https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/extreme-survival--7194893
This is where raw human instinct meets the brutal force of nature. Extreme Survival explores true stories of survival, from harrowing wilderness escapes to mastering essential bushcraft skills. We break down the strategies, mental fortitude, and gear that make the difference between life and death.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM. Each installment delivers gripping narratives, expert insights into survival techniques, and practical tips for wilderness preparedness that will sharpen your own capabilities.

Perfect for adventurers, preppers, and anyone fascinated by the limits of human resilience against extreme conditions. If you're looking to understand what it truly takes to endure, this podcast is for you.

Subscribe now and prepare for the unexpected.]]>enPersonal Journals© 2026 OBOMEDIA Creatorshttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/08e10a87337bb66081b13bf88fc532eb.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/extreme-survival--7194893Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:13:27 +0000Creator at ObomediaCreator at Obomediacreators@obomedia.comAre you ready to face the wild? Extreme Survival throws you headfirst into the most unforgiving environments on Earth. This is where raw human instinct meets the brutal force of nature. Extreme Survival explores true stories of survival, from...
This is where raw human instinct meets the brutal force of nature. Extreme Survival explores true stories of survival, from harrowing wilderness escapes to mastering essential bushcraft skills. We break down the strategies, mental fortitude, and gear that make the difference between life and death.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM. Each installment delivers gripping narratives, expert insights into survival techniques, and practical tips for wilderness preparedness that will sharpen your own capabilities.

Perfect for adventurers, preppers, and anyone fascinated by the limits of human resilience against extreme conditions. If you're looking to understand what it truly takes to endure, this podcast is for you.

Subscribe now and prepare for the unexpected.]]>false2bf6de48-4c88-5329-881a-76994c777d73episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-eight-days-the-coral-nail-that-saved-her--73084053
A fingernail painted coral pink was the first visible sign of life after eight days beneath meters of avalanche debris - a vivid clue that contradicted every assumption made during the search. How did one small cosmetic detail, a thirteen-degree error in a witness bearing, and an emergency blanket conspire to hide a living person for more than a week?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the avalanche released to the moment a hand emerged from snow, laying out what rescue teams did, what they missed, and the single errors that almost cost Sandra Walker her life. What exactly kept her alive and what nearly kept rescuers from finding her?

Person: Sandra Walker
Date: May 6, 2019 (avalanche release) and May 14, 2019 (discovery)
Location: Fenwick Chute, northeast-facing chute at 6,200 feet; Dunmore trailhead
Witness: Ray Odom (reported avalanche at 9:53 AM)
Search suspended: May 11, 2019 (declared dead)

- Sandra was 32 years old at the time and left a handwritten note with route name, expected return time, and truck license plate.
- The avalanche released at approximately 9:40 AM on May 6, 2019, on a northeast-facing chute at 6,200 feet.
- A satellite report from Ray Odom was filed at 9:53 AM from the opposite ridge describing where the slide started.
- Twelve-person search team mobilized by 3:00 PM on May 6, searching a runout zone with an 80-100 meter margin of directional error (due south vs southeast).
- Thermal helicopter (May 7) and avalanche dog Biscuit with handler Pete Gruner (May 8, six hours) returned no definitive live detection; the emergency blanket retained heat and obscured thermal signature.

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/73084053Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive Eight Days: The Coral Nail That Saved Her A fingernail painted coral pink was the first visible sign of life after eight days beneath meters of avalanche debris - a vivid clue that contradicted every assumption made during the search....
A fingernail painted coral pink was the first visible sign of life after eight days beneath meters of avalanche debris - a vivid clue that contradicted every assumption made during the search. How did one small cosmetic detail, a thirteen-degree error in a witness bearing, and an emergency blanket conspire to hide a living person for more than a week?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the avalanche released to the moment a hand emerged from snow, laying out what rescue teams did, what they missed, and the single errors that almost cost Sandra Walker her life. What exactly kept her alive and what nearly kept rescuers from finding her?

Person: Sandra Walker
Date: May 6, 2019 (avalanche release) and May 14, 2019 (discovery)
Location: Fenwick Chute, northeast-facing chute at 6,200 feet; Dunmore trailhead
Witness: Ray Odom (reported avalanche at 9:53 AM)
Search suspended: May 11, 2019 (declared dead)

- Sandra was 32 years old at the time and left a handwritten note with route name, expected return time, and truck license plate.
- The avalanche released at approximately 9:40 AM on May 6, 2019, on a northeast-facing chute at 6,200 feet.
- A satellite report from Ray Odom was filed at 9:53 AM from the opposite ridge describing where the slide started.
- Twelve-person search team mobilized by 3:00 PM on May 6, searching a runout zone with an 80-100 meter margin of directional error (due south vs southeast).
- Thermal helicopter (May 7) and avalanche dog Biscuit with handler Pete Gruner (May 8, six hours) returned no definitive live detection; the emergency blanket retained heat and obscured thermal signature.

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.]]>1148falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-wet-map-inside-a-dry-meter-box-missing-woman-no-rain-nine-days--73084052
A wet writing slate from a cave survey turned up dripping inside a meter box that had not seen rain for nine days, and it bore a hand-drawn map with depth readings and the single word SURFACE - so how did diving equipment travel from deep in a limestone cave to the doorstep of a woman who had been missing six days? What link connects that slate to the unexplained absence of a careful, experienced cave diver?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Cynthia Harris’s ritual Thursday visits and the missing-person report through the discovery of an unlatched gate and tire impressions that showed she had been driven to a cave; we trace the search efforts of the North Florida Cave Rescue Team and the puzzling absence of her primary survey reel as they ask: where did she go beyond the backup line?

Person: Cynthia Harris
Age: 53
Training: National Association of Cave Rescue certification
Organization: Clearwater Passage (volunteer surveyor)
Event: Missing-person report filed April 11

- Cynthia had logged more than 400 cave dives over two decades.
- She retired after 22 years teaching elementary school and visited her sister weekly at Pinewood Court.
- On the day she vanished she left her truck at home but her double-cylinder manifold rig, wetsuit, primary light, two backups and dive computer were missing.
- Two items remained in the house: a backup regulator set on a hook and a surface marker buoy in a milk crate.
- Divers found a backup reel tied off at a T-junction with a line running 260 feet into a side shaft, while her primary yellow Halcyon 250-foot survey reel was not found.

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/73084052Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaA wet map inside a dry meter box - missing woman, no rain, nine days A wet writing slate from a cave survey turned up dripping inside a meter box that had not seen rain for nine days, and it bore a hand-drawn map with depth readings and the single...
A wet writing slate from a cave survey turned up dripping inside a meter box that had not seen rain for nine days, and it bore a hand-drawn map with depth readings and the single word SURFACE - so how did diving equipment travel from deep in a limestone cave to the doorstep of a woman who had been missing six days? What link connects that slate to the unexplained absence of a careful, experienced cave diver?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Cynthia Harris’s ritual Thursday visits and the missing-person report through the discovery of an unlatched gate and tire impressions that showed she had been driven to a cave; we trace the search efforts of the North Florida Cave Rescue Team and the puzzling absence of her primary survey reel as they ask: where did she go beyond the backup line?

Person: Cynthia Harris
Age: 53
Training: National Association of Cave Rescue certification
Organization: Clearwater Passage (volunteer surveyor)
Event: Missing-person report filed April 11

- Cynthia had logged more than 400 cave dives over two decades.
- She retired after 22 years teaching elementary school and visited her sister weekly at Pinewood Court.
- On the day she vanished she left her truck at home but her double-cylinder manifold rig, wetsuit, primary light, two backups and dive computer were missing.
- Two items remained in the house: a backup regulator set on a hook and a surface marker buoy in a milk crate.
- Divers found a backup reel tied off at a T-junction with a line running 260 feet into a side shaft, while her primary yellow Halcyon 250-foot survey reel was not found.

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.]]>1100falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-placed-her-mug-89-hours-trapped-beyond-mile-nineteen--73084050
Cold, isolation and a single sunflower mug with a quarter inch of frozen coffee: those facts point to near-miss survival and baffling choices that kept a woman alive for 89 hours in 22-degree cold. How did a routine survey trip end with a locked gate, no footprints, and a deliberately placed mug that forced a driver to stop?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline of Nicole Wagner’s disappearance and the search that followed, following receipts, witness notes, and the odd details left at the scene to ask whether the gate at mile nineteen was a barrier or a trap.

Person: Nicole Wagner
Date: March 10-14, 2019
Location: Forest Service Road Seven-Kilo, mile nineteen, Cascine Range
Status: Missing when discovered; alive in truck for 89 hours in 22-degree cold
Item: Ceramic sunflower mug with 1/4 inch frozen coffee

- At 7:22 AM on March 14, 2019, Brian Snyder stopped on an unplowed forest road and found a ceramic sunflower mug upright in the center of the lane.
- The mug contained a quarter inch of frozen coffee and had no footprints or tracks leading to it.
- Nicole Wagner had lived in Dunnmore for eleven years and worked as a GIS mapping technician.
- On March 10 at 6:48 PM Nicole bought eleven gallons of gas and a coffee; the receipt was later recovered.
- Deputies checked the steel pipe gate at mile nineteen on the afternoon of March 12 and reported it “secured”; the gate locked from either side with the same key.

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/73084050Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Placed Her Mug - 89 Hours Trapped Beyond Mile Nineteen Cold, isolation and a single sunflower mug with a quarter inch of frozen coffee: those facts point to near-miss survival and baffling choices that kept a woman alive for 89 hours in...
Cold, isolation and a single sunflower mug with a quarter inch of frozen coffee: those facts point to near-miss survival and baffling choices that kept a woman alive for 89 hours in 22-degree cold. How did a routine survey trip end with a locked gate, no footprints, and a deliberately placed mug that forced a driver to stop?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline of Nicole Wagner’s disappearance and the search that followed, following receipts, witness notes, and the odd details left at the scene to ask whether the gate at mile nineteen was a barrier or a trap.

Person: Nicole Wagner
Date: March 10-14, 2019
Location: Forest Service Road Seven-Kilo, mile nineteen, Cascine Range
Status: Missing when discovered; alive in truck for 89 hours in 22-degree cold
Item: Ceramic sunflower mug with 1/4 inch frozen coffee

- At 7:22 AM on March 14, 2019, Brian Snyder stopped on an unplowed forest road and found a ceramic sunflower mug upright in the center of the lane.
- The mug contained a quarter inch of frozen coffee and had no footprints or tracks leading to it.
- Nicole Wagner had lived in Dunnmore for eleven years and worked as a GIS mapping technician.
- On March 10 at 6:48 PM Nicole bought eleven gallons of gas and a coffee; the receipt was later recovered.
- Deputies checked the steel pipe gate at mile nineteen on the afternoon of March 12 and reported it “secured”; the gate locked from either side with the same key.

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.]]>1264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-dismasted-south-six-days-rebuilding-a-dead-sailboat--73084049
The hardest part of survival is being in plain sight-and yet unnoticed: a thirty-eight-foot sloop lost at sea for five days, a busted mast that miraculously stayed upright, and a woman who rebuilt a rig with rope and a spare pole while alone and south of every search effort. How did Patricia Campbell keep the Solano Drift afloat and herself within reach when every asset was looking the other way?

In this episode, we follow the six days Patricia spent alone on a dismasted hull, how three strangers unknowingly intersected her drift, and the improvised repairs and navigation that kept her from disappearing entirely. Can a handheld GPS, a storm jib, and local knowledge of rigging be enough to survive where an EPIRB has already sunk?

Person: Patricia Campbell
Age: 28
Vessel: Solano Drift, 38-foot sloop
Departure: February 2, 2023, 6:12 AM from Arcata marina
Distance offshore at dismasting: 22 miles

- The surveillance camera recorded the Solano Drift leaving Arcata marina at 6:12 AM on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
- Patricia had sailed since age 11 and had completed two significant offshore passages before this trip.
- A marine surveyor previously noted corrosion at the mast base and recommended replacing the junction hardware before the next offshore passage.
- The mast failed after a block on the mainsheet broke during a controlled jibe amid chaotic cross-chop around 9:30 PM, causing the mast and EPIRB to go overboard.
- After the EPIRB sank into 800 feet of water, Patricia navigated with a handheld GPS, checked it hourly, slept in 90-minute intervals, and improvised a rig using spare rope and a pole.

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/73084049Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone, Dismasted, South: Six Days Rebuilding a Dead Sailboat The hardest part of survival is being in plain sight-and yet unnoticed: a thirty-eight-foot sloop lost at sea for five days, a busted mast that miraculously stayed upright, and a woman...
The hardest part of survival is being in plain sight-and yet unnoticed: a thirty-eight-foot sloop lost at sea for five days, a busted mast that miraculously stayed upright, and a woman who rebuilt a rig with rope and a spare pole while alone and south of every search effort. How did Patricia Campbell keep the Solano Drift afloat and herself within reach when every asset was looking the other way?

In this episode, we follow the six days Patricia spent alone on a dismasted hull, how three strangers unknowingly intersected her drift, and the improvised repairs and navigation that kept her from disappearing entirely. Can a handheld GPS, a storm jib, and local knowledge of rigging be enough to survive where an EPIRB has already sunk?

Person: Patricia Campbell
Age: 28
Vessel: Solano Drift, 38-foot sloop
Departure: February 2, 2023, 6:12 AM from Arcata marina
Distance offshore at dismasting: 22 miles

- The surveillance camera recorded the Solano Drift leaving Arcata marina at 6:12 AM on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
- Patricia had sailed since age 11 and had completed two significant offshore passages before this trip.
- A marine surveyor previously noted corrosion at the mast base and recommended replacing the junction hardware before the next offshore passage.
- The mast failed after a block on the mainsheet broke during a controlled jibe amid chaotic cross-chop around 9:30 PM, causing the mast and EPIRB to go overboard.
- After the EPIRB sank into 800 feet of water, Patricia navigated with a handheld GPS, checked it hourly, slept in 90-minute intervals, and improvised a rig using spare rope and a pole.

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.]]>1174falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-chose-the-wrong-fork-surviving-four-days-on-sandstone-walls--73084047
Cold, patient danger: a single size-10 boot, double-knotted and dry above the flood line, turned up eleven miles from the nearest trail and pointing to a man who would spend four days stranded on a sandstone wall. How does a careful, methodical hiker end up alone, injured, and out of reach in a canyon he knew well?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and small choices that led to a life-or-death delay. The story covers the hike, the wrong use trail at the Notch, the ankle injury, and the discovery of the boot - but what exactly failed to connect a predictable routine with sudden survival stakes?

Person: Eugene Sanders
Date: January 15, 2019 (hike signed at 7:52 AM)
Date: January 21, 2019 (boot found)
Location: Calla River / Calla Canyon system
Injury: moderate lateral ankle sprain

- The boot discovered was size ten or eleven, double-knotted, dry above the flood line, and wet only on the sole.
- Eugene signed the Palo Mesa trailhead register at 7:52 AM and recorded the temperature as 41°F.
- At approximately 10:30 AM he took a well-worn use trail from the Notch that led southeast into Pinto Fork drainage.
- The pour-off he reached around noon presented a 60-foot vertical sandstone drop with no route down or around.
- After descending from the Notch he slipped, injuring his right ankle; he rested about 15 minutes before standing again.

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/73084047Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Chose the Wrong Fork - Surviving Four Days on Sandstone Walls Cold, patient danger: a single size-10 boot, double-knotted and dry above the flood line, turned up eleven miles from the nearest trail and pointing to a man who would spend four days...
Cold, patient danger: a single size-10 boot, double-knotted and dry above the flood line, turned up eleven miles from the nearest trail and pointing to a man who would spend four days stranded on a sandstone wall. How does a careful, methodical hiker end up alone, injured, and out of reach in a canyon he knew well?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and small choices that led to a life-or-death delay. The story covers the hike, the wrong use trail at the Notch, the ankle injury, and the discovery of the boot - but what exactly failed to connect a predictable routine with sudden survival stakes?

