At 7:42 AM Carol Edwards found a weight belt in sea grape bushes with six lead blocks and a thirty-meter braided nylon line cut cleanly like a propeller blade.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101099Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaForty Meters, No Line: How She Rose From the Red Zone Cold fact: a diver surfaced sixty meters from the ramp after descending to 38 meters with her anchor line abruptly gone; thirty minutes later a weight belt with a propeller-style cut in its line...
Cold fact: a diver surfaced sixty meters from the ramp after descending to 38 meters with her anchor line abruptly gone; thirty minutes later a weight belt with a propeller-style cut in its line was found coiled in nearby bushes - what happened in the gap? Searchers will want the answer to the one question that turns every assumption upside down: was this accident, equipment failure, or something else entirely?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from the morning of January ninth as recorded by gear, messages, and witness accounts, and how those details force a different search theory. We follow the diver’s routine, the missing anchor line, the cut rope, and a timeline that leaves a thirty-minute silence - could the evidence itself tell the real story?

Person: Beverly Clark
Date: January 9
Location: Pelican Shoals ramp
Status: Freediver surfaced without line; weight belt recovered
Witness: Carol Edwards

- At 6:18 AM Beverly sent a check-in text targeting 35-40 meters, eight dives, out by 9:00.
- Harold Oates acknowledged at 6:21 and did not hear from Beverly for 4 hours and 17 minutes.
- Beverly completed four dives, then on the fifth descended to 38 meters when the anchor line went slack and then absent.
- She surfaced 60 meters from the ramp, coughing, after counting kicks and holding a trained cadence through the red zone.
- At 7:42 AM Carol Edwards found a weight belt in sea grape bushes with six lead blocks and a thirty-meter braided nylon line cut cleanly like a propeller blade.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1053falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-51-hours-trapped-by-ice-missed-by-maps--73101096
Cold-blooded hours, a whistle no one heard, and a map printed two years too early - Amy Casey survived 51 hours after falling through four-centimeter ice into water that can stop a human heart in minutes. How did a single belt pouch, a frozen hare and one misread boot become the difference between life and a search that was looking in the wrong place?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Amy's fall at 2:45 p.m. on December 12, 2019, through the 51 hours she spent alive on Harrow Lake's southern arm, the searchers who spent 36 hours searching the wrong area, and the two institutional failures that kept rescuers away; could the object logged as roadside debris have changed everything?

Person: Amy Casey
Date: December 12, 2019
Location: Harrow Lake southern arm
Duration: 51 hours
Temperature: down to -29 °C

- Amy fell through four-centimeter ice at approximately 2:45 p.m. and went into water that closed over her hips.
- She reached solid ice and had four to five minutes in the water, then used twelve minutes to get a fire burning.
- The search spent thirty-six hours looking in an entirely wrong place.
- Amy blew her whistle every thirty minutes for two days and was not heard.
- One object that could have led rescuers directly to her was logged on Gloria Whitfield’s desk as roadside debris.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101096Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 51 Hours - Trapped by Ice, Missed by Maps Cold-blooded hours, a whistle no one heard, and a map printed two years too early - Amy Casey survived 51 hours after falling through four-centimeter ice into water that can stop a human heart...
Cold-blooded hours, a whistle no one heard, and a map printed two years too early - Amy Casey survived 51 hours after falling through four-centimeter ice into water that can stop a human heart in minutes. How did a single belt pouch, a frozen hare and one misread boot become the difference between life and a search that was looking in the wrong place?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Amy's fall at 2:45 p.m. on December 12, 2019, through the 51 hours she spent alive on Harrow Lake's southern arm, the searchers who spent 36 hours searching the wrong area, and the two institutional failures that kept rescuers away; could the object logged as roadside debris have changed everything?

Person: Amy Casey
Date: December 12, 2019
Location: Harrow Lake southern arm
Duration: 51 hours
Temperature: down to -29 °C

- Amy fell through four-centimeter ice at approximately 2:45 p.m. and went into water that closed over her hips.
- She reached solid ice and had four to five minutes in the water, then used twelve minutes to get a fire burning.
- The search spent thirty-six hours looking in an entirely wrong place.
- Amy blew her whistle every thirty minutes for two days and was not heard.
- One object that could have led rescuers directly to her was logged on Gloria Whitfield’s desk as roadside debris.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1103falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/imposible-reservar-la-explicacion-geografica-para-despues--73101091
Fear tightens the throat: a man waves at a reconnaissance plane and is later recorded as a burned building, and for thirty-one hours no one knows whether help is coming. This episode centers on a drowned notebook, a misfilled ICS-209 form, and the question that haunts every decision afterward: how did one wrong checkbox almost kill a fifty-four-year-old who had prepared for everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from November 1-9, 2019, tracing the actions and paperwork that shaped the rescue response and the lone choices Edward Wagner made to survive. How did a single transposition on a form erase a living man from the system, and what did he do when he realized no one was coming?

Person: Edward Wagner
Date: November 1-9, 2019
Location: Hatchett Rim Station, Denton National Forest
Person: Lauren Davis
Form: ICS-209 incident command form

- On November 1, 2019 at 16:52, Edward Wagner transmitted that the service road was gone and he would shelter in place at the tower.
- Wagner had water for eleven days and food for thirty while sheltering in the intact sixty-foot steel tower.
- On November 2 at 18:30, apprentice Scott Reeves logged the ICS-209 and listed Hatchett Rim as burned instead of Draper Point, a six-mile transposition.
- Wagner had visited "the Bench" one hundred and twelve consecutive days during the 2019 season.
- Valerie Sharp found a waterlogged notebook from Cutter Lake on the morning of November 9, 2019, containing thirty-one pages with ink run in long gray rivers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101091Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at Obomediaimposible; reservar la explicación geográfica para después) Fear tightens the throat: a man waves at a reconnaissance plane and is later recorded as a burned building, and for thirty-one hours no one knows whether help is coming. This episode...
Fear tightens the throat: a man waves at a reconnaissance plane and is later recorded as a burned building, and for thirty-one hours no one knows whether help is coming. This episode centers on a drowned notebook, a misfilled ICS-209 form, and the question that haunts every decision afterward: how did one wrong checkbox almost kill a fifty-four-year-old who had prepared for everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from November 1-9, 2019, tracing the actions and paperwork that shaped the rescue response and the lone choices Edward Wagner made to survive. How did a single transposition on a form erase a living man from the system, and what did he do when he realized no one was coming?

Person: Edward Wagner
Date: November 1-9, 2019
Location: Hatchett Rim Station, Denton National Forest
Person: Lauren Davis
Form: ICS-209 incident command form

- On November 1, 2019 at 16:52, Edward Wagner transmitted that the service road was gone and he would shelter in place at the tower.
- Wagner had water for eleven days and food for thirty while sheltering in the intact sixty-foot steel tower.
- On November 2 at 18:30, apprentice Scott Reeves logged the ICS-209 and listed Hatchett Rim as burned instead of Draper Point, a six-mile transposition.
- Wagner had visited "the Bench" one hundred and twelve consecutive days during the 2019 season.
- Valerie Sharp found a waterlogged notebook from Cutter Lake on the morning of November 9, 2019, containing thirty-one pages with ink run in long gray rivers.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-bag-in-the-pine-how-susan-survived-the-narrows--73101085
A yellow dry bag hangs eleven feet up a lodgepole pine, zipped shut and three quarters of a mile from the nearest river - a clean kayak bag left in a place that makes no sense. How did a methodical, swiftwater-certified paddler end up with footprints leading away from the river and a dry bag clipped to a branch eleven days later, and what final clue in that bag rewrote the story of her survival?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence from Susan Peterson’s October 8, 2022 run on Meyers Fork through the Narrows to the search decisions that followed, tracing the physical clues that redirected the rescue effort and asking how those details changed what rescuers believed about where she went.

Person: Susan Peterson
Date: October 8, 2022
Location: Meyers Fork Narrows, Kittitas County, Washington
Item: yellow NRS 10-liter dry bag
Time: GoPro stopped recording at 10:41 AM

- Susan was 23 years old and held a swiftwater rescue certification with eight years of whitewater experience.
- She launched her kayak at 9:52 AM with a 10-liter yellow dry bag clipped to the bow by a 12-inch bungee and plastic hook.
- GoPro footage ended at 10:41 AM with the last seven seconds showing her reading a strainer against the left bank.
- The kayak was found pinned against the strainer with the hull intact, paddle missing, and no blood or scattered gear on the banks.
- Footprints matching Susan’s boots were found about 0.25 mile before the Granger Township bridge, heading uphill away from the river.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101085Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Bag in the Pine: How Susan Survived the Narrows A yellow dry bag hangs eleven feet up a lodgepole pine, zipped shut and three quarters of a mile from the nearest river - a clean kayak bag left in a place that makes no sense. How did a...
A yellow dry bag hangs eleven feet up a lodgepole pine, zipped shut and three quarters of a mile from the nearest river - a clean kayak bag left in a place that makes no sense. How did a methodical, swiftwater-certified paddler end up with footprints leading away from the river and a dry bag clipped to a branch eleven days later, and what final clue in that bag rewrote the story of her survival?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence from Susan Peterson’s October 8, 2022 run on Meyers Fork through the Narrows to the search decisions that followed, tracing the physical clues that redirected the rescue effort and asking how those details changed what rescuers believed about where she went.

Person: Susan Peterson
Date: October 8, 2022
Location: Meyers Fork Narrows, Kittitas County, Washington
Item: yellow NRS 10-liter dry bag
Time: GoPro stopped recording at 10:41 AM

- Susan was 23 years old and held a swiftwater rescue certification with eight years of whitewater experience.
- She launched her kayak at 9:52 AM with a 10-liter yellow dry bag clipped to the bow by a 12-inch bungee and plastic hook.
- GoPro footage ended at 10:41 AM with the last seven seconds showing her reading a strainer against the left bank.
- The kayak was found pinned against the strainer with the hull intact, paddle missing, and no blood or scattered gear on the banks.
- Footprints matching Susan’s boots were found about 0.25 mile before the Granger Township bridge, heading uphill away from the river.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>875falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-alive-shoes-hanging-seven-days-later--73101079
Adrenaline and dread collide: neon green running shoes were found double-knotted seven feet up a ponderosa branch with clean white laces and no footprints below-eleven miles from the nearest red clay. Paula Griffin had been missing seven days after leaving a marked ultramarathon route; how did a methodical runner end up so far off course and return to leave those shoes hanging?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence from Paula Griffin’s disappearance and the later clues found in the wasteland beyond Cradock Saddle, asking whether preparation and training explain her choices, and what the hanging shoes ultimately reveal.

Person: Paula Griffin
Age: 38
Event: Cradock Saddle Fifty ultramarathon start on September 7, 2019
Discovery Date: September 14, 2019
Location: Vanthorpe property east of Cradock, Oregon

- Paula’s bib number 22 was not scanned at the mile 9 checkpoint after she veered northeast at approximately mile 7.
- Sixty-one runners started the race at 6:00 AM on September 7, 2019; Paula ran with a hydration vest on routes over ten miles.
- The neon green women’s running shoes were found seven feet above ground, double-knotted on a ponderosa branch, with bright white laces and red clay mud caked into the mesh.
- The nearest red clay soil matching the shoes’ mud was approximately eleven miles north, beyond Cradock Saddle.
- A hydration vest was found hung at shoulder height on a juniper branch roughly two miles from where Paula veered off, with bladders empty and both tubes uncapped.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101079Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out Alive - Shoes Hanging Seven Days Later Adrenaline and dread collide: neon green running shoes were found double-knotted seven feet up a ponderosa branch with clean white laces and no footprints below-eleven miles from the nearest red...
Adrenaline and dread collide: neon green running shoes were found double-knotted seven feet up a ponderosa branch with clean white laces and no footprints below-eleven miles from the nearest red clay. Paula Griffin had been missing seven days after leaving a marked ultramarathon route; how did a methodical runner end up so far off course and return to leave those shoes hanging?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence from Paula Griffin’s disappearance and the later clues found in the wasteland beyond Cradock Saddle, asking whether preparation and training explain her choices, and what the hanging shoes ultimately reveal.

Person: Paula Griffin
Age: 38
Event: Cradock Saddle Fifty ultramarathon start on September 7, 2019
Discovery Date: September 14, 2019
Location: Vanthorpe property east of Cradock, Oregon

- Paula’s bib number 22 was not scanned at the mile 9 checkpoint after she veered northeast at approximately mile 7.
- Sixty-one runners started the race at 6:00 AM on September 7, 2019; Paula ran with a hydration vest on routes over ten miles.
- The neon green women’s running shoes were found seven feet above ground, double-knotted on a ponderosa branch, with bright white laces and red clay mud caked into the mesh.
- The nearest red clay soil matching the shoes’ mud was approximately eleven miles north, beyond Cradock Saddle.
- A hydration vest was found hung at shoulder height on a juniper branch roughly two miles from where Paula veered off, with bladders empty and both tubes uncapped.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1017falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-of-the-wall-62-year-old-s-impossible-self-rescue--73101076
Fear tightens in the throat: a 62-year-old woman limped into a hospital with a broken fibula and a shoulder she had dislocated and reset herself hundreds of feet above ground - and a search team of eleven people was looking in the wrong place. This episode unravels how a photograph of car keys on a granite wall set a professional SAR effort on the wrong trail and what a methodical climber did next; how did she survive and walk out alone?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the climb to the hospital arrival, presenting the actions, evidence, and timeline that explain why the search failed and how Victoria Ann Rice executed a prolonged self-rescue. What decisions, habits, and small details turned a near-disaster into a quiet, astonishing escape?

Person: Victoria Ann Rice
Date: August 9, 2019
Location: Weller County Hospital; Sennock Wilderness; Greer's Wall
Status: Missing for nearly four hours before arriving at hospital
Rescue Team: Eleven people searching in the wrong place

- She arrived at Weller County Hospital at 11:57 AM on August 9, 2019, with a broken left fibula.
- Her core temperature on arrival was 95.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
- She had dislocated her right shoulder and had reset it herself against a rock face hundreds of feet above ground.
- A birdwatcher photographed car keys hanging from a bolt hanger at the base of pitch one with a 400-mm lens and called 9-1-1 at 7:44 AM.
- She had signed the trailhead register at 9:54 PM on August 8 with an estimated return time of 6:00 PM on August 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101076Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out of the Wall: 62-Year-Old's Impossible Self-Rescue Fear tightens in the throat: a 62-year-old woman limped into a hospital with a broken fibula and a shoulder she had dislocated and reset herself hundreds of feet above ground - and a...
Fear tightens in the throat: a 62-year-old woman limped into a hospital with a broken fibula and a shoulder she had dislocated and reset herself hundreds of feet above ground - and a search team of eleven people was looking in the wrong place. This episode unravels how a photograph of car keys on a granite wall set a professional SAR effort on the wrong trail and what a methodical climber did next; how did she survive and walk out alone?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the climb to the hospital arrival, presenting the actions, evidence, and timeline that explain why the search failed and how Victoria Ann Rice executed a prolonged self-rescue. What decisions, habits, and small details turned a near-disaster into a quiet, astonishing escape?

Person: Victoria Ann Rice
Date: August 9, 2019
Location: Weller County Hospital; Sennock Wilderness; Greer's Wall
Status: Missing for nearly four hours before arriving at hospital
Rescue Team: Eleven people searching in the wrong place

- She arrived at Weller County Hospital at 11:57 AM on August 9, 2019, with a broken left fibula.
- Her core temperature on arrival was 95.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
- She had dislocated her right shoulder and had reset it herself against a rock face hundreds of feet above ground.
- A birdwatcher photographed car keys hanging from a bolt hanger at the base of pitch one with a 400-mm lens and called 9-1-1 at 7:44 AM.
- She had signed the trailhead register at 9:54 PM on August 8 with an estimated return time of 6:00 PM on August 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-crab-pot-in-the-tree-how-four-men-vanished-and-one-returned--73101074
A ninety-pound steel crab pot was found eleven feet up a Sitka spruce, four hundred and thirty yards from the nearest water, with a herring bait bag still inside that still smelled - and no rope, ladder, or tracks nearby. The only spoken clue was a nine-second radio transmission ending with two words: "Merritt Island." How did a crab pot get into a tree, and what do those two words mean?

In this episode, we follow the departure, the detour, and the storm that left three men lost at sea and one survivor, tracking the exact movements, equipment choices, and the last logged note that preceded the trip. What were they doing at Merritt Island, why were three untagged pots dropped, and how did the Vera Jean end up capsized in a gale?

Person: Roy Stanton
Vessel: Vera Jean
Date: July 9, 2011
Location: Nineteen miles west-northwest of Nehalem Bay (EPIRB fix)
Transmission: Final radio words "Merritt Island"

- The crab pot weighed ninety pounds and was wedged eleven feet up a Sitka spruce, four hundred and thirty yards from the nearest water, with the herring bait bag still inside.
- Roy Stanton had fished the same stretch for twenty-one years and was fifty-three years old at the time of departure.
- The Vera Jean was a forty-two-foot Dungeness crabber; the crew left Nehalem Bay Marina at 04:45 on July 9, 2011.
- The marina fuel receipt showed 180 gallons pumped that morning, sixty gallons less than Roy’s usual 240-gallon fill for an offshore run.
- At 20:53 a nine-second transmission on Channel 16 contained Roy's voice saying "Merritt Island" and then silence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101074Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Crab Pot in the Tree: How Four Men Vanished and One Returned A ninety-pound steel crab pot was found eleven feet up a Sitka spruce, four hundred and thirty yards from the nearest water, with a herring bait bag still inside that still smelled -...
A ninety-pound steel crab pot was found eleven feet up a Sitka spruce, four hundred and thirty yards from the nearest water, with a herring bait bag still inside that still smelled - and no rope, ladder, or tracks nearby. The only spoken clue was a nine-second radio transmission ending with two words: "Merritt Island." How did a crab pot get into a tree, and what do those two words mean?

In this episode, we follow the departure, the detour, and the storm that left three men lost at sea and one survivor, tracking the exact movements, equipment choices, and the last logged note that preceded the trip. What were they doing at Merritt Island, why were three untagged pots dropped, and how did the Vera Jean end up capsized in a gale?

Person: Roy Stanton
Vessel: Vera Jean
Date: July 9, 2011
Location: Nineteen miles west-northwest of Nehalem Bay (EPIRB fix)
Transmission: Final radio words "Merritt Island"

- The crab pot weighed ninety pounds and was wedged eleven feet up a Sitka spruce, four hundred and thirty yards from the nearest water, with the herring bait bag still inside.
- Roy Stanton had fished the same stretch for twenty-one years and was fifty-three years old at the time of departure.
- The Vera Jean was a forty-two-foot Dungeness crabber; the crew left Nehalem Bay Marina at 04:45 on July 9, 2011.
- The marina fuel receipt showed 180 gallons pumped that morning, sixty gallons less than Roy’s usual 240-gallon fill for an offshore run.
- At 20:53 a nine-second transmission on Channel 16 contained Roy's voice saying "Merritt Island" and then silence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1057falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-a-size-5-pink-sneaker-saved-a-mother-and-daughter--73101069
Heat, isolation and a fifteen-mile navigation error turned a routine June drive into a fourteen-hour fight for survival - but a size-5 pink canvas sneaker on a dashboard became the single detail that redirected rescuers and saved two lives. How did a child’s shoe end up upright on an empty van’s dash, and who made the choices that kept them alive until dawn?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the tire blowout at 8:19 PM to the roadside rescue after dawn, tracing the decisions, the missed signals, and the narrow window that separated survival from disappearance. What exactly did Kathleen do through the night, and how did one transposed number send a helicopter searching sixteen miles away?

Person: Kathleen Simpson
Person: Ava Simpson
Date: June 3, 2009
Location: Suerto Basin Road, Nevada, mile marker 38
Event: Found alive at 10:08 AM after 14 hours

- 8:19 PM: The maroon Dodge Grand Caravan’s rear tire blew at mile marker 38.
- Temperature at night: 91 degrees; sunrise hours later brought a narrow survival window.
- Emergency kit contents: foil emergency blanket, working flashlight, box cutter, pair of ski hand warmers.
- 6:14 AM: Road-grader operator Angela Rafferty drove past and stopped, calling a dispatcher three minutes later.
- 10:08 AM: Kathleen and Ava Simpson were found alive after a helicopter had searched the wrong area due to a transposed number 16 miles away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101069Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHow a Size-5 Pink Sneaker Saved a Mother and Daughter Heat, isolation and a fifteen-mile navigation error turned a routine June drive into a fourteen-hour fight for survival - but a size-5 pink canvas sneaker on a dashboard became the single detail...
Heat, isolation and a fifteen-mile navigation error turned a routine June drive into a fourteen-hour fight for survival - but a size-5 pink canvas sneaker on a dashboard became the single detail that redirected rescuers and saved two lives. How did a child’s shoe end up upright on an empty van’s dash, and who made the choices that kept them alive until dawn?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the tire blowout at 8:19 PM to the roadside rescue after dawn, tracing the decisions, the missed signals, and the narrow window that separated survival from disappearance. What exactly did Kathleen do through the night, and how did one transposed number send a helicopter searching sixteen miles away?

Person: Kathleen Simpson
Person: Ava Simpson
Date: June 3, 2009
Location: Suerto Basin Road, Nevada, mile marker 38
Event: Found alive at 10:08 AM after 14 hours

- 8:19 PM: The maroon Dodge Grand Caravan’s rear tire blew at mile marker 38.
- Temperature at night: 91 degrees; sunrise hours later brought a narrow survival window.
- Emergency kit contents: foil emergency blanket, working flashlight, box cutter, pair of ski hand warmers.
- 6:14 AM: Road-grader operator Angela Rafferty drove past and stopped, calling a dispatcher three minutes later.
- 10:08 AM: Kathleen and Ava Simpson were found alive after a helicopter had searched the wrong area due to a transposed number 16 miles away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1119falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-96-hours-the-watch-that-kept-him-counting--73101066
Cold logic and raw terror collide: a watch wound at 6:45 AM kept sweeping for ninety-six hours while a man counted breaths inside a cooking-pot-sized air pocket beneath five to seven feet of avalanche debris - how did professional searches miss him for four days?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the filed trip plan to the moment a utility worker found a gloved hand in the snow, describing the terrain, the avalanche, and the search decisions that left him buried for four days - what single choice and what small object turned the difference between recovery and retrieval?

Person: David Moore
Date: May 10-14, 2019
Location: Aldermoor Peak northeast shoulder, ~8,000 ft
Event: Buried by avalanche under 5-7 feet of consolidated debris
Status: Found alive after 96 hours, core temperature 31°C

- Watch wound at 6:45 AM on May 10, 2019, ran for 38-42 hours per full wind and continued sweeping through 96 hours.
- Avalanche crown estimated roughly the size of a two-car garage; Moore traveled ~340 feet before debris consolidated.
- Air pocket inside the debris was roughly the volume of a large cooking pot, allowing survival for 96 hours.
- Moore activated his avalanche beacon within the first hour; signal transmitted through 5-7 feet of snow but searchers were pointed at terrain 400 feet lower and 600 meters southwest.
- Found at 9:22 AM on May 14, 2019 by utility worker Donald Perry, who photographed the gloved hand before calling 9-1-1.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101066Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive 96 Hours: The Watch That Kept Him Counting Cold logic and raw terror collide: a watch wound at 6:45 AM kept sweeping for ninety-six hours while a man counted breaths inside a cooking-pot-sized air pocket beneath five to seven feet of...
Cold logic and raw terror collide: a watch wound at 6:45 AM kept sweeping for ninety-six hours while a man counted breaths inside a cooking-pot-sized air pocket beneath five to seven feet of avalanche debris - how did professional searches miss him for four days?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the filed trip plan to the moment a utility worker found a gloved hand in the snow, describing the terrain, the avalanche, and the search decisions that left him buried for four days - what single choice and what small object turned the difference between recovery and retrieval?

Person: David Moore
Date: May 10-14, 2019
Location: Aldermoor Peak northeast shoulder, ~8,000 ft
Event: Buried by avalanche under 5-7 feet of consolidated debris
Status: Found alive after 96 hours, core temperature 31°C

- Watch wound at 6:45 AM on May 10, 2019, ran for 38-42 hours per full wind and continued sweeping through 96 hours.
- Avalanche crown estimated roughly the size of a two-car garage; Moore traveled ~340 feet before debris consolidated.
- Air pocket inside the debris was roughly the volume of a large cooking pot, allowing survival for 96 hours.
- Moore activated his avalanche beacon within the first hour; signal transmitted through 5-7 feet of snow but searchers were pointed at terrain 400 feet lower and 600 meters southwest.
- Found at 9:22 AM on May 14, 2019 by utility worker Donald Perry, who photographed the gloved hand before calling 9-1-1.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-of-a-cave-after-four-days-alone--73101060
Fear of being trapped and the thin thrill of survival: a 52-year-old cave diver walked out after four days underground with a laminated map that would later rewrite scientists’ understanding of Seco Falls’ groundwater - but how did two identical notes end up leading to two different exits? What really happened between the collapse and her emergence?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Cheryl Burke entered Sutter Cave to the morning a delivery driver found her walking the road outside Seco Falls, and we ask how preparation met disaster in a way that still left room for both meticulous planning and catastrophic failure.

Person: Cheryl Burke
Date: April 5-9, 2019
Location: Sutter Cave, Pelham Hollow Park, Seco Falls, Tennessee
Occupation: Hydrological consultant
Experience: 23 years of dive experience; cave certification earned in 2004

- Cheryl Burke was 52 years old when she entered Sutter Cave on April 5, 2019.
- She spent 18 hours documenting previously unrecorded flooded passages before a collapse on April 6.
- The collapse sealed a flooded passage beyond the Keyhole approximately 900 feet inside the system, leaving her in a dry chamber about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide.
- She had gas supply calculated for four days, redundant lights, one primary reel and three backup reels, a wet-notes slate, and a pre-printed laminated map board.
- On the morning of April 9 at 5:43 a.m., delivery driver Troy Simms found Cheryl walking on the shoulder of a two-lane road outside Seco Falls carrying the laminated board covered in handwritten notes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101060Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out of a Cave After Four Days Alone Fear of being trapped and the thin thrill of survival: a 52-year-old cave diver walked out after four days underground with a laminated map that would later rewrite scientists’ understanding of Seco...
Fear of being trapped and the thin thrill of survival: a 52-year-old cave diver walked out after four days underground with a laminated map that would later rewrite scientists’ understanding of Seco Falls’ groundwater - but how did two identical notes end up leading to two different exits? What really happened between the collapse and her emergence?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Cheryl Burke entered Sutter Cave to the morning a delivery driver found her walking the road outside Seco Falls, and we ask how preparation met disaster in a way that still left room for both meticulous planning and catastrophic failure.

Person: Cheryl Burke
Date: April 5-9, 2019
Location: Sutter Cave, Pelham Hollow Park, Seco Falls, Tennessee
Occupation: Hydrological consultant
Experience: 23 years of dive experience; cave certification earned in 2004

- Cheryl Burke was 52 years old when she entered Sutter Cave on April 5, 2019.
- She spent 18 hours documenting previously unrecorded flooded passages before a collapse on April 6.
- The collapse sealed a flooded passage beyond the Keyhole approximately 900 feet inside the system, leaving her in a dry chamber about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide.
- She had gas supply calculated for four days, redundant lights, one primary reel and three backup reels, a wet-notes slate, and a pre-printed laminated map board.
- On the morning of April 9 at 5:43 a.m., delivery driver Troy Simms found Cheryl walking on the shoulder of a two-lane road outside Seco Falls carrying the laminated board covered in handwritten notes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nine-days-in-a-ditch-how-one-scratched-help-changed-everything--73101053
The first sight was six-inch letters carved into frost: HELP DAY 9 - scratched from inside a truck window with a flat-head screwdriver after nine days alone in a ditch. How did a routine timber check turn into a nine-day survival ordeal where a meter reader found a man who had been marking time and tallying days from inside his own cab?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from March 1 to March 14, 2019: who Paul Owens was, how his truck kept a record of his confinement, and the small improvisations that kept him alive until Ryan Gallagher discovered him. What choices did Paul make to survive, and what concrete clues did the truck and the scene leave behind?