Person: Eugene Sanders
Date: January 15, 2019 (hike signed at 7:52 AM)
Date: January 21, 2019 (boot found)
Location: Calla River / Calla Canyon system
Injury: moderate lateral ankle sprain

- The boot discovered was size ten or eleven, double-knotted, dry above the flood line, and wet only on the sole.
- Eugene signed the Palo Mesa trailhead register at 7:52 AM and recorded the temperature as 41°F.
- At approximately 10:30 AM he took a well-worn use trail from the Notch that led southeast into Pinto Fork drainage.
- The pour-off he reached around noon presented a 60-foot vertical sandstone drop with no route down or around.
- After descending from the Notch he slipped, injuring his right ankle; he rested about 15 minutes before standing again.

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.]]>1243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-forty-miles-back-alone-left-a-hanging-staff--73084046
Cold, isolated, and with a broken leg, she walked forty miles through single-digit temperatures and deep snow to leave a carbon-fiber staff hanging seven miles from the nearest marked trail-how did she survive? This episode centers on a deliberate knot, a split rod wrapped in tan compression, and one unresolved question: who navigated the ridge and why was no one searching in the right place?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began with a routine training run and ended with a repaired tool as the only physical trace of a long, solitary return; we track the decisions, the weather, and the gap between a trail register entry and the route actually taken to ask what that gap cost.

Person: Amanda Parker
Age: 22
Occupation: Second-year nursing student
Date: December 8-9, 2023
Location: Vellum Ridge

- Staff found hanging at chest height from a low branch, seven miles from the nearest marked trail.
- Temperature dropped to single digits Fahrenheit the night of December 8 into December 9, 2023.
- Snowpack on north-facing slopes measured 14 to 20 inches.
- Amanda signed the trail register for the north loop: "north loop, sixty miles, solo, no crew."
- Amanda's fall occurred at mile 62 at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, causing a fibula fracture below the knee.

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/73084046Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Forty Miles Back Alone - Left a Hanging Staff Cold, isolated, and with a broken leg, she walked forty miles through single-digit temperatures and deep snow to leave a carbon-fiber staff hanging seven miles from the nearest marked...
Cold, isolated, and with a broken leg, she walked forty miles through single-digit temperatures and deep snow to leave a carbon-fiber staff hanging seven miles from the nearest marked trail-how did she survive? This episode centers on a deliberate knot, a split rod wrapped in tan compression, and one unresolved question: who navigated the ridge and why was no one searching in the right place?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began with a routine training run and ended with a repaired tool as the only physical trace of a long, solitary return; we track the decisions, the weather, and the gap between a trail register entry and the route actually taken to ask what that gap cost.

Person: Amanda Parker
Age: 22
Occupation: Second-year nursing student
Date: December 8-9, 2023
Location: Vellum Ridge

- Staff found hanging at chest height from a low branch, seven miles from the nearest marked trail.
- Temperature dropped to single digits Fahrenheit the night of December 8 into December 9, 2023.
- Snowpack on north-facing slopes measured 14 to 20 inches.
- Amanda signed the trail register for the north loop: "north loop, sixty miles, solo, no crew."
- Amanda's fall occurred at mile 62 at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, causing a fibula fracture below the knee.

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/nine-miles-wrong-how-a-skillet-a-candle-and-frost-saved-him--73084045
Cold smoke from a mountain fire can be a life-or-death sign; a cast-iron skillet with hardened candle wax and four shallow frost scratches were the only markers left on a locked gate in western Montana. When a deputy spotted those marks on November 17 and saw visible smoke from Colter Basin at 8,400 feet, it set in motion a rescue that found a 38-year-old man with a core temp of 94.1°F - how did a broken phone and a set of coordinates nine miles off leave him stranded for six days?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events that left Warren Ford alone at a high-altitude survey camp, the equipment failures and choices that mattered, and the improvised signals he left behind; how did those small acts become the only proof he had been there?

Person: Warren Ford
Date: November 17 (discovery at gate); November 3-17 (camp timeline)
Location: Colter Basin, eastern Montana, at 8,400 feet
Event: Evacuation after teammate’s tibia and fibula fracture
Status: Found alone after six days with body temperature 94.1°F

- A cast-iron skillet with hardened pale yellow candle wax and a charred wick was found on a snow-buried Suburban hood at a locked gate.
- Four parallel one-inch lines were scratched into frost around the skillet’s base, made on four separate mornings.
- Visible dark smoke was reported rising from the eastern shelf of Colter Basin, visible from four miles away.
- The survey camp had six people on November 3 and a Bell 407 helicopter evacuated five people on November 11 at 2:47 p.m., leaving Warren behind.
- Warren was found by helicopter 85 minutes after the deputy’s radio call; he had been alone for six days and two fingers on his left hand had turned ash-colored.

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/73084045Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaNine Miles Wrong: How a Skillet, a Candle, and Frost Saved Him Cold smoke from a mountain fire can be a life-or-death sign; a cast-iron skillet with hardened candle wax and four shallow frost scratches were the only markers left on a locked gate in...
Cold smoke from a mountain fire can be a life-or-death sign; a cast-iron skillet with hardened candle wax and four shallow frost scratches were the only markers left on a locked gate in western Montana. When a deputy spotted those marks on November 17 and saw visible smoke from Colter Basin at 8,400 feet, it set in motion a rescue that found a 38-year-old man with a core temp of 94.1°F - how did a broken phone and a set of coordinates nine miles off leave him stranded for six days?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events that left Warren Ford alone at a high-altitude survey camp, the equipment failures and choices that mattered, and the improvised signals he left behind; how did those small acts become the only proof he had been there?

Person: Warren Ford
Date: November 17 (discovery at gate); November 3-17 (camp timeline)
Location: Colter Basin, eastern Montana, at 8,400 feet
Event: Evacuation after teammate’s tibia and fibula fracture
Status: Found alone after six days with body temperature 94.1°F

- A cast-iron skillet with hardened pale yellow candle wax and a charred wick was found on a snow-buried Suburban hood at a locked gate.
- Four parallel one-inch lines were scratched into frost around the skillet’s base, made on four separate mornings.
- Visible dark smoke was reported rising from the eastern shelf of Colter Basin, visible from four miles away.
- The survey camp had six people on November 3 and a Bell 407 helicopter evacuated five people on November 11 at 2:47 p.m., leaving Warren behind.
- Warren was found by helicopter 85 minutes after the deputy’s radio call; he had been alone for six days and two fingers on his left hand had turned ash-colored.

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© 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.]]>1126falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-carved-nineteen-marks-fourteen-feet-above-floodwater--73084044
Fear tightens when a person is trapped fourteen feet above a canyon floor with no ledge, no foothold, and no way to signal-yet nineteen fresh horizontal lines, each with a tiny hash, were carved into sandstone where no one could stand. Who made those marks, why were they counted in exact steps, and how did a small chisel become the only lifeline between a stranded canyoneer and rescue?

In this episode, we follow the discovery and slow, methodical survival in Calloway Canyon and the photograph that would not leave the finder until the truth emerged. What happened between a Tuesday morning discovery and a Saturday flood that left one woman carving a record into stone?

Person: Douglas Hunter
Person: Connie Mills
Location: Calloway Canyon
Date: Saturday (flood at 2:14 PM)
Item: nineteen horizontal lines with small left-side hash marks

- Hunter found nineteen horizontal lines cut into Navajo sandstone fourteen feet above the canyon floor before dawn on a Tuesday.
- Connie Mills, age sixty-two, had completed Calloway Canyon fourteen times prior to the Saturday of the flood.
- Mills carried three liters of water, two days of food, a 200-lumen headlamp with two spare battery sets, and an emergency bivy on that trip.
- The flood arrived at 2:14 PM on Saturday and filled the Compression section of the canyon to within eighteen inches of Mills's feet while she hid in a pocket.
- Mills lowered a carabiner on webbing to the water and used a cold chisel to mark successive water heights on the wall, producing multiple horizontal lines.

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/73084044Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Carved Nineteen Marks Fourteen Feet Above Floodwater Fear tightens when a person is trapped fourteen feet above a canyon floor with no ledge, no foothold, and no way to signal-yet nineteen fresh horizontal lines, each with a tiny hash, were...
Fear tightens when a person is trapped fourteen feet above a canyon floor with no ledge, no foothold, and no way to signal-yet nineteen fresh horizontal lines, each with a tiny hash, were carved into sandstone where no one could stand. Who made those marks, why were they counted in exact steps, and how did a small chisel become the only lifeline between a stranded canyoneer and rescue?

In this episode, we follow the discovery and slow, methodical survival in Calloway Canyon and the photograph that would not leave the finder until the truth emerged. What happened between a Tuesday morning discovery and a Saturday flood that left one woman carving a record into stone?

Person: Douglas Hunter
Person: Connie Mills
Location: Calloway Canyon
Date: Saturday (flood at 2:14 PM)
Item: nineteen horizontal lines with small left-side hash marks

- Hunter found nineteen horizontal lines cut into Navajo sandstone fourteen feet above the canyon floor before dawn on a Tuesday.
- Connie Mills, age sixty-two, had completed Calloway Canyon fourteen times prior to the Saturday of the flood.
- Mills carried three liters of water, two days of food, a 200-lumen headlamp with two spare battery sets, and an emergency bivy on that trip.
- The flood arrived at 2:14 PM on Saturday and filled the Compression section of the canyon to within eighteen inches of Mills's feet while she hid in a pocket.
- Mills lowered a carabiner on webbing to the water and used a cold chisel to mark successive water heights on the wall, producing multiple horizontal lines.

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.]]>1038falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-kept-swimming-straits-a-broken-boat-and-a-locked-compass--73084042
The air-tight compass washed ashore in Tarifa on September 19, 2011, locked to a bearing of 82° east and completely dry after crossing roughly 20 miles of one of the world's busiest and most dangerous shipping corridors - so how did it end up bobbing against the breakwater, and why was that bearing fixed? What was the meaning of a compass sealed to 82° in a place where currents run at three knots and tankers make swimmers invisible?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people involved in a planned Strait of Gibraltar crossing that went wrong in the space of an hour. We map the crossing plan, the mechanical failures, the rescue attempts, and the small, overlooked entries in an observer's log that later take on new weight - and we return to the sealed compass found two days later: who locked it and why?

Person: Linda Reed
Date: September 17, 2011 (start of crossing) and September 19, 2011 (compass found)
Location: Strait of Gibraltar / Tarifa breakwater
Vessel: Albatros (converted day-fishing boat), Captain Ernesto Fuentes, 53
Observer: Kevin Morse, marine biology doctoral student, University of Cádiz

- Linda Reed entered the water at 04:51 on September 17, 2011 and had covered six nautical miles by 06:51.
- The Albatros held position approximately 30 meters off Linda's left shoulder before its cooling pump seized at 07:23.
- Repair estimate for the Albatros cooling pump failure was 45-90 minutes.
- A RIB rescue from Tarifa station, operated by Sean Calloway (28), was launched but its engine failed three nautical miles north of Linda due to fuel contamination.
- A sealed compass fixed to a bearing of 82° east was found by a fifteen-year-old on the Tarifa breakwater just before 06:00 on September 19, 2011, after crossing about 20 miles and remaining completely 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/73084042Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Kept Swimming: Straits, a Broken Boat, and a Locked Compass The air-tight compass washed ashore in Tarifa on September 19, 2011, locked to a bearing of 82° east and completely dry after crossing roughly 20 miles of one of the world's busiest...
The air-tight compass washed ashore in Tarifa on September 19, 2011, locked to a bearing of 82° east and completely dry after crossing roughly 20 miles of one of the world's busiest and most dangerous shipping corridors - so how did it end up bobbing against the breakwater, and why was that bearing fixed? What was the meaning of a compass sealed to 82° in a place where currents run at three knots and tankers make swimmers invisible?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people involved in a planned Strait of Gibraltar crossing that went wrong in the space of an hour. We map the crossing plan, the mechanical failures, the rescue attempts, and the small, overlooked entries in an observer's log that later take on new weight - and we return to the sealed compass found two days later: who locked it and why?

Person: Linda Reed
Date: September 17, 2011 (start of crossing) and September 19, 2011 (compass found)
Location: Strait of Gibraltar / Tarifa breakwater
Vessel: Albatros (converted day-fishing boat), Captain Ernesto Fuentes, 53
Observer: Kevin Morse, marine biology doctoral student, University of Cádiz

- Linda Reed entered the water at 04:51 on September 17, 2011 and had covered six nautical miles by 06:51.
- The Albatros held position approximately 30 meters off Linda's left shoulder before its cooling pump seized at 07:23.
- Repair estimate for the Albatros cooling pump failure was 45-90 minutes.
- A RIB rescue from Tarifa station, operated by Sean Calloway (28), was launched but its engine failed three nautical miles north of Linda due to fuel contamination.
- A sealed compass fixed to a bearing of 82° east was found by a fifteen-year-old on the Tarifa breakwater just before 06:00 on September 19, 2011, after crossing about 20 miles and remaining completely 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.]]>1119falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-rode-past-the-gate-six-days-lost-above-the-tree-line--73084040
Adrenaline and dread collide: a lone racing bike stood upright on a closed mountain road at 12,000 feet with a single glove draped over the brake - no rider, no footprints, and the road had been gated for six days. How did 47-year-old April Stewart, an experienced competitive cyclist who left her jacket at the start line, vanish above the tree line and survive when visibility fell below 50 feet?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Ashford Summit Challenge start through the Wendover fire closure and the moment April reached a padlocked Forest Service gate, waited twenty minutes, then climbed back toward the summit. We cover her pre-ride knowledge of the route, the sudden collapse of visibility and temperature, and the initial search response that began hours later - but how did she find a stream to survive the nights above tree line?

Person: April Stewart
Age: 47
Event: Ashford Summit Challenge
Date: August 3, 2019
First SAR notification: 2:15 p.m. on August 3

- April clipped in at the Ridgecrest start line at 7:00 a.m, on August 3, 2019.
- Race officials turned the field around at mile 11 after closure notice at 9:52 a.m.; Kevin Marsh reached mile 11 at 10:18 a.m.
- April crested the summit alone at about 10:40 a.m. and descended to a padlocked Forest Service gate where she waited 20 minutes.
- Visibility dropped to under 50 feet and temperature fell from 61°F to 44°F by 11:30 a.m. as smoke from the Wendover fire and a storm front converged.
- April found a granite overhang at roughly 10,000 feet, used a mylar survival blanket, ate one gel and two chews, and later located a stream she followed and marked.

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/73084040Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Rode Past the Gate: Six Days Lost Above the Tree Line Adrenaline and dread collide: a lone racing bike stood upright on a closed mountain road at 12,000 feet with a single glove draped over the brake - no rider, no footprints, and the road had...
Adrenaline and dread collide: a lone racing bike stood upright on a closed mountain road at 12,000 feet with a single glove draped over the brake - no rider, no footprints, and the road had been gated for six days. How did 47-year-old April Stewart, an experienced competitive cyclist who left her jacket at the start line, vanish above the tree line and survive when visibility fell below 50 feet?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Ashford Summit Challenge start through the Wendover fire closure and the moment April reached a padlocked Forest Service gate, waited twenty minutes, then climbed back toward the summit. We cover her pre-ride knowledge of the route, the sudden collapse of visibility and temperature, and the initial search response that began hours later - but how did she find a stream to survive the nights above tree line?

Person: April Stewart
Age: 47
Event: Ashford Summit Challenge
Date: August 3, 2019
First SAR notification: 2:15 p.m. on August 3

- April clipped in at the Ridgecrest start line at 7:00 a.m, on August 3, 2019.
- Race officials turned the field around at mile 11 after closure notice at 9:52 a.m.; Kevin Marsh reached mile 11 at 10:18 a.m.
- April crested the summit alone at about 10:40 a.m. and descended to a padlocked Forest Service gate where she waited 20 minutes.
- Visibility dropped to under 50 feet and temperature fell from 61°F to 44°F by 11:30 a.m. as smoke from the Wendover fire and a storm front converged.
- April found a granite overhang at roughly 10,000 feet, used a mylar survival blanket, ate one gel and two chews, and later located a stream she followed and marked.

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.]]>1113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-drove-into-thawing-ice-survived-19-frozen-days--73084039
Cold dread: a 453-pound snowmobile sits nine feet below crystal-clear water with no skid marks, a gouge in the ice visible for nineteen days, and one question: how did a methodical rancher end up under thawing ice and survive 19 frozen days?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Tuesday morning discovery at Kettner Lake through the early search decisions and overlooked evidence. What choices, tracks, and missed signs explain why search teams looked the wrong way while the crucial clue sat in plain sight?

Person: Monica Stroud
Age: 31
Vehicle: Arcturus 600 snowmobile, 453 pounds
Location: Kettner Lake north arm, 6,200 feet elevation
Search start: June 19 (Gerald Peck returned and reported her missing)

- Monica left the ranch on June 18 to check a water source and never returned for her truck.
- Gerald Peck was in Billings for four days, returning the evening of June 19 to find cattle unfed and Monica missing.
- A long gouge in the north arm ice was present and visible on the surface for nineteen days before recovery.
- A snowmobile track at a trail bifurcation heading southwest toward the lake was found on day four and logged as inconclusive.
- William Russo discovered the snowmobile nine feet below the lake surface on a Tuesday morning while inspecting the eastern shore.

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/73084039Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Drove Into Thawing Ice - Survived 19 Frozen Days Cold dread: a 453-pound snowmobile sits nine feet below crystal-clear water with no skid marks, a gouge in the ice visible for nineteen days, and one question: how did a methodical rancher end up...
Cold dread: a 453-pound snowmobile sits nine feet below crystal-clear water with no skid marks, a gouge in the ice visible for nineteen days, and one question: how did a methodical rancher end up under thawing ice and survive 19 frozen days?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Tuesday morning discovery at Kettner Lake through the early search decisions and overlooked evidence. What choices, tracks, and missed signs explain why search teams looked the wrong way while the crucial clue sat in plain sight?

Person: Monica Stroud
Age: 31
Vehicle: Arcturus 600 snowmobile, 453 pounds
Location: Kettner Lake north arm, 6,200 feet elevation
Search start: June 19 (Gerald Peck returned and reported her missing)

- Monica left the ranch on June 18 to check a water source and never returned for her truck.
- Gerald Peck was in Billings for four days, returning the evening of June 19 to find cattle unfed and Monica missing.
- A long gouge in the north arm ice was present and visible on the surface for nineteen days before recovery.
- A snowmobile track at a trail bifurcation heading southwest toward the lake was found on day four and logged as inconclusive.
- William Russo discovered the snowmobile nine feet below the lake surface on a Tuesday morning while inspecting the eastern shore.

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.]]>1067falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lost-to-the-ladder-12-hours-alone-on-a-fogged-tidal-flat--73084038
Fog, cold water, and a compass that didn't lie-yet a man trusted routine so completely he walked away from home and into a tidal maze where visibility dropped under fifteen feet and his path drifted a mile and a half east. How did a practiced photographer with two decades of night flats experience end up stranded on a feature locals call the Ladder, and what single decision in the dark decided whether he would return?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and choices of Clifford Price across twelve hours and forty-three minutes on the tidal flat, from the dry camera bag left on the berm at 6:14 a.m. to the fog that erased the horizon and the channels that swallowed his footing; will his rule to "find the highest ground and stay" save him or doom him?

Person: Clifford Price
Age: 52
Location: Kessler Bay tidal flat (the Ladder)
Date: June 3-4, 2019
Duration: 12 hours 43 minutes

- Camera bag found at 6:14 a.m. on the berm: dry, upright, straps buckled, zippers closed.
- Clifford stepped onto the flats at 10:50 p.m, with tripod, compass, jacket, and a granola bar.
- Low tide predicted at 11:47 p.m.; by 12:30 a.m. he was roughly 900 yards from the berm.
- Visibility fell under 15 feet within twenty minutes of fog arrival; a moonlit photo taken around 12:10 a.m. became significant evidence.
- His body unknowingly veered about 1.5 miles east into the Ladder due to small proprioceptive drift despite a correctly used compass.

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/73084038Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaLost to the Ladder: 12 Hours Alone on a Fogged Tidal Flat Fog, cold water, and a compass that didn't lie-yet a man trusted routine so completely he walked away from home and into a tidal maze where visibility dropped under fifteen feet and his path...
Fog, cold water, and a compass that didn't lie-yet a man trusted routine so completely he walked away from home and into a tidal maze where visibility dropped under fifteen feet and his path drifted a mile and a half east. How did a practiced photographer with two decades of night flats experience end up stranded on a feature locals call the Ladder, and what single decision in the dark decided whether he would return?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and choices of Clifford Price across twelve hours and forty-three minutes on the tidal flat, from the dry camera bag left on the berm at 6:14 a.m. to the fog that erased the horizon and the channels that swallowed his footing; will his rule to "find the highest ground and stay" save him or doom him?

Person: Clifford Price
Age: 52
Location: Kessler Bay tidal flat (the Ladder)
Date: June 3-4, 2019
Duration: 12 hours 43 minutes

- Camera bag found at 6:14 a.m. on the berm: dry, upright, straps buckled, zippers closed.
- Clifford stepped onto the flats at 10:50 p.m, with tripod, compass, jacket, and a granola bar.
- Low tide predicted at 11:47 p.m.; by 12:30 a.m. he was roughly 900 yards from the berm.
- Visibility fell under 15 feet within twenty minutes of fog arrival; a moonlit photo taken around 12:10 a.m. became significant evidence.
- His body unknowingly veered about 1.5 miles east into the Ladder due to small proprioceptive drift despite a correctly used compass.

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.]]>1273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-that-didn-t-want-to-be-found-dawn-s-44-hour-survival--73084037
A single yellow glove, stiff with frost, sat draped over a permit map at the Holloway trailhead - a photograph that launched a search while its owner lay forty feet up the slope with a broken leg and a core temperature of 93°F. How did Dawn Jones survive nearly forty-four hours alone inside a makeshift shelter, with a green spiral journal of self-instructions and rescuers searching the wrong side of Brecker Peak for thirty-six hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and choices that kept Dawn alive and the missteps that delayed her rescue, asking whether careful planning can still be undone by small accidents and larger failures - and what that means for search-and-rescue procedures.

Person: Dawn Jones
Date: May 10-14, 2019
Location: Brecker Peak, southeast slope; Holloway trailhead; Crestfield
Status: Survived; transported to hospital in Crestfield
Item: green spiral journal

- Found at 9:47 AM on May 14, 2019: a single yellow glove stiff with frost at the Holloway trailhead kiosk.
- Dawn reached the summit of Brecker Peak at 9:15 AM on May 11 at 11,200 feet elevation and descended southeast on a less-traveled ridge.
- The fibula fractured roughly 600 feet below the summit at approximately 10:40 AM when a boot slipped on refrozen snow over scree.
- Dawn spent nearly 44 hours alone with a core temperature recorded at 93°F and sheltered about 40 feet inside a makeshift windbreak of an orange emergency space blanket.
- Searchers spent 36 hours searching the wrong face of the mountain while a helicopter passed overhead and Dawn could not reach 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/73084037Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Glove That Didn't Want To Be Found: Dawn's 44-Hour Survival A single yellow glove, stiff with frost, sat draped over a permit map at the Holloway trailhead - a photograph that launched a search while its owner lay forty feet up the slope with a...
A single yellow glove, stiff with frost, sat draped over a permit map at the Holloway trailhead - a photograph that launched a search while its owner lay forty feet up the slope with a broken leg and a core temperature of 93°F. How did Dawn Jones survive nearly forty-four hours alone inside a makeshift shelter, with a green spiral journal of self-instructions and rescuers searching the wrong side of Brecker Peak for thirty-six hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and choices that kept Dawn alive and the missteps that delayed her rescue, asking whether careful planning can still be undone by small accidents and larger failures - and what that means for search-and-rescue procedures.

Person: Dawn Jones
Date: May 10-14, 2019
Location: Brecker Peak, southeast slope; Holloway trailhead; Crestfield
Status: Survived; transported to hospital in Crestfield
Item: green spiral journal

- Found at 9:47 AM on May 14, 2019: a single yellow glove stiff with frost at the Holloway trailhead kiosk.
- Dawn reached the summit of Brecker Peak at 9:15 AM on May 11 at 11,200 feet elevation and descended southeast on a less-traveled ridge.
- The fibula fractured roughly 600 feet below the summit at approximately 10:40 AM when a boot slipped on refrozen snow over scree.
- Dawn spent nearly 44 hours alone with a core temperature recorded at 93°F and sheltered about 40 feet inside a makeshift windbreak of an orange emergency space blanket.
- Searchers spent 36 hours searching the wrong face of the mountain while a helicopter passed overhead and Dawn could not reach 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.]]>1263falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-72-hours-the-map-case-that-rewrote-the-search--73084036
Adrenaline and calculated calm collided when a dry, sealed orange map case turned up wedged in a sycamore roots forty feet from the retreating creek-its back marked with the steady message "Gone to the ridge. Follow the sycamores." How did that case travel from a downstream canoe to a root high above the waterline, and what does that movement reveal about the first eighteen hours of the search?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that defined Valerie Whitfield's seventy-two-hour survival after her canoe capsized. You will hear how her training as a civil engineer, a minimalist kit tied to her wrist, and a single climb to a ridge shaped every outcome-so what did the misplaced map case finally prove?

Person: Valerie Whitfield
Age: 41
Location: Sullen Creek near the Elbow
Event: Canoe capsize with subsequent 72-hour survival
Found object: Orange map case with message "Gone to the ridge. Follow the sycamores."

- The orange case was found forty feet from the water's edge, wedged in sycamore roots on a Saturday morning in April.
- The creek had been running at its highest level in eleven years two days before Valerie launched.
- Valerie hit a standing wave at the Elbow nine miles downstream, was in the water within two seconds, and reached the bank in under one minute.
- Her stuff sack was tied to her wrist and contained one lighter, one space blanket, a first-aid kit, a headlamp, four energy bars, a folding knife, and 0.5 liters of water.
- The ridge above the Elbow rises roughly 120 feet above the creek bed and offered two miles of creek corridor visibility in each 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/73084036Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 72 Hours: The Map Case That Rewrote the Search Adrenaline and calculated calm collided when a dry, sealed orange map case turned up wedged in a sycamore roots forty feet from the retreating creek-its back marked with the steady message...
Adrenaline and calculated calm collided when a dry, sealed orange map case turned up wedged in a sycamore roots forty feet from the retreating creek-its back marked with the steady message "Gone to the ridge. Follow the sycamores." How did that case travel from a downstream canoe to a root high above the waterline, and what does that movement reveal about the first eighteen hours of the search?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that defined Valerie Whitfield's seventy-two-hour survival after her canoe capsized. You will hear how her training as a civil engineer, a minimalist kit tied to her wrist, and a single climb to a ridge shaped every outcome-so what did the misplaced map case finally prove?

Person: Valerie Whitfield
Age: 41
Location: Sullen Creek near the Elbow
Event: Canoe capsize with subsequent 72-hour survival
Found object: Orange map case with message "Gone to the ridge. Follow the sycamores."

- The orange case was found forty feet from the water's edge, wedged in sycamore roots on a Saturday morning in April.
- The creek had been running at its highest level in eleven years two days before Valerie launched.
- Valerie hit a standing wave at the Elbow nine miles downstream, was in the water within two seconds, and reached the bank in under one minute.
- Her stuff sack was tied to her wrist and contained one lighter, one space blanket, a first-aid kit, a headlamp, four energy bars, a folding knife, and 0.5 liters of water.
- The ridge above the Elbow rises roughly 120 feet above the creek bed and offered two miles of creek corridor visibility in each 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.]]>1047falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-in-a-sealed-silo-how-marie-survived-17-hours--73084034
Cold air pulsed down an eight-inch auger shaft into a forty-one-foot concrete silo for seventeen hours while a woman fought to stay alive in grain dust at explosive concentration - and nobody knew she was inside. How did a routine habit, a single shaft, and a thirteen-year-old memory become the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we follow the events that began at 2:35 PM on March 13, 2022, when Marie Riley entered a sealed silo and became trapped, and we trace the timeline, conditions, and tiny choices that kept her alive until a passerby spotted a hand at 8:47 AM the next morning. What saved her in those seventeen hours?

Person: Marie Riley
Date: March 13-14, 2022
Location: Siebert grain complex, Silo One
Duration: 17 hours 38 minutes
Temperature outside: 31 degrees Fahrenheit

- Marie entered Silo One at approximately 2:35 PM after signing into the complex at 2:15 PM for work on Silos Three and Four.
- The silo had been sealed since 2011 and was a concrete cylinder 41 feet tall with a single 8-inch auger shaft to the top.
- Marie went under the grain in less than four seconds; her right arm was pinned completely and her left arm had four inches of elbow movement.
- She had completed a grain entrapment certification course in 2009 and had kept an LED headlamp strapped to her wrist as a habitual safety measure.
- A walker, Patricia Holm, saw a moving hand at 8:47 AM on March 14, 2022, and called 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/73084034Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive in a Sealed Silo: How Marie Survived 17 Hours Cold air pulsed down an eight-inch auger shaft into a forty-one-foot concrete silo for seventeen hours while a woman fought to stay alive in grain dust at explosive concentration - and...
Cold air pulsed down an eight-inch auger shaft into a forty-one-foot concrete silo for seventeen hours while a woman fought to stay alive in grain dust at explosive concentration - and nobody knew she was inside. How did a routine habit, a single shaft, and a thirteen-year-old memory become the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we follow the events that began at 2:35 PM on March 13, 2022, when Marie Riley entered a sealed silo and became trapped, and we trace the timeline, conditions, and tiny choices that kept her alive until a passerby spotted a hand at 8:47 AM the next morning. What saved her in those seventeen hours?

Person: Marie Riley
Date: March 13-14, 2022
Location: Siebert grain complex, Silo One
Duration: 17 hours 38 minutes
Temperature outside: 31 degrees Fahrenheit

- Marie entered Silo One at approximately 2:35 PM after signing into the complex at 2:15 PM for work on Silos Three and Four.
- The silo had been sealed since 2011 and was a concrete cylinder 41 feet tall with a single 8-inch auger shaft to the top.
- Marie went under the grain in less than four seconds; her right arm was pinned completely and her left arm had four inches of elbow movement.
- She had completed a grain entrapment certification course in 2009 and had kept an LED headlamp strapped to her wrist as a habitual safety measure.
- A walker, Patricia Holm, saw a moving hand at 8:47 AM on March 14, 2022, and called 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.]]>1142falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-waved-from-400-feet-the-paraglider-who-couldn-t-be-seen--73084033
Fear and isolation: a 23-year-old paraglider spent 25 hours stranded on a basalt ledge 400 feet above a river with no radio, no water, and a fractured wrist - how did she survive and try to direct rescuers to the only escape route she had found? What did she do while waiting, and why did no one below understand where she was pointing?

In this episode, we tell the story of Judith Holmes and the sequence of decisions, injuries, and improvised solutions that defined one long night on a cliff. Follow what she carried, what she lost, and the single choice that changed everything as you hear how she tried to communicate her location to the ground.

Person: Judith Holmes
Date: February 6-9, 2019
Location: Aldren Plateau east face / basalt cliff above Camas River
Age: 23
Injury: fractured left wrist, two fissured ribs, deep left shin laceration

- She landed on the ledge at approximately 4:00 PM on February 6, 2019 after deploying her reserve parachute.
- She was stranded for 25 hours on a ledge roughly 12 by 8 feet and 400 feet above the river.
- Her backpack with water, a first-aid kit, and her green spiral notebook tore free and fell about 30 feet to a lower corniche she could not reach.
- She identified a geological fault line 230 yards south as the only way off the cliff within one hour of landing.
- The canopy outer panels were bright orange and she used two large panels to build a wind barrier and strips to splint her wrist.