Person: Paul Owens
Date: March 1-14, 2019
Location: Sill Road, near Callum Range, Prentiss County
Finder: Ryan Gallagher
Occupation: Finish carpenter

- The letters on the driver's-side window were six inches tall, carved with a flat-head screwdriver into frost to read "HELP DAY 9."
- Paul Owens was forty-four years old and lived in Dellard, a town of about six thousand people in Prentiss County.
- He left Dellard at 7:30 AM on March 1 and was found on March 14, meaning he spent nine days in the truck.
- Rescue workers found nine vertical scratch marks carved into the interior door panel arranged as three groups of three.
- His truck contained a 30-gallon fuel tank, two bundles of cedar shingles, a 5-gallon bucket of deck screws, a half-empty box of granola bars, a jug of methanol-based windshield washer fluid, and an emergency foil blanket.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101053Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaNine Days in a Ditch: How One Scratched HELP Changed Everything The first sight was six-inch letters carved into frost: HELP DAY 9 - scratched from inside a truck window with a flat-head screwdriver after nine days alone in a ditch. How did a...
The first sight was six-inch letters carved into frost: HELP DAY 9 - scratched from inside a truck window with a flat-head screwdriver after nine days alone in a ditch. How did a routine timber check turn into a nine-day survival ordeal where a meter reader found a man who had been marking time and tallying days from inside his own cab?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from March 1 to March 14, 2019: who Paul Owens was, how his truck kept a record of his confinement, and the small improvisations that kept him alive until Ryan Gallagher discovered him. What choices did Paul make to survive, and what concrete clues did the truck and the scene leave behind?

Person: Paul Owens
Date: March 1-14, 2019
Location: Sill Road, near Callum Range, Prentiss County
Finder: Ryan Gallagher
Occupation: Finish carpenter

- The letters on the driver's-side window were six inches tall, carved with a flat-head screwdriver into frost to read "HELP DAY 9."
- Paul Owens was forty-four years old and lived in Dellard, a town of about six thousand people in Prentiss County.
- He left Dellard at 7:30 AM on March 1 and was found on March 14, meaning he spent nine days in the truck.
- Rescue workers found nine vertical scratch marks carved into the interior door panel arranged as three groups of three.
- His truck contained a 30-gallon fuel tank, two bundles of cedar shingles, a 5-gallon bucket of deck screws, a half-empty box of granola bars, a jug of methanol-based windshield washer fluid, and an emergency foil blanket.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-alone-at-sea-how-nancy-survived-72-hours-on-an-upside-down-hull--73101048
Fear of being found too late is immediate: a 28-year-old liveaboard, an armed but silent emergency beacon, and 72 hours clinging to an overturned hull twenty miles offshore - how did she keep breathing until dawn? Search and rescue logs now span nine volumes; what single choice put her outside every expected search area and left her alive to be seen two days later?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Nancy left Pensacola to the moment she was spotted off the starboard bow, laying on an upturned sailboat hull, and ask how preparation, omission, and quick thinking combined to turn a likely tragedy into a survival story.

Person: Nancy Tillman
Age: 28
Vessel: Cass (Hunter twenty-seven, built 1987)
Date first sighted: February 9, 2021 at 07:42
Distance offshore: 20 nautical miles

- Emergency beacon on chest was armed and silent after two days at sea.
- Mast failed at 02:20 on Sunday, February 7, causing the mast to go over the starboard side.
- Nancy had been living aboard the Cass for nearly three years and held a United States Coast Guard captain's license.
- She altered course near the continental shelf to avoid crab trap buoys, pushing roughly 20 miles offshore and did not update her float plan.
- She spent approximately two hours after the mast collapse working by feel with a broken wrist to loosen each terminal at its deck fitting to stop the mast from opening the hull.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101048Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Alone at Sea: How Nancy Survived 72 Hours on an Upside‑Down Hull Fear of being found too late is immediate: a 28-year-old liveaboard, an armed but silent emergency beacon, and 72 hours clinging to an overturned hull twenty miles offshore - how...
Fear of being found too late is immediate: a 28-year-old liveaboard, an armed but silent emergency beacon, and 72 hours clinging to an overturned hull twenty miles offshore - how did she keep breathing until dawn? Search and rescue logs now span nine volumes; what single choice put her outside every expected search area and left her alive to be seen two days later?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Nancy left Pensacola to the moment she was spotted off the starboard bow, laying on an upturned sailboat hull, and ask how preparation, omission, and quick thinking combined to turn a likely tragedy into a survival story.

Person: Nancy Tillman
Age: 28
Vessel: Cass (Hunter twenty-seven, built 1987)
Date first sighted: February 9, 2021 at 07:42
Distance offshore: 20 nautical miles

- Emergency beacon on chest was armed and silent after two days at sea.
- Mast failed at 02:20 on Sunday, February 7, causing the mast to go over the starboard side.
- Nancy had been living aboard the Cass for nearly three years and held a United States Coast Guard captain's license.
- She altered course near the continental shelf to avoid crab trap buoys, pushing roughly 20 miles offshore and did not update her float plan.
- She spent approximately two hours after the mast collapse working by feel with a broken wrist to loosen each terminal at its deck fitting to stop the mast from opening the hull.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1062falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/five-days-one-bottle-how-sharon-outlived-the-canyon--73101045
Cold certainty, inch-by-inch survival: a fifty-four-year-old librarian stretched 650 milliliters of water into five days in a slot canyon, drinking as little as three ounces a day while sheltering in a rock alcove-how did a routine nine-mile loop turn into a five-day fight for life?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of facts that led Sharon Osborne into Arista Wash and kept her alive until rescue, from the unmarked social trail she took to the decisions she made about water and shelter-what choices bought her those extra days?

Person: Sharon Osborne
Age: 54
Location: Arista Wash, eastern Duskwall canyon system
Date: January 4-9
Item found: single orange sneaker in a dry pothole

- Sharon left her driveway at approximately 6:50 AM on January 4 carrying a daypack and a one-liter Nalgene.
- She reached the canyon floor with about 650 milliliters of water after drinking one third on the descent.
- The unmarked social trail she took descended roughly 600 feet in less than a quarter mile.
- She rationed water to about three ounces per day while sheltering in a south-facing alcove.
- A dog named Peso found an orange sneaker in a dry pothole on the morning of January 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101045Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaFive Days, One Bottle: How Sharon Outlived the Canyon Cold certainty, inch-by-inch survival: a fifty-four-year-old librarian stretched 650 milliliters of water into five days in a slot canyon, drinking as little as three ounces a day while...
Cold certainty, inch-by-inch survival: a fifty-four-year-old librarian stretched 650 milliliters of water into five days in a slot canyon, drinking as little as three ounces a day while sheltering in a rock alcove-how did a routine nine-mile loop turn into a five-day fight for life?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of facts that led Sharon Osborne into Arista Wash and kept her alive until rescue, from the unmarked social trail she took to the decisions she made about water and shelter-what choices bought her those extra days?

Person: Sharon Osborne
Age: 54
Location: Arista Wash, eastern Duskwall canyon system
Date: January 4-9
Item found: single orange sneaker in a dry pothole

- Sharon left her driveway at approximately 6:50 AM on January 4 carrying a daypack and a one-liter Nalgene.
- She reached the canyon floor with about 650 milliliters of water after drinking one third on the descent.
- The unmarked social trail she took descended roughly 600 feet in less than a quarter mile.
- She rationed water to about three ounces per day while sheltering in a south-facing alcove.
- A dog named Peso found an orange sneaker in a dry pothole on the morning of January 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1093falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/at-six-twenty-in-the-morning-on-a-tuesday-in-december--73101036
Cold, precise, and impossible: a shoe standing upright in Talbot Reservoir led to a fifty-hour survival story about a 23-year-old ultrarunner who treated pain like data. How did a broken tibia, a bent pole, and nine miles of commitment zone terrain become a deliberate plan to keep moving - and why did nobody report a drowning?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the shoe found at Talbot Reservoir through the Coliver Hundred race, the moment of injury at mile fifty-five, and the rediscovery of altered equipment that changed the search. What choices did Carol Stein make that reframed where teams looked and what she needed?

Person: Carol Stein
Age: 23
Event: Coliver Hundred ultramarathon
Start time: 4:00 AM on Saturday, December 14
Temperature at start: 8 degrees Fahrenheit

- A fisherman named Larry Novak found a shoe standing upright in the open channel at Talbot Reservoir at 6:20 AM on a Tuesday in December.
- Carol Stein had completed seven 700-kilometer ultramarathon races in two years prior to this event.
- The Coliver Hundred race started at 4:00 AM on Saturday, December 14 with 43 runners entered.
- Carol passed the Copper Spring checkpoint at mile 40 at 11:14 AM, 47 minutes ahead of projected pace.
- At 11:47 PM on Saturday she fell at mile 55, breaking her right tibia and then fashioned a splint from a collapsed trekking pole and a neoprene arm warmer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101036Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaAt six twenty in the morning on a Tuesday in December Cold, precise, and impossible: a shoe standing upright in Talbot Reservoir led to a fifty-hour survival story about a 23-year-old ultrarunner who treated pain like data. How did a broken tibia,...
Cold, precise, and impossible: a shoe standing upright in Talbot Reservoir led to a fifty-hour survival story about a 23-year-old ultrarunner who treated pain like data. How did a broken tibia, a bent pole, and nine miles of commitment zone terrain become a deliberate plan to keep moving - and why did nobody report a drowning?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the shoe found at Talbot Reservoir through the Coliver Hundred race, the moment of injury at mile fifty-five, and the rediscovery of altered equipment that changed the search. What choices did Carol Stein make that reframed where teams looked and what she needed?

Person: Carol Stein
Age: 23
Event: Coliver Hundred ultramarathon
Start time: 4:00 AM on Saturday, December 14
Temperature at start: 8 degrees Fahrenheit

- A fisherman named Larry Novak found a shoe standing upright in the open channel at Talbot Reservoir at 6:20 AM on a Tuesday in December.
- Carol Stein had completed seven 700-kilometer ultramarathon races in two years prior to this event.
- The Coliver Hundred race started at 4:00 AM on Saturday, December 14 with 43 runners entered.
- Carol passed the Copper Spring checkpoint at mile 40 at 11:14 AM, 47 minutes ahead of projected pace.
- At 11:47 PM on Saturday she fell at mile 55, breaking her right tibia and then fashioned a splint from a collapsed trekking pole and a neoprene arm warmer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1016falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-behind-at-8-900-feet-the-wrong-smoke-that-saved-her--73101030
Cold, high-altitude isolation turned into a calculated signal: burnt plastic fused to a stainless mixing bowl, a wire animal crate warped by heat, and six propane canisters all pointing west at 9,000 feet - but the beacon that should have guided rescuers lied by 1.1 miles. Who left that deliberate smoke and how did those specific objects become the only clues that could bring help?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events at an 8,900-foot base camp in the Finch Wilderness Tract after an emergency evacuation left cook Julie Ward alone. We describe the evidence left in the fire ring, the failed satellite communicator that reported coordinates 1.1 miles off, and the decisions Julie made as batteries died - could those melted clues become her only chance at rescue?

Person: Julie Ward
Location: Ironback massif, Finch Wilderness Tract
Date: November 6-13 (base camp established November 6; evacuation November 12; alone November 13)
Event: Emergency evacuation and failed GPS beacon
Status: Six crew evacuated by helicopter; Julie remained alone

- A stainless steel mixing bowl roughly 12 inches across was found warped by intense heat with melted polypropylene fused to its interior.
- Six propane canisters were arranged in deliberate line a few feet from the fire ring, all pointing due west.
- The satellite communicator locked GPS coordinates that were 1.1 miles southwest of Julie Ward’s actual position.
- Julie keyed her VHF radio on the hour until she had burned through half the battery and then rationed remaining power.
- Base camp had been established on November 6 at roughly 8,900 feet; the helicopter evacuated six crew members on November 12, leaving Julie behind.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101030Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Behind at 8,900 Feet: The Wrong Smoke That Saved Her Cold, high-altitude isolation turned into a calculated signal: burnt plastic fused to a stainless mixing bowl, a wire animal crate warped by heat, and six propane canisters all pointing west...
Cold, high-altitude isolation turned into a calculated signal: burnt plastic fused to a stainless mixing bowl, a wire animal crate warped by heat, and six propane canisters all pointing west at 9,000 feet - but the beacon that should have guided rescuers lied by 1.1 miles. Who left that deliberate smoke and how did those specific objects become the only clues that could bring help?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events at an 8,900-foot base camp in the Finch Wilderness Tract after an emergency evacuation left cook Julie Ward alone. We describe the evidence left in the fire ring, the failed satellite communicator that reported coordinates 1.1 miles off, and the decisions Julie made as batteries died - could those melted clues become her only chance at rescue?

Person: Julie Ward
Location: Ironback massif, Finch Wilderness Tract
Date: November 6-13 (base camp established November 6; evacuation November 12; alone November 13)
Event: Emergency evacuation and failed GPS beacon
Status: Six crew evacuated by helicopter; Julie remained alone

- A stainless steel mixing bowl roughly 12 inches across was found warped by intense heat with melted polypropylene fused to its interior.
- Six propane canisters were arranged in deliberate line a few feet from the fire ring, all pointing due west.
- The satellite communicator locked GPS coordinates that were 1.1 miles southwest of Julie Ward’s actual position.
- Julie keyed her VHF radio on the hour until she had burned through half the battery and then rationed remaining power.
- Base camp had been established on November 6 at roughly 8,900 feet; the helicopter evacuated six crew members on November 12, leaving Julie behind.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1158falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-carved-time-in-stone-56-hours-alone-in-redwall-slot--73101027
The thought of being trapped in a shoulder-width slot canyon with water rising silently is every canyoneer’s worst calculation: a retired civil engineer carved fourteen marks into Permian limestone, one every thirty minutes, while 11 feet of flood rose around her in total darkness - how did she survive 56 hours alone? What did those chisel marks record that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the logbook and the ledge: the episode covers the timeline from the October 10 trailhead sign-in to the storm that flooded Redwall Slot, the narrow ledge where Rhonda Armstrong spent 56 hours, and the rescue response that followed. How did training, tools, and a ritual Wednesday call shape the search and the outcome?

Person: Rhonda Armstrong
Date: October 10-14, 2019
Location: Redwall Slot, Permian limestone, Juniper Bench trailhead four miles from parking
Event: Flash flood from a storm two and a half inches on a plateau 38 miles northeast
Duration: Fifty-six hours isolated on an 18-inch-wide ledge

- One hiking boot found on a locked green sedan hood; laces double-knotted, sole caked in reddish-orange clay.
- Rhonda left the trailhead register on October 10 and planned a three-day loop with planned exit October 12.
- Storm dropped 2.5 inches of rain on a basin 38 miles away, unseen in local forecast that showed 0% precipitation.
- Water rose 11 feet in six minutes inside the narrows, reaching an 18-inch-wide ledge where Rhonda climbed.
- Rhonda made 14 horizontal chisel marks into the ledge, one every 30 minutes, recording about 9 inches of vertical change.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101027Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Carved Time in Stone: 56 Hours Alone in Redwall Slot The thought of being trapped in a shoulder-width slot canyon with water rising silently is every canyoneer’s worst calculation: a retired civil engineer carved fourteen marks into Permian...
The thought of being trapped in a shoulder-width slot canyon with water rising silently is every canyoneer’s worst calculation: a retired civil engineer carved fourteen marks into Permian limestone, one every thirty minutes, while 11 feet of flood rose around her in total darkness - how did she survive 56 hours alone? What did those chisel marks record that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the logbook and the ledge: the episode covers the timeline from the October 10 trailhead sign-in to the storm that flooded Redwall Slot, the narrow ledge where Rhonda Armstrong spent 56 hours, and the rescue response that followed. How did training, tools, and a ritual Wednesday call shape the search and the outcome?

Person: Rhonda Armstrong
Date: October 10-14, 2019
Location: Redwall Slot, Permian limestone, Juniper Bench trailhead four miles from parking
Event: Flash flood from a storm two and a half inches on a plateau 38 miles northeast
Duration: Fifty-six hours isolated on an 18-inch-wide ledge

- One hiking boot found on a locked green sedan hood; laces double-knotted, sole caked in reddish-orange clay.
- Rhonda left the trailhead register on October 10 and planned a three-day loop with planned exit October 12.
- Storm dropped 2.5 inches of rain on a basin 38 miles away, unseen in local forecast that showed 0% precipitation.
- Water rose 11 feet in six minutes inside the narrows, reaching an 18-inch-wide ledge where Rhonda climbed.
- Rhonda made 14 horizontal chisel marks into the ledge, one every 30 minutes, recording about 9 inches of vertical change.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1036falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-tied-a-square-knot-survived-31-hours-alone-in-gibraltar-strait--73101023
A grey foam block led rescuers to a square knot and the knowledge that someone was alive after vanishing into one of the world’s most dangerous shipping corridors - but how did she survive thirty-one hours in 14°C water with no flare, no radio, and no witness? What deliberate choices kept her alive when the Levante’s motor failed and the eastward set began to steal her toward Morocco?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from pre-swim planning to the moment the escort vessel’s propeller seized, describing the swimmer’s training, decisions in the water, and the environmental forces at play as the central question: could preparation and “metabolic patience” beat a two-knot current and a mechanical failure?

Person: Jessica White
Date: September 12, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, entered at La Atunara fishing harbour
Observer/Handler: Marcus Vail aboard the Levante
Water temperature: 14 degrees Celsius

- Swimmer age: 26 years old at time of disappearance
- Training duration: 14 months of structured open-water preparation
- Time of escort motor failure: approximately 06:37 on September 12, 2019
- Observer underwater duration clearing rope: roughly 11 minutes, resurfacing ~06:48
- Distance gained while swimming hard after motor failure: 50 meters in six minutes

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101023Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Tied a Square Knot - Survived 31 Hours Alone in Gibraltar Strait A grey foam block led rescuers to a square knot and the knowledge that someone was alive after vanishing into one of the world’s most dangerous shipping corridors - but how did...
A grey foam block led rescuers to a square knot and the knowledge that someone was alive after vanishing into one of the world’s most dangerous shipping corridors - but how did she survive thirty-one hours in 14°C water with no flare, no radio, and no witness? What deliberate choices kept her alive when the Levante’s motor failed and the eastward set began to steal her toward Morocco?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from pre-swim planning to the moment the escort vessel’s propeller seized, describing the swimmer’s training, decisions in the water, and the environmental forces at play as the central question: could preparation and “metabolic patience” beat a two-knot current and a mechanical failure?

Person: Jessica White
Date: September 12, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, entered at La Atunara fishing harbour
Observer/Handler: Marcus Vail aboard the Levante
Water temperature: 14 degrees Celsius

- Swimmer age: 26 years old at time of disappearance
- Training duration: 14 months of structured open-water preparation
- Time of escort motor failure: approximately 06:37 on September 12, 2019
- Observer underwater duration clearing rope: roughly 11 minutes, resurfacing ~06:48
- Distance gained while swimming hard after motor failure: 50 meters in six minutes

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1073falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-for-dead-found-by-a-bottle-how-karen-mapped-her-rescue--73101021
A sixteen-year-old found an orange-capped water bottle snagged on a root with a hand-drawn, topographically accurate map inside, rendered in blackberry juice and ash - a map made by someone who had never stood in that drainage. How did Karen Graham survive six days with a fractured arm and no satellite communicator, and who really put that bottle where a paper route kid would find it?

In this episode, we tell the story of Karen Graham's disappearance, survival, and the rescue that almost failed, following the clues in her training, equipment, and the single map that led searchers - and questions - back to the Fenwick Range. Could a mind trained to read terrain from a bike frame reconstruct a route detailed enough to be rescued?

Person: Karen Graham
Age: 48
Location: Vestal; Fenwick Range
Event: Six-day survival after slide and wrong descent
Item found: Water bottle containing hand-drawn map

- Karen left Vestal at 4:30 AM and did not bring her satellite communicator because it was on the charging dock at home.
- The storm dropped the temperature 22 degrees in under 40 minutes and produced sideways hail during the climb near mile marker 28.
- A slide moved 40 yards of embankment, turning the planned descent into a rubble field of wet clay and fractured shale.
- Karen removed her rear wheel, strapped the bike frame to her back, and secured the bike at mile marker 28 before searching for the road.
- At 7:42 AM on a Friday morning a sixteen-year-old on a paper route found the bottle with the map in the root ball of a fallen tree.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101021Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft for Dead, Found by a Bottle: How Karen Mapped Her Rescue A sixteen-year-old found an orange-capped water bottle snagged on a root with a hand-drawn, topographically accurate map inside, rendered in blackberry juice and ash - a map made by...
A sixteen-year-old found an orange-capped water bottle snagged on a root with a hand-drawn, topographically accurate map inside, rendered in blackberry juice and ash - a map made by someone who had never stood in that drainage. How did Karen Graham survive six days with a fractured arm and no satellite communicator, and who really put that bottle where a paper route kid would find it?

In this episode, we tell the story of Karen Graham's disappearance, survival, and the rescue that almost failed, following the clues in her training, equipment, and the single map that led searchers - and questions - back to the Fenwick Range. Could a mind trained to read terrain from a bike frame reconstruct a route detailed enough to be rescued?

Person: Karen Graham
Age: 48
Location: Vestal; Fenwick Range
Event: Six-day survival after slide and wrong descent
Item found: Water bottle containing hand-drawn map

- Karen left Vestal at 4:30 AM and did not bring her satellite communicator because it was on the charging dock at home.
- The storm dropped the temperature 22 degrees in under 40 minutes and produced sideways hail during the climb near mile marker 28.
- A slide moved 40 yards of embankment, turning the planned descent into a rubble field of wet clay and fractured shale.
- Karen removed her rear wheel, strapped the bike frame to her back, and secured the bike at mile marker 28 before searching for the road.
- At 7:42 AM on a Friday morning a sixteen-year-old on a paper route found the bottle with the map in the root ball of a fallen tree.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1211falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-survived-his-snowmobile-glowed-underwater-three-days-later--73101019
Cold panic: a snowmobile lay four feet under a Montana inlet with its headlight still glowing in mid-July, and a man spent fifty-three minutes clinging to its hot engine while a rescue device sat unread in a truck - how did everything go so wrong? What did a seven-forty-two satellite fix, a warm front, and a hidden void in the snowpack combine to produce?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the night before through July 11, 2009, and follow the moments that left a man soaked, near freezing, and a snowmobile glowing underwater three days later; could a single unread device have changed the search?

Person: Kevin Marshall
Date: July 11, 2009
Location: Hatchet Lake inlet, Montana
Device logged last fix: 7:42 AM
Duration clinging to engine: 53 minutes

- Temperature at trailhead at morning departure: 41 degrees
- Satellite communicator last GPS fix time: 7:42 AM
- Snowpack on the saddle before the warm front: six feet
- Water temperature of inlet after collapse: 32 degrees
- Distance from road while he survived: sixty yards

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101019Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Survived; His Snowmobile Glowed Underwater Three Days Later Cold panic: a snowmobile lay four feet under a Montana inlet with its headlight still glowing in mid-July, and a man spent fifty-three minutes clinging to its hot engine while a rescue...
Cold panic: a snowmobile lay four feet under a Montana inlet with its headlight still glowing in mid-July, and a man spent fifty-three minutes clinging to its hot engine while a rescue device sat unread in a truck - how did everything go so wrong? What did a seven-forty-two satellite fix, a warm front, and a hidden void in the snowpack combine to produce?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the night before through July 11, 2009, and follow the moments that left a man soaked, near freezing, and a snowmobile glowing underwater three days later; could a single unread device have changed the search?

Person: Kevin Marshall
Date: July 11, 2009
Location: Hatchet Lake inlet, Montana
Device logged last fix: 7:42 AM
Duration clinging to engine: 53 minutes

- Temperature at trailhead at morning departure: 41 degrees
- Satellite communicator last GPS fix time: 7:42 AM
- Snowpack on the saddle before the warm front: six feet
- Water temperature of inlet after collapse: 32 degrees
- Distance from road while he survived: sixty yards

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1092falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tripod-the-ring-and-the-rising-fog-trapped-by-the-tide--73101017
Fear tightens as the fog closes in: a lone tripod stands two hundred and twenty yards out on a tidal flat with an orange life preserver ring hanging from its hook, no boat, no tracks, and a tide that will reach four feet two inches by 11:40-who left it there and why would someone remove the bracket bolts by hand? What followed turned a joke into the central clue of a rescue that nearly missed the point.

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Sarah Phillips spotted the tripod through the morning search and the conditions that trapped a photographer on the flats, asking whether that ring was a talisman, a prank, or a planned signal that changed everything.

Person: Dale Lane
Date: June 9, 2019
Location: Dunmore Point tidal flat, Oregon coast
Time spotted by witness: 7:15 AM
Tide height by 11:40 AM: 4 feet 2 inches

- The tripod was located 220 yards from shore on the tidal flat.
- Sarah Phillips called dispatch at 7:18 AM after seeing the tripod and ring.
- The missing life preserver ring came from the Dunmore Point public pier; its bracket bolts were unthreaded and stacked neatly inside the bracket.
- Dale Lane arrived at the bluff parking area at 4:50 AM and set up approximately 200 yards out on the flat.
- Visibility dropped to under 30 feet within 11 minutes of the fog's arrival, leaving Lane two hundred yards from shore with a badly sprained left ankle.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101017Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Tripod, The Ring, and the Rising Fog: Trapped by the Tide Fear tightens as the fog closes in: a lone tripod stands two hundred and twenty yards out on a tidal flat with an orange life preserver ring hanging from its hook, no boat, no tracks,...
Fear tightens as the fog closes in: a lone tripod stands two hundred and twenty yards out on a tidal flat with an orange life preserver ring hanging from its hook, no boat, no tracks, and a tide that will reach four feet two inches by 11:40-who left it there and why would someone remove the bracket bolts by hand? What followed turned a joke into the central clue of a rescue that nearly missed the point.

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Sarah Phillips spotted the tripod through the morning search and the conditions that trapped a photographer on the flats, asking whether that ring was a talisman, a prank, or a planned signal that changed everything.

Person: Dale Lane
Date: June 9, 2019
Location: Dunmore Point tidal flat, Oregon coast
Time spotted by witness: 7:15 AM
Tide height by 11:40 AM: 4 feet 2 inches

- The tripod was located 220 yards from shore on the tidal flat.
- Sarah Phillips called dispatch at 7:18 AM after seeing the tripod and ring.
- The missing life preserver ring came from the Dunmore Point public pier; its bracket bolts were unthreaded and stacked neatly inside the bracket.
- Dale Lane arrived at the bluff parking area at 4:50 AM and set up approximately 200 yards out on the flat.
- Visibility dropped to under 30 feet within 11 minutes of the fog's arrival, leaving Lane two hundred yards from shore with a badly sprained left ankle.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>995falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-poles-in-the-snow-why-sarah-boyd-s-rescue-left-a-question-mark--73101015
Cold, silent poles stood perfectly planted in eight inches of fresh snow with no footprints nearby - and the woman they might have belonged to was already airlifted out alive after fifty-five hours alone; who placed them and why do they look like a final signal from someone who didn’t make it? Is this an unexplained clue or a misunderstood rescue artifact?

In this episode, we tell the two-day story on Graywolf Ridge and the Whetstone Creek drainage, covering Sarah Boyd’s fall, her satellite messages, the search decisions, and the mysterious trekking poles - could a buried rock and a corrupted message explain what went wrong?

Person: Sarah Boyd
Date: May 11-14, 2019
Location: Graywolf Ridge / Whetstone Creek drainage, Montana
Status: Airlifted; ankle broken in three places; survived fifty-five hours
Gear: 38-liter pack, two liters of water, emergency bivy, crampons, ice axe, satellite messenger, two carbon trekking poles

- Sarah Boyd turned forty-four in spring 2019 and had twenty-five years of mountain experience.
- She signed the trailhead register at 5:50 AM on May 11 with planned return 4:00 PM.
- She reached the summit at 11:20 AM and fell around 12:10 PM, sliding approximately 12 meters.
- At 1:50 PM she sent a satellite message reporting a fall and ankle injury and said she was not requesting rescue.
- Two carbon trekking poles were found upright in a parking-lot snowbank on the morning of May 14 with eight inches of fresh snow around them and no nearby footprints.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101015Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Poles in the Snow: Why Sarah Boyd's Rescue Left a Question Mark Cold, silent poles stood perfectly planted in eight inches of fresh snow with no footprints nearby - and the woman they might have belonged to was already airlifted out alive after...
Cold, silent poles stood perfectly planted in eight inches of fresh snow with no footprints nearby - and the woman they might have belonged to was already airlifted out alive after fifty-five hours alone; who placed them and why do they look like a final signal from someone who didn’t make it? Is this an unexplained clue or a misunderstood rescue artifact?

In this episode, we tell the two-day story on Graywolf Ridge and the Whetstone Creek drainage, covering Sarah Boyd’s fall, her satellite messages, the search decisions, and the mysterious trekking poles - could a buried rock and a corrupted message explain what went wrong?