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/73084033Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Waved From 400 Feet: The Paraglider Who Couldn't Be Seen Fear and isolation: a 23-year-old paraglider spent 25 hours stranded on a basalt ledge 400 feet above a river with no radio, no water, and a fractured wrist - how did she survive and try...
Fear and isolation: a 23-year-old paraglider spent 25 hours stranded on a basalt ledge 400 feet above a river with no radio, no water, and a fractured wrist - how did she survive and try to direct rescuers to the only escape route she had found? What did she do while waiting, and why did no one below understand where she was pointing?

In this episode, we tell the story of Judith Holmes and the sequence of decisions, injuries, and improvised solutions that defined one long night on a cliff. Follow what she carried, what she lost, and the single choice that changed everything as you hear how she tried to communicate her location to the ground.

Person: Judith Holmes
Date: February 6-9, 2019
Location: Aldren Plateau east face / basalt cliff above Camas River
Age: 23
Injury: fractured left wrist, two fissured ribs, deep left shin laceration

- She landed on the ledge at approximately 4:00 PM on February 6, 2019 after deploying her reserve parachute.
- She was stranded for 25 hours on a ledge roughly 12 by 8 feet and 400 feet above the river.
- Her backpack with water, a first-aid kit, and her green spiral notebook tore free and fell about 30 feet to a lower corniche she could not reach.
- She identified a geological fault line 230 yards south as the only way off the cliff within one hour of landing.
- The canopy outer panels were bright orange and she used two large panels to build a wind barrier and strips to splint her wrist.

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.]]>1106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-carved-i-am-up-how-a-freediver-survived-85-minutes-alone--73084032
Cold, dark, and thirty-eight meters down, she carved three words into a slate with a grease pencil - "I AM UP" - hooked it to a passing weight line, and then swam toward a light she could not yet see; how did a trained freediver with a GPS beacon and proper gear become effectively invisible for eighty-five minutes? Which single decision, made alone in water at fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, ended up saving her life?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from the moment a propeller blade sliced a four-millimeter cord at 6:47 a.m. on January 9, through the failures and technicalities that thwarted search efforts, to the one action the diver took that changed everything; what does that one decision tell us about preparation, equipment, and human judgment?

Person: Linda Simpson
Date: January 9
Location: Heron Flat channel, Florida Gulf
Depth: 38 meters (carved slate); 32 meters (cord slack)
Duration: 85 minutes

- The propeller blade severed a four-millimeter nylon cord at 6:47 a.m.
- Water temperature was 58 degrees Fahrenheit and Linda wore a three-millimeter wetsuit.
- The integrated GPS beacon transmitted her position every four minutes as designed.
- Terry Holst's 22-foot center-console passed directly over the buoy line at 20-25 knots and was two miles away by sunrise.
- Linda had a personal record of 63 meters in pool freediving and was 38 years old at the time.

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/73084032Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Carved "I AM UP"-How a Freediver Survived 85 Minutes Alone Cold, dark, and thirty-eight meters down, she carved three words into a slate with a grease pencil - "I AM UP" - hooked it to a passing weight line, and then swam toward a light she...
Cold, dark, and thirty-eight meters down, she carved three words into a slate with a grease pencil - "I AM UP" - hooked it to a passing weight line, and then swam toward a light she could not yet see; how did a trained freediver with a GPS beacon and proper gear become effectively invisible for eighty-five minutes? Which single decision, made alone in water at fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, ended up saving her life?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from the moment a propeller blade sliced a four-millimeter cord at 6:47 a.m. on January 9, through the failures and technicalities that thwarted search efforts, to the one action the diver took that changed everything; what does that one decision tell us about preparation, equipment, and human judgment?

Person: Linda Simpson
Date: January 9
Location: Heron Flat channel, Florida Gulf
Depth: 38 meters (carved slate); 32 meters (cord slack)
Duration: 85 minutes

- The propeller blade severed a four-millimeter nylon cord at 6:47 a.m.
- Water temperature was 58 degrees Fahrenheit and Linda wore a three-millimeter wetsuit.
- The integrated GPS beacon transmitted her position every four minutes as designed.
- Terry Holst's 22-foot center-console passed directly over the buoy line at 20-25 knots and was two miles away by sunrise.
- Linda had a personal record of 63 meters in pool freediving and was 38 years old at the time.

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.]]>802falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-fell-through-two-inch-ice-survived-six-frozen-days-alone--73084031
A man with a core temperature of 89°F stood and said the name of the river after six days alone in winter - and his exit from the water was on the east bank, the side that should have been impossible. What single piece of evidence pointed rescuers the wrong way, and how did a two-inch ice break turn into almost a fatal misdirection?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events from the last known text to the search that missed the clues, detailing the route Grant Carlson planned, the decision that sent him onto two-inch river ice, and the evidence that confused search teams - could one misplaced ski pole and a hand-drawn map explain why he was gone for six days?

Person: Grant Carlson
Date: December 5-11, 2011
Location: Arlen River near Gravel Bend, Pelham, Minnesota
Status: Missing for six days, found alive with core temperature 89°F
Search coordinator: Clifford Moore

- Grant left a hand-sketched route on his garage bench showing a southeast loop through timber to Gravel Bend and back.
- At about 40 minutes into his walk, wind-scarred ridge stopped him and he descended toward the river instead.
- The subsurface spring thinned the ice to roughly two inches at a point a quarter mile downstream from Gravel Bend where he fell through.
- He exited the river on the east bank, away from Ruttner Road and the main search corridors, and his exit tracks were covered by about two inches of overnight snowfall.
- A ski pole was found snagged upright in brush about one mile downstream on the east bank - despite the river current running toward the west.

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/73084031Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Fell Through Two-Inch Ice - Survived Six Frozen Days Alone A man with a core temperature of 89°F stood and said the name of the river after six days alone in winter - and his exit from the water was on the east bank, the side that should have...
A man with a core temperature of 89°F stood and said the name of the river after six days alone in winter - and his exit from the water was on the east bank, the side that should have been impossible. What single piece of evidence pointed rescuers the wrong way, and how did a two-inch ice break turn into almost a fatal misdirection?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events from the last known text to the search that missed the clues, detailing the route Grant Carlson planned, the decision that sent him onto two-inch river ice, and the evidence that confused search teams - could one misplaced ski pole and a hand-drawn map explain why he was gone for six days?

Person: Grant Carlson
Date: December 5-11, 2011
Location: Arlen River near Gravel Bend, Pelham, Minnesota
Status: Missing for six days, found alive with core temperature 89°F
Search coordinator: Clifford Moore

- Grant left a hand-sketched route on his garage bench showing a southeast loop through timber to Gravel Bend and back.
- At about 40 minutes into his walk, wind-scarred ridge stopped him and he descended toward the river instead.
- The subsurface spring thinned the ice to roughly two inches at a point a quarter mile downstream from Gravel Bend where he fell through.
- He exited the river on the east bank, away from Ruttner Road and the main search corridors, and his exit tracks were covered by about two inches of overnight snowfall.
- A ski pole was found snagged upright in brush about one mile downstream on the east bank - despite the river current running toward the west.

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.]]>989falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-was-logged-evacuated-found-alive-after-43-days-alone--73084030
Fear tightens when a single transcription error can erase a human life from a rescue system: a twenty-four-year-old fire lookout spent forty-three days alone at 6,200 feet after his status was changed from "evacuation pending" to "evacuated - confirmed." How did a single word, a bent camp fork, and a king of diamonds flag become the only signals that someone was still up on the tower?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that left Brian Evans alone on Granite Notch for forty-three days, from his arrival on September 1, 2011, through the radioed fire and a diverted helicopter, to the moment Cheryl York found his handmade flag and card - and ask what kept him going when the record said he was gone.

Person: Brian Evans
Date: September 1, 2011 - November 9, 2011
Location: Granite Notch, Aldrich Range, eastern Oregon
Height: 6,200 feet
Status in dispatch log: changed from "evacuation pending" to "evacuated - confirmed"

- Brian arrived at Granite Notch on September 1, 2011 and was twenty-four years old that season.
- His rotation was scheduled to end October 30, 2011; he carried about twelve days of food (up to eighteen with rationing) and two propane canisters.
- On October 27, 2011 at 6:41 a.m. Brian radioed June Carrillo reporting smoke below the tower; she logged "contacted - evacuation pending."
- At 8:50 a.m. on October 27, radio contact with Brian went silent and a helicopter being coordinated was diverted to assist two hikers twenty miles northeast, one severely burned.
- On November 9, 2011 Cheryl York driving Granite Notch Road spotted a bright orange sleeve flag with the king of diamonds pinned by a bent camp fork, and found Brian alive inside the tower after forty-three days alone.

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/73084030Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Was Logged "Evacuated" - Found Alive After 43 Days Alone Fear tightens when a single transcription error can erase a human life from a rescue system: a twenty-four-year-old fire lookout spent forty-three days alone at 6,200 feet after his status...
Fear tightens when a single transcription error can erase a human life from a rescue system: a twenty-four-year-old fire lookout spent forty-three days alone at 6,200 feet after his status was changed from "evacuation pending" to "evacuated - confirmed." How did a single word, a bent camp fork, and a king of diamonds flag become the only signals that someone was still up on the tower?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that left Brian Evans alone on Granite Notch for forty-three days, from his arrival on September 1, 2011, through the radioed fire and a diverted helicopter, to the moment Cheryl York found his handmade flag and card - and ask what kept him going when the record said he was gone.

Person: Brian Evans
Date: September 1, 2011 - November 9, 2011
Location: Granite Notch, Aldrich Range, eastern Oregon
Height: 6,200 feet
Status in dispatch log: changed from "evacuation pending" to "evacuated - confirmed"

- Brian arrived at Granite Notch on September 1, 2011 and was twenty-four years old that season.
- His rotation was scheduled to end October 30, 2011; he carried about twelve days of food (up to eighteen with rationing) and two propane canisters.
- On October 27, 2011 at 6:41 a.m. Brian radioed June Carrillo reporting smoke below the tower; she logged "contacted - evacuation pending."
- At 8:50 a.m. on October 27, radio contact with Brian went silent and a helicopter being coordinated was diverted to assist two hikers twenty miles northeast, one severely burned.
- On November 9, 2011 Cheryl York driving Granite Notch Road spotted a bright orange sleeve flag with the king of diamonds pinned by a bent camp fork, and found Brian alive inside the tower after forty-three days alone.

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.]]>1089falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrapped-his-fingers-in-foil-and-chose-to-freeze-with-him--73084029
Cold, precise decisions saved a life on a thirty-four-degree riverbank: a mylar blanket from an "empty" stock, a paddler with fingers numb within minutes, and a GPS track that upended the simple story of who went for help. How did a choice that looked like abandonment become the act that kept a man alive?

In this episode, we follow the morning of October ninth when two experienced paddlers faced a rapid unfolding of hypothermia and injury, and learn how one person's training and one small emergency item changed the outcome. Which actions, and which timeline revealed by the recovered GPS track, explain what really happened?

Person: Janet Rafferty
Person: Dennis Hobart
Date: October 9, 2019
Location: Vorda outflow, Narrows
Temperature: Air 34°F, Water 38-41°F

- Janet had a swift-water rescue certification renewed 18 months before October 2019.
- Dennis was 51 years old and had a fractured left wrist and a laceration above his right ear after the kayak folded.
- They were in the water for approximately four minutes before dragging themselves onto the left bank.
- Hands begin to lose function in approximately 12 minutes of immersion in water at 38°F, affecting fine motor control first.
- The GPS track from Janet's communicator was recovered Thursday afternoon by volunteer Mike Teller and altered the initial assumption about who went for help.

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/73084029Wed, 07 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrapped His Fingers in Foil and Chose to Freeze with Him Cold, precise decisions saved a life on a thirty-four-degree riverbank: a mylar blanket from an "empty" stock, a paddler with fingers numb within minutes, and a GPS track that upended the...
Cold, precise decisions saved a life on a thirty-four-degree riverbank: a mylar blanket from an "empty" stock, a paddler with fingers numb within minutes, and a GPS track that upended the simple story of who went for help. How did a choice that looked like abandonment become the act that kept a man alive?

In this episode, we follow the morning of October ninth when two experienced paddlers faced a rapid unfolding of hypothermia and injury, and learn how one person's training and one small emergency item changed the outcome. Which actions, and which timeline revealed by the recovered GPS track, explain what really happened?

Person: Janet Rafferty
Person: Dennis Hobart
Date: October 9, 2019
Location: Vorda outflow, Narrows
Temperature: Air 34°F, Water 38-41°F

- Janet had a swift-water rescue certification renewed 18 months before October 2019.
- Dennis was 51 years old and had a fractured left wrist and a laceration above his right ear after the kayak folded.
- They were in the water for approximately four minutes before dragging themselves onto the left bank.
- Hands begin to lose function in approximately 12 minutes of immersion in water at 38°F, affecting fine motor control first.
- The GPS track from Janet's communicator was recovered Thursday afternoon by volunteer Mike Teller and altered the initial assumption about who went for help.

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.]]>1006falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-eight-days-broken-how-she-survived-the-wild--73084027
Cold, alone, and with a fractured ankle, she walked eight days through unmarked Idaho backcountry carrying a Mylar blanket folded into a four-inch square in her shoe-how did a trained runner survive where thermal helicopters and dogs searched the wrong place? Which choice kept her alive: the shortcut she took at mile 22, or the drainage she followed down into North Fork Notch?

In this episode, we tell what happened from race start to the moment rescuers found evidence on a road-grader’s route, tracing the timeline, injuries, and decisions that shaped Gloria Farrell’s survival. What exact sequence of mistakes and endurance turned a routine ultramarathon into an eight-day fight for life?

Person: Gloria Farrell
Date: September 14 (race start) and September 19 (shoe found)
Location: Farrow County, Idaho - mile 18-22, North Fork Notch, Forest Service Road 114
Event: Farrow County Ridge Run, 26-mile trail race
Status: Found alive after eight days (injury: fractured distal fibula)

- Size 7.5 trail running shoe found upright in gravel, double-knotted, with a Mylar emergency blanket folded into a four-inch square inside the toe.
- Last confirmed checkpoint sighting at mile 9; aid station recorded at mile 18 accepting two cups of water and declining gels.
- Race start at 6:30 AM with temperature at 31 degrees and about sixty runners on course.
- Injury occurred less than half a mile after leaving the marked course near mile 22: distal fibula fracture to the left ankle.
- Shoe discovered by road-grader operator William Padgett on September 19 after five days of search-and-rescue in the surrounding area.

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/73084027Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Eight Days Broken - How She Survived the Wild Cold, alone, and with a fractured ankle, she walked eight days through unmarked Idaho backcountry carrying a Mylar blanket folded into a four-inch square in her shoe-how did a trained runner...
Cold, alone, and with a fractured ankle, she walked eight days through unmarked Idaho backcountry carrying a Mylar blanket folded into a four-inch square in her shoe-how did a trained runner survive where thermal helicopters and dogs searched the wrong place? Which choice kept her alive: the shortcut she took at mile 22, or the drainage she followed down into North Fork Notch?

In this episode, we tell what happened from race start to the moment rescuers found evidence on a road-grader’s route, tracing the timeline, injuries, and decisions that shaped Gloria Farrell’s survival. What exact sequence of mistakes and endurance turned a routine ultramarathon into an eight-day fight for life?

Person: Gloria Farrell
Date: September 14 (race start) and September 19 (shoe found)
Location: Farrow County, Idaho - mile 18-22, North Fork Notch, Forest Service Road 114
Event: Farrow County Ridge Run, 26-mile trail race
Status: Found alive after eight days (injury: fractured distal fibula)

- Size 7.5 trail running shoe found upright in gravel, double-knotted, with a Mylar emergency blanket folded into a four-inch square inside the toe.
- Last confirmed checkpoint sighting at mile 9; aid station recorded at mile 18 accepting two cups of water and declining gels.
- Race start at 6:30 AM with temperature at 31 degrees and about sixty runners on course.
- Injury occurred less than half a mile after leaving the marked course near mile 22: distal fibula fracture to the left ankle.
- Shoe discovered by road-grader operator William Padgett on September 19 after five days of search-and-rescue in the surrounding area.

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/she-broke-a-leg-planted-a-pole-then-walked-1-100-feet-alone--73084026
Fear and grit collide: a 53-year-old hydrological surveyor spent 53 hours alone after breaking her fibula, descended 1,100 vertical feet in the dark, and left a fluorescent trekking pole planted like a last-ditch signal - what single decision kept her alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Sandra Tate’s solo outing, injury, improvised splinting, satellite messages, and the search that almost missed her - culminating in the small clue that redirected rescuers and changed everything. How did one pole, one ranger’s close reading, and one passerby converge to find her?

Person: Sandra Tate
Age: 53
Date: August 4-6, 2019
Location: Pellier Face, Cassidy Range
Event: Fibula fracture and 53 hours alone

- She signed the trailhead register on the evening of August 3, 2019, listing the southwest ridge but intended to take an unrecorded east shoulder variation.
- On August 4 she broke her left fibula on an uncharted east chute and built a splint using two tent stakes, a rain jacket sleeve, and cord.
- After sending an 11-word satellite message to her son Marcus, she descended approximately 1,100 vertical feet in the dark guided by running water.
- Rescue teams were staged at the trailhead the morning after but were looking in the wrong drainage because her filed route pointed elsewhere.
- At 7:15 a.m., utility lineman Tracy Powell spotted a fluorescent orange-basket trekking pole wedged vertically in a crack and called dispatch seven minutes later, which led searchers to her location.

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© 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/73084026Mon, 05 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Broke a Leg, Planted a Pole, Then Walked 1,100 Feet Alone Fear and grit collide: a 53-year-old hydrological surveyor spent 53 hours alone after breaking her fibula, descended 1,100 vertical feet in the dark, and left a fluorescent trekking pole...
Fear and grit collide: a 53-year-old hydrological surveyor spent 53 hours alone after breaking her fibula, descended 1,100 vertical feet in the dark, and left a fluorescent trekking pole planted like a last-ditch signal - what single decision kept her alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Sandra Tate’s solo outing, injury, improvised splinting, satellite messages, and the search that almost missed her - culminating in the small clue that redirected rescuers and changed everything. How did one pole, one ranger’s close reading, and one passerby converge to find her?

Person: Sandra Tate
Age: 53
Date: August 4-6, 2019
Location: Pellier Face, Cassidy Range
Event: Fibula fracture and 53 hours alone

- She signed the trailhead register on the evening of August 3, 2019, listing the southwest ridge but intended to take an unrecorded east shoulder variation.
- On August 4 she broke her left fibula on an uncharted east chute and built a splint using two tent stakes, a rain jacket sleeve, and cord.
- After sending an 11-word satellite message to her son Marcus, she descended approximately 1,100 vertical feet in the dark guided by running water.
- Rescue teams were staged at the trailhead the morning after but were looking in the wrong drainage because her filed route pointed elsewhere.
- At 7:15 a.m., utility lineman Tracy Powell spotted a fluorescent orange-basket trekking pole wedged vertically in a crack and called dispatch seven minutes later, which led searchers to her 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.]]>1155falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/held-out-of-the-water-how-one-life-ring-saved-a-woman-s-life--73084025
Fear and helplessness: a thirty-inch white life ring found with its inside completely dry after eighteen hours became the single clue that led a kayaker to find a woman who had been in the water for nearly fifty hours-how could that ring have been held out of the water through a storm-crazed night, and who kept it dry? Searchers had been looking the wrong way while currents, a torn vessel, and eight people’s choices rewrote survival chances-what really happened between the Agnes M. rolling and Lori Snyder collapsing onto a gravel bar?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that unfolded from the Agnes M.'s morning departure through the storm, the casualty in the water, and the dry life ring that contradicted expectations, asking whether human action or environmental forces explain the ring’s condition and where that leads the search.

Person: Lori Snyder
Date: July 16, 2019
Location: Kellum Point (gravel bar)
Vessel: Agnes M., 54-foot fishing and charter vessel
Duration in water: nearly 50 hours

- The life ring was white polyethylene, 30 inches across, with orange paint spelling AGNES M.
- The life ring had spent 18 hours surrounded by storm-churned water yet its inside was completely dry.
- The Agnes M. left the dock at 4:40 AM and encountered 42-knot winds and 8-foot seas by 11:00 AM.
- Lori Snyder was 44 years old and held a US Coast Guard OUPV license.
- Tim Sorrento, a kayaker, found Lori at the waterline at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, July 16, 2019.

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© 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/73084025Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHeld Out of the Water: How One Life Ring Saved a Woman's Life Fear and helplessness: a thirty-inch white life ring found with its inside completely dry after eighteen hours became the single clue that led a kayaker to find a woman who had been in...
Fear and helplessness: a thirty-inch white life ring found with its inside completely dry after eighteen hours became the single clue that led a kayaker to find a woman who had been in the water for nearly fifty hours-how could that ring have been held out of the water through a storm-crazed night, and who kept it dry? Searchers had been looking the wrong way while currents, a torn vessel, and eight people’s choices rewrote survival chances-what really happened between the Agnes M. rolling and Lori Snyder collapsing onto a gravel bar?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that unfolded from the Agnes M.'s morning departure through the storm, the casualty in the water, and the dry life ring that contradicted expectations, asking whether human action or environmental forces explain the ring’s condition and where that leads the search.

Person: Lori Snyder
Date: July 16, 2019
Location: Kellum Point (gravel bar)
Vessel: Agnes M., 54-foot fishing and charter vessel
Duration in water: nearly 50 hours

- The life ring was white polyethylene, 30 inches across, with orange paint spelling AGNES M.
- The life ring had spent 18 hours surrounded by storm-churned water yet its inside was completely dry.
- The Agnes M. left the dock at 4:40 AM and encountered 42-knot winds and 8-foot seas by 11:00 AM.
- Lori Snyder was 44 years old and held a US Coast Guard OUPV license.
- Tim Sorrento, a kayaker, found Lori at the waterline at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, July 16, 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.]]>1264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-the-car-seat-on-the-wall-surviving-54-hours-in-112-desert--73084024
Heat and isolation tighten into something almost unbearable: a mother and her four-year-old survive fifty-four hours in the Sonoran Desert with ground temperatures over 112°-and a child’s car seat left buckled seven feet up on a cinder block wall is the only clue that brought rescuers. How did a prepared, resourceful woman end up stranded for more than two days with a core temperature of 104.1° and no footprints beneath that seat?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the last clear phone call to the moment a paramedic found them, laying out the timeline, the small decisions, and the object that triggered the search. What choices and misfortunes produced a survival story that hinged on a single, strange image?

Person: Sarah Perry
Person: Mia (daughter)
Date: June 16, 2019
Location: Sonoran Desert, two miles northeast of a remote water tank
Status: Found alive with core temperature 104.1°F after 54 hours

- At 6:47 p.m. on June 16, 2019, paramedic Diane Cho found Sarah sitting against a boulder holding four-year-old Mia across her lap.
- The child’s car seat was centered on a cinder block wall seven feet high with the harness buckled and no footprints beneath it.
- The CR-V’s last recorded camera capture was at 8:04 a.m. at Peralta Road and the Goldfield Mountains corridor before the engine died around 9:20 a.m.
- Ground temperatures on the desert reached over 112°F during the fifty-four-hour period they were missing.
- Sarah had not slept for fifty-four hours and her recorded core temperature when found was 104.1°F.

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/73084024Sat, 03 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft the Car Seat on the Wall: Surviving 54 Hours in 112° Desert Heat and isolation tighten into something almost unbearable: a mother and her four-year-old survive fifty-four hours in the Sonoran Desert with ground temperatures over 112°-and a...
Heat and isolation tighten into something almost unbearable: a mother and her four-year-old survive fifty-four hours in the Sonoran Desert with ground temperatures over 112°-and a child’s car seat left buckled seven feet up on a cinder block wall is the only clue that brought rescuers. How did a prepared, resourceful woman end up stranded for more than two days with a core temperature of 104.1° and no footprints beneath that seat?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the last clear phone call to the moment a paramedic found them, laying out the timeline, the small decisions, and the object that triggered the search. What choices and misfortunes produced a survival story that hinged on a single, strange image?

Person: Sarah Perry
Person: Mia (daughter)
Date: June 16, 2019
Location: Sonoran Desert, two miles northeast of a remote water tank
Status: Found alive with core temperature 104.1°F after 54 hours

- At 6:47 p.m. on June 16, 2019, paramedic Diane Cho found Sarah sitting against a boulder holding four-year-old Mia across her lap.
- The child’s car seat was centered on a cinder block wall seven feet high with the harness buckled and no footprints beneath it.
- The CR-V’s last recorded camera capture was at 8:04 a.m. at Peralta Road and the Goldfield Mountains corridor before the engine died around 9:20 a.m.
- Ground temperatures on the desert reached over 112°F during the fifty-four-hour period they were missing.
- Sarah had not slept for fifty-four hours and her recorded core temperature when found was 104.1°F.

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.]]>1180falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/at-six-forty-one-in-the-morning-on-tuesday-may-thirteenth-two-thousand--73084023
A truck driver found an orange trowel handle jutting vertically from eleven feet of compacted avalanche debris with no footprints around it - and the official search had been suspended thirty-six hours earlier. How could a tool stand upright in settled ice as if planted from above, and what does that mean for the man last seen swept into a size-three avalanche?

In this episode, we tell the events on Carver Ridge from the moment Kevin Doyle signed the trail register to the suspension of the search, following the people, timings, and evidence that reframe what rescuers thought they knew. What actually happened in the hours after the slide, and where was Kevin when the teams stopped looking?

Person: Kevin Doyle
Date: May 10, 2014 (slide) and May 13, 2014 (discovery)
Location: North face of Carver Ridge / Kettle Flats trailhead
Status: Search suspended; discovery by Amy Bauer on May 13
Responder: Earl Chambers, SAR coordinator

- Kevin Doyle was buried at approximately 1:17 PM under 2.3 meters of avalanche debris after a slab release roughly 400 meters wide.
- Kevin maintained a 4-5 liter air cavity by exhaling before the snow locked, remaining conscious after burial.
- Rescue response began at 3:45 PM Saturday with 16 people, 12 probers, and 2 avalanche dogs searching overnight into Sunday.
- A Black Diamond Recon transceiver on Kevin transmitted erratically, with specialists concluding the signal was likely rotated inside a pack and refracted by subsurface ice layers.
- At 6:41 AM Tuesday, May 13, Amy Bauer found a small orange handle standing vertical in eleven feet of compacted debris with no surrounding 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/73084023Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAt six forty-one in the morning on Tuesday, May thirteenth, two thousand A truck driver found an orange trowel handle jutting vertically from eleven feet of compacted avalanche debris with no footprints around it - and the official search had been...
A truck driver found an orange trowel handle jutting vertically from eleven feet of compacted avalanche debris with no footprints around it - and the official search had been suspended thirty-six hours earlier. How could a tool stand upright in settled ice as if planted from above, and what does that mean for the man last seen swept into a size-three avalanche?

In this episode, we tell the events on Carver Ridge from the moment Kevin Doyle signed the trail register to the suspension of the search, following the people, timings, and evidence that reframe what rescuers thought they knew. What actually happened in the hours after the slide, and where was Kevin when the teams stopped looking?

Person: Kevin Doyle
Date: May 10, 2014 (slide) and May 13, 2014 (discovery)
Location: North face of Carver Ridge / Kettle Flats trailhead
Status: Search suspended; discovery by Amy Bauer on May 13
Responder: Earl Chambers, SAR coordinator

- Kevin Doyle was buried at approximately 1:17 PM under 2.3 meters of avalanche debris after a slab release roughly 400 meters wide.
- Kevin maintained a 4-5 liter air cavity by exhaling before the snow locked, remaining conscious after burial.
- Rescue response began at 3:45 PM Saturday with 16 people, 12 probers, and 2 avalanche dogs searching overnight into Sunday.
- A Black Diamond Recon transceiver on Kevin transmitted erratically, with specialists concluding the signal was likely rotated inside a pack and refracted by subsurface ice layers.
- At 6:41 AM Tuesday, May 13, Amy Bauer found a small orange handle standing vertical in eleven feet of compacted debris with no surrounding 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.]]>1363falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-wrote-his-escape-map-on-a-silver-blanket-42-hours-underground--73084022
Fear of being trapped alive: a 22-year-old certified cave diver wrote a precise escape map on a silver emergency blanket, marking "T+41 hrs, depth est. 180 ft, air good" after disappearing into an uncharted dry gallery 180 feet below ground; how did he survive 42 hours when his spare gear never left the staging table?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment he signed the register at Millhaven Cave Preserve to the discovery of the handwritten map and the rescue effort that followed, ending on the question of what choices he made alone in the dark to stay alive.

Person: Dale Fisher
Date: April 15, 2017
Location: Millhaven Cave Preserve
Age: 22 years
Occupation: Warehouse worker

- He signed the Millhaven register at 7:41 AM and listed a planned exit time of noon.
- The emergency blanket with the map was snagged in a blackberry thicket four miles from the cave entrance.
- The blanket's notation read "T+41 hrs, depth est. 180 ft, air good."
- A fourteen-inch-wide, eight-inch-tall gap was sealed by about six inches of fine sediment before Dale cleared it.
- His lights were estimated to last approximately eighteen hours before batteries died.

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/73084022Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Wrote His Escape Map on a Silver Blanket - 42 Hours Underground Fear of being trapped alive: a 22-year-old certified cave diver wrote a precise escape map on a silver emergency blanket, marking "T+41 hrs, depth est. 180 ft, air good" after...
Fear of being trapped alive: a 22-year-old certified cave diver wrote a precise escape map on a silver emergency blanket, marking "T+41 hrs, depth est. 180 ft, air good" after disappearing into an uncharted dry gallery 180 feet below ground; how did he survive 42 hours when his spare gear never left the staging table?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment he signed the register at Millhaven Cave Preserve to the discovery of the handwritten map and the rescue effort that followed, ending on the question of what choices he made alone in the dark to stay alive.

Person: Dale Fisher
Date: April 15, 2017
Location: Millhaven Cave Preserve
Age: 22 years
Occupation: Warehouse worker

- He signed the Millhaven register at 7:41 AM and listed a planned exit time of noon.
- The emergency blanket with the map was snagged in a blackberry thicket four miles from the cave entrance.
- The blanket's notation read "T+41 hrs, depth est. 180 ft, air good."
- A fourteen-inch-wide, eight-inch-tall gap was sealed by about six inches of fine sediment before Dale cleared it.
- His lights were estimated to last approximately eighteen hours before batteries died.

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.]]>991falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrote-her-location-on-the-frosted-window-survived-six-nights--73084019
Frosted letters traced from the inside of a rear window read CUTLER CREEK SOUTH BEND at eighteen degrees - a technical notation, not a plea - and it was the single detail that closed the gap between a woman buried to the axle in a ditch and the teams searching the wrong road. How did Marcia Hansen survive six nights with a dwindling supply of hand-warmers and a locked axle while a county search passed within visual range without finding her?

In this episode, we follow the precise timeline of Marcia Hansen’s outing, the flawed search assumptions, and the small, methodical choices that kept her alive. Why did a filed site log and a GPS unit fail to prevent her being overlooked, and what exactly broke the deadlock?

Person: Marcia Hansen
Date: March 3-8, 2011
Location: Ridgeline Spur Road, Benton County
Occupation: Hydrological surveyor
Survival tools: GPS unit, field journal, Mylar blanket, hand-warmers, coffee tin, road flare

- Truck’s last GPS position recorded at 4:17 PM on March 3 at the south end of Ridgeline Spur.
- Temperatures dropped to 18°F while she was trapped; the day she became stuck was 41°F.
- Marcia rationed two hand-warmers each night and melted snow in a coffee tin for water.
- Search teams drove past her truck on March 6 after leaving Farwell before sunrise and did not stop.
- The formal missing-persons report was not filed until 36 hours after Benton County first contacted Millhaven.