Person: Sarah Boyd
Date: May 11-14, 2019
Location: Graywolf Ridge / Whetstone Creek drainage, Montana
Status: Airlifted; ankle broken in three places; survived fifty-five hours
Gear: 38-liter pack, two liters of water, emergency bivy, crampons, ice axe, satellite messenger, two carbon trekking poles

- Sarah Boyd turned forty-four in spring 2019 and had twenty-five years of mountain experience.
- She signed the trailhead register at 5:50 AM on May 11 with planned return 4:00 PM.
- She reached the summit at 11:20 AM and fell around 12:10 PM, sliding approximately 12 meters.
- At 1:50 PM she sent a satellite message reporting a fall and ankle injury and said she was not requesting rescue.
- Two carbon trekking poles were found upright in a parking-lot snowbank on the morning of May 14 with eight inches of fresh snow around them and no nearby footprints.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1026falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-survived-the-river-but-followed-the-wrong-waterway--73101011
Cold, trained, and three hours of usable light after a capsize, he built a fire and walked toward water that would have led him away from every search team. A laminated, bone-dry map found on April 19th outside utility meter 41 tied him to a thousand correct choices that all pointed the wrong way-how did one false premise undo expert preparation?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Charles Price’s solo launch on April 15th through the discovery of the map on April 19th, tracing the decisions he made after the canoe flipped and the single navigational mistake that redirected his route. What did the map reveal about where he thought he was going versus where he actually went?

Person: Charles Price
Date: April 15, 2017 (launch) and April 19, 2017 (map found)
Location: Maben River corridor, Oregon; launch at Stag Meadow Bridge; compression chute called the Shears
Finder: Monica Turner at utility meter number 41
Coordinator: Sharon Padgett, Maben County search-and-rescue

- Launched at 7:15 AM on April 15th and capsized at the Shears, a forty-yard compression chute with a six-foot drop.
- Water temperature at the time was 41 degrees Fahrenheit; Charles was wearing a dry suit and held a swift-water rescue certification.
- He exited the water on river-left, built a fire within forty minutes, and stayed put through the night.
- He followed a northwest-flowing tributary, Crane Creek, for two days, believing water would lead to larger rivers and roads.
- A laminated 4"x6" map, bone dry and weighted with a small stone, was photographed at 9:47 AM on April 19th by Monica Turner at meter 41.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101011Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Survived the River - But Followed the Wrong Waterway Cold, trained, and three hours of usable light after a capsize, he built a fire and walked toward water that would have led him away from every search team. A laminated, bone-dry map found on...
Cold, trained, and three hours of usable light after a capsize, he built a fire and walked toward water that would have led him away from every search team. A laminated, bone-dry map found on April 19th outside utility meter 41 tied him to a thousand correct choices that all pointed the wrong way-how did one false premise undo expert preparation?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Charles Price’s solo launch on April 15th through the discovery of the map on April 19th, tracing the decisions he made after the canoe flipped and the single navigational mistake that redirected his route. What did the map reveal about where he thought he was going versus where he actually went?

Person: Charles Price
Date: April 15, 2017 (launch) and April 19, 2017 (map found)
Location: Maben River corridor, Oregon; launch at Stag Meadow Bridge; compression chute called the Shears
Finder: Monica Turner at utility meter number 41
Coordinator: Sharon Padgett, Maben County search-and-rescue

- Launched at 7:15 AM on April 15th and capsized at the Shears, a forty-yard compression chute with a six-foot drop.
- Water temperature at the time was 41 degrees Fahrenheit; Charles was wearing a dry suit and held a swift-water rescue certification.
- He exited the water on river-left, built a fire within forty minutes, and stayed put through the night.
- He followed a northwest-flowing tributary, Crane Creek, for two days, believing water would lead to larger rivers and roads.
- A laminated 4"x6" map, bone dry and weighted with a small stone, was photographed at 9:47 AM on April 19th by Monica Turner at meter 41.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1103falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-under-300-tons-of-wheat-how-she-survived--73101009
Fear tightens when a routine job becomes a fight for breath: a sixty-foot silo, a frozen wheat bridge, and one woman pinned upright under 330 tons of grain while a single yellow straw moved as if she were breathing through it. The rescue took four hours and forty-nine minutes - how did she thread a straw through a four-inch hole in total darkness and keep herself alive until help arrived?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events on the morning she entered Silo Four, what tools and choices were available to her, and the conditions inside the silo that turned common winter wheat into a lethal trap. Could inventory, training, and a tiny drinking straw be enough against a mass of grain?

Person: Debra Farrell
Date: March 14, 2011
Location: Harmon Brothers Silo Four, southwest Nebraska
Event: Grain bin collapse burying worker
Duration: 4 hours 49 minutes

- The silo was about sixty feet tall and contained a hundred-thousand-bushel capacity with mostly full winter wheat.
- A thermal cycle on March 10-11 created a bridged crust, leaving a hollow void beneath the surface.
- When the bridge collapsed at approximately 7:50 AM, twelve thousand bushels (330 tons) of wheat shifted in less than four seconds.
- Debra was compressed upright eight feet below the cone hatch and could not move any part of her body below the chest.
- She had a folding knife, a bolt, a gas station receipt, a job trailer key, and an eight-inch flexible yellow drinking straw in her breast pocket.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101009Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive Under 300 Tons of Wheat - How She Survived Fear tightens when a routine job becomes a fight for breath: a sixty-foot silo, a frozen wheat bridge, and one woman pinned upright under 330 tons of grain while a single yellow straw moved as...
Fear tightens when a routine job becomes a fight for breath: a sixty-foot silo, a frozen wheat bridge, and one woman pinned upright under 330 tons of grain while a single yellow straw moved as if she were breathing through it. The rescue took four hours and forty-nine minutes - how did she thread a straw through a four-inch hole in total darkness and keep herself alive until help arrived?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events on the morning she entered Silo Four, what tools and choices were available to her, and the conditions inside the silo that turned common winter wheat into a lethal trap. Could inventory, training, and a tiny drinking straw be enough against a mass of grain?

Person: Debra Farrell
Date: March 14, 2011
Location: Harmon Brothers Silo Four, southwest Nebraska
Event: Grain bin collapse burying worker
Duration: 4 hours 49 minutes

- The silo was about sixty feet tall and contained a hundred-thousand-bushel capacity with mostly full winter wheat.
- A thermal cycle on March 10-11 created a bridged crust, leaving a hollow void beneath the surface.
- When the bridge collapsed at approximately 7:50 AM, twelve thousand bushels (330 tons) of wheat shifted in less than four seconds.
- Debra was compressed upright eight feet below the cone hatch and could not move any part of her body below the chest.
- She had a folding knife, a bolt, a gas station receipt, a job trailer key, and an eight-inch flexible yellow drinking straw in her breast pocket.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1035falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hours-on-a-frozen-ledge-how-she-survived-with-a-broken-ankle--73101007
Cold, precise survival: a 23-year-old paraglider with a fractured ankle endured 29 hours on a Montana shelf at 14°F, left a half-eaten, unfrozen granola bar beside her abandoned glider bag, and used only her flight gear to send a signal-how did she turn equipment and method into rescue? What choice turned a routine launch into one of the most methodical survival acts recorded in the Abner Range?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from takeoff to the moment rescue became possible, outlining her gear, decisions, and the single overlooked item that tied her to the launch. How did training, checklists, and one small habit become the difference between being lost and being found?

Person: Marcia Norris
Date: February 8-9, 2011
Location: Spurling Shelf and Drumlin Shelf, Abner Range, Montana
Temperature: 14 degrees Fahrenheit
Injury: fractured right ankle

- She launched at 7:40 AM from Spurling Shelf at 8,200 feet after three weeks of weather monitoring.
- Ninety minutes later, around 9:10 AM, rotor turbulence forced a hard descent to Drumlin Shelf 1,300 feet lower.
- The landing skidded 20 feet on ice and caused a fractured right ankle and an abrasion on her left forearm.
- Her radio transmitted for 40 seconds before dying; her phone had no signal.
- Her glider bag was later found upright a mile and a half from her car with a not-frozen half-eaten granola bar on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101007Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaHours on a Frozen Ledge: How She Survived with a Broken Ankle Cold, precise survival: a 23-year-old paraglider with a fractured ankle endured 29 hours on a Montana shelf at 14°F, left a half-eaten, unfrozen granola bar beside her abandoned glider...
Cold, precise survival: a 23-year-old paraglider with a fractured ankle endured 29 hours on a Montana shelf at 14°F, left a half-eaten, unfrozen granola bar beside her abandoned glider bag, and used only her flight gear to send a signal-how did she turn equipment and method into rescue? What choice turned a routine launch into one of the most methodical survival acts recorded in the Abner Range?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from takeoff to the moment rescue became possible, outlining her gear, decisions, and the single overlooked item that tied her to the launch. How did training, checklists, and one small habit become the difference between being lost and being found?

Person: Marcia Norris
Date: February 8-9, 2011
Location: Spurling Shelf and Drumlin Shelf, Abner Range, Montana
Temperature: 14 degrees Fahrenheit
Injury: fractured right ankle

- She launched at 7:40 AM from Spurling Shelf at 8,200 feet after three weeks of weather monitoring.
- Ninety minutes later, around 9:10 AM, rotor turbulence forced a hard descent to Drumlin Shelf 1,300 feet lower.
- The landing skidded 20 feet on ice and caused a fractured right ankle and an abrasion on her left forearm.
- Her radio transmitted for 40 seconds before dying; her phone had no signal.
- Her glider bag was later found upright a mile and a half from her car with a not-frozen half-eaten granola bar on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>891falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-a-propeller-cut-how-she-crawled-ashore--73101005
Cold water, a missing freediving fin, and a descent line cleanly sliced by a rotating propeller at four meters - Karen Simmons spent more than four hours fighting what should have been unsurvivable odds; how did a 38-year-old radiology tech and experienced freediver crawl ashore with one fin and thirty seconds of consciousness left?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a charter fisherman found an empty carbon freediving fin to the search-and-rescue response and Karen’s hospital statement, laying out the timeline, the cut descent line, and the conditions that morning to ask how protocol failed and how she survived.

Person: Karen Simmons
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Miramar Shoal, Peloro Keys
Occupation: Radiological technician at Monroe County Medical Center
Dive depth: anchored at 39 meters, climbed from 38 meters

- At 7:52 AM on January 9, 2022, Holly Weber pulled a single carbon freediving fin from the water near Miramar Shoal with the foot pocket buckled shut and nothing inside.
- Karen Simmons was 38 years old and had been a certified freediver for six years with a personal best of 52 meters and coaching experience at the Marathon club for four years.
- The water temperature that week was the coldest recorded in the Peloro Keys in eleven years and visibility at depth was roughly eight feet.
- Karen anchored her descent line at 39 meters and clipped her surface marker buoy to a twelve-foot inflatable tender; the rope was bright yellow kernmantle rated to 800 kilograms.
- A search-and-rescue diver found the descent line intact from the bottom to four meters depth, where the fibers were compressed and slightly melted - consistent with rotating metal contact from a propeller.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101005Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived a Propeller Cut - How She Crawled Ashore Cold water, a missing freediving fin, and a descent line cleanly sliced by a rotating propeller at four meters - Karen Simmons spent more than four hours fighting what should have been...
Cold water, a missing freediving fin, and a descent line cleanly sliced by a rotating propeller at four meters - Karen Simmons spent more than four hours fighting what should have been unsurvivable odds; how did a 38-year-old radiology tech and experienced freediver crawl ashore with one fin and thirty seconds of consciousness left?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a charter fisherman found an empty carbon freediving fin to the search-and-rescue response and Karen’s hospital statement, laying out the timeline, the cut descent line, and the conditions that morning to ask how protocol failed and how she survived.

Person: Karen Simmons
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Miramar Shoal, Peloro Keys
Occupation: Radiological technician at Monroe County Medical Center
Dive depth: anchored at 39 meters, climbed from 38 meters

- At 7:52 AM on January 9, 2022, Holly Weber pulled a single carbon freediving fin from the water near Miramar Shoal with the foot pocket buckled shut and nothing inside.
- Karen Simmons was 38 years old and had been a certified freediver for six years with a personal best of 52 meters and coaching experience at the Marathon club for four years.
- The water temperature that week was the coldest recorded in the Peloro Keys in eleven years and visibility at depth was roughly eight feet.
- Karen anchored her descent line at 39 meters and clipped her surface marker buoy to a twelve-foot inflatable tender; the rope was bright yellow kernmantle rated to 800 kilograms.
- A search-and-rescue diver found the descent line intact from the bottom to four meters depth, where the fibers were compressed and slightly melted - consistent with rotating metal contact from a propeller.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1057falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-hung-her-clothes-on-a-branch-survived-48-frozen-hours--73101003
Cold, precise survival: a retired biology teacher stripped off frozen layers in -28°F air, hung a complete set of clothes six feet high on a spruce, and then spent the next 48 hours alive but alone-how did she manage to survive with no tracks, one glove missing, and both skis lost to the current?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of actions and conditions that kept Diane Anderson alive after she fell through thin shelf ice on the Aldrich River, and we ask how training, timing, and improvisation combined to turn a near-immediate death into a two-day survival story.

Person: Diane Anderson
Age: 62
Location: Aldrich River, Boundary Hills
Date: December 17, 2009
Temperature: -28 degrees Fahrenheit

- The clothes were hanging six feet off the ground on a black spruce branch in air reading -28°F.
- Diane fell through shelf ice at 11:15 AM, four feet from the bank at the second bend of the Aldrich River.
- Water temperature at depth that December was 4°C, and Diane had roughly 30 seconds to get elbows over ice before arm failure.
- Within two minutes of leaving the water she stripped every wet garment and hung the thermal underlayer, fleece, ski pants, down jacket, sports bra, wool socks, and one glove on the branch.
- She lost both skis to the current under the shelf ice and then fashioned a spruce-bough frame bound with inner birch bark about 40 yards from the hanging clothes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101003Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Hung Her Clothes on a Branch - Survived 48 Frozen Hours Cold, precise survival: a retired biology teacher stripped off frozen layers in -28°F air, hung a complete set of clothes six feet high on a spruce, and then spent the next 48 hours alive...
Cold, precise survival: a retired biology teacher stripped off frozen layers in -28°F air, hung a complete set of clothes six feet high on a spruce, and then spent the next 48 hours alive but alone-how did she manage to survive with no tracks, one glove missing, and both skis lost to the current?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of actions and conditions that kept Diane Anderson alive after she fell through thin shelf ice on the Aldrich River, and we ask how training, timing, and improvisation combined to turn a near-immediate death into a two-day survival story.

Person: Diane Anderson
Age: 62
Location: Aldrich River, Boundary Hills
Date: December 17, 2009
Temperature: -28 degrees Fahrenheit

- The clothes were hanging six feet off the ground on a black spruce branch in air reading -28°F.
- Diane fell through shelf ice at 11:15 AM, four feet from the bank at the second bend of the Aldrich River.
- Water temperature at depth that December was 4°C, and Diane had roughly 30 seconds to get elbows over ice before arm failure.
- Within two minutes of leaving the water she stripped every wet garment and hung the thermal underlayer, fleece, ski pants, down jacket, sports bra, wool socks, and one glove on the branch.
- She lost both skis to the current under the shelf ice and then fashioned a spruce-bough frame bound with inner birch bark about 40 yards from the hanging clothes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>918falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-eleven-days-alone-above-a-burning-valley--73101001
Heat, smoke, and radio silence turned a routine lookout post into a life-or-death trap: a fully charged radio transmitted from sixty feet up the Tallow Peak lookout while 64 searchers and 11 agencies were searching four miles away. How did a methodical 26-year-old with supplies, a cistern of roughly 22 gallons, and training end up sheltering alone for eleven days while crews assumed she had evacuated?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened at the Tallow Peak Fire Lookout and how decisions on the ground and in command left one person isolated. What choices did Darlene Olson make to survive, and why did the search move in the wrong direction?

Person: Darlene Olson
Age: 26
Location: Tallow Peak Fire Lookout, sixty feet above a burned slope
Event: Downed power line ignited fire on November 6; last confirmed radio contact at 4:17 a.m. on November 7
Search: 64 personnel from 11 agencies spent nine days looking, focused four miles away

- Cistern capacity: roughly 22 gallons of water at the start of her last week on post.
- Last confirmed radio contact time: 4:17 a.m, on November 7.
- Radio transmission recorded as functional on November 8 despite no confirmed receipt.
- Darlene rationed to one liter of water per day beginning November 9.
- Condensation collection produced roughly 0.25 liters per night after she modified the north catwalk railing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73101001Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Eleven Days Alone Above a Burning Valley Heat, smoke, and radio silence turned a routine lookout post into a life-or-death trap: a fully charged radio transmitted from sixty feet up the Tallow Peak lookout while 64 searchers and 11...
Heat, smoke, and radio silence turned a routine lookout post into a life-or-death trap: a fully charged radio transmitted from sixty feet up the Tallow Peak lookout while 64 searchers and 11 agencies were searching four miles away. How did a methodical 26-year-old with supplies, a cistern of roughly 22 gallons, and training end up sheltering alone for eleven days while crews assumed she had evacuated?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened at the Tallow Peak Fire Lookout and how decisions on the ground and in command left one person isolated. What choices did Darlene Olson make to survive, and why did the search move in the wrong direction?

Person: Darlene Olson
Age: 26
Location: Tallow Peak Fire Lookout, sixty feet above a burned slope
Event: Downed power line ignited fire on November 6; last confirmed radio contact at 4:17 a.m. on November 7
Search: 64 personnel from 11 agencies spent nine days looking, focused four miles away

- Cistern capacity: roughly 22 gallons of water at the start of her last week on post.
- Last confirmed radio contact time: 4:17 a.m, on November 7.
- Radio transmission recorded as functional on November 8 despite no confirmed receipt.
- Darlene rationed to one liter of water per day beginning November 9.
- Condensation collection produced roughly 0.25 liters per night after she modified the north catwalk railing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1041falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/twelve-minutes-of-warmth-the-marker-that-saved-her-fingers--73100998
Cold water steals touch in under ten minutes; a dry-erase marker that had drifted six weeks downriver ended up upright in a boulder crack, uncapped and bone dry in a river running four times its normal flow - and that tiny nib became the difference between rescued and lost. How did an object she had never seen before become the single tool that bought her the minutes she needed?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 21, 2019, as a solo paddler with swift-water training becomes trapped on a shrinking gravel island and must act within a twelve-minute window of usable hands; was it skill, luck, or the river’s strange generosity that determined her survival?

Person: Jessica Schmidt
Date: June 21, 2019
Location: Kessler Fork, Siltwater Reach
Status: Rescued
Responder: Tarval County Sheriff's Office

- At 6:45 AM she launched from Ridgetop put-in and flipped at 6:58 AM in 38°F water.
- The river was running approximately four times its median June flow.
- Cold-water dexterity lasts roughly eight to ten minutes, giving her about twelve minutes of functional hands.
- A birdwatcher, Wayne Mason, spotted an orange uncapped dry-erase marker in a spray-soaked boulder crack at 8:12 AM and called the sheriff two minutes later.
- The marker had spent six weeks drifting down the Montana river before coming to rest where she needed it.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100998Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaTwelve Minutes of Warmth: The Marker That Saved Her Fingers Cold water steals touch in under ten minutes; a dry-erase marker that had drifted six weeks downriver ended up upright in a boulder crack, uncapped and bone dry in a river running four...
Cold water steals touch in under ten minutes; a dry-erase marker that had drifted six weeks downriver ended up upright in a boulder crack, uncapped and bone dry in a river running four times its normal flow - and that tiny nib became the difference between rescued and lost. How did an object she had never seen before become the single tool that bought her the minutes she needed?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 21, 2019, as a solo paddler with swift-water training becomes trapped on a shrinking gravel island and must act within a twelve-minute window of usable hands; was it skill, luck, or the river’s strange generosity that determined her survival?

Person: Jessica Schmidt
Date: June 21, 2019
Location: Kessler Fork, Siltwater Reach
Status: Rescued
Responder: Tarval County Sheriff's Office

- At 6:45 AM she launched from Ridgetop put-in and flipped at 6:58 AM in 38°F water.
- The river was running approximately four times its median June flow.
- Cold-water dexterity lasts roughly eight to ten minutes, giving her about twelve minutes of functional hands.
- A birdwatcher, Wayne Mason, spotted an orange uncapped dry-erase marker in a spray-soaked boulder crack at 8:12 AM and called the sheriff two minutes later.
- The marker had spent six weeks drifting down the Montana river before coming to rest where she needed it.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1063falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-porcelain-shoe-how-a-runner-vanished-for-nine-days--73100994
The image is simple and uncanny: a single size 10.5 safety-orange trail runner, double-knotted and set upright on a welcome mat in the middle of the Nevada desert - and beside it, a man who had been missing for nine days and had no idea how long he'd been gone. How did a thirty-two-year-old civil engineer and experienced ultra runner disappear for nine days across thirty-one miles of empty high desert and then reappear with only a shoe as the first clue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from race morning through the search and the unlikely discoveries that saved Scott Hughes, and we ask the question the evidence forces on everyone: what assumptions about search, tracking, and self-rescue failed, and which ones actually kept him alive?

Person: Scott Hughes
Age: 32
Event: Ridgeline Fifty K
Location: Shoshone Range, Elko, Nevada
Distance: 31 miles

- At 5:40 AM on September 8, 2014, a fifteen-year-old on a paper route found Scott alive and breathing beside a door with a single size 10.5 trail runner on the mat.
- Scott ran the Ridgeline 50K on August 30, 2014, a 31-mile course with roughly 6,000 feet total elevation change.
- His GPS tracker stopped transmitting at 10:49 AM during the descent into Piñon Draw after the unit struck a rock and the antenna was damaged.
- Piñon Draw is approximately mile 19 of the course and contains a buried drainage culvert whose top can appear as solid ground.
- A crucial tip-line report sat unreviewed for seven days while search teams were combing the wrong side of a dry creek bed and the tracker’s corrupt coordinate sent searchers miles off course.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100994Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Porcelain Shoe: How a Runner Vanished for Nine Days The image is simple and uncanny: a single size 10.5 safety-orange trail runner, double-knotted and set upright on a welcome mat in the middle of the Nevada desert - and beside it, a man who...
The image is simple and uncanny: a single size 10.5 safety-orange trail runner, double-knotted and set upright on a welcome mat in the middle of the Nevada desert - and beside it, a man who had been missing for nine days and had no idea how long he'd been gone. How did a thirty-two-year-old civil engineer and experienced ultra runner disappear for nine days across thirty-one miles of empty high desert and then reappear with only a shoe as the first clue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from race morning through the search and the unlikely discoveries that saved Scott Hughes, and we ask the question the evidence forces on everyone: what assumptions about search, tracking, and self-rescue failed, and which ones actually kept him alive?

Person: Scott Hughes
Age: 32
Event: Ridgeline Fifty K
Location: Shoshone Range, Elko, Nevada
Distance: 31 miles

- At 5:40 AM on September 8, 2014, a fifteen-year-old on a paper route found Scott alive and breathing beside a door with a single size 10.5 trail runner on the mat.
- Scott ran the Ridgeline 50K on August 30, 2014, a 31-mile course with roughly 6,000 feet total elevation change.
- His GPS tracker stopped transmitting at 10:49 AM during the descent into Piñon Draw after the unit struck a rock and the antenna was damaged.
- Piñon Draw is approximately mile 19 of the course and contains a buried drainage culvert whose top can appear as solid ground.
- A crucial tip-line report sat unreviewed for seven days while search teams were combing the wrong side of a dry creek bed and the tracker’s corrupt coordinate sent searchers miles off course.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stranger-s-orange-jacket-how-a-random-gift-saved-a-mountaineer--73100990
Cold, remote, and precise: a stranger's orange jacket wrapped a broken leg and turned a likely death into a rescue. A handwritten note, a trekking pole tied with an orange fleece, and a mountain ledge failing after years of freeze-thaw set a chain of events that hinged on one anonymous act-how did that jacket end up saving her life?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions, conditions, and small preparations that determined a climber's fate, from trip plans and register entries to the moment a road-grader operator found a hand against a boulder; what choices and coincidences made survival possible?

Person: Tammy Hughes
Location: Arroyo Peak, Saguache Range
Date: August 1-3
Person: Doug Prentiss
Event: Orange jacket left as marker and note in register

- Tammy Hughes fell eight feet at approximately 2:00 PM on August 1 and sustained a non-displaced crack through her left tibia.
- Tammy signed the Corbett Lake register at 4:50 AM on August 1 and planned to return by evening on August 2 with Beth Okafor as emergency contact.
- Doug Prentiss tied an orange fleece strip to a trekking pole on the Shoulder and placed a note in the register on July 29 indicating "jacket in split rock at base of chute."
- The ledge Tammy weighted was 300 feet below the summit and at about 11,200 feet (the Shoulder), part of the route with roughly 2,000 feet of technical gain from a four-mile approach.
- At 6:14 AM on August 3, road-grader operator Connie Hansen found a woman in a drainage ditch beside Forest Service Road 118 with her left leg wrapped in an orange Gore-Tex jacket and a water bottle under her chin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100990Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaStranger's Orange Jacket: How a Random Gift Saved a Mountaineer Cold, remote, and precise: a stranger's orange jacket wrapped a broken leg and turned a likely death into a rescue. A handwritten note, a trekking pole tied with an orange fleece, and...
Cold, remote, and precise: a stranger's orange jacket wrapped a broken leg and turned a likely death into a rescue. A handwritten note, a trekking pole tied with an orange fleece, and a mountain ledge failing after years of freeze-thaw set a chain of events that hinged on one anonymous act-how did that jacket end up saving her life?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions, conditions, and small preparations that determined a climber's fate, from trip plans and register entries to the moment a road-grader operator found a hand against a boulder; what choices and coincidences made survival possible?

Person: Tammy Hughes
Location: Arroyo Peak, Saguache Range
Date: August 1-3
Person: Doug Prentiss
Event: Orange jacket left as marker and note in register

- Tammy Hughes fell eight feet at approximately 2:00 PM on August 1 and sustained a non-displaced crack through her left tibia.
- Tammy signed the Corbett Lake register at 4:50 AM on August 1 and planned to return by evening on August 2 with Beth Okafor as emergency contact.
- Doug Prentiss tied an orange fleece strip to a trekking pole on the Shoulder and placed a note in the register on July 29 indicating "jacket in split rock at base of chute."
- The ledge Tammy weighted was 300 feet below the summit and at about 11,200 feet (the Shoulder), part of the route with roughly 2,000 feet of technical gain from a four-mile approach.
- At 6:14 AM on August 3, road-grader operator Connie Hansen found a woman in a drainage ditch beside Forest Service Road 118 with her left leg wrapped in an orange Gore-Tex jacket and a water bottle under her chin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1057falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bilge-pump-handle-in-a-tree-how-three-men-vanished-at-sea--73100987
A single stainless-steel bilge pump handle lodged eleven feet up in a red oak turned a failing maritime search into a rescue that found three men alive after two and a half days adrift - but why was that handle in a tree, and how did one short radio transmission send everyone looking the wrong way? This episode drops you into the moment Earl Porter called in late July 2019 and into a search that missed its mark until a utility worker’s find flipped the story.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Maren B’s departure to the moment rescuers redirected their efforts, tracking the radio logs, the plotted GPS position, and the assumptions that kept search teams moving away from Heron Island - could one misunderstood word have cost precious time?

Person: Charles Collins
Person: Felix Ruiz
Person: Person: Don Tapper
Date: July 17-18, 2019
Location: Heron Island

- The bilge pump handle was stainless steel with its mounting bracket still attached and lodged eleven feet up in a red oak.
- The Maren B called a four-second radio transmission at 15:19 consisting of two words: "Heron Island," then static.
- Collins logged a radio transmission at 14:47 with vessel name, MMSI number, and an approximate GPS position about twenty-two nautical miles northwest of the Talliston channel entrance.
- Seas were reported at seven to nine feet by 14:00 on July 18 after the storm wobble to the north.
- Earl Porter discovered the handle while tracing a downed power line on a Tuesday morning in late July 2019 and stood under it for a full minute before calling.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100987Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBilge Pump Handle in a Tree: How Three Men Vanished at Sea A single stainless-steel bilge pump handle lodged eleven feet up in a red oak turned a failing maritime search into a rescue that found three men alive after two and a half days adrift -...
A single stainless-steel bilge pump handle lodged eleven feet up in a red oak turned a failing maritime search into a rescue that found three men alive after two and a half days adrift - but why was that handle in a tree, and how did one short radio transmission send everyone looking the wrong way? This episode drops you into the moment Earl Porter called in late July 2019 and into a search that missed its mark until a utility worker’s find flipped the story.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Maren B’s departure to the moment rescuers redirected their efforts, tracking the radio logs, the plotted GPS position, and the assumptions that kept search teams moving away from Heron Island - could one misunderstood word have cost precious time?