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/73084019Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrote Her Location on the Frosted Window - Survived Six Nights Frosted letters traced from the inside of a rear window read CUTLER CREEK SOUTH BEND at eighteen degrees - a technical notation, not a plea - and it was the single detail that...
Frosted letters traced from the inside of a rear window read CUTLER CREEK SOUTH BEND at eighteen degrees - a technical notation, not a plea - and it was the single detail that closed the gap between a woman buried to the axle in a ditch and the teams searching the wrong road. How did Marcia Hansen survive six nights with a dwindling supply of hand-warmers and a locked axle while a county search passed within visual range without finding her?

In this episode, we follow the precise timeline of Marcia Hansen’s outing, the flawed search assumptions, and the small, methodical choices that kept her alive. Why did a filed site log and a GPS unit fail to prevent her being overlooked, and what exactly broke the deadlock?

Person: Marcia Hansen
Date: March 3-8, 2011
Location: Ridgeline Spur Road, Benton County
Occupation: Hydrological surveyor
Survival tools: GPS unit, field journal, Mylar blanket, hand-warmers, coffee tin, road flare

- Truck’s last GPS position recorded at 4:17 PM on March 3 at the south end of Ridgeline Spur.
- Temperatures dropped to 18°F while she was trapped; the day she became stuck was 41°F.
- Marcia rationed two hand-warmers each night and melted snow in a coffee tin for water.
- Search teams drove past her truck on March 6 after leaving Farwell before sunrise and did not stop.
- The formal missing-persons report was not filed until 36 hours after Benton County first contacted Millhaven.

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/she-could-have-called-why-rhonda-stayed-silent-51-hours--73084017
Fear sharpens into cold logic when every decision can mean survival or disappearance: a 61-year-old solo sailor spent 51 hours alive on a drifting 34-foot cutter in one of California’s busiest shipping lanes with an untouched emergency beacon and a working radio-so why didn’t she call for help? What reasoning kept her silent, written in a waterproof notebook as her handwriting deteriorated?

In this episode, we tell the chronological account of what happened to Rhonda Christensen, how a hidden manufacturing defect led to a sudden dismasting, and the choices she made afterward that nearly cost her everything. Can the detailed, experienced logic she applied under pressure explain why she refused to activate the EPIRB or radio?

Person: Rhonda Christensen
Age: 61
Vessel: 34-foot Pacific Seacraft cutter named Celia Dawn
Time adrift before discovery: 51 hours
Date of boarding by inspector: February 9, 2019

- Departure time from Morro Bay: 7:45 AM on Saturday, February 2, 2019 (first Saturday of February 2019)
- Distance offshore when testing extended: 16 miles by early afternoon
- Time of dismasting event: 4:17 PM when three waves struck and the mast went over
- Emergency beacon (EPIRB) condition: dry, intact, clip still engaged, never activated
- Person who discovered and boarded the drifting boat: county land inspector at 9:04 AM on Friday, February 9, 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/73084017Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Could Have Called - Why Rhonda Stayed Silent 51 Hours Fear sharpens into cold logic when every decision can mean survival or disappearance: a 61-year-old solo sailor spent 51 hours alive on a drifting 34-foot cutter in one of California’s...
Fear sharpens into cold logic when every decision can mean survival or disappearance: a 61-year-old solo sailor spent 51 hours alive on a drifting 34-foot cutter in one of California’s busiest shipping lanes with an untouched emergency beacon and a working radio-so why didn’t she call for help? What reasoning kept her silent, written in a waterproof notebook as her handwriting deteriorated?

In this episode, we tell the chronological account of what happened to Rhonda Christensen, how a hidden manufacturing defect led to a sudden dismasting, and the choices she made afterward that nearly cost her everything. Can the detailed, experienced logic she applied under pressure explain why she refused to activate the EPIRB or radio?

Person: Rhonda Christensen
Age: 61
Vessel: 34-foot Pacific Seacraft cutter named Celia Dawn
Time adrift before discovery: 51 hours
Date of boarding by inspector: February 9, 2019

- Departure time from Morro Bay: 7:45 AM on Saturday, February 2, 2019 (first Saturday of February 2019)
- Distance offshore when testing extended: 16 miles by early afternoon
- Time of dismasting event: 4:17 PM when three waves struck and the mast went over
- Emergency beacon (EPIRB) condition: dry, intact, clip still engaged, never activated
- Person who discovered and boarded the drifting boat: county land inspector at 9:04 AM on Friday, February 9, 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.]]>1132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-pint-one-boot-how-she-survived-18-hours-in-copperline-canyon--73084016
A size seven women's hiking boot, double-knotted and standing upright against a rusted fence post eleven miles from the nearest marked trail, became the first hard clue in a search that lasted days. A twenty-six-year-old dental hygienist left a three-page trip plan but went into Copperline Canyon carrying one pint of water - how did a single missing piece of gear turn a routine day hike into a life-or-death scramble?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Bruce Barrett found the boot through the five-day, roughly eighteen-hour period that followed, detailing the choices Cynthia Becker made, the gear she actually carried, and the moments that decided her fate. How did a detour, a broken ankle, and three tablespoons of snowmelt shape the outcome?

Person: Cynthia Becker
Age: 26
Location: Copperline Canyon, Colorado Plateau
Date: January 20
Finder: Bruce Barrett

- The boot found by Bruce Barrett was size seven, double-knotted, and standing upright against a rusted fence post.
- Cynthia left a handwritten three-page trip plan on January 14 naming her brother Curtis in Phoenix as emergency contact.
- Her planned loop was roughly fourteen miles: down Hasp Draw into Copperline Canyon, six miles east along the canyon floor, then up to Needle Bench and back.
- Her intended gear list included a two-liter hydration bladder, but she actually bought and carried only a sixteen-ounce water bottle (one pint).
- She slid approximately fifteen feet when she descended a pour-off and fractured her right lateral malleolus.

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© 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/73084016Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaOne Pint, One Boot: How She Survived 18 Hours in Copperline Canyon A size seven women's hiking boot, double-knotted and standing upright against a rusted fence post eleven miles from the nearest marked trail, became the first hard clue in a search...
A size seven women's hiking boot, double-knotted and standing upright against a rusted fence post eleven miles from the nearest marked trail, became the first hard clue in a search that lasted days. A twenty-six-year-old dental hygienist left a three-page trip plan but went into Copperline Canyon carrying one pint of water - how did a single missing piece of gear turn a routine day hike into a life-or-death scramble?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Bruce Barrett found the boot through the five-day, roughly eighteen-hour period that followed, detailing the choices Cynthia Becker made, the gear she actually carried, and the moments that decided her fate. How did a detour, a broken ankle, and three tablespoons of snowmelt shape the outcome?

Person: Cynthia Becker
Age: 26
Location: Copperline Canyon, Colorado Plateau
Date: January 20
Finder: Bruce Barrett

- The boot found by Bruce Barrett was size seven, double-knotted, and standing upright against a rusted fence post.
- Cynthia left a handwritten three-page trip plan on January 14 naming her brother Curtis in Phoenix as emergency contact.
- Her planned loop was roughly fourteen miles: down Hasp Draw into Copperline Canyon, six miles east along the canyon floor, then up to Needle Bench and back.
- Her intended gear list included a two-liter hydration bladder, but she actually bought and carried only a sixteen-ounce water bottle (one pint).
- She slid approximately fifteen feet when she descended a pour-off and fractured her right lateral malleolus.

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© 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/left-foot-broken-night-how-he-built-a-self-rescue-marker--73084014
Cold and calculated: a man with a broken knee, eleven minutes, and a trekking pole driven four inches into iron-frozen ground - left as a deliberate marker that was also a lifeline. Which decisions and improvisations turned a routine ultra into a two-day survival story that began with a knot “too anatomical” to be a trail sign?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment the pole was found to the night Lloyd Mueller began his self-rescue, outlining the route, the preparations he made, and the split-second choices he faced on mile sixty-two. How did his training, gear and a homemade splint change a 102-mile winter attempt into a test of improvised survival?

Person: Lloyd Mueller
Event: solo winter traverse of the Crestline Backcountry
Distance: 102 miles
Location: Harmon Plateau to Dillard Basin, northern Idaho
Temperature: as low as seven degrees Fahrenheit (photograph morning)

- He had been running ultras for eleven years and logged split times and bail routes.
- He planned two resupply caches: at mile 24 (fire road crossing) and mile 50.
- He notified SAR coordinator Donald Hansen two weeks before the run.
- At mile 62 his right knee popped and he fashioned a splint in eleven minutes using an emergency bivy aluminum stay and a Black Diamond trekking pole.
- A photographer found the pole standing four inches into frozen ground with two sections bound by his left running tights and called Crestline County Sheriff.

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© 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/73084014Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Foot, Broken Night: How He Built a Self-Rescue Marker Cold and calculated: a man with a broken knee, eleven minutes, and a trekking pole driven four inches into iron-frozen ground - left as a deliberate marker that was also a lifeline. Which...
Cold and calculated: a man with a broken knee, eleven minutes, and a trekking pole driven four inches into iron-frozen ground - left as a deliberate marker that was also a lifeline. Which decisions and improvisations turned a routine ultra into a two-day survival story that began with a knot “too anatomical” to be a trail sign?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment the pole was found to the night Lloyd Mueller began his self-rescue, outlining the route, the preparations he made, and the split-second choices he faced on mile sixty-two. How did his training, gear and a homemade splint change a 102-mile winter attempt into a test of improvised survival?

Person: Lloyd Mueller
Event: solo winter traverse of the Crestline Backcountry
Distance: 102 miles
Location: Harmon Plateau to Dillard Basin, northern Idaho
Temperature: as low as seven degrees Fahrenheit (photograph morning)

- He had been running ultras for eleven years and logged split times and bail routes.
- He planned two resupply caches: at mile 24 (fire road crossing) and mile 50.
- He notified SAR coordinator Donald Hansen two weeks before the run.
- At mile 62 his right knee popped and he fashioned a splint in eleven minutes using an emergency bivy aluminum stay and a Black Diamond trekking pole.
- A photographer found the pole standing four inches into frozen ground with two sections bound by his left running tights and called Crestline County Sheriff.

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/days-alone-two-boots-on-a-post-and-a-mountain-that-lied--73084011
Cold November morning, two hiking boots balanced on a trail marker, and a summit team stranded because a satellite messenger lied about its own location - what could go wrong on a routine alpine outing? The northern Cascades, a broken signal, and a diabetic camp cat all collide in a story about failed assumptions and a clock that refused to stop; who decided that everyone would simply trust the green light?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began at 5:42 a.m. on November 19, 2011, and trace how a marginal antenna, an unread register entry, and a rigid schedule for a twelve-year-old cat shaped the rescue decisions - could a simple assumption cost lives?

Person: Vicki Gallagher
Person: Ted Novak
Person: Doug Ferris
Date: November 19, 2011
Location: Broken Tooth South, northern Cascades

- At 5:42 a.m. on November 19, 2011, fourteen-year-old Eric Stein found two hiking boots tied and balanced on a trail marker post.
- The summit team left base camp on November 9; base camp was at 7,200 feet with Vicki Gallagher managing it.
- The satellite messenger at base camp had shown a continuous green "connected" status despite a cracked solder joint causing malformed pings.
- Doug Ferris fell on November 11 at roughly 8,400 feet, sustaining a mid-shaft fibula fracture after a 15-foot fall.
- Sprout, a twelve-year-old diabetic cat, required insulin injections every twelve hours (6 a.m. and 6 p.m.), a schedule Vicki maintained for eleven 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/73084011Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaDays Alone, Two Boots on a Post, and a Mountain That Lied Cold November morning, two hiking boots balanced on a trail marker, and a summit team stranded because a satellite messenger lied about its own location - what could go wrong on a routine...
Cold November morning, two hiking boots balanced on a trail marker, and a summit team stranded because a satellite messenger lied about its own location - what could go wrong on a routine alpine outing? The northern Cascades, a broken signal, and a diabetic camp cat all collide in a story about failed assumptions and a clock that refused to stop; who decided that everyone would simply trust the green light?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that began at 5:42 a.m. on November 19, 2011, and trace how a marginal antenna, an unread register entry, and a rigid schedule for a twelve-year-old cat shaped the rescue decisions - could a simple assumption cost lives?

Person: Vicki Gallagher
Person: Ted Novak
Person: Doug Ferris
Date: November 19, 2011
Location: Broken Tooth South, northern Cascades

- At 5:42 a.m. on November 19, 2011, fourteen-year-old Eric Stein found two hiking boots tied and balanced on a trail marker post.
- The summit team left base camp on November 9; base camp was at 7,200 feet with Vicki Gallagher managing it.
- The satellite messenger at base camp had shown a continuous green "connected" status despite a cracked solder joint causing malformed pings.
- Doug Ferris fell on November 11 at roughly 8,400 feet, sustaining a mid-shaft fibula fracture after a 15-foot fall.
- Sprout, a twelve-year-old diabetic cat, required insulin injections every twelve hours (6 a.m. and 6 p.m.), a schedule Vicki maintained for eleven 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.]]>1256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-nine-days-trapped-her-chalk-marks-told-rescue--73084010
The thought of being boxed in by rising water for nine days is bone-deep terrifying; Amanda Coleman survived by carving thirty-one precise water-level marks into sandstone and leaving a yellow dry-bag with her initials that a road-grader operator found nine days later. How did her engineering training and those chalk-and-chisel records outlast failed search assumptions and lead to her rescue?

In this episode, we tell the factual arc of Amanda Coleman's ten-day ordeal in Verdo Arm: the storm timing, her decision points, the improvised records she left on the canyon wall, and the discovery that redirected the search. What sequence of small, methodical choices kept her alive and ultimately guided rescuers to her?

Person: Amanda Coleman
Date (entry): October 6, 2019
Date (final wall mark): October 8, 2019 at 4:00 PM
Location: Verdo Arm canyon, Navajo sandstone narrows
Finder: Rhonda White, county road-grader operator

- Amanda entered the upper pour-off before dawn on Sunday, October 6, 2019 and was ~2 miles into the narrows when the flood pulse hit.
- An atmospheric river dropped 3-5 inches of rain across the drainage basin over ~72 hours beginning Saturday evening, October 5, 2019.
- Amanda made 31 chisel marks recording date, hour, and water level from Monday afternoon, October 7 through Tuesday afternoon, October 8.
- She had logged 41 documented canyoneering descents over 17 years and held swiftwater-rescue certification.
- A yellow dry-bag initialed A.C. was found on a gravel pullout above Verdo Arm by Rhonda White at 6:20 AM on a Thursday morning in October 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/73084010Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Nine Days Trapped - Her Chalk Marks Told Rescue The thought of being boxed in by rising water for nine days is bone-deep terrifying; Amanda Coleman survived by carving thirty-one precise water-level marks into sandstone and leaving a...
The thought of being boxed in by rising water for nine days is bone-deep terrifying; Amanda Coleman survived by carving thirty-one precise water-level marks into sandstone and leaving a yellow dry-bag with her initials that a road-grader operator found nine days later. How did her engineering training and those chalk-and-chisel records outlast failed search assumptions and lead to her rescue?

In this episode, we tell the factual arc of Amanda Coleman's ten-day ordeal in Verdo Arm: the storm timing, her decision points, the improvised records she left on the canyon wall, and the discovery that redirected the search. What sequence of small, methodical choices kept her alive and ultimately guided rescuers to her?