Person: Charles Collins
Person: Felix Ruiz
Person: Person: Don Tapper
Date: July 17-18, 2019
Location: Heron Island

- The bilge pump handle was stainless steel with its mounting bracket still attached and lodged eleven feet up in a red oak.
- The Maren B called a four-second radio transmission at 15:19 consisting of two words: "Heron Island," then static.
- Collins logged a radio transmission at 14:47 with vessel name, MMSI number, and an approximate GPS position about twenty-two nautical miles northwest of the Talliston channel entrance.
- Seas were reported at seven to nine feet by 14:00 on July 18 after the storm wobble to the north.
- Earl Porter discovered the handle while tracing a downed power line on a Tuesday morning in late July 2019 and stood under it for a full minute before calling.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1081falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/child-s-shoe-on-a-desert-road-mother-vanished-heat-locked-in--73100984
The first image is a single pink-and-white left shoe standing upright on a two-track desert road at 6:14 a.m., with no other shoe, no vehicle, and no footprints besides the runner's-what does that one shoe mean for a mother and child who vanished into 108°F heat? The episode centers on a slow coolant failure, a missed turn, and a quiet timeline that turns routine habits into urgent clues-what choice turned a routine service call into a disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning the shoe was found through the previous day’s breakdown, detailing the habits, checks, and mileages that shaped Ruth Lewis’s last known movements-how did the empty coolant reservoir, a leaning marker post, and a precise calling ritual converge into a disappearance?

Person: Ruth Lewis
Person: Maisie Lewis
Location: Cinder Rim basin, Crockett County, Texas
Date: Tuesday morning (shoe found at 6:14 a.m.)
Temperature: 108 degrees Fahrenheit (engine stopped at 6:47 p.m. previous day)

- Shoe found by Wendy Watson at 6:14 a.m., a pink-and-white left canvas shoe with laces tucked inside, standing upright in the middle of the two-track.
- Ruth’s truck engine stopped accepting commands at 6:47 p.m. the prior evening when the thermometer read 108°F, seven miles west of the eastern access point.
- Ruth had checked coolant before departure and kept a laminated binder with route annotations written in green marker and an emergency procedures section.
- The route detour that cost Ruth forty minutes occurred when the painted marker post at the third tower was leaning at forty degrees and hidden by a saltbush.
- Ruth called her mother Frances every Wednesday at 10:15 p.m. without fail; she did not call on the Saturday after the breakdown.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100984Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaChild's Shoe on a Desert Road: Mother Vanished, Heat Locked In The first image is a single pink-and-white left shoe standing upright on a two-track desert road at 6:14 a.m., with no other shoe, no vehicle, and no footprints besides the...
The first image is a single pink-and-white left shoe standing upright on a two-track desert road at 6:14 a.m., with no other shoe, no vehicle, and no footprints besides the runner's-what does that one shoe mean for a mother and child who vanished into 108°F heat? The episode centers on a slow coolant failure, a missed turn, and a quiet timeline that turns routine habits into urgent clues-what choice turned a routine service call into a disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning the shoe was found through the previous day’s breakdown, detailing the habits, checks, and mileages that shaped Ruth Lewis’s last known movements-how did the empty coolant reservoir, a leaning marker post, and a precise calling ritual converge into a disappearance?

Person: Ruth Lewis
Person: Maisie Lewis
Location: Cinder Rim basin, Crockett County, Texas
Date: Tuesday morning (shoe found at 6:14 a.m.)
Temperature: 108 degrees Fahrenheit (engine stopped at 6:47 p.m. previous day)

- Shoe found by Wendy Watson at 6:14 a.m., a pink-and-white left canvas shoe with laces tucked inside, standing upright in the middle of the two-track.
- Ruth’s truck engine stopped accepting commands at 6:47 p.m. the prior evening when the thermometer read 108°F, seven miles west of the eastern access point.
- Ruth had checked coolant before departure and kept a laminated binder with route annotations written in green marker and an emergency procedures section.
- The route detour that cost Ruth forty minutes occurred when the painted marker post at the third tower was leaning at forty degrees and hidden by a saltbush.
- Ruth called her mother Frances every Wednesday at 10:15 p.m. without fail; she did not call on the Saturday after the breakdown.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>957falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-64-hours-the-watch-that-walked-away--73100980
Cold tension: a stainless-steel Seiko keeps running on a concrete lid 1.5 miles from the nearest road with no footprints nearby, even though its owner had been buried under 4.5 feet of avalanche debris and already free for seven days - how did the watch travel there and what vanished from the record that sent rescuers the wrong way?

In this episode, we follow the sixty-four-hour sequence of events around the avalanche that buried Heather Green, the search that spent sixty-one hours looking in the wrong place, and the small errors and recognitions that changed everything - can a single transcription error and an observant retired electrician explain why rescue teams missed her until a probe finally found her?

Person: Heather Green
Age: 54
Event: Avalanche on May 4
Location: Ridgecroft Peak (eastern shoulder), debris field 350 meters long
Time missing before rescue: 64 hours

- The watch was found face-up, clasp intact, still running on the concrete lid of transformer station four at 09:45 on May 14.
- The nearest road to the transformer station was 1.5 miles downhill with no footprints between it and the watch.
- Heather Green was buried under a maximum of 4.5 feet (approximately 1.37 meters) of avalanche debris; maximum field depth reached four meters.
- Heather had signed the trailhead register at Ridgecroft North on May 2 with planned exit date May 7 and emergency contact Amy Green, Portland.
- The avalanche fracture line ran approximately 110 meters wide and the debris extended 350 meters downhill; she was caught at the left margin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100980Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive 64 Hours: The Watch That Walked Away Cold tension: a stainless-steel Seiko keeps running on a concrete lid 1.5 miles from the nearest road with no footprints nearby, even though its owner had been buried under 4.5 feet of avalanche...
Cold tension: a stainless-steel Seiko keeps running on a concrete lid 1.5 miles from the nearest road with no footprints nearby, even though its owner had been buried under 4.5 feet of avalanche debris and already free for seven days - how did the watch travel there and what vanished from the record that sent rescuers the wrong way?

In this episode, we follow the sixty-four-hour sequence of events around the avalanche that buried Heather Green, the search that spent sixty-one hours looking in the wrong place, and the small errors and recognitions that changed everything - can a single transcription error and an observant retired electrician explain why rescue teams missed her until a probe finally found her?

Person: Heather Green
Age: 54
Event: Avalanche on May 4
Location: Ridgecroft Peak (eastern shoulder), debris field 350 meters long
Time missing before rescue: 64 hours

- The watch was found face-up, clasp intact, still running on the concrete lid of transformer station four at 09:45 on May 14.
- The nearest road to the transformer station was 1.5 miles downhill with no footprints between it and the watch.
- Heather Green was buried under a maximum of 4.5 feet (approximately 1.37 meters) of avalanche debris; maximum field depth reached four meters.
- Heather had signed the trailhead register at Ridgecroft North on May 2 with planned exit date May 7 and emergency contact Amy Green, Portland.
- The avalanche fracture line ran approximately 110 meters wide and the debris extended 350 meters downhill; she was caught at the left margin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>974falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-drew-a-map-in-darkness-survived-half-a-mile-underground--73100978
A mineral smell led a volunteer to a crawlspace where a 22-year-old man was half-submerged and clutching a nearly dissolved folded sheet of graph paper; conservators later revealed it was a precise hand-drawn map made eight days earlier in complete darkness half a mile underground. How did Kenneth York navigate an unmapped cave passage, draw a map by memory under those conditions, and end up beneath the house on Bowman Hollow Road?

In this episode, we tell what happened on April 11 and April 19, 2009: the dive, the disappearance, the discovery, and the restored map that changed the official record. How did a single diver, with 231 hours of cave time and a homemade rebreather, end up drawing a usable map from inside the Graben Hollow system?

Person: Kenneth York
Age: 22
Date: April 11, 2009; April 19, 2009
Location: Graben Hollow cave system; Bowman Hollow Road crawlspace
Hours logged: 231

- Kenneth signed the Graben Hollow access log at 7:42 AM on April 11, 2009 and listed planned penetration depth as 340 meters.
- He had accumulated 231 hours of underwater cave time over four years by spring 2009.
- The volunteer discovered Kenneth alive in a crawlspace on Bowman Hollow Road on the morning of April 19, 2009.
- The graph paper map was drawn eight days before discovery and was restored over three weeks by document conservators at the University of Knoxville.
- Kenneth entered a roughly 40-centimeter-wide crack after his reel jammed, proceeding without a guide line into an unmapped passage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100978Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Drew a Map in Darkness - Survived Half a Mile Underground A mineral smell led a volunteer to a crawlspace where a 22-year-old man was half-submerged and clutching a nearly dissolved folded sheet of graph paper; conservators later revealed it was...
A mineral smell led a volunteer to a crawlspace where a 22-year-old man was half-submerged and clutching a nearly dissolved folded sheet of graph paper; conservators later revealed it was a precise hand-drawn map made eight days earlier in complete darkness half a mile underground. How did Kenneth York navigate an unmapped cave passage, draw a map by memory under those conditions, and end up beneath the house on Bowman Hollow Road?

In this episode, we tell what happened on April 11 and April 19, 2009: the dive, the disappearance, the discovery, and the restored map that changed the official record. How did a single diver, with 231 hours of cave time and a homemade rebreather, end up drawing a usable map from inside the Graben Hollow system?

Person: Kenneth York
Age: 22
Date: April 11, 2009; April 19, 2009
Location: Graben Hollow cave system; Bowman Hollow Road crawlspace
Hours logged: 231

- Kenneth signed the Graben Hollow access log at 7:42 AM on April 11, 2009 and listed planned penetration depth as 340 meters.
- He had accumulated 231 hours of underwater cave time over four years by spring 2009.
- The volunteer discovered Kenneth alive in a crawlspace on Bowman Hollow Road on the morning of April 19, 2009.
- The graph paper map was drawn eight days before discovery and was restored over three weeks by document conservators at the University of Knoxville.
- Kenneth entered a roughly 40-centimeter-wide crack after his reel jammed, proceeding without a guide line into an unmapped passage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>922falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-was-alive-on-roofed-snow-why-searchers-looked-the-wrong-drainage--73100974
Cold, isolated, and still conscious inside a truck buried under four feet of consolidated snow, she left a double-knotted size-seven waterproof boot on the roof and a Douglas fir sprig tucked under its tongue as a deliberate signal-yet searchers missed her for nine of eleven days. The photograph from an airplane pointed teams to the wrong drainage and a single dog later corrected what trained searchers could not. How did a misread aerial image and two reversed batteries in a GPS combine to nearly kill a skilled backcountry photographer?

In this episode, we follow the eleven-day Weller Draw, Colorado incident in March 2014 and outline what happened on the ground, what the rescue teams did, and what critical errors sent the search in the wrong direction. We trace Dawn Romano’s decisions, the failed equipment, and the moments that kept her alive-what ultimately revealed her location?

Person: Dawn Romano
Location: Weller Draw, Colorado
Date: March 8-18, 2014
Vehicle: 2009 Ford F-250
Survival items: one wool blanket, one liter water, trail mix, folding knife, waterproof matches, one unused emergency flare

- The truck sat under four feet of consolidated snow and had been there for ten days before being found.
- Dawn had loaded GPS coordinates at home but installed two AA batteries reversed, rendering the GPS nonfunctional.
- The right front wheel dropped into a three-foot-deep runoff void, stopping the truck roughly nine-tenths of a mile down the northeast spur.
- Dawn carried a 31-page green field notebook she used to write while trapped inside the cab.
- A single dog found the victim in seven minutes after searchers had spent more than a week looking in the wrong drainage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100974Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Was Alive On Roofed Snow-Why Searchers Looked The Wrong Drainage Cold, isolated, and still conscious inside a truck buried under four feet of consolidated snow, she left a double-knotted size-seven waterproof boot on the roof and a Douglas fir...
Cold, isolated, and still conscious inside a truck buried under four feet of consolidated snow, she left a double-knotted size-seven waterproof boot on the roof and a Douglas fir sprig tucked under its tongue as a deliberate signal-yet searchers missed her for nine of eleven days. The photograph from an airplane pointed teams to the wrong drainage and a single dog later corrected what trained searchers could not. How did a misread aerial image and two reversed batteries in a GPS combine to nearly kill a skilled backcountry photographer?

In this episode, we follow the eleven-day Weller Draw, Colorado incident in March 2014 and outline what happened on the ground, what the rescue teams did, and what critical errors sent the search in the wrong direction. We trace Dawn Romano’s decisions, the failed equipment, and the moments that kept her alive-what ultimately revealed her location?

Person: Dawn Romano
Location: Weller Draw, Colorado
Date: March 8-18, 2014
Vehicle: 2009 Ford F-250
Survival items: one wool blanket, one liter water, trail mix, folding knife, waterproof matches, one unused emergency flare

- The truck sat under four feet of consolidated snow and had been there for ten days before being found.
- Dawn had loaded GPS coordinates at home but installed two AA batteries reversed, rendering the GPS nonfunctional.
- The right front wheel dropped into a three-foot-deep runoff void, stopping the truck roughly nine-tenths of a mile down the northeast spur.
- Dawn carried a 31-page green field notebook she used to write while trapped inside the cab.
- A single dog found the victim in seven minutes after searchers had spent more than a week looking in the wrong drainage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-at-sea-the-dry-book-that-refused-to-sink--73100971
A dry library book was found wrapped in cling film inside an empty life raft floating in the Gulf of Mexico two days after a crabber hauled it up eleven miles south-southwest of Pelican Shoals buoy - how did the raft get away from the person who launched it, and were they still alive? The raft was salt-crusted, everything else soaked and ruined, yet The Practical Celestial Navigator remained perfectly intact; what does that single detail reveal about what happened next?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a missing solo sailor’s float plan to the discovery of the empty life raft and the small, odd clues that guided a Coast Guard search coordinator’s questions. You’ll hear what was found on board the sloop Soledad, the entries in Marie White’s log, and the moments that narrowed the search - starting with that dry book.

Person: Marie White
Date: departed January 29; book published 1981; birthday previous October (age 62)
Location: Bradenton City Marina departure; dismasted ~40 miles west of Cape Romano; raft found 11 miles SSW of Pelican Shoals buoy
Vessel: 34-foot fiberglass sloop named Soledad, built 1988, owned six years
Event: life raft found by commercial crabber Karen Burke on morning of February 9; Coast Guard called at 6:53 AM

- The life raft was found dry inside with a library hardcover titled The Practical Celestial Navigator wrapped in kitchen cling film.
- Marie had been absent from her regular Wednesday animal shelter shifts only four times in seven years, and had missed the shift on February 3 without notice.
- Marie departed Bradenton City Marina around 5:30 PM on January 29 and had been at sea seven days before ashore observers registered concern.
- In under four minutes during the squall the wind jumped from 12 knots to 35 knots and the mast came down at the starboard lower shroud chainplate.
- After the mast fell the rigging wrapped around the propeller following approximately six hours of motor use, leaving the engine spinning freely and disabling propulsion.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100971Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone at Sea: The Dry Book That Refused to Sink A dry library book was found wrapped in cling film inside an empty life raft floating in the Gulf of Mexico two days after a crabber hauled it up eleven miles south-southwest of Pelican Shoals buoy -...
A dry library book was found wrapped in cling film inside an empty life raft floating in the Gulf of Mexico two days after a crabber hauled it up eleven miles south-southwest of Pelican Shoals buoy - how did the raft get away from the person who launched it, and were they still alive? The raft was salt-crusted, everything else soaked and ruined, yet The Practical Celestial Navigator remained perfectly intact; what does that single detail reveal about what happened next?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a missing solo sailor’s float plan to the discovery of the empty life raft and the small, odd clues that guided a Coast Guard search coordinator’s questions. You’ll hear what was found on board the sloop Soledad, the entries in Marie White’s log, and the moments that narrowed the search - starting with that dry book.

Person: Marie White
Date: departed January 29; book published 1981; birthday previous October (age 62)
Location: Bradenton City Marina departure; dismasted ~40 miles west of Cape Romano; raft found 11 miles SSW of Pelican Shoals buoy
Vessel: 34-foot fiberglass sloop named Soledad, built 1988, owned six years
Event: life raft found by commercial crabber Karen Burke on morning of February 9; Coast Guard called at 6:53 AM

- The life raft was found dry inside with a library hardcover titled The Practical Celestial Navigator wrapped in kitchen cling film.
- Marie had been absent from her regular Wednesday animal shelter shifts only four times in seven years, and had missed the shift on February 3 without notice.
- Marie departed Bradenton City Marina around 5:30 PM on January 29 and had been at sea seven days before ashore observers registered concern.
- In under four minutes during the squall the wind jumped from 12 knots to 35 knots and the mast came down at the starboard lower shroud chainplate.
- After the mast fell the rigging wrapped around the propeller following approximately six hours of motor use, leaving the engine spinning freely and disabling propulsion.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>962falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-five-days-with-sealed-water-the-jacket-clue--73100967
Cold, alone, and with a sprained ankle in an unmapped canyon, a twenty-six-year-old survived five days on a tiny seep of water while a sealed full bottle sat untouched in her jacket - how did she calculate every drop and stay alive without opening it?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Laura Brooks spotted a yellow jacket with a sealed water bottle in Ember Gulch to the rescue led by Piñón County Search and Rescue, and we follow Christine Holt’s precise actions that kept her alive - did the seep explain the sealed bottle or point to something else?

Person: Christine Holt
Date: the Friday before the third week of January (left Morado Falls at six Saturday morning)
Location: Ember Gulch, below the Morado Plateau Saddleback Loop junction
Status: Survived after five days with a sprained ankle and no signal
Responder: Piñón County Search and Rescue (coordinator Jason Rafferty)

- Laura Brooks found the yellow jacket and sealed water bottle at 9:47 AM from the canyon rim, sixty feet above the canyon floor.
- Christine began with 750 milliliters of water, one granola bar, one bag of mixed nuts, a space blanket, a lighter, and a dead phone.
- A seep on the north wall produced a bead of water every 40-50 seconds, collected in a shallow rock pocket.
- Christine fashioned funnels from the space blanket lining and boiled seep water with her lighter, sustaining herself over four days without running out.
- The entire rescue operation from discovery to extraction took thirty-one hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100967Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Five Days With Sealed Water - The Jacket Clue Cold, alone, and with a sprained ankle in an unmapped canyon, a twenty-six-year-old survived five days on a tiny seep of water while a sealed full bottle sat untouched in her jacket - how...
Cold, alone, and with a sprained ankle in an unmapped canyon, a twenty-six-year-old survived five days on a tiny seep of water while a sealed full bottle sat untouched in her jacket - how did she calculate every drop and stay alive without opening it?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Laura Brooks spotted a yellow jacket with a sealed water bottle in Ember Gulch to the rescue led by Piñón County Search and Rescue, and we follow Christine Holt’s precise actions that kept her alive - did the seep explain the sealed bottle or point to something else?

Person: Christine Holt
Date: the Friday before the third week of January (left Morado Falls at six Saturday morning)
Location: Ember Gulch, below the Morado Plateau Saddleback Loop junction
Status: Survived after five days with a sprained ankle and no signal
Responder: Piñón County Search and Rescue (coordinator Jason Rafferty)

- Laura Brooks found the yellow jacket and sealed water bottle at 9:47 AM from the canyon rim, sixty feet above the canyon floor.
- Christine began with 750 milliliters of water, one granola bar, one bag of mixed nuts, a space blanket, a lighter, and a dead phone.
- A seep on the north wall produced a bead of water every 40-50 seconds, collected in a shallow rock pocket.
- Christine fashioned funnels from the space blanket lining and boiled seep water with her lighter, sustaining herself over four days without running out.
- The entire rescue operation from discovery to extraction took thirty-one hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>977falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-walked-40-miles-with-a-41-stitch-leg-why--73100963
Cold, desperate, and alone: a structural engineer walked roughly forty miles across Idaho’s high ridges with a bone-deep laceration that required forty-one stitches - and a four-ounce roll of athletic tape he left behind decided everything. How did a bent trekking pole and a choice at mile forty-one keep him alive, and why did he deliberately avoid the exposed ridgelines that night?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from 4:45 AM on December 7 to the moment a county inspector opened a cabin door at 7:15 AM on December 9. You will hear what equipment he carried, the decision he made at mile sixty-two, and the single detail that changed the outcome - could one small omission explain why he had to walk out in the dark?

Person: Howard Roberts
Date: December 7-9, 2019
Location: Parrón Wilderness, central Idaho
Distance walked: approximately 40 miles
Injury treatment: 41 stitches

- He left Dunbar Trailhead at 4:45 AM on December 7 to run his self-designed Parrón Ridge Hundred route.
- He cached supplies at Fenner Creek (mile 41) in late October and left four ounces of partially unrolled athletic tape in the canister.
- At about mile 62 on the night of December 8 he struck a granite shelf and suffered a deep laceration below his right kneecap.
- He improvised a tourniquet by cutting off a compression sleeve, torquing a trekking pole through the sleeve, and bracing it for 22 minutes in 11°F temperatures.
- He walked about thirteen hours in the dark and wind gusts over 50 mph before being found alive in a cabin at 7:15 AM on December 9; the bent pole was visible in the doorway.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100963Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Walked 40 Miles With a 41‑Stitch Leg - Why? Cold, desperate, and alone: a structural engineer walked roughly forty miles across Idaho’s high ridges with a bone-deep laceration that required forty-one stitches - and a four-ounce roll of athletic...
Cold, desperate, and alone: a structural engineer walked roughly forty miles across Idaho’s high ridges with a bone-deep laceration that required forty-one stitches - and a four-ounce roll of athletic tape he left behind decided everything. How did a bent trekking pole and a choice at mile forty-one keep him alive, and why did he deliberately avoid the exposed ridgelines that night?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from 4:45 AM on December 7 to the moment a county inspector opened a cabin door at 7:15 AM on December 9. You will hear what equipment he carried, the decision he made at mile sixty-two, and the single detail that changed the outcome - could one small omission explain why he had to walk out in the dark?

Person: Howard Roberts
Date: December 7-9, 2019
Location: Parrón Wilderness, central Idaho
Distance walked: approximately 40 miles
Injury treatment: 41 stitches

- He left Dunbar Trailhead at 4:45 AM on December 7 to run his self-designed Parrón Ridge Hundred route.
- He cached supplies at Fenner Creek (mile 41) in late October and left four ounces of partially unrolled athletic tape in the canister.
- At about mile 62 on the night of December 8 he struck a granite shelf and suffered a deep laceration below his right kneecap.
- He improvised a tourniquet by cutting off a compression sleeve, torquing a trekking pole through the sleeve, and bracing it for 22 minutes in 11°F temperatures.
- He walked about thirteen hours in the dark and wind gusts over 50 mph before being found alive in a cabin at 7:15 AM on December 9; the bent pole was visible in the doorway.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1045falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-behind-at-marker-flat-how-one-tent-survived-an-arctic-night--73100961
Cold enough to freeze breath solid, a tent sat alone at 7,200 feet after three nights at -6°F while search teams flew over the wrong ridge; a single size twelve boot propped on a rock shelf led a bird photographer to call for help - how did one man survive when every system meant to protect him failed? What did Wade Bishop do in four days alone with dwindling fuel, a dead radio, and an arctic high arriving four days early?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events on the Alder Spine from the launch of the Alderman Spine Surveying Expedition through the evacuation decision and the silent days that followed, laying out who stayed, who left, and the precise conditions that tested every assumption. What choices kept a tent and a man intact when the forecast did not?

Date: November 14, 1998
Location: Marker Flat, Alder Spine
Person: Wade Bishop, age 32
Event: Three consecutive nights at -6°F
Team: Four planned; three evacuated on November 10

- At 08:20 on November 14, 1998, Dennis Tate found a single size twelve brown leather boot standing upright on a rock shelf.
- Wade Bishop was alone inside a tent approximately 400 yards from where the boot was found and had been alone for four days.
- Search aircraft had flown over the area 11 times but had been searching the wrong mountain.
- The National Weather Service later confirmed an arctic high that arrived four days ahead of forecast, causing the coldest November stretch in 22 years.
- On November 10 at 06:40, three team members (Frank Auletta, Bryce Lund, Donna Parrish) evacuated and left Wade with four-season shelter, four days of food, three fuel canisters, and a handheld VHF radio.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100961Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:00:13 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Behind at Marker Flat: How One Tent Survived an Arctic Night Cold enough to freeze breath solid, a tent sat alone at 7,200 feet after three nights at -6°F while search teams flew over the wrong ridge; a single size twelve boot propped on a...
Cold enough to freeze breath solid, a tent sat alone at 7,200 feet after three nights at -6°F while search teams flew over the wrong ridge; a single size twelve boot propped on a rock shelf led a bird photographer to call for help - how did one man survive when every system meant to protect him failed? What did Wade Bishop do in four days alone with dwindling fuel, a dead radio, and an arctic high arriving four days early?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events on the Alder Spine from the launch of the Alderman Spine Surveying Expedition through the evacuation decision and the silent days that followed, laying out who stayed, who left, and the precise conditions that tested every assumption. What choices kept a tent and a man intact when the forecast did not?

Date: November 14, 1998
Location: Marker Flat, Alder Spine
Person: Wade Bishop, age 32
Event: Three consecutive nights at -6°F
Team: Four planned; three evacuated on November 10

- At 08:20 on November 14, 1998, Dennis Tate found a single size twelve brown leather boot standing upright on a rock shelf.
- Wade Bishop was alone inside a tent approximately 400 yards from where the boot was found and had been alone for four days.
- Search aircraft had flown over the area 11 times but had been searching the wrong mountain.
- The National Weather Service later confirmed an arctic high that arrived four days ahead of forecast, causing the coldest November stretch in 22 years.
- On November 10 at 06:40, three team members (Frank Auletta, Bryce Lund, Donna Parrish) evacuated and left Wade with four-season shelter, four days of food, three fuel canisters, and a handheld VHF radio.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1054falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-14-days-on-a-14-inch-ledge-how--73100951
The thought of standing on a fourteen‑inch ledge for nearly two weeks with cold water up to your boots sparks panic and awe - Heather Weber did exactly that, carving forty‑one tally marks into leather and stone while a rescue searched the wrong canyon. How did a fifty‑two‑year‑old technical canyoneer survive a hydraulic trap, rationed food, and immersion injury long enough to be found?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the morning Heather left Albuquerque to the discovery that followed, covering her schedule, gear, the flash flood that trapped her, and the search that focused on the wrong drainage; could a routine call schedule and a chisel be the difference between life and death?

Person: Heather Weber
Age: 52
Event: Flash flood trapping in a flooded slot canyon
Date found boot at trailhead: October 14, 2011
Rope recorded in gear photo: 200-foot rope

- Heather left Albuquerque on September 29, 2011 and a trailhead camera recorded her truck entering Saddleback Canyon at 8:44 AM that day.
- She climbed onto the ledge at 11:17 AM on September 30 and the flash flood arrived twelve minutes later, stopping fourteen inches below her boots.
- A chockstone the size of a refrigerator wedged the slot canyon exit, creating a hydraulic trap that reduced outflow by 2-3 inches per day.
- Heather made daily marks with a masonry chisel at 5:15 AM, matching her weekly call time, reaching 41 horizontal lines carved into leather and stone.
- By about October 4 (day five), she had halved her food rations and developed immersion injury in her left foot with two toes losing most sensation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100951Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 14 Days On a 14‑Inch Ledge - How? The thought of standing on a fourteen‑inch ledge for nearly two weeks with cold water up to your boots sparks panic and awe - Heather Weber did exactly that, carving forty‑one tally marks into leather...
The thought of standing on a fourteen‑inch ledge for nearly two weeks with cold water up to your boots sparks panic and awe - Heather Weber did exactly that, carving forty‑one tally marks into leather and stone while a rescue searched the wrong canyon. How did a fifty‑two‑year‑old technical canyoneer survive a hydraulic trap, rationed food, and immersion injury long enough to be found?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the morning Heather left Albuquerque to the discovery that followed, covering her schedule, gear, the flash flood that trapped her, and the search that focused on the wrong drainage; could a routine call schedule and a chisel be the difference between life and death?

Person: Heather Weber
Age: 52
Event: Flash flood trapping in a flooded slot canyon
Date found boot at trailhead: October 14, 2011
Rope recorded in gear photo: 200-foot rope

- Heather left Albuquerque on September 29, 2011 and a trailhead camera recorded her truck entering Saddleback Canyon at 8:44 AM that day.
- She climbed onto the ledge at 11:17 AM on September 30 and the flash flood arrived twelve minutes later, stopping fourteen inches below her boots.
- A chockstone the size of a refrigerator wedged the slot canyon exit, creating a hydraulic trap that reduced outflow by 2-3 inches per day.
- Heather made daily marks with a masonry chisel at 5:15 AM, matching her weekly call time, reaching 41 horizontal lines carved into leather and stone.
- By about October 4 (day five), she had halved her food rations and developed immersion injury in her left foot with two toes losing most sensation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1060falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-vanished-between-boats-how-one-choice-redeemed-a-lost-swim--73100948
A quiet crossing morphed into a survival gamble in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes when a swimmer vanished from his escort boat’s GPS position and a hand-annotated chart turned up days later behind a road grader four kilometers from the nearest marina-how did a laminated plan end up on a hilltop, and what single decision kept him alive? The Strait of Gibraltar’s complex currents and commercial traffic turn every meter into a threat; this episode follows the moment when preparation met unpredictable force and asks which choice changed everything.

In this episode, we follow the timeline of the swim, the search that covered a four-by-eight-kilometer corridor, and the discovery that reopened the unanswered questions about navigation and survival at sea. What did Gary Fitzgerald do alone in open water, with no boat in sight and a current he could not beat, that altered the outcome?

Person: Gary Fitzgerald
Date: September 9, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, roughly two kilometers west of Punta Paloma
Event: Eleven-hour search and rescue operation
Finder: seasonal road worker

- The search covered a four-by-eight-kilometer corridor with two patrol vessels, an aerial asset, and a secondary support boat over eleven hours.
- Gary Fitzgerald was 44 years old and had planned the crossing for eight months with a laminated, hand-annotated navigation chart.
- He started the crossing at 04:52 with the escort vessel Meridian running 50 meters off his left shoulder.
- For the first 2 hours and 48 minutes the swim followed his planned heading before a container ship passed.
- Eleven days after the search was closed, a laminated navigation chart was found wedged behind a road-grader blade on a hilltop four kilometers from the nearest marina.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100948Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:41:21 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Vanished Between Boats: How One Choice Redeemed a Lost Swim A quiet crossing morphed into a survival gamble in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes when a swimmer vanished from his escort boat’s GPS position and a hand-annotated chart...
A quiet crossing morphed into a survival gamble in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes when a swimmer vanished from his escort boat’s GPS position and a hand-annotated chart turned up days later behind a road grader four kilometers from the nearest marina-how did a laminated plan end up on a hilltop, and what single decision kept him alive? The Strait of Gibraltar’s complex currents and commercial traffic turn every meter into a threat; this episode follows the moment when preparation met unpredictable force and asks which choice changed everything.

In this episode, we follow the timeline of the swim, the search that covered a four-by-eight-kilometer corridor, and the discovery that reopened the unanswered questions about navigation and survival at sea. What did Gary Fitzgerald do alone in open water, with no boat in sight and a current he could not beat, that altered the outcome?

Person: Gary Fitzgerald
Date: September 9, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, roughly two kilometers west of Punta Paloma
Event: Eleven-hour search and rescue operation
Finder: seasonal road worker

- The search covered a four-by-eight-kilometer corridor with two patrol vessels, an aerial asset, and a secondary support boat over eleven hours.
- Gary Fitzgerald was 44 years old and had planned the crossing for eight months with a laminated, hand-annotated navigation chart.
- He started the crossing at 04:52 with the escort vessel Meridian running 50 meters off his left shoulder.
- For the first 2 hours and 48 minutes the swim followed his planned heading before a container ship passed.
- Eleven days after the search was closed, a laminated navigation chart was found wedged behind a road-grader blade on a hilltop four kilometers from the nearest marina.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1192falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-threaded-his-bike-through-a-lock-then-vanished-into-fog--73100945
Fear of being lost in the mountains tightens the throat: Warren Simmons disappeared after threading his road bike through a padlocked gate and walking into four hundred meters of fog; six days later he was found alive on a flat-topped boulder at 9,000 feet. How did a calibration technician who planned routes by hand miss a four-tenths-mile junction and descend six and a half miles into the wrong drainage?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the closed Coloma Pass connector to the moments that sent searchers looking in the wrong valley, asking how a single outdated note and a slab of morning fog redirected a precise rider into a near-impossible survival scenario. What decisions and small errors turned a familiar loop into a six-day ordeal?

Person: Warren Simmons
Date: August 14-19
Location: Coloma Pass connector, Cutler County
Status: Found alive after six days
Height above sea level where found: 9,000 feet

- Bike found propped against a padlocked gate with front wheel reinstalled and lock threaded through the frame.
- Warren had been missing for six days before being located on a flat-topped boulder.
- His printed elevation profile margin read four words: "closure gate open, no issue," written in June.
- Cutler County closed the Coloma Pass connector on August 9 due to a rockslide, five days before Warren's ride.
- Warren descended approximately six and a half miles into Seco Fork instead of Quill Basin after missing a junction four-tenths of a mile below the crest.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100945Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:41:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Threaded His Bike Through A Lock - Then Vanished Into Fog Fear of being lost in the mountains tightens the throat: Warren Simmons disappeared after threading his road bike through a padlocked gate and walking into four hundred meters of fog; six...
Fear of being lost in the mountains tightens the throat: Warren Simmons disappeared after threading his road bike through a padlocked gate and walking into four hundred meters of fog; six days later he was found alive on a flat-topped boulder at 9,000 feet. How did a calibration technician who planned routes by hand miss a four-tenths-mile junction and descend six and a half miles into the wrong drainage?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the closed Coloma Pass connector to the moments that sent searchers looking in the wrong valley, asking how a single outdated note and a slab of morning fog redirected a precise rider into a near-impossible survival scenario. What decisions and small errors turned a familiar loop into a six-day ordeal?

Person: Warren Simmons
Date: August 14-19
Location: Coloma Pass connector, Cutler County
Status: Found alive after six days
Height above sea level where found: 9,000 feet

- Bike found propped against a padlocked gate with front wheel reinstalled and lock threaded through the frame.
- Warren had been missing for six days before being located on a flat-topped boulder.
- His printed elevation profile margin read four words: "closure gate open, no issue," written in June.
- Cutler County closed the Coloma Pass connector on August 9 due to a rockslide, five days before Warren's ride.
- Warren descended approximately six and a half miles into Seco Fork instead of Quill Basin after missing a junction four-tenths of a mile below the crest.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1210falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/boot-on-the-ledge-how-a-rancher-survived-an-icy-vanishment--73100941
A single dry size-seven boot, laces still tied, sat four feet from the waterline on a granite ledge while the lake below had already swallowed a snowmobile - and nobody knew whether the owner was alive. How did a woman with decades of wilderness experience vanish from an apparently intact sheet of ice, and what did she do in the hour and forty-nine minutes afterward?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and concrete evidence found on the Shelf and around Callen Lake, hearing about routines, tools, and the decisions that led to a walk across honeycombed ice; could habit and training explain survival where the surface betrayed the depths?

Person: Kelly Cooper
Date: July 7 (left property at 6:15 a.m.) and July 9 (boot found at 6:18 a.m.)
Location: northwest arm of Callen Lake, granite ledge called the Shelf
Status: boot found dry on rock; lake water temperature 41°F
Event: snowmobile loaded with avalanche probe and tools; ice honeycombed from below

- Kelly left the ranch at 6:15 a.m. to check a heeled fence post and planned to be back by noon.
- The boot found was a woman’s left boot, size seven, laces tied, leather dry, sitting four feet from the waterline.
- Kelly’s probe tests across the ice returned eight to ten inches of resistance at three points before she crossed.
- The ridge above Callen Lake is fourteen miles from the nearest house, and Kelly ran the ranch alone for more than two decades.
- Water temperature that morning was 41°F, a level that causes rapid physiological responses to cold.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100941Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:40:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaBoot on the Ledge: How a Rancher Survived an Icy Vanishment A single dry size-seven boot, laces still tied, sat four feet from the waterline on a granite ledge while the lake below had already swallowed a snowmobile - and nobody knew whether the...
A single dry size-seven boot, laces still tied, sat four feet from the waterline on a granite ledge while the lake below had already swallowed a snowmobile - and nobody knew whether the owner was alive. How did a woman with decades of wilderness experience vanish from an apparently intact sheet of ice, and what did she do in the hour and forty-nine minutes afterward?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and concrete evidence found on the Shelf and around Callen Lake, hearing about routines, tools, and the decisions that led to a walk across honeycombed ice; could habit and training explain survival where the surface betrayed the depths?

Person: Kelly Cooper
Date: July 7 (left property at 6:15 a.m.) and July 9 (boot found at 6:18 a.m.)
Location: northwest arm of Callen Lake, granite ledge called the Shelf
Status: boot found dry on rock; lake water temperature 41°F
Event: snowmobile loaded with avalanche probe and tools; ice honeycombed from below

- Kelly left the ranch at 6:15 a.m. to check a heeled fence post and planned to be back by noon.
- The boot found was a woman’s left boot, size seven, laces tied, leather dry, sitting four feet from the waterline.
- Kelly’s probe tests across the ice returned eight to ten inches of resistance at three points before she crossed.
- The ridge above Callen Lake is fourteen miles from the nearest house, and Kelly ran the ranch alone for more than two decades.
- Water temperature that morning was 41°F, a level that causes rapid physiological responses to cold.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1017falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-left-her-camera-how-nancy-survived-78-hours-on-the-flats--73100937
Tension from isolation: a camera bag placed three inches above a four-foot-eleven high-tide mark became the only deliberate sign that saved a missing photographer after 78 hours alone in zero-visibility fog - how did one small, precise action point rescuers to her location?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Tuesday morning discovery through the local search response and the missing-persons report, reconstructing what happened on the extreme low tide and why a single placed bag mattered. What did Nancy intentionally leave behind that told rescuers exactly where to look?

Person: Nancy Stroud
Date: June 17-20, 2019
Location: Cresswick Estuary / Vernal Point area
Event: 78 hours missing on tidal flats
Status: Found alive after three nights

- The camera bag was sitting upright on a steel marker post five feet two inches tall, with its base three inches above the waterline chalk mark.
- High tide that Tuesday morning reached four feet eleven inches, and the bag was soaking wet despite being placed above the mark.
- Nancy shot 840 photographs during the roughly twenty-minute window when the extreme low tide exposed a 200-yard strip of flat for the planned shoot.
- The fog arrived at 6:40 a.m., reducing visibility to zero between the service road and the channel, and the harbormaster logged zero visibility at 6:40, 9:10, and partial lifting at 11:50.
- The missing persons report reached county search and rescue coordinator Linda Gallagher at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, after Nancy had been out of contact for 56 hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100937Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:40:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Left Her Camera - How Nancy Survived 78 Hours on the Flats Tension from isolation: a camera bag placed three inches above a four-foot-eleven high-tide mark became the only deliberate sign that saved a missing photographer after 78 hours alone...
Tension from isolation: a camera bag placed three inches above a four-foot-eleven high-tide mark became the only deliberate sign that saved a missing photographer after 78 hours alone in zero-visibility fog - how did one small, precise action point rescuers to her location?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Tuesday morning discovery through the local search response and the missing-persons report, reconstructing what happened on the extreme low tide and why a single placed bag mattered. What did Nancy intentionally leave behind that told rescuers exactly where to look?

Person: Nancy Stroud
Date: June 17-20, 2019
Location: Cresswick Estuary / Vernal Point area
Event: 78 hours missing on tidal flats
Status: Found alive after three nights

- The camera bag was sitting upright on a steel marker post five feet two inches tall, with its base three inches above the waterline chalk mark.
- High tide that Tuesday morning reached four feet eleven inches, and the bag was soaking wet despite being placed above the mark.
- Nancy shot 840 photographs during the roughly twenty-minute window when the extreme low tide exposed a 200-yard strip of flat for the planned shoot.
- The fog arrived at 6:40 a.m., reducing visibility to zero between the service road and the channel, and the harbormaster logged zero visibility at 6:40, 9:10, and partial lifting at 11:50.
- The missing persons report reached county search and rescue coordinator Linda Gallagher at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, after Nancy had been out of contact for 56 hours.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>921falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-broke-her-leg-sixty-feet-up-built-her-own-rescue--73100934
She survived ninety-six hours on a slope with a fractured fibula, two crackers, and four ounces of water-then built a deliberate signal at the trailhead that led rescuers to a spot they’d already flown over. How did a thirty-eight-year-old structural engineer with precise habits turn a near-impossible situation into a successful rescue?

In this episode, we tell the episode's account of the incident and the sequence of decisions that kept her alive, describing the terrain, the timing, and the improvised solutions she used-ending with the question of what exact construction saved her and how it was found.

Person: Peggy Hayes
Age: 38
Occupation: Structural engineer
Date of summit: May 10, 2003
Duration stranded: 96 hours

- She fell sixty feet down a couloir after snow balled under her left crampon and struck rock, snapping the mid-shaft of her fibula.
- She reached the summit at approximately 11:40 AM, signed the register, photographed her signature, and began the planned descent.
- She had two crackers and four ounces of water remaining immediately after the fall.
- The couloir below the summit measured roughly 300 vertical feet and took her four hours and forty minutes to descend to the talus field.
- She left a signal at Ridgeback Trailhead: two trekking poles lashed into a cross with orange sleeping-pad foam and a zip-lock containing her laminated trail permit with four lines written on the back.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100934Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:40:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Broke Her Leg Sixty Feet Up - Built Her Own Rescue She survived ninety-six hours on a slope with a fractured fibula, two crackers, and four ounces of water-then built a deliberate signal at the trailhead that led rescuers to a spot they’d...
She survived ninety-six hours on a slope with a fractured fibula, two crackers, and four ounces of water-then built a deliberate signal at the trailhead that led rescuers to a spot they’d already flown over. How did a thirty-eight-year-old structural engineer with precise habits turn a near-impossible situation into a successful rescue?

In this episode, we tell the episode's account of the incident and the sequence of decisions that kept her alive, describing the terrain, the timing, and the improvised solutions she used-ending with the question of what exact construction saved her and how it was found.

Person: Peggy Hayes
Age: 38
Occupation: Structural engineer
Date of summit: May 10, 2003
Duration stranded: 96 hours

- She fell sixty feet down a couloir after snow balled under her left crampon and struck rock, snapping the mid-shaft of her fibula.
- She reached the summit at approximately 11:40 AM, signed the register, photographed her signature, and began the planned descent.
- She had two crackers and four ounces of water remaining immediately after the fall.
- The couloir below the summit measured roughly 300 vertical feet and took her four hours and forty minutes to descend to the talus field.
- She left a signal at Ridgeback Trailhead: two trekking poles lashed into a cross with orange sleeping-pad foam and a zip-lock containing her laminated trail permit with four lines written on the back.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1059falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/map-on-the-birch-man-on-the-run-surviving-the-kessler-gorge--73100928
A laminated topographic map was zip-tied to a birch at shoulder height beside a nature trail - bright orange tie, eleven miles of river with no public access below, and a missing 62-year-old retired engineer drifting somewhere in the cold, fast Kessler Gorge. Who left the map, and why was it pinned where only a dog walker would spot it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a Friday morning canoe launch through a capsized boat, lost map and navigation by coordinates alone, to a search that split in multiple directions; can a man with a swollen knee, a working GPS and three days of supplies survive a night beside a high, indifferent river?

Person: Richard Murphy
Date: April 26, 2019
Location: Kessler River / Tilden Gorge, Tilden County, Virginia
Status: Missing person report filed three days before map discovery
Event: Canoe capsized at approximately 2:30 PM at Hammer Bend

- Launch time: 8:15 AM on Friday, April 26, 2019.
- Water temperature at capsize: 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Temperature dropped to 38 degrees Fahrenheit by 4:00 PM that day.
- Survival gear retained after capsize: canoe, dry suit, barrel with three days of food, GPS, fire kit, headlamp, bivy sack.
- Lost in river during capsize: paddle and laminated topographic map.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100928Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:40:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaMap on the Birch, Man on the Run: Surviving the Kessler Gorge A laminated topographic map was zip-tied to a birch at shoulder height beside a nature trail - bright orange tie, eleven miles of river with no public access below, and a missing...
A laminated topographic map was zip-tied to a birch at shoulder height beside a nature trail - bright orange tie, eleven miles of river with no public access below, and a missing 62-year-old retired engineer drifting somewhere in the cold, fast Kessler Gorge. Who left the map, and why was it pinned where only a dog walker would spot it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a Friday morning canoe launch through a capsized boat, lost map and navigation by coordinates alone, to a search that split in multiple directions; can a man with a swollen knee, a working GPS and three days of supplies survive a night beside a high, indifferent river?

Person: Richard Murphy
Date: April 26, 2019
Location: Kessler River / Tilden Gorge, Tilden County, Virginia
Status: Missing person report filed three days before map discovery
Event: Canoe capsized at approximately 2:30 PM at Hammer Bend

- Launch time: 8:15 AM on Friday, April 26, 2019.
- Water temperature at capsize: 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Temperature dropped to 38 degrees Fahrenheit by 4:00 PM that day.
- Survival gear retained after capsize: canoe, dry suit, barrel with three days of food, GPS, fire kit, headlamp, bivy sack.
- Lost in river during capsize: paddle and laminated topographic map.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1093falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-in-a-grain-bin-how-grant-survived-eleven-hours-under-wheat--73100925
Adrenaline and claustrophobia collide: a size eleven boot stood upright on concrete while a man named Grant O'Brien lay buried under eleven feet of wheat, alive but trapped for hours - how did he survive inside 400,000 pounds of grain until rescue? What two small objects ultimately decided whether he lived?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning of March 3, 2009, through the rescue and Grant's return to his apartment to give his cat Pepper an insulin injection at 8:43 p.m. We cover the conditions that led him to descend alone, the moment the grain crust collapsed, and the precise actions Grant took while buried - but what saved him in the end?

Person: Grant O'Brien
Date: March 3, 2009
Location: Mosher and Tilton grain storage complex outside Dalton Flats, western Kansas
Duration buried: approximately eleven hours
Weight of grain in bin: four hundred thousand pounds

- Grant descended into Bin Seven at 4:11 a.m. to break a grain crust and texted his neighbor Sandra Tice at 4:23 a.m. about his cat's insulin.
- Three minutes after the message, the crust collapsed and Grant sank nine feet before the grain compressed around him from chest to toes.
- Grant could move only his left hand and controlled his breathing in groups of thirty while pressing his left palm to his chest.
- A passerby, Larry Foster, spotted the upright left boot on the concrete apron at 6:42 a.m. and called the Dalton Flats sheriff's office at 6:51 a.m.
- Grant administered his cat Pepper's insulin injection at 8:43 p.m. the same day after being rescued.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100925Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:40:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive in a Grain Bin: How Grant Survived Eleven Hours Under Wheat Adrenaline and claustrophobia collide: a size eleven boot stood upright on concrete while a man named Grant O'Brien lay buried under eleven feet of wheat, alive but trapped...
Adrenaline and claustrophobia collide: a size eleven boot stood upright on concrete while a man named Grant O'Brien lay buried under eleven feet of wheat, alive but trapped for hours - how did he survive inside 400,000 pounds of grain until rescue? What two small objects ultimately decided whether he lived?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning of March 3, 2009, through the rescue and Grant's return to his apartment to give his cat Pepper an insulin injection at 8:43 p.m. We cover the conditions that led him to descend alone, the moment the grain crust collapsed, and the precise actions Grant took while buried - but what saved him in the end?

Person: Grant O'Brien
Date: March 3, 2009
Location: Mosher and Tilton grain storage complex outside Dalton Flats, western Kansas
Duration buried: approximately eleven hours
Weight of grain in bin: four hundred thousand pounds

- Grant descended into Bin Seven at 4:11 a.m. to break a grain crust and texted his neighbor Sandra Tice at 4:23 a.m. about his cat's insulin.
- Three minutes after the message, the crust collapsed and Grant sank nine feet before the grain compressed around him from chest to toes.
- Grant could move only his left hand and controlled his breathing in groups of thirty while pressing his left palm to his chest.
- A passerby, Larry Foster, spotted the upright left boot on the concrete apron at 6:42 a.m. and called the Dalton Flats sheriff's office at 6:51 a.m.
- Grant administered his cat Pepper's insulin injection at 8:43 p.m. the same day after being rescued.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>972falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-waited-51-hours-on-a-sheer-plateau-while-rescue-searched-four-miles-away--73100923
Cold survival under a basalt cliff: a paraglider sat perfectly anchored like a windsock while its pilot calmly ate a granola bar after a forced landing, and rescue teams spent 51 hours looking four miles away. How did a single misheard digit redirect a full SAR operation and leave a 47-year-old outfitter stranded on a plateau with no trail, no road, and no cell signal?

In this episode, we recount the sequence of events from launch to rescue, the radio relay that introduced the wrong coordinate, and the decisions that kept search teams searching Pinto Flats instead of the Morrow Plateau. What mistakes, confirmations, and near-misses allowed Rebecca Dempsey to survive alone for more than two days?

Person: Rebecca Dempsey
Age: 47
Date: February 9-11, 2019
Location: Morrow Plateau, Dellhart River canyon, Utah
Flight hours logged: 340

- Rebecca launched from Decker Ridge at 11:22 AM on February 9, 2019 and landed on the plateau at 12:17 PM after a rotor collapse and B-stall recovery.
- The Morrow Plateau is about 0.75 miles long and 0.25 miles wide, with three sides dropping 420 feet of sheer basalt.
- Rebecca spent 51 hours on the plateau before being found on the morning of February 11, 2019.
- A relay pilot copied coordinates by ear and transposed an eight as a three, moving the reported position four miles northeast to Pinto Flats.
- Search-and-rescue teams launched a helicopter grid search over Pinto Flats before sunset on February 9 and found nothing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100923Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:39:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Waited 51 Hours on a Sheer Plateau While Rescue Searched Four Miles Away Cold survival under a basalt cliff: a paraglider sat perfectly anchored like a windsock while its pilot calmly ate a granola bar after a forced landing, and rescue teams...
Cold survival under a basalt cliff: a paraglider sat perfectly anchored like a windsock while its pilot calmly ate a granola bar after a forced landing, and rescue teams spent 51 hours looking four miles away. How did a single misheard digit redirect a full SAR operation and leave a 47-year-old outfitter stranded on a plateau with no trail, no road, and no cell signal?

In this episode, we recount the sequence of events from launch to rescue, the radio relay that introduced the wrong coordinate, and the decisions that kept search teams searching Pinto Flats instead of the Morrow Plateau. What mistakes, confirmations, and near-misses allowed Rebecca Dempsey to survive alone for more than two days?

Person: Rebecca Dempsey
Age: 47
Date: February 9-11, 2019
Location: Morrow Plateau, Dellhart River canyon, Utah
Flight hours logged: 340

- Rebecca launched from Decker Ridge at 11:22 AM on February 9, 2019 and landed on the plateau at 12:17 PM after a rotor collapse and B-stall recovery.
- The Morrow Plateau is about 0.75 miles long and 0.25 miles wide, with three sides dropping 420 feet of sheer basalt.
- Rebecca spent 51 hours on the plateau before being found on the morning of February 11, 2019.
- A relay pilot copied coordinates by ear and transposed an eight as a three, moving the reported position four miles northeast to Pinto Flats.
- Search-and-rescue teams launched a helicopter grid search over Pinto Flats before sunset on February 9 and found nothing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>977falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-lost-her-line-what-pulled-her-from-thirty-three-feet--73100921
Cold, alone and cut off from her surface marker, a freediver survived sixty hours in 67°F water after her poly line snapped upward in an instant - a large fast object passed overhead at 5:48 PM; what happened next allowed her to live, but who or what pulled that line?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline and concrete details of the event and the six-week reconstruction by investigators to follow the choices she made and the anomalies they could not easily explain. How did a diver who was thirty-three feet down at dusk make the precise decisions that turned an impossible situation into survival?

Person: April Anderson
Date: January 19-24, 2017
Location: Notch, Pelican Flat Road, Tavernier, Florida Keys
Status: Found conscious after nearly 60 hours
Event: Poly cord snapped upward at 5:48 PM while diver was at 33 feet

- April entered the water at 5:15 PM and signed an estimated return of 7:00 PM.
- The poly line snapped upward and vanished at approximately 5:48 PM.
- She broke the surface at about 5:50 PM with no flag, no line, and in a wetsuit with a torn right shoulder seam.
- GPS records later showed no vessels within 300 meters during the three-minute window she used to surface.
- She was found conscious and shaking beside a yellow kayak nearly sixty hours later, wearing a wetsuit torn at the left hip.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100921Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:39:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Lost Her Line. What Pulled Her From Thirty-Three Feet? Cold, alone and cut off from her surface marker, a freediver survived sixty hours in 67°F water after her poly line snapped upward in an instant - a large fast object passed overhead at...
Cold, alone and cut off from her surface marker, a freediver survived sixty hours in 67°F water after her poly line snapped upward in an instant - a large fast object passed overhead at 5:48 PM; what happened next allowed her to live, but who or what pulled that line?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline and concrete details of the event and the six-week reconstruction by investigators to follow the choices she made and the anomalies they could not easily explain. How did a diver who was thirty-three feet down at dusk make the precise decisions that turned an impossible situation into survival?

Person: April Anderson
Date: January 19-24, 2017
Location: Notch, Pelican Flat Road, Tavernier, Florida Keys
Status: Found conscious after nearly 60 hours
Event: Poly cord snapped upward at 5:48 PM while diver was at 33 feet

- April entered the water at 5:15 PM and signed an estimated return of 7:00 PM.
- The poly line snapped upward and vanished at approximately 5:48 PM.
- She broke the surface at about 5:50 PM with no flag, no line, and in a wetsuit with a torn right shoulder seam.
- GPS records later showed no vessels within 300 meters during the three-minute window she used to surface.
- She was found conscious and shaking beside a yellow kayak nearly sixty hours later, wearing a wetsuit torn at the left hip.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1190falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bark-coated-and-frozen-how-a-ski-instructor-survived-29-c-alone--73100919
Cold that close to death: a 53-year-old ski instructor spent two nights alone in a shelter, stripped his clothes by a river, and improvised a bark coat before being found at -29°C; how did embedded fibers in river ice and stove residue in a shelter log finally rewrite the timeline and explain why he crossed the river?

In this episode, we follow the documented sequence recorded by river ice, shelter deposits, and witness reports to piece together what happened from December 11th to December 15th; could the physical evidence answer why Douglas Marshall left his planned route and endured two nights in near‑fatal cold?

Person: Douglas Marshall
Date: December 11-15 (found December 14, river search December 15)
Location: Palisade Fork / Spruce Flat Shelter / Guthrie Lake Road trailhead
Occupation: Cross‑country ski instructor at Pelham Ridge Nordic Center (21 years)
Finder: Marilyn Green (birdwatcher) at 16:37 on December 14

- Douglas Marshall was 53 years old and had been a ski instructor at Pelham Ridge for 21 years.
- He filed a trip plan on December 11 to ski 12 kilometers to Spruce Flat Shelter for one night and return by midday December 12.
- By December 12 at 16:00 he was overdue; search teams began that night but swept a corridor that missed his actual location by about 3 kilometers.
- Two nights of stove ash, two mineral rings on the pot, and a deep sleeping bag impression inside Spruce Flat Shelter show he occupied the shelter for two full nights.
- A roughly 1‑meter‑across refrozen hole in the Palisade Fork ice contained blue synthetic and merino fibers matching his base‑layer top where his clothes were later found stripped near the riverbank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100919Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:39:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaBark-Coated and Frozen: How a Ski Instructor Survived -29°C Alone Cold that close to death: a 53-year-old ski instructor spent two nights alone in a shelter, stripped his clothes by a river, and improvised a bark coat before being found at -29°C;...
Cold that close to death: a 53-year-old ski instructor spent two nights alone in a shelter, stripped his clothes by a river, and improvised a bark coat before being found at -29°C; how did embedded fibers in river ice and stove residue in a shelter log finally rewrite the timeline and explain why he crossed the river?

In this episode, we follow the documented sequence recorded by river ice, shelter deposits, and witness reports to piece together what happened from December 11th to December 15th; could the physical evidence answer why Douglas Marshall left his planned route and endured two nights in near‑fatal cold?

Person: Douglas Marshall
Date: December 11-15 (found December 14, river search December 15)
Location: Palisade Fork / Spruce Flat Shelter / Guthrie Lake Road trailhead
Occupation: Cross‑country ski instructor at Pelham Ridge Nordic Center (21 years)
Finder: Marilyn Green (birdwatcher) at 16:37 on December 14

- Douglas Marshall was 53 years old and had been a ski instructor at Pelham Ridge for 21 years.
- He filed a trip plan on December 11 to ski 12 kilometers to Spruce Flat Shelter for one night and return by midday December 12.
- By December 12 at 16:00 he was overdue; search teams began that night but swept a corridor that missed his actual location by about 3 kilometers.
- Two nights of stove ash, two mineral rings on the pot, and a deep sleeping bag impression inside Spruce Flat Shelter show he occupied the shelter for two full nights.
- A roughly 1‑meter‑across refrozen hole in the Palisade Fork ice contained blue synthetic and merino fibers matching his base‑layer top where his clothes were later found stripped near the riverbank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1056falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-buried-his-logbook-what-he-wrote-after-the-fire-defies-time--73100917
The thought of being cut off, alone and unreachably high, makes the skin prickle-this episode unspools a burned logbook found intact with a last entry dated four days after the fire that destroyed the only road out; how could anyone write after the ridge burned through? What did the entries reveal about surviving a burn-over with no radio, no road, and a mountain still holding heat in its soil?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events around a November wildfire that isolated a single lookout and the unusual actions taken before and after the fire, asking whether fieldcraft and quiet knowledge can outlast protocol failures and a destroyed communication line.