Person: Amanda Coleman
Date (entry): October 6, 2019
Date (final wall mark): October 8, 2019 at 4:00 PM
Location: Verdo Arm canyon, Navajo sandstone narrows
Finder: Rhonda White, county road-grader operator

- Amanda entered the upper pour-off before dawn on Sunday, October 6, 2019 and was ~2 miles into the narrows when the flood pulse hit.
- An atmospheric river dropped 3-5 inches of rain across the drainage basin over ~72 hours beginning Saturday evening, October 5, 2019.
- Amanda made 31 chisel marks recording date, hour, and water level from Monday afternoon, October 7 through Tuesday afternoon, October 8.
- She had logged 41 documented canyoneering descents over 17 years and held swiftwater-rescue certification.
- A yellow dry-bag initialed A.C. was found on a gravel pullout above Verdo Arm by Rhonda White at 6:20 AM on a Thursday morning in October 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.]]>1067falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/compass-on-a-gate-how-a-marathon-swimmer-filed-her-own-rescue--73084009
The moment a lineman found a waterproof compass and a folded, hand-drawn navigation chart wedged into a chain-link gate, it revealed a swimmer filing a navigation report from inside a survival event-after two helicopters and three vessels had searched more than forty square kilometers with nothing found. How did a 44-year-old former English and Catalina Channel finisher turn meticulous training into a last-minute improvisation that left only that chart as a clue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a 2:10 AM start through the unexpected fog that dropped visibility below forty meters, tracking the decisions and gaps that led to a missing swimmer report and a later self-filed navigation note-what really happened between the last GPS ping and the chart left at Punta Carnero?

Person: Kelly Lane
Date: September 14, 2019
Location: Punta Carnero, Strait of Gibraltar
Event: Open-water swim and subsequent search
Team: Tomás Reyes (RIB operator), Mike Sutton (kayaker), Diane Carr (escort crew)

- Rescue assets: two helicopters and three vessels searched more than 40 square kilometers.
- Last confirmed timestamp on the hand-drawn chart: 04:30 AM.
- Fog arrival: visibility dropped below 40 meters at approximately 06:20 AM.
- Time of maritime protocol activation: 07:04 AM; helicopters and a fast patrol vessel on scene by 07:45 AM.
- Kelly Lane’s prior crossings: Catalina Channel (2015) and English Channel (2017, just under 14 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/73084009Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaCompass on a Gate: How a Marathon Swimmer Filed Her Own Rescue The moment a lineman found a waterproof compass and a folded, hand-drawn navigation chart wedged into a chain-link gate, it revealed a swimmer filing a navigation report from inside a...
The moment a lineman found a waterproof compass and a folded, hand-drawn navigation chart wedged into a chain-link gate, it revealed a swimmer filing a navigation report from inside a survival event-after two helicopters and three vessels had searched more than forty square kilometers with nothing found. How did a 44-year-old former English and Catalina Channel finisher turn meticulous training into a last-minute improvisation that left only that chart as a clue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a 2:10 AM start through the unexpected fog that dropped visibility below forty meters, tracking the decisions and gaps that led to a missing swimmer report and a later self-filed navigation note-what really happened between the last GPS ping and the chart left at Punta Carnero?

Person: Kelly Lane
Date: September 14, 2019
Location: Punta Carnero, Strait of Gibraltar
Event: Open-water swim and subsequent search
Team: Tomás Reyes (RIB operator), Mike Sutton (kayaker), Diane Carr (escort crew)

- Rescue assets: two helicopters and three vessels searched more than 40 square kilometers.
- Last confirmed timestamp on the hand-drawn chart: 04:30 AM.
- Fog arrival: visibility dropped below 40 meters at approximately 06:20 AM.
- Time of maritime protocol activation: 07:04 AM; helicopters and a fast patrol vessel on scene by 07:45 AM.
- Kelly Lane’s prior crossings: Catalina Channel (2015) and English Channel (2017, just under 14 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.]]>1181falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-rode-through-a-locked-gate-survived-13-days-alone--73084008
When a carbon-fiber racing bike was found leaning against a padlocked Forest Service gate with bib number 47 still attached, rescuers assumed the rider had turned back-but the bike was thirty-one miles from town and both tires were inflated. A two-hundred-and-fourteen-hour search pushed the wrong direction while the missing cyclist had already been alone in the Colorado backcountry for eleven days; how did he get past a locked gate and survive nearly two weeks without being seen?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of discoveries and sightings that redirected a massive search and reveal the small clues that changed everything. Listen to how a race-day question, a lost birthday card, and a road worker’s passing sighting forced investigators to rethink where the man had gone.

Person: Ronald Walsh
Date: August 14, 2017 (bike found)
Location: Forest Service Road Seven, Colorado backcountry
Event: Two-hundred-and-fourteen-hour search operation
Status: Missing person found alive after 13 days

- Bike found at 6:40 AM on August 14 with bib number 47 attached and a yellow water bottle in the cage
- Bicycle located thirty-one miles from the nearest town, leaned against a padlocked gate that closed July 1 and reopens mid-August
- Ronald Walsh finished the Gran Fondo on August 3 in 4 hours and 22 minutes and placed ninth in his age group
- A birthday card for Walsh’s grandmother fell out during the race and was found by a road crew worker on August 5 and kept on his truck dashboard
- Road crew worker Pete Alvarez saw a man pushing a bike with a flat rear tire uphill on Forest Service Road Seven on the morning of August 4 but did not report it until August 16

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/73084008Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Rode Through a Locked Gate - Survived 13 Days Alone When a carbon-fiber racing bike was found leaning against a padlocked Forest Service gate with bib number 47 still attached, rescuers assumed the rider had turned back-but the bike was...
When a carbon-fiber racing bike was found leaning against a padlocked Forest Service gate with bib number 47 still attached, rescuers assumed the rider had turned back-but the bike was thirty-one miles from town and both tires were inflated. A two-hundred-and-fourteen-hour search pushed the wrong direction while the missing cyclist had already been alone in the Colorado backcountry for eleven days; how did he get past a locked gate and survive nearly two weeks without being seen?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of discoveries and sightings that redirected a massive search and reveal the small clues that changed everything. Listen to how a race-day question, a lost birthday card, and a road worker’s passing sighting forced investigators to rethink where the man had gone.

Person: Ronald Walsh
Date: August 14, 2017 (bike found)
Location: Forest Service Road Seven, Colorado backcountry
Event: Two-hundred-and-fourteen-hour search operation
Status: Missing person found alive after 13 days

- Bike found at 6:40 AM on August 14 with bib number 47 attached and a yellow water bottle in the cage
- Bicycle located thirty-one miles from the nearest town, leaned against a padlocked gate that closed July 1 and reopens mid-August
- Ronald Walsh finished the Gran Fondo on August 3 in 4 hours and 22 minutes and placed ninth in his age group
- A birthday card for Walsh’s grandmother fell out during the race and was found by a road crew worker on August 5 and kept on his truck dashboard
- Road crew worker Pete Alvarez saw a man pushing a bike with a flat rear tire uphill on Forest Service Road Seven on the morning of August 4 but did not report it until August 16

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.]]>1176falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/forty-seven-minutes-under-ice-how-a-rancher-walked-out-alive--73084007
A pulse-tight story of survival: a 54-year-old rancher spent forty-seven minutes under glacial water at Flat Iron Lake, using a pocketknife, a Mylar blanket and a still-warm engine block to crawl back to life-how did he stay conscious long enough to pull himself out? What exact choices kept him alive when average people lose muscle control in minutes in 46°F water?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the ice gave way to the moment he drove himself away, outlining the tools he had on hand, the techniques he used, and the environmental limits he faced-could a rancher’s habit of “taking inventory” and a handful of improvised items be the difference between death and survival?

Person: John O'Connor
Age: 54
Location: Flat Iron Lake, Caldera Range, north-central Nevada
Date: July 3, 2017
Duration underwater: forty-seven minutes

- The lake surface temperature that morning was 46°F and the water where the machine rested was 41°F air temperature at entry.
- The Polaris Indy 550 settled nose-first on a submerged shelf at 11 feet depth with the rear slightly elevated.
- O'Connor had in his equipment box 11 feet of orange paracord, a coil of baling wire, one Mylar emergency blanket, and a white five-gallon bucket.
- He had no radio, no cell signal, and had left the ranch without telling anyone where he was going that morning.
- After the accident he retrieved equipment from the submerged machine, wrapped in the Mylar blanket, used the engine block as a heat source, and drove himself 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/73084007Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaForty-Seven Minutes Under Ice: How a Rancher Walked Out Alive A pulse-tight story of survival: a 54-year-old rancher spent forty-seven minutes under glacial water at Flat Iron Lake, using a pocketknife, a Mylar blanket and a still-warm engine block...
A pulse-tight story of survival: a 54-year-old rancher spent forty-seven minutes under glacial water at Flat Iron Lake, using a pocketknife, a Mylar blanket and a still-warm engine block to crawl back to life-how did he stay conscious long enough to pull himself out? What exact choices kept him alive when average people lose muscle control in minutes in 46°F water?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the ice gave way to the moment he drove himself away, outlining the tools he had on hand, the techniques he used, and the environmental limits he faced-could a rancher’s habit of “taking inventory” and a handful of improvised items be the difference between death and survival?

Person: John O'Connor
Age: 54
Location: Flat Iron Lake, Caldera Range, north-central Nevada
Date: July 3, 2017
Duration underwater: forty-seven minutes

- The lake surface temperature that morning was 46°F and the water where the machine rested was 41°F air temperature at entry.
- The Polaris Indy 550 settled nose-first on a submerged shelf at 11 feet depth with the rear slightly elevated.
- O'Connor had in his equipment box 11 feet of orange paracord, a coil of baling wire, one Mylar emergency blanket, and a white five-gallon bucket.
- He had no radio, no cell signal, and had left the ranch without telling anyone where he was going that morning.
- After the accident he retrieved equipment from the submerged machine, wrapped in the Mylar blanket, used the engine block as a heat source, and drove himself 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.]]>1196falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-left-her-tripod-on-the-causeway-why-angela-walked-out-alive--73084006
A woman left a carbon-fiber tripod on the causeway at 7:10 a.m. on June 8, 2017, and a driver saw a still orange jacket in the water that wasn’t a person-Angela Vaughn was out on the fog-shrouded tidal flat, bootless and running out of dry ground. She had written “low tide 4:47 a.m., window approx. four hours, north arm Pelican Spit” and “Bring extra socks” in her notebook-so why did she leave gear behind and walk away into the rising tide instead of staying with her planned safe point?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the concrete choices Angela made: the GPS notes, the Gitzo tripod, the gravel ridge called Pelican Spit, and the objects she left to be found. What does her deliberate planting of equipment and stones tell us about how she expected to be rescued-or not?

Person: Angela Vaughn
Date: June 8, 2017
Location: Millhaven tidal flats, Pelican Spit north arm
Time observed by driver: 7:10 a.m.
Equipment left: Gitzo carbon-fiber tripod and tripod bag

- Angela was 22 years old at the time and had worked three jobs plus weekly volunteer shifts at Brackwater Sanctuary for 14 months.
- Her notebook entry listed low tide 4:47 a.m., a roughly four-hour window, and GPS coordinates for the north arm of Pelican Spit.
- Pelican Spit north arm measures roughly 60 feet long and 8 feet wide and remains above full high tide.
- She had been on the flat since about 5:00 a.m., shooting for roughly 40 minutes in near-zero visibility fog.
- In her jacket pockets she carried twelve pounds of flat stones collected from the causeway berm and left the collapsed tripod at the causeway-side end of the ridge.

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/73084006Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Left Her Tripod on the Causeway - Why Angela Walked Out Alive A woman left a carbon-fiber tripod on the causeway at 7:10 a.m. on June 8, 2017, and a driver saw a still orange jacket in the water that wasn’t a person-Angela Vaughn was out on the...
A woman left a carbon-fiber tripod on the causeway at 7:10 a.m. on June 8, 2017, and a driver saw a still orange jacket in the water that wasn’t a person-Angela Vaughn was out on the fog-shrouded tidal flat, bootless and running out of dry ground. She had written “low tide 4:47 a.m., window approx. four hours, north arm Pelican Spit” and “Bring extra socks” in her notebook-so why did she leave gear behind and walk away into the rising tide instead of staying with her planned safe point?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the concrete choices Angela made: the GPS notes, the Gitzo tripod, the gravel ridge called Pelican Spit, and the objects she left to be found. What does her deliberate planting of equipment and stones tell us about how she expected to be rescued-or not?

Person: Angela Vaughn
Date: June 8, 2017
Location: Millhaven tidal flats, Pelican Spit north arm
Time observed by driver: 7:10 a.m.
Equipment left: Gitzo carbon-fiber tripod and tripod bag

- Angela was 22 years old at the time and had worked three jobs plus weekly volunteer shifts at Brackwater Sanctuary for 14 months.
- Her notebook entry listed low tide 4:47 a.m., a roughly four-hour window, and GPS coordinates for the north arm of Pelican Spit.
- Pelican Spit north arm measures roughly 60 feet long and 8 feet wide and remains above full high tide.
- She had been on the flat since about 5:00 a.m., shooting for roughly 40 minutes in near-zero visibility fog.
- In her jacket pockets she carried twelve pounds of flat stones collected from the causeway berm and left the collapsed tripod at the causeway-side end of the ridge.

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© 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/the-boots-the-bug-and-the-woman-buried-at-9-000-feet--73084005
A single left Scarpa mountaineering boot, size seven, lace tied and upright on a boulder at 9,200 feet - no blood, no pack, no person - became the message that flipped a three-day search into a survival puzzle. How did a structural inspector who filed plans down to the last detail end up injured, buried in snow, and effectively erased by a device that reported her at 12,400 feet?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from Brenda Patterson’s summit photo at 1:45 PM on May 10 to the discovery of the boot on the morning of May 13, and follow how a GPS firmware bug and a misrouted SOS cost precious time and redirected rescuers - could those failures have been the difference between life and death?

Person: Brenda Patterson
Occupation: Structural inspector
Date: May 10 (summit photo 1:45 PM) and May 13 (boot found at 9:22 AM)
Location: Calvert Peak summit 12,400 ft; boot found at 9,200 ft in boulder field
Device issue: Garmin inReach GPS firmware bug documented July 2019

- Brenda summited Calvert Peak at 12,400 feet and took a photo timestamped 1:45 PM on May 10.
- At approximately 3:10 PM on May 10 she slipped on wet snow, fractured the lateral malleolus, and self-arrested with her ice axe.
- By about 4:30 PM she had descended roughly one mile and stopped at ~9,000 feet to pitch a tent and send an SOS.
- The Garmin inReach SOS transmitted with GPS coordinates fixed to the last satellite fix (the summit) due to a firmware bug later acknowledged in June/July 2019.
- Search and rescue mobilized on May 11 using summit coordinates, searching above 11,000 feet while Brenda was actually at about 9,000 feet.

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© 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/73084005Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boots, The Bug, and the Woman Buried at 9,000 Feet A single left Scarpa mountaineering boot, size seven, lace tied and upright on a boulder at 9,200 feet - no blood, no pack, no person - became the message that flipped a three-day search into a...
A single left Scarpa mountaineering boot, size seven, lace tied and upright on a boulder at 9,200 feet - no blood, no pack, no person - became the message that flipped a three-day search into a survival puzzle. How did a structural inspector who filed plans down to the last detail end up injured, buried in snow, and effectively erased by a device that reported her at 12,400 feet?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from Brenda Patterson’s summit photo at 1:45 PM on May 10 to the discovery of the boot on the morning of May 13, and follow how a GPS firmware bug and a misrouted SOS cost precious time and redirected rescuers - could those failures have been the difference between life and death?

Person: Brenda Patterson
Occupation: Structural inspector
Date: May 10 (summit photo 1:45 PM) and May 13 (boot found at 9:22 AM)
Location: Calvert Peak summit 12,400 ft; boot found at 9,200 ft in boulder field
Device issue: Garmin inReach GPS firmware bug documented July 2019

- Brenda summited Calvert Peak at 12,400 feet and took a photo timestamped 1:45 PM on May 10.
- At approximately 3:10 PM on May 10 she slipped on wet snow, fractured the lateral malleolus, and self-arrested with her ice axe.
- By about 4:30 PM she had descended roughly one mile and stopped at ~9,000 feet to pitch a tent and send an SOS.
- The Garmin inReach SOS transmitted with GPS coordinates fixed to the last satellite fix (the summit) due to a firmware bug later acknowledged in June/July 2019.
- Search and rescue mobilized on May 11 using summit coordinates, searching above 11,000 feet while Brenda was actually at about 9,000 feet.