Person: Grant Porter
Date: November 12, 2011
Location: Ridgecap Fire Lookout Station, Kettner County
Age: 44
Pages preserved: 61

- The logbook cover was burned on three sides but sixty-one pages of blue ballpoint ink inside were completely intact.
- The last logbook entry found in the tower was dated November 14, 2011, two days after the fire crossed the ridge on November 12.
- Connie Lawson, age 15, noticed the master padlock missing and the gate open on November 19, 2011, and did not enter the access road.
- Grant placed the logbook inside the steel lid of a 500-gallon galvanized water tank buried under approximately four inches of pine duff about 40 feet south-southeast of the tower.
- On the morning of November 12 the tower’s radio antenna had melted, leaving Grant alone at roughly 7,000 feet with no radio and no road out.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100917Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:39:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Buried His Logbook; What He Wrote After The Fire Defies Time The thought of being cut off, alone and unreachably high, makes the skin prickle-this episode unspools a burned logbook found intact with a last entry dated four days after the fire...
The thought of being cut off, alone and unreachably high, makes the skin prickle-this episode unspools a burned logbook found intact with a last entry dated four days after the fire that destroyed the only road out; how could anyone write after the ridge burned through? What did the entries reveal about surviving a burn-over with no radio, no road, and a mountain still holding heat in its soil?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events around a November wildfire that isolated a single lookout and the unusual actions taken before and after the fire, asking whether fieldcraft and quiet knowledge can outlast protocol failures and a destroyed communication line.

Person: Grant Porter
Date: November 12, 2011
Location: Ridgecap Fire Lookout Station, Kettner County
Age: 44
Pages preserved: 61

- The logbook cover was burned on three sides but sixty-one pages of blue ballpoint ink inside were completely intact.
- The last logbook entry found in the tower was dated November 14, 2011, two days after the fire crossed the ridge on November 12.
- Connie Lawson, age 15, noticed the master padlock missing and the gate open on November 19, 2011, and did not enter the access road.
- Grant placed the logbook inside the steel lid of a 500-gallon galvanized water tank buried under approximately four inches of pine duff about 40 feet south-southeast of the tower.
- On the morning of November 12 the tower’s radio antenna had melted, leaving Grant alone at roughly 7,000 feet with no radio and no road out.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>982falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-climbed-40-feet-of-bare-rock-with-frozen-hands-and-lived--73100914
Cold, alone, and sitting on an 18-inch ledge above a glacial river, a 28-year-old woman climbed 40 feet of blank limestone with hands numbed by 39°F water after her kayak flipped - and left a dry paddle blade on the road 41 feet above. How did she turn four inches of lower flow and twenty-two minutes on the ledge into a chance at survival?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from launch to rescue and show what choices, gear, and timing shaped the outcome. What did she do in those twelve minutes of usable hand function that no rescuer expected?

Person: Gloria Pruitt
Date: October 13-14, 2019
Location: Kettridge Fork / Forest Service Road 7-Echo, Anker County
Temperature: 38-42°F river; 39°F at incident
Rescue coordinator: Philip Hall

- River flow was four inches lower than in late September, converting a washed-out hydraulic into a recirculating trap.
- Gloria flipped at approximately 4:15 PM, wet-exited, and pulled onto an 18-inch rock ledge one and a half miles below the launch.
- She spent seven of the documented twelve minutes of meaningful hand function sitting on the ledge before beginning the ascent.
- The broken kayak paddle blade was found on the gravel shoulder at 7:00 AM on October 14th, 41 feet straight up from the river.
- Gloria had completed swift-water rescue certification in 2017 and had lived out of a van for four years, volunteering every Tuesday at the local food pantry.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100914Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:39:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Climbed 40 Feet of Bare Rock With Frozen Hands and Lived Cold, alone, and sitting on an 18-inch ledge above a glacial river, a 28-year-old woman climbed 40 feet of blank limestone with hands numbed by 39°F water after her kayak flipped - and...
Cold, alone, and sitting on an 18-inch ledge above a glacial river, a 28-year-old woman climbed 40 feet of blank limestone with hands numbed by 39°F water after her kayak flipped - and left a dry paddle blade on the road 41 feet above. How did she turn four inches of lower flow and twenty-two minutes on the ledge into a chance at survival?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from launch to rescue and show what choices, gear, and timing shaped the outcome. What did she do in those twelve minutes of usable hand function that no rescuer expected?

Person: Gloria Pruitt
Date: October 13-14, 2019
Location: Kettridge Fork / Forest Service Road 7-Echo, Anker County
Temperature: 38-42°F river; 39°F at incident
Rescue coordinator: Philip Hall

- River flow was four inches lower than in late September, converting a washed-out hydraulic into a recirculating trap.
- Gloria flipped at approximately 4:15 PM, wet-exited, and pulled onto an 18-inch rock ledge one and a half miles below the launch.
- She spent seven of the documented twelve minutes of meaningful hand function sitting on the ledge before beginning the ascent.
- The broken kayak paddle blade was found on the gravel shoulder at 7:00 AM on October 14th, 41 feet straight up from the river.
- Gloria had completed swift-water rescue certification in 2017 and had lived out of a van for four years, volunteering every Tuesday at the local food pantry.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1000falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-for-dead-at-antler-wash-how-one-runner-survived-nine-days--73100910
A civil engineer and veteran marathoner was left with just twenty ounces of water and four energy gels in a high desert canyon after a flash flood turned a dry wash into an impassable four-foot debris shelf; his GPS died at 11:47 AM near Antler Wash-how did he survive nine days where the nearest paved road was at least six miles away? What decision kept him alive when the landscape itself had changed overnight?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning of September 5 through the discovery nine days later and describe the terrain, the race logistics, and the key decisions that shaped the outcome; could one runner’s training, planning, and calm be the reason he was found alive?

Person: Wayne Walsh
Date: September 5 (race start) and September 14 (found)
Location: Antler Wash, near Cutter Canyon Marathon course, Elko, Nevada
Status: Missing nine days; later found alive
Item found: Racing bib number 417 at relay station four miles from course

- Wayne Walsh carried a twenty-ounce soft flask of water and four energy gels when he started the Cutter Canyon Marathon.
- A flash flood on September 3 deposited a four-foot consolidated debris shelf running approximately one mile in each direction at Antler Wash.
- Wayne’s GPS tracker stopped recording at 11:47 AM on the morning he entered Antler Wash, roughly at mile eleven.
- The relay station where bib 417 was placed sat four miles from the nearest point on the marathon course and eleven miles down a gravel service road from Marie Schultz’s location.
- Wayne had lived in Elko for twenty-two years and had finished the Cutter Canyon Marathon four times prior to this race.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100910Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:38:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft for Dead at Antler Wash: How One Runner Survived Nine Days A civil engineer and veteran marathoner was left with just twenty ounces of water and four energy gels in a high desert canyon after a flash flood turned a dry wash into an impassable...
A civil engineer and veteran marathoner was left with just twenty ounces of water and four energy gels in a high desert canyon after a flash flood turned a dry wash into an impassable four-foot debris shelf; his GPS died at 11:47 AM near Antler Wash-how did he survive nine days where the nearest paved road was at least six miles away? What decision kept him alive when the landscape itself had changed overnight?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning of September 5 through the discovery nine days later and describe the terrain, the race logistics, and the key decisions that shaped the outcome; could one runner’s training, planning, and calm be the reason he was found alive?

Person: Wayne Walsh
Date: September 5 (race start) and September 14 (found)
Location: Antler Wash, near Cutter Canyon Marathon course, Elko, Nevada
Status: Missing nine days; later found alive
Item found: Racing bib number 417 at relay station four miles from course

- Wayne Walsh carried a twenty-ounce soft flask of water and four energy gels when he started the Cutter Canyon Marathon.
- A flash flood on September 3 deposited a four-foot consolidated debris shelf running approximately one mile in each direction at Antler Wash.
- Wayne’s GPS tracker stopped recording at 11:47 AM on the morning he entered Antler Wash, roughly at mile eleven.
- The relay station where bib 417 was placed sat four miles from the nearest point on the marathon course and eleven miles down a gravel service road from Marie Schultz’s location.
- Wayne had lived in Elko for twenty-two years and had finished the Cutter Canyon Marathon four times prior to this race.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1009falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-on-the-culvert-31-hours-alone-on-carver-face--73100908
Fear tightens the chest: a single Petzl climbing glove stood upright on a culvert with dried blood on the palm seam, on a road closed since 2011-no trail, no people, and a climber gone missing for 31 hours; what happened between a clear-weather summit and that glove? Who survived long enough to leave a notebook and a rationed water plan?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events as recorded in the climber’s notes and messages to reconstruct the choices and small odds that turned a routine ascent into a survival ordeal; could a cached liter of water, a splint made with an ice axe, and precise timestamps be the only trail left to find him?

Person: Glenn Davis
Date: August 12-14, 2019
Location: Carver Face, northwest route and Carver Face
Age: 22
Item found: Petzl climbing glove with dried blood on palm seam

- At 5:41 AM on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Ralph Callahan found the upright Petzl climbing glove on the lip of a concrete culvert.
- Glenn wrote a timestamped notebook entry at 2:47 PM on Monday, August 12, immediately after a rock the size of a carry-on suitcase gave way under his right foot.
- He built a splint on the ground using his ice axe in about 20 minutes and began moving downward at 3:07 PM.
- Glenn had sent a text to his brother Dennis around 1:30 PM saying he had taken the Face, reached the summit, and was descending the east couloir.
- A cached liter of water Glenn left at the base of a descent remained full and was found by a ranger two days after the rescue.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100908Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:38:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Glove on the Culvert: 31 Hours Alone on Carver Face Fear tightens the chest: a single Petzl climbing glove stood upright on a culvert with dried blood on the palm seam, on a road closed since 2011-no trail, no people, and a climber gone missing...
Fear tightens the chest: a single Petzl climbing glove stood upright on a culvert with dried blood on the palm seam, on a road closed since 2011-no trail, no people, and a climber gone missing for 31 hours; what happened between a clear-weather summit and that glove? Who survived long enough to leave a notebook and a rationed water plan?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events as recorded in the climber’s notes and messages to reconstruct the choices and small odds that turned a routine ascent into a survival ordeal; could a cached liter of water, a splint made with an ice axe, and precise timestamps be the only trail left to find him?

Person: Glenn Davis
Date: August 12-14, 2019
Location: Carver Face, northwest route and Carver Face
Age: 22
Item found: Petzl climbing glove with dried blood on palm seam

- At 5:41 AM on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Ralph Callahan found the upright Petzl climbing glove on the lip of a concrete culvert.
- Glenn wrote a timestamped notebook entry at 2:47 PM on Monday, August 12, immediately after a rock the size of a carry-on suitcase gave way under his right foot.
- He built a splint on the ground using his ice axe in about 20 minutes and began moving downward at 3:07 PM.
- Glenn had sent a text to his brother Dennis around 1:30 PM saying he had taken the Face, reached the summit, and was descending the east couloir.
- A cached liter of water Glenn left at the base of a descent remained full and was found by a ranger two days after the rescue.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1138falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wrong-chart-wrong-tide-surviving-the-arrowhead-shelf-silence--73100904
Fear snaps into focus when simple navigation errors become a life-or-death trap: a fisherman radios two words - "Wrong chart" - and then silence, while fourteen coho salmon appear nine miles from water on a doorstep. How did a four-degree chart discrepancy turn a routine run into a crash on the Arrowhead Shelf, and who survived the silence?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure to discovery, following the Ardith K, its three-man crew, and the search that began after a single EPIRB ping and a four-second radio call. What did those two words actually mean, and how did a tiny chart difference determine the crew's fate?

Person: Ronald Campbell
Vessel: Ardith K
Date: July 8 (transmission and EPIRB), found July 12
Location: Arrowhead Shelf, northern rim
Search hours: 22 hours across two days in the northeast corridor

- 9:52 AM on a Tuesday: a meter reader found 14 dead coho salmon arranged on the concrete at four Cormorant Lane.
- Ardith K departed July 6 at 4:40 AM with provisions for four days plus one extra day.
- Campbell had transferred 946 pounds of coho to a tender and kept 14 fish aboard in two coolers.
- At 3:09 PM the Ardith K's AIS went silent; at 3:14 PM the EPIRB sent one ping; at 3:16 PM a four-second radio transmission said "Wrong chart."
- Chart discrepancy: an updated nautical chart issued nine months earlier differed by four degrees in waypoint coordinates for the interior anchorage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100904Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:38:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaWrong Chart, Wrong Tide: Surviving the Arrowhead Shelf Silence Fear snaps into focus when simple navigation errors become a life-or-death trap: a fisherman radios two words - "Wrong chart" - and then silence, while fourteen coho salmon appear nine...
Fear snaps into focus when simple navigation errors become a life-or-death trap: a fisherman radios two words - "Wrong chart" - and then silence, while fourteen coho salmon appear nine miles from water on a doorstep. How did a four-degree chart discrepancy turn a routine run into a crash on the Arrowhead Shelf, and who survived the silence?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure to discovery, following the Ardith K, its three-man crew, and the search that began after a single EPIRB ping and a four-second radio call. What did those two words actually mean, and how did a tiny chart difference determine the crew's fate?

Person: Ronald Campbell
Vessel: Ardith K
Date: July 8 (transmission and EPIRB), found July 12
Location: Arrowhead Shelf, northern rim
Search hours: 22 hours across two days in the northeast corridor

- 9:52 AM on a Tuesday: a meter reader found 14 dead coho salmon arranged on the concrete at four Cormorant Lane.
- Ardith K departed July 6 at 4:40 AM with provisions for four days plus one extra day.
- Campbell had transferred 946 pounds of coho to a tender and kept 14 fish aboard in two coolers.
- At 3:09 PM the Ardith K's AIS went silent; at 3:14 PM the EPIRB sent one ping; at 3:16 PM a four-second radio transmission said "Wrong chart."
- Chart discrepancy: an updated nautical chart issued nine months earlier differed by four degrees in waypoint coordinates for the interior anchorage.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1046falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-their-shoes-on-the-white-line-she-walked-back-for-him--73100902
The desert can be a measured, unforgiving opponent: two small sneakers placed heel-to-heel on Route 9's white line, toes pointed inward, would later tell investigators that someone wanted a body to be found - even though by then both were already safe. How did a 63-year-old retiree ration two gallons of water, make improvised trail markers, and decide to walk back into the heat to get help while leaving a deliberate clue behind?

In this episode, we follow the forty hours surrounding a car breakdown on Route 9 in southern Arizona, the choices Judith Vaughn made with an eight-year-old boy named Felix, and the moments that turned discipline into survival - including the question that kept searchers from finding them sooner.

Person: Judith Vaughn
Person: Felix Ibarra
Date: June 12, 2009
Location: Route 9, southern Arizona, mile 31
Temperature: reached at least 104 degrees

- The Jeep Cherokee stopped at 7:22 AM on Friday, June 12, 2009, on Route 9 with no town or shoulder nearby.
- Judith had two gallons of water in the cooler and did not open the sealed gallon, rationing sips beginning at 10:30 AM.
- At 9:15 AM Judith wrote a note on a granola bar box with names, date, breakdown time, direction of travel, and "Took water," and placed it under the windshield wiper.
- Judith waited in the car for almost five hours after preparing to leave, actually departing around 2:00 PM.
- Felix's backup sneakers were found later placed heel to heel on the white line at mile 31, soles clean and intentionally positioned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100902Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:38:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Their Shoes on the White Line - She Walked Back for Him The desert can be a measured, unforgiving opponent: two small sneakers placed heel-to-heel on Route 9's white line, toes pointed inward, would later tell investigators that someone wanted...
The desert can be a measured, unforgiving opponent: two small sneakers placed heel-to-heel on Route 9's white line, toes pointed inward, would later tell investigators that someone wanted a body to be found - even though by then both were already safe. How did a 63-year-old retiree ration two gallons of water, make improvised trail markers, and decide to walk back into the heat to get help while leaving a deliberate clue behind?

In this episode, we follow the forty hours surrounding a car breakdown on Route 9 in southern Arizona, the choices Judith Vaughn made with an eight-year-old boy named Felix, and the moments that turned discipline into survival - including the question that kept searchers from finding them sooner.

Person: Judith Vaughn
Person: Felix Ibarra
Date: June 12, 2009
Location: Route 9, southern Arizona, mile 31
Temperature: reached at least 104 degrees

- The Jeep Cherokee stopped at 7:22 AM on Friday, June 12, 2009, on Route 9 with no town or shoulder nearby.
- Judith had two gallons of water in the cooler and did not open the sealed gallon, rationing sips beginning at 10:30 AM.
- At 9:15 AM Judith wrote a note on a granola bar box with names, date, breakdown time, direction of travel, and "Took water," and placed it under the windshield wiper.
- Judith waited in the car for almost five hours after preparing to leave, actually departing around 2:00 PM.
- Felix's backup sneakers were found later placed heel to heel on the white line at mile 31, soles clean and intentionally positioned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1077falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-six-days-how-a-winding-watch-kept-her-alive--73100899
Fear tightens the chest: a mechanical field watch kept running after six days buried in avalanche debris, its ticking the slender margin between life and death. Tenner Creek's debris field crushed poles to confetti and sheared a sleeping pad to thumbnails - yet the wrist-wound watch kept time; how did that tiny motion mean Laura Simpson lived?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Laura Simpson leaving Prosper at 5:15 a.m. on May 8 to the discovery at Tenner Creek on May 14, following the missed signals, the misdirected search, and the gear that mattered most. Could a watch wound in darkness be the difference between recovery and loss?

Person: Laura Simpson
Date: May 8-May 14
Location: Tenner Creek drainage
Event: Natural avalanche release
Status: Found alive after six days

- Laura left Prosper at 5:15 a.m. on May 8 and signed the voluntary trail register at Tenner Creek that morning.
- The avalanche released by natural trigger between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on May 8, covering about two acres near a creek switchback.
- Laura was twenty-four years old and carried a full rescue kit including beacon, probe, and collapsible shovel.
- The trailhead camera recorded Laura's dark blue pickup continuously from May 8 onward, but the image reached search coordinators over thirty hours later.
- Eleven volunteers were deployed to Whitfield Basin on Monday based on incorrect information, while the actual debris field remained at Tenner Creek.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100899Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:38:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Six Days: How a Winding Watch Kept Her Alive Fear tightens the chest: a mechanical field watch kept running after six days buried in avalanche debris, its ticking the slender margin between life and death. Tenner Creek's debris field crushed...
Fear tightens the chest: a mechanical field watch kept running after six days buried in avalanche debris, its ticking the slender margin between life and death. Tenner Creek's debris field crushed poles to confetti and sheared a sleeping pad to thumbnails - yet the wrist-wound watch kept time; how did that tiny motion mean Laura Simpson lived?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Laura Simpson leaving Prosper at 5:15 a.m. on May 8 to the discovery at Tenner Creek on May 14, following the missed signals, the misdirected search, and the gear that mattered most. Could a watch wound in darkness be the difference between recovery and loss?

Person: Laura Simpson
Date: May 8-May 14
Location: Tenner Creek drainage
Event: Natural avalanche release
Status: Found alive after six days

- Laura left Prosper at 5:15 a.m. on May 8 and signed the voluntary trail register at Tenner Creek that morning.
- The avalanche released by natural trigger between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on May 8, covering about two acres near a creek switchback.
- Laura was twenty-four years old and carried a full rescue kit including beacon, probe, and collapsible shovel.
- The trailhead camera recorded Laura's dark blue pickup continuously from May 8 onward, but the image reached search coordinators over thirty hours later.
- Eleven volunteers were deployed to Whitfield Basin on Monday based on incorrect information, while the actual debris field remained at Tenner Creek.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1019falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-came-back-warm-how-chad-survived-ninety-hours-dark--73100896
Warm neoprene pulled from Sable Creek still felt like a body had just left it - not damp, but warm - after traveling forty-one miles of flooded limestone in four days. A man named Chad Mills vanished into unmapped conduits and a team declared him dead; how could a glove arrive warm if he survived ninety hours in total darkness?

In this episode, you will hear the account of Chad Mills’ April 2019 cave dive in Pelican Sink and the chain of events that followed, including the initial solo surfacing, the rescue response, and what the returned glove implies about underground movement and survival. Could the unmapped passages and a diver’s careful margins explain how Chad lasted?

Person: Chad Mills
Date: April 5-9, 2019
Location: Pelican Sink system, Terrell Parish
Age: 48
Rescue coordinator: Pamela Price

- A neoprene diving glove, right hand, 5 millimeters thick with a yellow guideline loop, was recovered on April 9.
- The glove traveled approximately 41 miles of flooded limestone in four days before being found at Sable Creek.
- Chad and his dive partner Scott entered Pelican Sink on April 5 with a planned four-hour lateral penetration dive.
- Visibility inside Pelican Sink that morning measured less than 18 inches due to suspended brown sediment.
- The guide reel was clipped at a T-junction; Scott exited alone at 4:17 PM and called 911 from a payphone.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100896Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:37:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Glove Came Back Warm: How Chad Survived Ninety Hours Dark Warm neoprene pulled from Sable Creek still felt like a body had just left it - not damp, but warm - after traveling forty-one miles of flooded limestone in four days. A man named Chad...
Warm neoprene pulled from Sable Creek still felt like a body had just left it - not damp, but warm - after traveling forty-one miles of flooded limestone in four days. A man named Chad Mills vanished into unmapped conduits and a team declared him dead; how could a glove arrive warm if he survived ninety hours in total darkness?

In this episode, you will hear the account of Chad Mills’ April 2019 cave dive in Pelican Sink and the chain of events that followed, including the initial solo surfacing, the rescue response, and what the returned glove implies about underground movement and survival. Could the unmapped passages and a diver’s careful margins explain how Chad lasted?

Person: Chad Mills
Date: April 5-9, 2019
Location: Pelican Sink system, Terrell Parish
Age: 48
Rescue coordinator: Pamela Price

- A neoprene diving glove, right hand, 5 millimeters thick with a yellow guideline loop, was recovered on April 9.
- The glove traveled approximately 41 miles of flooded limestone in four days before being found at Sable Creek.
- Chad and his dive partner Scott entered Pelican Sink on April 5 with a planned four-hour lateral penetration dive.
- Visibility inside Pelican Sink that morning measured less than 18 inches due to suspended brown sediment.
- The guide reel was clipped at a T-junction; Scott exited alone at 4:17 PM and called 911 from a payphone.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1127falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-drove-through-the-gap-surviving-three-frozen-nights-alone--73100894
Cold, alone and methodical: a technical writer survived three frozen nights trapped in her truck with a camp stove, eleven pennies, and a journal that recorded every choice. She was 0.75 miles past a locked gate, nose-down in a shallow ditch with the passenger mirror scraped off - how did she decide what to burn, what to save, and why did the search team look in the wrong place?

In this episode, we tell the story exactly as the journal and witnesses record it, following the timeline from a gas station fill-up to the moment Wade Williams found her three days later; what she carried, the decisions she made, and the gap in a gated logging road that she drove through - will the pennies explain why she stayed?

Person: Paula Cole
Date: March 14, 2019
Location: Pelham Timber access road outside Salkum, Washington
Status: Found alive in vehicle
Event: Truck stuck in frozen ditch three days after driving through a gate gap

- At 7:40 AM on March 14, 2019, land surveyor Wade Williams spotted a red truck in the trees and called 911 at 7:52 AM.
- Paula was 0.75 miles past a locked gate when her truck went nose-down in a shallow ditch 13 minutes after passing through the gap.
- She had filled a 23-gallon fuel tank to the top at 4:47 PM the previous day before leaving Ellensburg.
- Inside the truck she placed an aluminum pot on a camp stove, had two granola bars and a bag of almonds, and hung a fleece jacket over the headrest.
- She lined 11 pennies on the dashboard and defined a rule to move one penny left each time she decided to abandon the truck.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100894Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:37:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Drove Through the Gap - Surviving Three Frozen Nights Alone Cold, alone and methodical: a technical writer survived three frozen nights trapped in her truck with a camp stove, eleven pennies, and a journal that recorded every choice. She was...
Cold, alone and methodical: a technical writer survived three frozen nights trapped in her truck with a camp stove, eleven pennies, and a journal that recorded every choice. She was 0.75 miles past a locked gate, nose-down in a shallow ditch with the passenger mirror scraped off - how did she decide what to burn, what to save, and why did the search team look in the wrong place?

In this episode, we tell the story exactly as the journal and witnesses record it, following the timeline from a gas station fill-up to the moment Wade Williams found her three days later; what she carried, the decisions she made, and the gap in a gated logging road that she drove through - will the pennies explain why she stayed?

Person: Paula Cole
Date: March 14, 2019
Location: Pelham Timber access road outside Salkum, Washington
Status: Found alive in vehicle
Event: Truck stuck in frozen ditch three days after driving through a gate gap

- At 7:40 AM on March 14, 2019, land surveyor Wade Williams spotted a red truck in the trees and called 911 at 7:52 AM.
- Paula was 0.75 miles past a locked gate when her truck went nose-down in a shallow ditch 13 minutes after passing through the gap.
- She had filled a 23-gallon fuel tank to the top at 4:47 PM the previous day before leaving Ellensburg.
- Inside the truck she placed an aluminum pot on a camp stove, had two granola bars and a bag of almonds, and hung a fleece jacket over the headrest.
- She lined 11 pennies on the dashboard and defined a rule to move one penny left each time she decided to abandon the truck.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1085falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-left-his-radio-sealed-found-alive-aboard-another-ship--73100891
Fear tightens when routine fractures: a brand-new VHF, still in shrink-wrap, is pulled from 61 nautical miles offshore while its owner is five days overdue after leaving at 11:47 PM to cross the Columbia Bar. How did a sealed radio end up adrift and the sailor later turn up alive aboard a foreign container ship - and why did the Coast Guard search the wrong ocean for days?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Howard Holmes's planned solo transit to the Coast Guard's precise but misplaced search, and uncover the overlooked message that would have changed everything. How did a fax pinned to a marina corkboard three days earlier point to the real answer?

Person: Howard Holmes
Age: 51
Vessel: Perseverance, 42-foot sloop
Found object: VHF marine radio, brand-new, factory shrink-wrapped, priced $49.99
Last seen departure: 11:47 PM, February 8, 2019

- Radio recovered by Nancy Johnson at 7:52 AM on February 14, 2019, floating upright in four-foot swells.
- Radio found 61 nautical miles offshore, still sealed with hang-tag reading $49.99.
- Howard's receipt for the spare VHF dated January 18, 2019, found in his 1998 Tacoma glove box.
- Howard missed his regular Thursday food bank shift on February 7 and again on February 14; he had volunteered every Thursday for six years.
- Marina security camera recorded Perseverance leaving its slip at 11:47 PM on February 8, despite Howard's handwritten note saying "Columbia Bar, solo transit, Feb 9, back by Feb 12."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100891Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:37:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Left His Radio Sealed - Found Alive Aboard Another Ship Fear tightens when routine fractures: a brand-new VHF, still in shrink-wrap, is pulled from 61 nautical miles offshore while its owner is five days overdue after leaving at 11:47 PM to...
Fear tightens when routine fractures: a brand-new VHF, still in shrink-wrap, is pulled from 61 nautical miles offshore while its owner is five days overdue after leaving at 11:47 PM to cross the Columbia Bar. How did a sealed radio end up adrift and the sailor later turn up alive aboard a foreign container ship - and why did the Coast Guard search the wrong ocean for days?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Howard Holmes's planned solo transit to the Coast Guard's precise but misplaced search, and uncover the overlooked message that would have changed everything. How did a fax pinned to a marina corkboard three days earlier point to the real answer?

Person: Howard Holmes
Age: 51
Vessel: Perseverance, 42-foot sloop
Found object: VHF marine radio, brand-new, factory shrink-wrapped, priced $49.99
Last seen departure: 11:47 PM, February 8, 2019

- Radio recovered by Nancy Johnson at 7:52 AM on February 14, 2019, floating upright in four-foot swells.
- Radio found 61 nautical miles offshore, still sealed with hang-tag reading $49.99.
- Howard's receipt for the spare VHF dated January 18, 2019, found in his 1998 Tacoma glove box.
- Howard missed his regular Thursday food bank shift on February 7 and again on February 14; he had volunteered every Thursday for six years.
- Marina security camera recorded Perseverance leaving its slip at 11:47 PM on February 8, despite Howard's handwritten note saying "Columbia Bar, solo transit, Feb 9, back by Feb 12."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1128falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-on-the-ledge-how-teresa-survived-when-maps-failed--73100889
Fear and curiosity collide at 700 feet: a size-seven hiking boot, double-knotted and deliberately placed in a sandstone crack, sits upright with no body, no tracks, and no explanation - how did Teresa leave a boot where no map or search team could find her? What did one hydrological engineer do with two hours of arm strength left to prove she was still alive?

In this episode, we walk through the known facts of Teresa Sharp’s disappearance and the search that missed the one place she went off-route, and we follow the clues from her last notebook entry to the boot on the ledge to ask how an expert in terrain misread a distance by four miles.

Person: Teresa Sharp
Date: January 3-8, 2014
Location: Sulero Plateau / Pale Sister Rim Trail
Occupation: Hydrological engineer
Finder: Brian Graham

- A size-seven hiking boot was found upright in a sandstone crack 700 feet above the canyon floor.
- Brian Graham, a birder from Flagstaff, Arizona, drove four hours and photographed the boot eleven times before calling 911.
- Teresa’s last notebook entry was at 2:14 p.m. on Friday, January 3, noting “saddle clear, wind west, water 1.4 liters” and a creek visible below.
- The actual distance from the saddle to the main creek was 5.25 miles, but Teresa estimated about one mile, a four-mile error.
- Search teams activated three ground teams, a helicopter, and a drone, and had swept documented drainages without finding Teresa before the boot was discovered.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100889Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:37:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot on the Ledge: How Teresa Survived When Maps Failed Fear and curiosity collide at 700 feet: a size-seven hiking boot, double-knotted and deliberately placed in a sandstone crack, sits upright with no body, no tracks, and no explanation -...
Fear and curiosity collide at 700 feet: a size-seven hiking boot, double-knotted and deliberately placed in a sandstone crack, sits upright with no body, no tracks, and no explanation - how did Teresa leave a boot where no map or search team could find her? What did one hydrological engineer do with two hours of arm strength left to prove she was still alive?

In this episode, we walk through the known facts of Teresa Sharp’s disappearance and the search that missed the one place she went off-route, and we follow the clues from her last notebook entry to the boot on the ledge to ask how an expert in terrain misread a distance by four miles.

Person: Teresa Sharp
Date: January 3-8, 2014
Location: Sulero Plateau / Pale Sister Rim Trail
Occupation: Hydrological engineer
Finder: Brian Graham

- A size-seven hiking boot was found upright in a sandstone crack 700 feet above the canyon floor.
- Brian Graham, a birder from Flagstaff, Arizona, drove four hours and photographed the boot eleven times before calling 911.
- Teresa’s last notebook entry was at 2:14 p.m. on Friday, January 3, noting “saddle clear, wind west, water 1.4 liters” and a creek visible below.
- The actual distance from the saddle to the main creek was 5.25 miles, but Teresa estimated about one mile, a four-mile error.
- Search teams activated three ground teams, a helicopter, and a drone, and had swept documented drainages without finding Teresa before the boot was discovered.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>946falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/visual-maximo-reservar-su-significado-completo-para-el-cierre--73100886
Cold, lonely precision: a 29-year-old ultrarunner leaves a modified trekking pole on a porch at 5:43 AM in nine-degree weather after a self-supported 91-mile winter traverse attempt - but he had been tracking everything, down to thirty-minute satellite pings. What did he mean by "keeping records," and why was the pole left transformed into something unrecognizable?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a midnight start at Dellwood Creek Trailhead through frozen caches and failing supplies to the moment a newspaper girl finds an altered Leki pole, tracing the decisions, gear list, and the concept Robert called his "pain budget." Can the data he recorded explain what happened on the trail?

Person: Robert Zeller
Age: 29
Event: Senlac Winter Traverse attempt
Start time: 11:15 PM on Saturday
Discovery time: 5:43 AM Monday

- Robert carried two Leki Micro Vario carbon trekking poles priced at $230 each.
- His inReach Mini was set to transmit location every 30 minutes.
- The route length he attempted was 91 miles.
- At the Pierson Spring water cache, bottles were frozen solid and he carried them tucked against his body.
- He had completed 600-kilometer ultramarathon events prior to this attempt.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100886Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:37:08 +0000Creator at Obomediavisual máximo. Reservar su significado completo para el cierre Cold, lonely precision: a 29-year-old ultrarunner leaves a modified trekking pole on a porch at 5:43 AM in nine-degree weather after a self-supported 91-mile winter traverse attempt -...
Cold, lonely precision: a 29-year-old ultrarunner leaves a modified trekking pole on a porch at 5:43 AM in nine-degree weather after a self-supported 91-mile winter traverse attempt - but he had been tracking everything, down to thirty-minute satellite pings. What did he mean by "keeping records," and why was the pole left transformed into something unrecognizable?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a midnight start at Dellwood Creek Trailhead through frozen caches and failing supplies to the moment a newspaper girl finds an altered Leki pole, tracing the decisions, gear list, and the concept Robert called his "pain budget." Can the data he recorded explain what happened on the trail?

Person: Robert Zeller
Age: 29
Event: Senlac Winter Traverse attempt
Start time: 11:15 PM on Saturday
Discovery time: 5:43 AM Monday

- Robert carried two Leki Micro Vario carbon trekking poles priced at $230 each.
- His inReach Mini was set to transmit location every 30 minutes.
- The route length he attempted was 91 miles.
- At the Pierson Spring water cache, bottles were frozen solid and he carried them tucked against his body.
- He had completed 600-kilometer ultramarathon events prior to this attempt.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1150falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-signal-that-should-have-saved-her-lost-on-crowell-ridge--73100884
Cold, deliberate survival - a hand-built pole with a bright orange dry-bag was planted at the exact height to clear a plow blade, and inside was a laminated card reading PROPERTY OF SORROW CREEK BASE CAMP - RETURN TO CHRISTINE WRIGHT; how did a snowplow driver stop at mile eleven for a flag no map showed, and why did the signal that shouldn’t have been needed almost fail?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment Christine Wright’s satellite communicator failed to the hours she spent engineering signals on Crowell Ridge, and we follow the missteps that sent every rescue team to the wrong side of a mountain - could a cracked circuit board and a single wrong permit coordinate doom a seasoned field cook?

Person: Christine Wright
Event: Satellite communicator failure on November 1, 2019
Location: Crowell Ridge, Sorrow Creek drainage, central Montana
Date: November 9, 2019 (snowplow discovery) and October 24-November 5, 2019 (camp timeline)
Case: Evacuation after teammate Bobby Crane broke his fibula

- Christine was 53 years old and lived in Hardin, Montana, with two decades of field cooking experience.
- The team arrived at Crowell Ridge on October 24, 2019, and planned for extraction by November 4, 2019.
- On November 1, 2019, Christine’s satellite communicator developed a crack in its circuit board and went dark.
- A talus crossing at 8,100 feet resulted in Bobby Crane breaking his fibula, prompting an immediate evacuation.
- On November 9, 2019 at 6:14 AM, Judith Whitaker stopped at what she thought was mile marker eight but was at mile eleven and found a pole with an orange dry-bag and a laminated Sorrow Creek Base Camp card.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100884Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:36:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Signal That Should Have Saved Her: Lost on Crowell Ridge Cold, deliberate survival - a hand-built pole with a bright orange dry-bag was planted at the exact height to clear a plow blade, and inside was a laminated card reading PROPERTY OF...
Cold, deliberate survival - a hand-built pole with a bright orange dry-bag was planted at the exact height to clear a plow blade, and inside was a laminated card reading PROPERTY OF SORROW CREEK BASE CAMP - RETURN TO CHRISTINE WRIGHT; how did a snowplow driver stop at mile eleven for a flag no map showed, and why did the signal that shouldn’t have been needed almost fail?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment Christine Wright’s satellite communicator failed to the hours she spent engineering signals on Crowell Ridge, and we follow the missteps that sent every rescue team to the wrong side of a mountain - could a cracked circuit board and a single wrong permit coordinate doom a seasoned field cook?

Person: Christine Wright
Event: Satellite communicator failure on November 1, 2019
Location: Crowell Ridge, Sorrow Creek drainage, central Montana
Date: November 9, 2019 (snowplow discovery) and October 24-November 5, 2019 (camp timeline)
Case: Evacuation after teammate Bobby Crane broke his fibula

- Christine was 53 years old and lived in Hardin, Montana, with two decades of field cooking experience.
- The team arrived at Crowell Ridge on October 24, 2019, and planned for extraction by November 4, 2019.
- On November 1, 2019, Christine’s satellite communicator developed a crack in its circuit board and went dark.
- A talus crossing at 8,100 feet resulted in Bobby Crane breaking his fibula, prompting an immediate evacuation.
- On November 9, 2019 at 6:14 AM, Judith Whitaker stopped at what she thought was mile marker eight but was at mile eleven and found a pole with an orange dry-bag and a laminated Sorrow Creek Base Camp card.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>918falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/carved-into-stone-how-23-marks-saved-a-canyoneer-s-life--73100880
A trapped canyoneer carved 23 precise marks into sandstone with a carbide-tipped chisel while stranded 14 feet above a canyon floor submerged by a silent flash flood - could those scratches be the difference between being found and being lost? Discover how a routine habit, a broken tool, and one stubborn marking method intersected to create a rescue that almost didn’t happen.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Amy Wilson entered Corda Narrows to the moments she spent awake on a ledge carving into stone, and we trace how those 23 marks led to her eventual discovery. What choices and preparations mattered when every modern system failed?

Person: Amy Wilson
Date: October 12-14, 2019
Location: Corda Narrows, Kettrick County
Age: 24
Equipment: 40-meter static rope; personal locator beacon; carbide-tipped rock chisel

- Amy began her descent at approximately 7:30 AM on October 12, 2019 with clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s.
- At about 1:00 PM on October 12, water first touched her ankles and rose to waist height within eight minutes.
- She reached a sandstone ledge 14 feet above the canyon floor and the flood crested four feet above the ledge before receding.
- Her personal locator beacon was in a dry bag she accessed within the first 20 minutes of being on the ledge.
- She carved 23 marks into the canyon wall using a carbide-tipped chisel while stranded and awake for most of two days.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100880Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:36:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaCarved Into Stone: How 23 Marks Saved a Canyoneer's Life A trapped canyoneer carved 23 precise marks into sandstone with a carbide-tipped chisel while stranded 14 feet above a canyon floor submerged by a silent flash flood - could those scratches...
A trapped canyoneer carved 23 precise marks into sandstone with a carbide-tipped chisel while stranded 14 feet above a canyon floor submerged by a silent flash flood - could those scratches be the difference between being found and being lost? Discover how a routine habit, a broken tool, and one stubborn marking method intersected to create a rescue that almost didn’t happen.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Amy Wilson entered Corda Narrows to the moments she spent awake on a ledge carving into stone, and we trace how those 23 marks led to her eventual discovery. What choices and preparations mattered when every modern system failed?

Person: Amy Wilson
Date: October 12-14, 2019
Location: Corda Narrows, Kettrick County
Age: 24
Equipment: 40-meter static rope; personal locator beacon; carbide-tipped rock chisel

- Amy began her descent at approximately 7:30 AM on October 12, 2019 with clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s.
- At about 1:00 PM on October 12, water first touched her ankles and rose to waist height within eight minutes.
- She reached a sandstone ledge 14 feet above the canyon floor and the flood crested four feet above the ledge before receding.
- Her personal locator beacon was in a dry bag she accessed within the first 20 minutes of being on the ledge.
- She carved 23 marks into the canyon wall using a carbide-tipped chisel while stranded and awake for most of two days.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1091falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-vanished-in-four-minutes-found-alive-on-a-limestone-shelf--73100875
Fear tightens the chest: a trained open-water swimmer disappears from her escort boat in under four minutes on the Strait of Gibraltar, and the single clue that broke the case was a dry white swim cap wedged four meters above the waterline - how did she survive a night alone on this limestone coast? Could a tow float and reading the water really be the difference between life and death in one of the world's strongest tidal choke points?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline of the crossing and the forty-one-hour search that followed, describing the swimmer's training, the escort team, the currents, and the precise moments that mattered - and ask how established rescue assumptions missed the cove where she was found.

Person: Karen Richardson
Date: September 13-14, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar / Punta Cires to Tarifa
Role: Escort boat captain Marco Ibáñez; shore coordinator Harvey Powell; coach Dennis Falk
Event: 41-hour search; found alive on a limestone shelf

- At 06:18 on September 13, 2019, Karen Richardson entered the water to attempt the Strait of Gibraltar crossing.
- Karen had a resting heart rate of 44 beats per minute and had completed five channel-class crossings by her mid-thirties.
- At 10:20 the escort boat Vela Blanca pulled away to avoid a container vessel; the maneuver took approximately four minutes.
- Karen surfaced at 10:22 and the escort boat was no longer in sight; she deployed a tow float and activated a green light stick.
- At 06:47 on September 14, 2019, Tracy Dixon found a bright white, dry swim cap wedged four meters above the current waterline, leading to Karen being found alive on a limestone shelf within 600 meters of the coast guard’s reconstructed location.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100875Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:36:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Vanished in Four Minutes-Found Alive on a Limestone Shelf Fear tightens the chest: a trained open-water swimmer disappears from her escort boat in under four minutes on the Strait of Gibraltar, and the single clue that broke the case was a dry...
Fear tightens the chest: a trained open-water swimmer disappears from her escort boat in under four minutes on the Strait of Gibraltar, and the single clue that broke the case was a dry white swim cap wedged four meters above the waterline - how did she survive a night alone on this limestone coast? Could a tow float and reading the water really be the difference between life and death in one of the world's strongest tidal choke points?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline of the crossing and the forty-one-hour search that followed, describing the swimmer's training, the escort team, the currents, and the precise moments that mattered - and ask how established rescue assumptions missed the cove where she was found.

Person: Karen Richardson
Date: September 13-14, 2019
Location: Strait of Gibraltar / Punta Cires to Tarifa
Role: Escort boat captain Marco Ibáñez; shore coordinator Harvey Powell; coach Dennis Falk
Event: 41-hour search; found alive on a limestone shelf

- At 06:18 on September 13, 2019, Karen Richardson entered the water to attempt the Strait of Gibraltar crossing.
- Karen had a resting heart rate of 44 beats per minute and had completed five channel-class crossings by her mid-thirties.
- At 10:20 the escort boat Vela Blanca pulled away to avoid a container vessel; the maneuver took approximately four minutes.
- Karen surfaced at 10:22 and the escort boat was no longer in sight; she deployed a tow float and activated a green light stick.
- At 06:47 on September 14, 2019, Tracy Dixon found a bright white, dry swim cap wedged four meters above the current waterline, leading to Karen being found alive on a limestone shelf within 600 meters of the coast guard’s reconstructed location.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>911falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-his-bike-followed-water-22-days-lost-above-8-000ft--73100871
Fear tightens when you realize a man walked twenty-two days above 8,000 feet bleeding through a carbon shoe, guided only by the sound of water. A stiff jersey crusted with dried salt hung over a saddle beside a locked pump station fourteen miles from the nearest paved road-yet the rider was nowhere to be found. How did Thomas Hunt survive alone in roadless alpine terrain for more than three weeks?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment Curtis Whitley found the abandoned Pinarello to the family’s discovery weeks later, following the trail of clues left on and off the trail. You’ll hear the sequence of events, the decisions Thomas recorded in his notebook, and the critical timeline questions that kept searchers looking the wrong way-how did a planned ride turn into a twenty-two-day survival?

Person: Thomas Hunt
Date: August 10-August 28, 2019
Location: Archer Pass east descent and County Road 7-N pump station
Finder: Curtis Whitley
Family Contact: Brooke Hunt

- The bicycle was found leaning against a pump station gate at 9:47 AM on August 22, 2019, fourteen miles from the nearest paved road.
- Thomas Hunt began his ride on the morning of August 10, 2019, and was not reported missing until August 28, 2019-an eighteen-day gap.
- Thomas was sixty-three years old and had been a civil engineer for thirty years with a methodical approach to terrain and gradients.
- After crashing on the east descent of Archer Pass at approximately thirty-two miles per hour, Thomas could stand but could not ride due to a bent rear derailleur and a painful iliac crest injury.
- Thomas carried a Rite in the Rain notebook in which he recorded every decision while moving on foot above 8,000 feet, following the sound of water to stay oriented.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100871Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:36:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft His Bike, Followed Water: 22 Days Lost Above 8,000ft Fear tightens when you realize a man walked twenty-two days above 8,000 feet bleeding through a carbon shoe, guided only by the sound of water. A stiff jersey crusted with dried salt hung...
Fear tightens when you realize a man walked twenty-two days above 8,000 feet bleeding through a carbon shoe, guided only by the sound of water. A stiff jersey crusted with dried salt hung over a saddle beside a locked pump station fourteen miles from the nearest paved road-yet the rider was nowhere to be found. How did Thomas Hunt survive alone in roadless alpine terrain for more than three weeks?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment Curtis Whitley found the abandoned Pinarello to the family’s discovery weeks later, following the trail of clues left on and off the trail. You’ll hear the sequence of events, the decisions Thomas recorded in his notebook, and the critical timeline questions that kept searchers looking the wrong way-how did a planned ride turn into a twenty-two-day survival?

Person: Thomas Hunt
Date: August 10-August 28, 2019
Location: Archer Pass east descent and County Road 7-N pump station
Finder: Curtis Whitley
Family Contact: Brooke Hunt

- The bicycle was found leaning against a pump station gate at 9:47 AM on August 22, 2019, fourteen miles from the nearest paved road.
- Thomas Hunt began his ride on the morning of August 10, 2019, and was not reported missing until August 28, 2019-an eighteen-day gap.
- Thomas was sixty-three years old and had been a civil engineer for thirty years with a methodical approach to terrain and gradients.
- After crashing on the east descent of Archer Pass at approximately thirty-two miles per hour, Thomas could stand but could not ride due to a bent rear derailleur and a painful iliac crest injury.
- Thomas carried a Rite in the Rain notebook in which he recorded every decision while moving on foot above 8,000 feet, following the sound of water to stay oriented.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1191falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-from-a-sunk-snowmobile-found-alive-days-later--73100867
Adrenaline and cold calculation meet: a woman survived a plunge into 34°F water, crawled over breaking ice, left a single glove on Lunder Lake, then walked to a nearby cabin and was missing for two days before being reported-how did she stay alive long enough to be found? What choices kept her moving when hypothermia was closing in?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the moment a lone glove is spotted on Lunder Lake to the discovery of a cabin with gear arranged in a deliberate line, laying out the sequence of events and the unanswered questions about direction and survival: how did she get from the sinking Ski-Doo to the cabin, and why were there no tracks leading away?

Person: Marie Ramsey
Date: July 12-14, 2011
Location: Lunder Lake and Ramsey cabin, Kettrick Range
Event: Snowmobile sank through ice; woman missing for two days
Status: Found alive after walking to cabin

- At 9:22 AM on July 14, Beverly Harris found one work glove palm-up on Lunder Lake about 20 feet from the waterline.
- Marie Ramsey entered 34°F water after ice gave way about 130 feet from the western shore.
- She counted groups of sixty for an estimated 50-55 minutes while on the sinking snowmobile before moving to shore.
- The Ski-Doo tread marks pressed 10 feet into the western shore mud and then stopped with no further tracks.
- Owen Breck arrived at the Ramsey cabin at 11:40 AM on July 14 to find the door open, stove cold, gear laid in a deliberate row, and a tin cup with labrador tea residue.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100867Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:36:07 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked From A Sunk Snowmobile - Found Alive Days Later Adrenaline and cold calculation meet: a woman survived a plunge into 34°F water, crawled over breaking ice, left a single glove on Lunder Lake, then walked to a nearby cabin and was missing...
Adrenaline and cold calculation meet: a woman survived a plunge into 34°F water, crawled over breaking ice, left a single glove on Lunder Lake, then walked to a nearby cabin and was missing for two days before being reported-how did she stay alive long enough to be found? What choices kept her moving when hypothermia was closing in?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the moment a lone glove is spotted on Lunder Lake to the discovery of a cabin with gear arranged in a deliberate line, laying out the sequence of events and the unanswered questions about direction and survival: how did she get from the sinking Ski-Doo to the cabin, and why were there no tracks leading away?

Person: Marie Ramsey
Date: July 12-14, 2011
Location: Lunder Lake and Ramsey cabin, Kettrick Range
Event: Snowmobile sank through ice; woman missing for two days
Status: Found alive after walking to cabin

- At 9:22 AM on July 14, Beverly Harris found one work glove palm-up on Lunder Lake about 20 feet from the waterline.
- Marie Ramsey entered 34°F water after ice gave way about 130 feet from the western shore.
- She counted groups of sixty for an estimated 50-55 minutes while on the sinking snowmobile before moving to shore.
- The Ski-Doo tread marks pressed 10 feet into the western shore mud and then stopped with no further tracks.
- Owen Breck arrived at the Ramsey cabin at 11:40 AM on July 14 to find the door open, stove cold, gear laid in a deliberate row, and a tin cup with labrador tea residue.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>770falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-placed-her-bag-then-walked-out-of-the-world-for-two-hours--73100859
Fear of getting lost in a place you know intimately: a camera bag was found standing upright in eight inches of rising tidal water with a single evening primrose threaded through its handle-yet its owner had been missing for over two hours. How did Lisa Myers, a careful 46-year-old who logged 31 visits to the Harwick Estuary and left her phone in the car, vanish into fog so complete a compass became useless?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 4, 2019, at Alder Point Preserve and the Harwick Estuary, tracing Lisa Myers’ routine decisions, the unexpected second fog bank that altered the marsh’s sound and light, and the baffling clues left behind that sent rescuers the wrong way-could the deliberate placement of a bag be a beacon or a trap?

Person: Lisa Myers
Date: June 4, 2019
Location: Harwick Estuary, Alder Point Preserve
Status: Missing for over two hours before discovery of evidence
Equipment: Pelican case, Lowepro soft bag, carbon-fiber tripod

- Lisa parked her gray Subaru at 4:30 AM after a roughly 40-minute drive and entered the Flat around 4:45 AM.
- She had recorded 31 visits to the Flat over four years and kept a green Moleskine documenting each trip.
- Low tide was forecast for 5:22 AM exposing nearly two miles of walkable flat at -0.3 feet.
- At 6:47 AM a dog named Biscuit triggered discovery of the soft camera bag standing in eight inches of water with a yellow evening primrose threaded through the handle.
- The National Weather Service station at Machias revised visibility overnight so that by 6:15 AM visibility would drop to one-eighth of a mile due to a second fog bank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100859Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:35:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Placed Her Bag-Then Walked Out of the World for Two Hours Fear of getting lost in a place you know intimately: a camera bag was found standing upright in eight inches of rising tidal water with a single evening primrose threaded through its...
Fear of getting lost in a place you know intimately: a camera bag was found standing upright in eight inches of rising tidal water with a single evening primrose threaded through its handle-yet its owner had been missing for over two hours. How did Lisa Myers, a careful 46-year-old who logged 31 visits to the Harwick Estuary and left her phone in the car, vanish into fog so complete a compass became useless?

In this episode, we follow the morning of June 4, 2019, at Alder Point Preserve and the Harwick Estuary, tracing Lisa Myers’ routine decisions, the unexpected second fog bank that altered the marsh’s sound and light, and the baffling clues left behind that sent rescuers the wrong way-could the deliberate placement of a bag be a beacon or a trap?

Person: Lisa Myers
Date: June 4, 2019
Location: Harwick Estuary, Alder Point Preserve
Status: Missing for over two hours before discovery of evidence
Equipment: Pelican case, Lowepro soft bag, carbon-fiber tripod

- Lisa parked her gray Subaru at 4:30 AM after a roughly 40-minute drive and entered the Flat around 4:45 AM.
- She had recorded 31 visits to the Flat over four years and kept a green Moleskine documenting each trip.
- Low tide was forecast for 5:22 AM exposing nearly two miles of walkable flat at -0.3 feet.
- At 6:47 AM a dog named Biscuit triggered discovery of the soft camera bag standing in eight inches of water with a yellow evening primrose threaded through the handle.
- The National Weather Service station at Machias revised visibility overnight so that by 6:15 AM visibility would drop to one-eighth of a mile due to a second fog bank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1064falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-threw-his-boot-downriver-then-waited-to-be-found--73100857
Fear of being alone on a snowbound ridge, with a broken fibula and no cell signal: a dry mountaineering boot carried three pages of notes, a topographic fragment, orange surveyor's tape and one ibuprofen tablet downriver and into a stranger's hands - but why did George Henderson choose that exact creek crossing and throw his boot instead of heading for the trailhead?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the summit of Brentenhead to the river where the boot was found, covering the injury, the wrong drainage descent, the eleven-day ordeal and the rescue decision that hinged on a routine morning check; what did those notes and the boot reveal about his intent?

Person: George Henderson
Date: May 6-9, 2014
Location: Brentenhead summit / lower Brenten River
Injury: fractured fibula (right)
Distance from trailhead at summit: 4.5 miles

- At 4:37 PM on May 6, George signed the Dunmore Route Nine trailhead log, planning a camp at 7,200 feet and a summit push the next morning.
- On May 7 at 9:14 AM he wrote "Clear, cold, worth it" and reached the summit of Brentenhead (9,140 ft).
- Approximately two hours and 26 minutes after summiting, a crampon failed on a 40-degree ice slope and he fell about 20 feet, fracturing his right fibula.
- He descended on one boot and a trekking pole, stopping at a creek crossing near 6,200 feet where he realized he could not make it out alone.
- On May 9 at 6:40 AM a woman checking trotlines pulled a size 11 mountaineering boot from the lower Brenten River that was dry inside and contained three pages of handwritten notes, a topographic fragment, orange surveyor's tape, and one ibuprofen tablet.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100857Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:35:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Threw His Boot Downriver - Then Waited to Be Found Fear of being alone on a snowbound ridge, with a broken fibula and no cell signal: a dry mountaineering boot carried three pages of notes, a topographic fragment, orange surveyor's tape and one...
Fear of being alone on a snowbound ridge, with a broken fibula and no cell signal: a dry mountaineering boot carried three pages of notes, a topographic fragment, orange surveyor's tape and one ibuprofen tablet downriver and into a stranger's hands - but why did George Henderson choose that exact creek crossing and throw his boot instead of heading for the trailhead?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the summit of Brentenhead to the river where the boot was found, covering the injury, the wrong drainage descent, the eleven-day ordeal and the rescue decision that hinged on a routine morning check; what did those notes and the boot reveal about his intent?

Person: George Henderson
Date: May 6-9, 2014
Location: Brentenhead summit / lower Brenten River
Injury: fractured fibula (right)
Distance from trailhead at summit: 4.5 miles

- At 4:37 PM on May 6, George signed the Dunmore Route Nine trailhead log, planning a camp at 7,200 feet and a summit push the next morning.
- On May 7 at 9:14 AM he wrote "Clear, cold, worth it" and reached the summit of Brentenhead (9,140 ft).
- Approximately two hours and 26 minutes after summiting, a crampon failed on a 40-degree ice slope and he fell about 20 feet, fracturing his right fibula.
- He descended on one boot and a trekking pole, stopping at a creek crossing near 6,200 feet where he realized he could not make it out alone.
- On May 9 at 6:40 AM a woman checking trotlines pulled a size 11 mountaineering boot from the lower Brenten River that was dry inside and contained three pages of handwritten notes, a topographic fragment, orange surveyor's tape, and one ibuprofen tablet.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>896falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-candle-on-the-capsized-canoe-where-is-laura-sanders--73100855
Cold water, a capsized canoe, and a perfectly dry white birthday candle lodged in its geometric center after seventy-two hours in a flooding river - how could that happen, and where is the woman who owned that candle? The Tolliver River was running a foot and a half above normal, and the canoe arrived hull-up against the bank with the candle unsoiled; what explanation could reconcile those facts?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from Laura Sanders’s solo canoe trip and the discoveries that followed, laying out the timeline, the gear she carried, and the scene found by the land surveyor - and we return to the question that started it: what happened after the canoe capsized?

Person: Laura Sanders
Date: April 10-14, 2019
Location: Tolliver River, eastern bank near Millford Road bridge and Route Nine crossing
Event: Solo canoe trip and capsizing in a braided wetland
Finder: Gloria Porter, land surveyor

- Laura Sanders, age 53, put in at the Millford Road bridge on April 10, 2019 with a four-day float plan.
- The Tolliver River was running about 1.5 feet above normal during her trip.
- On April 12 at approximately 2:17 p.m., Laura paddled into a braided wetland and capsized after spending 40 minutes trying to find an exit.
- After two hours of failed re-entry attempts in 38-40°F water about 2 feet deep, she had with her a broken alder branch, her painter line, a dry bag, orange rain gear, trail mix, four energy bars, and a box of waterproof matches.
- On the morning of April 14, Gloria Porter photographed an overturned red Royalex canoe lodged against the eastern bank with an unlit, dry white birthday candle sitting in its near-geometric center, then called the Denton County Sheriff's Office.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100855Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:35:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Candle on the Capsized Canoe: Where Is Laura Sanders? Cold water, a capsized canoe, and a perfectly dry white birthday candle lodged in its geometric center after seventy-two hours in a flooding river - how could that happen, and where is...
Cold water, a capsized canoe, and a perfectly dry white birthday candle lodged in its geometric center after seventy-two hours in a flooding river - how could that happen, and where is the woman who owned that candle? The Tolliver River was running a foot and a half above normal, and the canoe arrived hull-up against the bank with the candle unsoiled; what explanation could reconcile those facts?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from Laura Sanders’s solo canoe trip and the discoveries that followed, laying out the timeline, the gear she carried, and the scene found by the land surveyor - and we return to the question that started it: what happened after the canoe capsized?

Person: Laura Sanders
Date: April 10-14, 2019
Location: Tolliver River, eastern bank near Millford Road bridge and Route Nine crossing
Event: Solo canoe trip and capsizing in a braided wetland
Finder: Gloria Porter, land surveyor

- Laura Sanders, age 53, put in at the Millford Road bridge on April 10, 2019 with a four-day float plan.
- The Tolliver River was running about 1.5 feet above normal during her trip.
- On April 12 at approximately 2:17 p.m., Laura paddled into a braided wetland and capsized after spending 40 minutes trying to find an exit.
- After two hours of failed re-entry attempts in 38-40°F water about 2 feet deep, she had with her a broken alder branch, her painter line, a dry bag, orange rain gear, trail mix, four energy bars, and a box of waterproof matches.
- On the morning of April 14, Gloria Porter photographed an overturned red Royalex canoe lodged against the eastern bank with an unlit, dry white birthday candle sitting in its near-geometric center, then called the Denton County Sheriff's Office.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1056falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/trapped-in-grain-22-hours-one-gap-and-a-thin-wire-of-hope--73100854
The thought of being buried waist-deep in grain for nearly a day is a slow, suffocating terror: a two-and-a-half-inch gap in broken machinery, an empty phone in a locked truck, and a man trained in safety left with nothing but time and will. What small failures turned a routine repair into a twenty-two-hour rescue, and what kept him alive until help arrived?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment glasses were found on a silo ladder to how George Holt became trapped in a Jetmore, Kansas silo and the chain of missed signals that stretched his ordeal to twenty-two hours. How did a careful, OSHA-certified worker end up buried to his thighs with no way to call for help?

Person: George Holt
Date: March 8-9, 2017
Location: Kettler farm, outside Jetmore, Kansas
Employer: Meridian Ag Structures
Duration trapped: nearly nineteen hours inside silo; ordeal described as twenty-two hours

- Reading glasses were left lens-side up on the third rung of the silo's exterior ladder at roughly 9:00 AM on March 9, 2017.
- Dale Jensen noticed the glasses and called 9-1-1 after seeing a pickup truck and tools near the silo around 9:00 AM.
- The temperature the night before dropped into the high twenties Fahrenheit.
- George Holt had been trapped in the silo for nearly nineteen hours without a phone or radio signal through corrugated steel walls.
- A two-and-a-half-inch gap in a broken machine was the reason George remained alive until the hatch was opened.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100854Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:35:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaTrapped in Grain: 22 Hours, One Gap, and a Thin Wire of Hope The thought of being buried waist-deep in grain for nearly a day is a slow, suffocating terror: a two-and-a-half-inch gap in broken machinery, an empty phone in a locked truck, and a man...
The thought of being buried waist-deep in grain for nearly a day is a slow, suffocating terror: a two-and-a-half-inch gap in broken machinery, an empty phone in a locked truck, and a man trained in safety left with nothing but time and will. What small failures turned a routine repair into a twenty-two-hour rescue, and what kept him alive until help arrived?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment glasses were found on a silo ladder to how George Holt became trapped in a Jetmore, Kansas silo and the chain of missed signals that stretched his ordeal to twenty-two hours. How did a careful, OSHA-certified worker end up buried to his thighs with no way to call for help?

Person: George Holt
Date: March 8-9, 2017
Location: Kettler farm, outside Jetmore, Kansas
Employer: Meridian Ag Structures
Duration trapped: nearly nineteen hours inside silo; ordeal described as twenty-two hours

- Reading glasses were left lens-side up on the third rung of the silo's exterior ladder at roughly 9:00 AM on March 9, 2017.
- Dale Jensen noticed the glasses and called 9-1-1 after seeing a pickup truck and tools near the silo around 9:00 AM.
- The temperature the night before dropped into the high twenties Fahrenheit.
- George Holt had been trapped in the silo for nearly nineteen hours without a phone or radio signal through corrugated steel walls.
- A two-and-a-half-inch gap in a broken machine was the reason George remained alive until the hatch was opened.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1164falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-landed-where-no-one-thought-to-look-55-hours-alone--73100853
Cold, high, and unseen: a trained respiratory therapist and experienced paraglider survived 55 hours alone on a granite plateau 6,400 feet above sea level after a controlled landing where no searcher looked. How did a methodical pilot with two fired maritime smoke canisters, an emergency blanket and a fractured ankle end up perched on a cliff nobody checked?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from launch through the first day of the search and the later discoveries that reframed the case, asking how routine checks, a missed weekly call, and two matching smoke canisters changed everything.

Person: Vicki Dalton
Age: 29
Date: February 7-9, 2019
Location: Vorda Ridge / Vorda Plateau, 6,400 ft
Item: two maritime smoke canisters (same lot number)

- Launch time: afternoon of February 7, 2019 from Vorda Ridge
- Last known GPS transmission: 15:15 on February 7 (app went quiet)
- Discovery photo time: 7:42 on the morning of February 9 (retired mail carrier took 11 shots)
- Duration alone on plateau: 55 hours before being seen in the photograph
- Injury: fractured right ankle sustained during the landing

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100853Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:35:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Landed Where No One Thought to Look: 55 Hours Alone Cold, high, and unseen: a trained respiratory therapist and experienced paraglider survived 55 hours alone on a granite plateau 6,400 feet above sea level after a controlled landing where no...
Cold, high, and unseen: a trained respiratory therapist and experienced paraglider survived 55 hours alone on a granite plateau 6,400 feet above sea level after a controlled landing where no searcher looked. How did a methodical pilot with two fired maritime smoke canisters, an emergency blanket and a fractured ankle end up perched on a cliff nobody checked?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from launch through the first day of the search and the later discoveries that reframed the case, asking how routine checks, a missed weekly call, and two matching smoke canisters changed everything.

Person: Vicki Dalton
Age: 29
Date: February 7-9, 2019
Location: Vorda Ridge / Vorda Plateau, 6,400 ft
Item: two maritime smoke canisters (same lot number)

- Launch time: afternoon of February 7, 2019 from Vorda Ridge
- Last known GPS transmission: 15:15 on February 7 (app went quiet)
- Discovery photo time: 7:42 on the morning of February 9 (retired mail carrier took 11 shots)
- Duration alone on plateau: 55 hours before being seen in the photograph
- Injury: fractured right ankle sustained during the landing

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1144falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-with-the-rope-how-a-freediver-vanished-then-came-back--73100851
Fear of being cut off from the surface - alone at forty meters with a snapped line - is the exact terror this episode delivers: a size medium neoprene glove threaded onto a severed yellow rope was found on a boat at 7:41 AM on January 9, 2019, but the diver was missing. How did a routine freedive in Pelican Cut turn into sixty-seven minutes between the first distress call and a woman pulled from the water?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events and the concrete details recovered from that morning to understand what unfolded in Pelican Cut, and whether a snapped descent line and a lone boat can explain the sixty-seven-minute gap.

Person: Sandra Murphy
Date: January 9, 2019
Location: Pelican Cut, Cayo Sereno, southwest Florida
Event: Freedive to 40 meters with snapped descent line
Time found by marine unit: 7:41 AM

- A size medium neoprene glove was found threaded onto a severed yellow polypropylene rope on the floor of the hull.
- The Lee County marine unit pulled alongside the boat at 7:41 AM after a first distress call, sixty-seven minutes earlier.
- Sandra turned fifty-five in October 2018 and had been freediving for nine years with a personal record of forty-three meters set in March 2018.
- Her dive log listed January 9 entry as site: Pelican Cut, depth: forty meters, departure: 5:45, with the page ending mid-entry.
- At 5:51 AM a nineteen-foot center-console boat left the marina without its owner’s knowledge; at 5:58 AM Sandra clipped her descent line and began her breathing sequence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100851Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:34:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone with the Rope: How a Freediver Vanished Then Came Back Fear of being cut off from the surface - alone at forty meters with a snapped line - is the exact terror this episode delivers: a size medium neoprene glove threaded onto a severed yellow...
Fear of being cut off from the surface - alone at forty meters with a snapped line - is the exact terror this episode delivers: a size medium neoprene glove threaded onto a severed yellow rope was found on a boat at 7:41 AM on January 9, 2019, but the diver was missing. How did a routine freedive in Pelican Cut turn into sixty-seven minutes between the first distress call and a woman pulled from the water?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events and the concrete details recovered from that morning to understand what unfolded in Pelican Cut, and whether a snapped descent line and a lone boat can explain the sixty-seven-minute gap.

Person: Sandra Murphy
Date: January 9, 2019
Location: Pelican Cut, Cayo Sereno, southwest Florida
Event: Freedive to 40 meters with snapped descent line
Time found by marine unit: 7:41 AM

- A size medium neoprene glove was found threaded onto a severed yellow polypropylene rope on the floor of the hull.
- The Lee County marine unit pulled alongside the boat at 7:41 AM after a first distress call, sixty-seven minutes earlier.
- Sandra turned fifty-five in October 2018 and had been freediving for nine years with a personal record of forty-three meters set in March 2018.
- Her dive log listed January 9 entry as site: Pelican Cut, depth: forty meters, departure: 5:45, with the page ending mid-entry.
- At 5:51 AM a nineteen-foot center-console boat left the marina without its owner’s knowledge; at 5:58 AM Sandra clipped her descent line and began her breathing sequence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1181falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-for-dead-at-28-f-the-ski-that-lured-her-away--73100848
Cold that kills quietly: a single cross-country ski stood boots-end up in a snowbank at -28°F with no tracks for 48 hours - and a 22-year-old expert skier vanished after signing a trail register two days earlier. What choice led her across thin ice and into a sequence of decisions that tested human limits in -23°F and left one object to mark the place of disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a December 14, 2009 roadside discovery back to the December 12 trailhead signature and the hours between. The episode covers the trail conditions, the fallen spruce that forced a river crossing, and the survival choices made in extreme cold - what did she do after the ice gave way?

Person: Jessica York
Date: December 12, 2009
Location: Tenmile backcountry, north bank then south bank of Tenmile River
Temperature: -23°F at the river; -28°F at Route 7 on December 14
Event: Cross-country skier fell through river ice and was later linked to a ski found at mile marker nine

- Trail register signed at Ridgeline trailhead on December 12, 2009 at 6:55 AM by a 22-year-old woman.
- Spruce tree had fallen across the trail sometime in November, blocking the full width and trunk chest-high.
- Jessica entered the river ice and was out in 45 seconds, hauling herself to the south bank using her poles.
- After exiting the water, the air temperature was -23°F and she had roughly 90 minutes before her core temperature would fall past useful thought.
- At 6:20 AM on December 14, 2009 a single cross-country ski was found upright, boots-end up, at mile marker nine on Route 7 outside Millhaven with no tracks leading away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100848Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:34:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft For Dead at -28°F: The Ski That Lured Her Away Cold that kills quietly: a single cross-country ski stood boots-end up in a snowbank at -28°F with no tracks for 48 hours - and a 22-year-old expert skier vanished after signing a trail register...
Cold that kills quietly: a single cross-country ski stood boots-end up in a snowbank at -28°F with no tracks for 48 hours - and a 22-year-old expert skier vanished after signing a trail register two days earlier. What choice led her across thin ice and into a sequence of decisions that tested human limits in -23°F and left one object to mark the place of disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a December 14, 2009 roadside discovery back to the December 12 trailhead signature and the hours between. The episode covers the trail conditions, the fallen spruce that forced a river crossing, and the survival choices made in extreme cold - what did she do after the ice gave way?

Person: Jessica York
Date: December 12, 2009
Location: Tenmile backcountry, north bank then south bank of Tenmile River
Temperature: -23°F at the river; -28°F at Route 7 on December 14
Event: Cross-country skier fell through river ice and was later linked to a ski found at mile marker nine

- Trail register signed at Ridgeline trailhead on December 12, 2009 at 6:55 AM by a 22-year-old woman.
- Spruce tree had fallen across the trail sometime in November, blocking the full width and trunk chest-high.
- Jessica entered the river ice and was out in 45 seconds, hauling herself to the south bank using her poles.
- After exiting the water, the air temperature was -23°F and she had roughly 90 minutes before her core temperature would fall past useful thought.
- At 6:20 AM on December 14, 2009 a single cross-country ski was found upright, boots-end up, at mile marker nine on Route 7 outside Millhaven with no tracks leading away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1011falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wired-shirt-on-the-lightning-rod-nine-days-trapped-on-saddle-peak--73100847
Fear of being unseen and alone drives this story: a red-and-black wool shirt wired twelve feet up a lightning rod, twenty-two empty water bottles lined in order, and a man who spent nine days on a burning ridge refusing to be a lost statistic-how did Clifford Fisher survive long enough to build his own signal?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events that left Fisher stranded after the Harlan Creek Fire exploded across ridgelines, the small disciplined choices he made inside the tower, and the gaps in the rescue that nearly cost him his life; what broke down between the plan and the search, and how did one wired shirt become the only clue?

Person: Clifford Fisher
Date: November 3-11, 2019
Location: Saddle Peak, Calloway Range
Event: Harlan Creek Fire
Search coordinator: Steven Sanders

- Fisher logged faint smoke from the Harlan Creek drainage at 7:12 AM on November 3.
- The evacuation order was issued November 4 at 1:47 PM and Fisher acknowledged by radio two minutes later.
- Fisher parked at mile marker 3, wrote “road blocked at mile marker four, turned back, will shelter here” at 6:03 PM on November 4.
- He lined up twelve one-liter water bottles along the north wall and rationed them down to one full bottle beside the logbook.
- A red-and-black wool shirt was wired to a lightning rod twelve feet above ground, spotted later by lineman Neil Morgan.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100847Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:34:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaWired Shirt on the Lightning Rod: Nine Days Trapped on Saddle Peak Fear of being unseen and alone drives this story: a red-and-black wool shirt wired twelve feet up a lightning rod, twenty-two empty water bottles lined in order, and a man who spent...
Fear of being unseen and alone drives this story: a red-and-black wool shirt wired twelve feet up a lightning rod, twenty-two empty water bottles lined in order, and a man who spent nine days on a burning ridge refusing to be a lost statistic-how did Clifford Fisher survive long enough to build his own signal?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events that left Fisher stranded after the Harlan Creek Fire exploded across ridgelines, the small disciplined choices he made inside the tower, and the gaps in the rescue that nearly cost him his life; what broke down between the plan and the search, and how did one wired shirt become the only clue?

Person: Clifford Fisher
Date: November 3-11, 2019
Location: Saddle Peak, Calloway Range
Event: Harlan Creek Fire
Search coordinator: Steven Sanders

- Fisher logged faint smoke from the Harlan Creek drainage at 7:12 AM on November 3.
- The evacuation order was issued November 4 at 1:47 PM and Fisher acknowledged by radio two minutes later.
- Fisher parked at mile marker 3, wrote “road blocked at mile marker four, turned back, will shelter here” at 6:03 PM on November 4.
- He lined up twelve one-liter water bottles along the north wall and rationed them down to one full bottle beside the logbook.
- A red-and-black wool shirt was wired to a lightning rod twelve feet above ground, spotted later by lineman Neil Morgan.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>912falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrote-her-location-on-a-rock-then-walked-two-miles-alone--73100845
Fear of being completely cut off in the wild - and the calm precision that beats it - drives this episode from the first line: a dry-erase marker stood upright in a granite crack nineteen miles from the nearest trailhead, and a woman in her sixties had written her location on a boulder before walking alone into unreachable drainage. How did a 62-year-old with Level Four kayak certification survive eight days in freezing water and flood-altered canyons with only a marker and a knife?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened after Alice Peterson launched on October 9 and became separated from her kayak, tracing the exact survival moves she made and the environmental conditions that should have killed her. What decisions and small preparations turned a near-impossible situation into a precise act of survival?

Person: Alice Peterson
Age: 62
Certification: Level Four kayak certification
Distance from nearest trailhead: 19 miles
Flow reading: 240% of historical October median

- A dry-erase office marker was found upright in a granite crack and had not been there two days earlier.
- Bruce Walsh photographed the marker at 6:42 AM before noticing a broached kayak and dried blood on rocks.
- Alice carried a spare dry-erase marker in her sealed fleece pocket after volunteering at the food bank.
- On October 9, the monitor station 12 kilometers upstream recorded flows at 240% of the historical October median.
- Alice had maybe 12-14 minutes of usable hand function in 4°C water and within 14 minutes had a fire burning using shaved wood from a fallen trunk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100845Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:34:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrote Her Location on a Rock - Then Walked Two Miles Alone Fear of being completely cut off in the wild - and the calm precision that beats it - drives this episode from the first line: a dry-erase marker stood upright in a granite crack...
Fear of being completely cut off in the wild - and the calm precision that beats it - drives this episode from the first line: a dry-erase marker stood upright in a granite crack nineteen miles from the nearest trailhead, and a woman in her sixties had written her location on a boulder before walking alone into unreachable drainage. How did a 62-year-old with Level Four kayak certification survive eight days in freezing water and flood-altered canyons with only a marker and a knife?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened after Alice Peterson launched on October 9 and became separated from her kayak, tracing the exact survival moves she made and the environmental conditions that should have killed her. What decisions and small preparations turned a near-impossible situation into a precise act of survival?

Person: Alice Peterson
Age: 62
Certification: Level Four kayak certification
Distance from nearest trailhead: 19 miles
Flow reading: 240% of historical October median

- A dry-erase office marker was found upright in a granite crack and had not been there two days earlier.
- Bruce Walsh photographed the marker at 6:42 AM before noticing a broached kayak and dried blood on rocks.
- Alice carried a spare dry-erase marker in her sealed fleece pocket after volunteering at the food bank.
- On October 9, the monitor station 12 kilometers upstream recorded flows at 240% of the historical October median.
- Alice had maybe 12-14 minutes of usable hand function in 4°C water and within 14 minutes had a fire burning using shaved wood from a fallen trunk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1037falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shoe-on-the-box-how-a-misread-clue-sent-rescue-teams-eight-miles-wrong--73100844
A single orange-and-gray Salomon Speedcross size ten, laces double-knotted and with an insole molded to a left foot, sat alone on a padlocked equipment housing in western North Carolina - and that lone shoe helped send searchers eight miles off course. Which small detail turned a thousand-person-day effort into a weeks-long chase in the wrong direction, and how did a torn gel wrapper rewrite the map of where Curtis actually was?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline from the Ridgeline 50K start to the moment search coordinators changed strategy, describing the discoveries, the mistaken identifications, and the information that finally reframed the search. What specific piece of gear - and what logged detail - caused teams to pour seventy percent of resources away from the route Curtis actually took?

Person: Curtis Phillips
Event: Ridgeline 50K race
Location: Harmon Creek State Recreation Area trailhead, western North Carolina
Date: September 2, 2017
Status: Missing for nine days before found

- A volunteer logged Curtis through mile 16 at 10:41 a.m. on September 2, 2017, noting he looked strong and handed him a Gu gel and water.
- Seventy percent of search resources were directed northeast toward creek canyon drainages after poles were identified as Curtis's.
- Black Diamond aluminum bastones found two miles from the trailhead were actually Jeff Mabry’s; Mabry had dropped at mile 14 and walked northeast.
- A torn Maurten 100 gel wrapper was found on day six on a rocky shelf southwest of the main search corridor, contradicting the aid station log.
- The misidentification of the poles led searchers to work the wrong area for three critical days before ownership was clarified ten days after the race.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100844Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:34:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Shoe on the Box: How a Misread Clue Sent Rescue Teams Eight Miles Wrong A single orange-and-gray Salomon Speedcross size ten, laces double-knotted and with an insole molded to a left foot, sat alone on a padlocked equipment housing in western...
A single orange-and-gray Salomon Speedcross size ten, laces double-knotted and with an insole molded to a left foot, sat alone on a padlocked equipment housing in western North Carolina - and that lone shoe helped send searchers eight miles off course. Which small detail turned a thousand-person-day effort into a weeks-long chase in the wrong direction, and how did a torn gel wrapper rewrite the map of where Curtis actually was?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline from the Ridgeline 50K start to the moment search coordinators changed strategy, describing the discoveries, the mistaken identifications, and the information that finally reframed the search. What specific piece of gear - and what logged detail - caused teams to pour seventy percent of resources away from the route Curtis actually took?

Person: Curtis Phillips
Event: Ridgeline 50K race
Location: Harmon Creek State Recreation Area trailhead, western North Carolina
Date: September 2, 2017
Status: Missing for nine days before found

- A volunteer logged Curtis through mile 16 at 10:41 a.m. on September 2, 2017, noting he looked strong and handed him a Gu gel and water.
- Seventy percent of search resources were directed northeast toward creek canyon drainages after poles were identified as Curtis's.
- Black Diamond aluminum bastones found two miles from the trailhead were actually Jeff Mabry’s; Mabry had dropped at mile 14 and walked northeast.
- A torn Maurten 100 gel wrapper was found on day six on a rocky shelf southwest of the main search corridor, contradicting the aid station log.
- The misidentification of the poles led searchers to work the wrong area for three critical days before ownership was clarified ten days after the race.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>886falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-had-every-tool-the-orange-pole-that-saved-him--73100842
The pulse of near-disaster: a hiker with a shattered knee, a dead phone, and one orange trekking pole left his fate teetering on three miles of gravel road and 53-degree night air-how did a single bright stick close a nine-day search gap? Could a folded note zip-tied to a grip and a simple piece of gear undo every other failure?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline, the gear list, and the crucial discoveries that connected a missing man to a mountain and then to a parking lot in Millhaven; what exactly did Crystal Griffin find against the Cooperative Extension Office door that sped rescue within two hours?

Person: Gary Russo
Date: August 4, 2019 (last confirmed GPS ping) and August 13, 2019 (pole found)
Location: Cregar Ridge, Daniel Boone National Forest / Millhaven, Kentucky
Injury: fractured left tibial plateau
Found item: orange trekking pole with folded paper zip-tied to the grip

- Gary Russo was 48 years old with 11 years of trail journals and logged entries for every route.
- His phone pinged a GPS tower at north access at 7:09 AM and he signed the east access register at 7:22 AM on August 4.
- Last confirmed GPS ping was at 2:51 PM on August 4, approximately 400 feet below the summit on the north face.
- One trekking pole shattered on impact; the orange pole survived and later was found propped against a locked office door on August 13.
- Crystal Griffin found the orange pole 30 feet from the Cooperative Extension Office front door at 6:47 AM on August 13, 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100842Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:33:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Had Every Tool - The Orange Pole That Saved Him The pulse of near-disaster: a hiker with a shattered knee, a dead phone, and one orange trekking pole left his fate teetering on three miles of gravel road and 53-degree night air-how did a single...
The pulse of near-disaster: a hiker with a shattered knee, a dead phone, and one orange trekking pole left his fate teetering on three miles of gravel road and 53-degree night air-how did a single bright stick close a nine-day search gap? Could a folded note zip-tied to a grip and a simple piece of gear undo every other failure?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline, the gear list, and the crucial discoveries that connected a missing man to a mountain and then to a parking lot in Millhaven; what exactly did Crystal Griffin find against the Cooperative Extension Office door that sped rescue within two hours?

Person: Gary Russo
Date: August 4, 2019 (last confirmed GPS ping) and August 13, 2019 (pole found)
Location: Cregar Ridge, Daniel Boone National Forest / Millhaven, Kentucky
Injury: fractured left tibial plateau
Found item: orange trekking pole with folded paper zip-tied to the grip

- Gary Russo was 48 years old with 11 years of trail journals and logged entries for every route.
- His phone pinged a GPS tower at north access at 7:09 AM and he signed the east access register at 7:22 AM on August 4.
- Last confirmed GPS ping was at 2:51 PM on August 4, approximately 400 feet below the summit on the north face.
- One trekking pole shattered on impact; the orange pole survived and later was found propped against a locked office door on August 13.
- Crystal Griffin found the orange pole 30 feet from the Cooperative Extension Office front door at 6:47 AM on August 13, 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1025falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/crab-pot-radio-60-hours-of-signals-from-a-lost-boat--73100838
A crab pot less than a mile from the Oregon coast held a handheld VHF radio that had been transmitting for nearly sixty hours-while drift models put the missing vessel thirty miles offshore. The radio’s steady green power light and a nest of orange fabric rewrote the search; who was still out there and what did those sixty hours reveal?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure through the storm and the search, laying out the physical evidence that redirected the Coast Guard's efforts and the unanswered questions it raised about the vessel’s location and last hours.

Person: Karen Coleman
Person: Dennis Farr
Person: Troy Winslow
Date: July 16-19, 2021
Location: off the northern Oregon coast

- At 08:05 on July 19, 2021 a walker found a crab pot on a basalt shelf thirty feet below a bluff.
- The handheld VHF radio inside the crab pot had its antenna extended and a slow green power light blinking after nearly sixty hours of transmissions.
- A buoy twelve miles offshore recorded sustained winds of 37 knots and eleven-foot seas with breaking crests by 15:00 on July 16, 2021.
- The Marta June departed for a crab pot string roughly twenty-two miles offshore, northwest of Tillamook Head, before the storm.
- The Coast Guard search area was centered thirty miles offshore, a parallelogram forty miles wide and eighteen miles deep, based on last known heading and destination.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100838Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:33:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaCrab Pot Radio: 60 Hours of Signals from a Lost Boat A crab pot less than a mile from the Oregon coast held a handheld VHF radio that had been transmitting for nearly sixty hours-while drift models put the missing vessel thirty miles offshore. The...
A crab pot less than a mile from the Oregon coast held a handheld VHF radio that had been transmitting for nearly sixty hours-while drift models put the missing vessel thirty miles offshore. The radio’s steady green power light and a nest of orange fabric rewrote the search; who was still out there and what did those sixty hours reveal?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure through the storm and the search, laying out the physical evidence that redirected the Coast Guard's efforts and the unanswered questions it raised about the vessel’s location and last hours.

Person: Karen Coleman
Person: Dennis Farr
Person: Troy Winslow
Date: July 16-19, 2021
Location: off the northern Oregon coast

- At 08:05 on July 19, 2021 a walker found a crab pot on a basalt shelf thirty feet below a bluff.
- The handheld VHF radio inside the crab pot had its antenna extended and a slow green power light blinking after nearly sixty hours of transmissions.
- A buoy twelve miles offshore recorded sustained winds of 37 knots and eleven-foot seas with breaking crests by 15:00 on July 16, 2021.
- The Marta June departed for a crab pot string roughly twenty-two miles offshore, northwest of Tillamook Head, before the storm.
- The Coast Guard search area was centered thirty miles offshore, a parallelogram forty miles wide and eighteen miles deep, based on last known heading and destination.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1026falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tied-shoe-empty-tank-how-a-librarian-walked-nine-miles-alive--73100835
Heat and desert disorientation turned a one-mile hope into a four-mile death trap; a tied shoe wedged in a root, a double-knotted lace, and a nearly dead phone are the slim clues that kept Christine and her nine-year-old daughter moving in 104°F. How did a careful, experienced desert reader end up nine and a half miles from her car and still survive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the blown tire on Route 83 through the decision at the fence line and the long walk east, reconstructing what Christine carried, what she knew, and the single misread horizon that changed everything - could a visible water tank be a mirage you can die following?

Person: Christine Green
Age: 52
Companion: Mara, age 9
Date: June 23, 2019
Temperature: 104 °F

- Distance from abandoned car to shoe site: 11 miles from nearest road
- Distance Christine estimated to tank: 1-1.5 miles; actual distance measured later: ~4 miles
- Phone battery at roadside: 11 percent
- Time they left the road: approximately 5:00 PM
- Rationing: about 4 ounces of fluid per person every 90 minutes, with one juice box kept in reserve

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73100835Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:33:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaTied Shoe, Empty Tank: How a Librarian Walked Nine Miles Alive Heat and desert disorientation turned a one-mile hope into a four-mile death trap; a tied shoe wedged in a root, a double-knotted lace, and a nearly dead phone are the slim clues that...
Heat and desert disorientation turned a one-mile hope into a four-mile death trap; a tied shoe wedged in a root, a double-knotted lace, and a nearly dead phone are the slim clues that kept Christine and her nine-year-old daughter moving in 104°F. How did a careful, experienced desert reader end up nine and a half miles from her car and still survive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the blown tire on Route 83 through the decision at the fence line and the long walk east, reconstructing what Christine carried, what she knew, and the single misread horizon that changed everything - could a visible water tank be a mirage you can die following?

Person: Christine Green
Age: 52
Companion: Mara, age 9
Date: June 23, 2019
Temperature: 104 °F

- Distance from abandoned car to shoe site: 11 miles from nearest road
- Distance Christine estimated to tank: 1-1.5 miles; actual distance measured later: ~4 miles
- Phone battery at roadside: 11 percent
- Time they left the road: approximately 5:00 PM
- Rationing: about 4 ounces of fluid per person every 90 minutes, with one juice box kept in reserve

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1084falsefull