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.]]>1236falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-candle-that-should-have-drowned-alone-61-hours-above-the-river--73084004
A lonely white candle burned down to a perfect pool of wax and traveled four miles of moving river without tipping or taking in a drop-an impossible detail that pulled rescuers back toward a single truth. How did a methodical paddler end up sixty-one hours stranded on a limestone cliff while her neat gear remained exactly where she left it?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Saturday evening launch to the radio call that found a drifting canoe, tracing what the episode covers: the river conditions, the equipment that stayed with her, and the physical evidence that explains how she survived-how did a broken ankle, six ounces of rainwater, and a candle become the clues to her rescue?

Person: Gail Russo
Date: April 6-9, 2019
Location: Mallet River, Talbert Landing to Fenwick Crossing
Injury: displaced fracture of the distal fibula (left ankle)
Duration stranded: nearly 61 hours

- The canoe had traveled four miles of moving river and remained upright with a candle standing in its glass holder.
- Gail launched at approximately 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 6, 2019, and texted at 6:14 PM from Gideon.
- The water gauge at Talbert Landing read 2.4 feet the evening she put in; her checklist warned to scout the Narrows above 2.0 feet.
- She reached the Narrows at river mile 1.3 between 7:45 and 8:00 PM, where the canoe capsized and she climbed 18 meters of wet limestone.
- She survived roughly 61 hours on a limestone cliff about 40 feet above the river, rationing roughly six ounces of rainwater.

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© 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/73084004Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Candle That Should Have Drowned: Alone 61 Hours Above the River A lonely white candle burned down to a perfect pool of wax and traveled four miles of moving river without tipping or taking in a drop-an impossible detail that pulled rescuers...
A lonely white candle burned down to a perfect pool of wax and traveled four miles of moving river without tipping or taking in a drop-an impossible detail that pulled rescuers back toward a single truth. How did a methodical paddler end up sixty-one hours stranded on a limestone cliff while her neat gear remained exactly where she left it?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Saturday evening launch to the radio call that found a drifting canoe, tracing what the episode covers: the river conditions, the equipment that stayed with her, and the physical evidence that explains how she survived-how did a broken ankle, six ounces of rainwater, and a candle become the clues to her rescue?

Person: Gail Russo
Date: April 6-9, 2019
Location: Mallet River, Talbert Landing to Fenwick Crossing
Injury: displaced fracture of the distal fibula (left ankle)
Duration stranded: nearly 61 hours

- The canoe had traveled four miles of moving river and remained upright with a candle standing in its glass holder.
- Gail launched at approximately 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 6, 2019, and texted at 6:14 PM from Gideon.
- The water gauge at Talbert Landing read 2.4 feet the evening she put in; her checklist warned to scout the Narrows above 2.0 feet.
- She reached the Narrows at river mile 1.3 between 7:45 and 8:00 PM, where the canoe capsized and she climbed 18 meters of wet limestone.
- She survived roughly 61 hours on a limestone cliff about 40 feet above the river, rationing roughly six ounces of rainwater.

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.]]>1102falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-for-87-hours-the-silo-that-shouldn-t-have-held-him--73084003
Cold air and forty tons of wheat trapped a 26-year-old inside a concrete silo for 87 hours after a four-second collapse-he survived breathing through a four-inch steel auger tube. How did a routine repair job, a missed dog feeding at six, and a single signed certification combine to leave him buried and still alive?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the March 5 collapse through the first search steps and the improvised survival tactics used inside the silo, asking how administrative oversights and small routines shaped the outcome.

Person: William Whitley
Date: March 5, 2014
Location: Albright farm, Prentiss County, Mississippi
Duration: 87 hours
Object: four-inch steel auger tube

- The silo collapse happened at 3:26 PM and took four seconds to dump forty tons of winter wheat into the east silo.
- William Whitley was 26 years old and had been working agricultural construction in Prentiss County for three years.
- William was buried to his shoulders with his arms pinned and suffered two rib fractures from chest compression.
- William discovered an auger intake approximately three inches from his right hand and used it to breathe by pressing his face to the intake about forty-five minutes after burial.
- The east silo had a documented stress fracture in the lower concrete ring from an inspection months earlier, and the farm manager had signed a certification that morning stating the silo was empty despite about forty tons remaining.

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© 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/73084003Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive for 87 Hours: The Silo That Shouldn't Have Held Him Cold air and forty tons of wheat trapped a 26-year-old inside a concrete silo for 87 hours after a four-second collapse-he survived breathing through a four-inch steel auger tube. How...
Cold air and forty tons of wheat trapped a 26-year-old inside a concrete silo for 87 hours after a four-second collapse-he survived breathing through a four-inch steel auger tube. How did a routine repair job, a missed dog feeding at six, and a single signed certification combine to leave him buried and still alive?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the March 5 collapse through the first search steps and the improvised survival tactics used inside the silo, asking how administrative oversights and small routines shaped the outcome.

Person: William Whitley
Date: March 5, 2014
Location: Albright farm, Prentiss County, Mississippi
Duration: 87 hours
Object: four-inch steel auger tube

- The silo collapse happened at 3:26 PM and took four seconds to dump forty tons of winter wheat into the east silo.
- William Whitley was 26 years old and had been working agricultural construction in Prentiss County for three years.
- William was buried to his shoulders with his arms pinned and suffered two rib fractures from chest compression.
- William discovered an auger intake approximately three inches from his right hand and used it to breathe by pressing his face to the intake about forty-five minutes after burial.
- The east silo had a documented stress fracture in the lower concrete ring from an inspection months earlier, and the farm manager had signed a certification that morning stating the silo was empty despite about forty tons remaining.

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.]]>1088falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-vanished-into-white-how-a-folded-wing-betrayed-survival--73084002
A tangerine paraglider wing, folded with surgical precision, sat bone dry inside a forgotten cistern on a mesa-no footprints, no pilot, no harness, and temperatures had been as low as 9°F. How did a 30-pound wing end up perfect and dry a mile and a half from the nearest road while the pilot remained missing?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a missed weekly call to a folded wing in a cistern and the small, organized habits that converged to save a life. What chain of ordinary routines and unexpected discoveries turned a forty-eight-hour mystery into a rescue?

Person: Emily Farrell
Date: February 12-14, 2019
Location: Alvarez Table, east of Ridgecrest, California
Age: 48
Equipment: Advance Sigma 9 paraglider (tangerine)

- Emily had 17 years of paragliding experience and had flown across four states.
- The wing weighed nearly 30 pounds and was found folded inside a cistern with no surrounding footprints.
- Alvarez Table sits at 9,300 feet and is an oval approximately 600 meters across.
- The cliff bands around the plateau drop between 30 and 80 feet on all sides.
- The night before the missing call the temperature dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

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/73084002Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Vanished Into White: How a Folded Wing Betrayed Survival A tangerine paraglider wing, folded with surgical precision, sat bone dry inside a forgotten cistern on a mesa-no footprints, no pilot, no harness, and temperatures had been as low as...
A tangerine paraglider wing, folded with surgical precision, sat bone dry inside a forgotten cistern on a mesa-no footprints, no pilot, no harness, and temperatures had been as low as 9°F. How did a 30-pound wing end up perfect and dry a mile and a half from the nearest road while the pilot remained missing?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a missed weekly call to a folded wing in a cistern and the small, organized habits that converged to save a life. What chain of ordinary routines and unexpected discoveries turned a forty-eight-hour mystery into a rescue?

Person: Emily Farrell
Date: February 12-14, 2019
Location: Alvarez Table, east of Ridgecrest, California
Age: 48
Equipment: Advance Sigma 9 paraglider (tangerine)

- Emily had 17 years of paragliding experience and had flown across four states.
- The wing weighed nearly 30 pounds and was found folded inside a cistern with no surrounding footprints.
- Alvarez Table sits at 9,300 feet and is an oval approximately 600 meters across.
- The cliff bands around the plateau drop between 30 and 80 feet on all sides.
- The night before the missing call the temperature dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

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/forty-meters-down-how-a-rubber-band-saved-a-diver--73083999
Fear spikes when you realize a man ran out of air forty meters below the surface and still climbed up-no boat, no bubbles, no clear explanation. A single rubber band, a rolled sleeve, and a cut line with twenty-two meters missing are the strange facts that let this survivor live-how did those pieces come together?

In this episode, you will hear the documented county file and witness statements describing what happened at Cordova Ledge, the physical evidence recovered, and the quirks in Troy Richardson’s training and routine that matter to the outcome. How did a propeller make two cuts and leave twenty-two meters of line missing, and what role did a tiny rubber band play in keeping him alive?

Person: Troy Richardson
Location: Cordova Ledge, Cordova Ledge, Florida
Date: Saturday morning in January (entered water at 6:45 a.m.; hand broke surface at 7:18 a.m.)
Status: Conscious and talking to rescue personnel by 7:40 a.m.; fourteen hours observation at Mercy General
Injuries: Laceration elbow to wrist (left forearm), dislocated right shoulder, nitrogen debt headache

- Troy descended forty meters on a single breath and was conscious by 7:40 a.m.
- The descent line was six-millimeter braided polyester anchored at 12 meters and weighted near 40 meters.
- The propeller made two separate cuts; 22 meters of line between upper and lower stubs was missing.
- Troy’s static apnea personal best was five minutes and forty seconds; his deepest documented dive was fifty-one meters.
- He logged training four mornings a week and recorded resting heart rate daily in a green spiral notebook.

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/73083999Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaForty Meters Down: How a Rubber Band Saved a Diver Fear spikes when you realize a man ran out of air forty meters below the surface and still climbed up-no boat, no bubbles, no clear explanation. A single rubber band, a rolled sleeve, and a cut...
Fear spikes when you realize a man ran out of air forty meters below the surface and still climbed up-no boat, no bubbles, no clear explanation. A single rubber band, a rolled sleeve, and a cut line with twenty-two meters missing are the strange facts that let this survivor live-how did those pieces come together?

In this episode, you will hear the documented county file and witness statements describing what happened at Cordova Ledge, the physical evidence recovered, and the quirks in Troy Richardson’s training and routine that matter to the outcome. How did a propeller make two cuts and leave twenty-two meters of line missing, and what role did a tiny rubber band play in keeping him alive?

Person: Troy Richardson
Location: Cordova Ledge, Cordova Ledge, Florida
Date: Saturday morning in January (entered water at 6:45 a.m.; hand broke surface at 7:18 a.m.)
Status: Conscious and talking to rescue personnel by 7:40 a.m.; fourteen hours observation at Mercy General
Injuries: Laceration elbow to wrist (left forearm), dislocated right shoulder, nitrogen debt headache

- Troy descended forty meters on a single breath and was conscious by 7:40 a.m.
- The descent line was six-millimeter braided polyester anchored at 12 meters and weighted near 40 meters.
- The propeller made two separate cuts; 22 meters of line between upper and lower stubs was missing.
- Troy’s static apnea personal best was five minutes and forty seconds; his deepest documented dive was fifty-one meters.
- He logged training four mornings a week and recorded resting heart rate daily in a green spiral notebook.

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.]]>1111falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/found-alive-at-dawn-how-birch-bark-and-a-lighter-kept-her-warm--73083998
Fear of freezing to death and the desperate will to survive collide in the dark: a 52-year-old woman fell through three-centimeter ice at -29°C, lost her pack, and spent sixty-one hours alive with only a multitool, a lighter and a memory of an old survival tale - how did birch bark and a cigarette lighter keep her from freezing?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment she signed the trail register to the dawn when a paperboy found her; the episode covers the failed ice crossing, what she had with her, and the improvised shelter and actions that sustained her - could those three small items really be enough?

Person: April Bauer
Date: December 14-19, 2011
Location: Superior National Forest, Moose Hollow trailhead and the tributary known as "the finger"
Temperature: -29 degrees Celsius on December 14
Ice thickness at crossing: 3 centimeters (safe crossing requires 12 centimeters)

- April Bauer was 52 years old and signed the trail register at approximately 08:00 on Wednesday, December 14, 2011.
- A beaver dam partially failed upstream increasing water flow by roughly 40%, recorded by hydrologist Tom Wick.
- April stepped onto ice measuring 3 cm thick at approximately 14:17 and fell through a nine-meter tributary.
- Her pack with bivvy sack, emergency kit, dry base layer and headlamp remained about 200 meters away, propped against a white pine on the opposite bank.
- She survived approximately 61 hours exposed, found at 05:40 on December 19 by 14-year-old Linda Underwood on Forest Service Road 14.

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/73083998Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaFound Alive at Dawn: How Birch Bark and a Lighter Kept Her Warm Fear of freezing to death and the desperate will to survive collide in the dark: a 52-year-old woman fell through three-centimeter ice at -29°C, lost her pack, and spent sixty-one...
Fear of freezing to death and the desperate will to survive collide in the dark: a 52-year-old woman fell through three-centimeter ice at -29°C, lost her pack, and spent sixty-one hours alive with only a multitool, a lighter and a memory of an old survival tale - how did birch bark and a cigarette lighter keep her from freezing?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment she signed the trail register to the dawn when a paperboy found her; the episode covers the failed ice crossing, what she had with her, and the improvised shelter and actions that sustained her - could those three small items really be enough?

Person: April Bauer
Date: December 14-19, 2011
Location: Superior National Forest, Moose Hollow trailhead and the tributary known as "the finger"
Temperature: -29 degrees Celsius on December 14
Ice thickness at crossing: 3 centimeters (safe crossing requires 12 centimeters)

- April Bauer was 52 years old and signed the trail register at approximately 08:00 on Wednesday, December 14, 2011.
- A beaver dam partially failed upstream increasing water flow by roughly 40%, recorded by hydrologist Tom Wick.
- April stepped onto ice measuring 3 cm thick at approximately 14:17 and fell through a nine-meter tributary.
- Her pack with bivvy sack, emergency kit, dry base layer and headlamp remained about 200 meters away, propped against a white pine on the opposite bank.
- She survived approximately 61 hours exposed, found at 05:40 on December 19 by 14-year-old Linda Underwood on Forest Service Road 14.

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.]]>1112falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/days-on-broken-kettle-the-misheard-radio-that-stranded-her--73083997
Fear cut a radio transmission down to three words and left a forty-four-year-old lookout alone for twenty-eight days at 6,400 feet during one of the worst early-winter stretches in the Umatilla National Forest-how did a misheard message become a months-long silence that nearly cost her life? What did Holly Erickson do with a spiral-bound logbook while no rescue came?

In this episode, we tell how a single fragmentary dispatch entry, a burned bridge, and a closed road combined to strand a seasoned fire lookout on a steel-and-glass cab for nearly a month, and how the green spiral-bound notebook she kept proved she had been alive the whole time. How did the notebook surface, and what did it reveal about the failure in the system that was supposed to keep her safe?

Person: Holly Erickson
Date: November 22-November 19, 2009
Location: Broken Kettle Lookout Tower, Umatilla National Forest
Height: 6,400 feet
Discovery date: November 19, 2009 at 6:12 AM

- Holly was 44 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 138 pounds in the fall of 2009.
- She had worked 11 seasons as a Forest Service fire lookout, the last four at Broken Kettle.
- At 2:58 AM on November 23, Dennis Park logged "Erickson EV confirmed, departed tower" after receiving three words of a 12-word transmission.
- The road out crossed Eleven-Bravo, and the bridge at Antler Run burned, closing the only route down.
- On November 19 at 6:12 AM, Chad Stewart found Holly's open green spiral-bound notebook held by a chunk of basalt in the gravel.

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/73083997Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaDays on Broken Kettle: The Misheard Radio That Stranded Her Fear cut a radio transmission down to three words and left a forty-four-year-old lookout alone for twenty-eight days at 6,400 feet during one of the worst early-winter stretches in the...
Fear cut a radio transmission down to three words and left a forty-four-year-old lookout alone for twenty-eight days at 6,400 feet during one of the worst early-winter stretches in the Umatilla National Forest-how did a misheard message become a months-long silence that nearly cost her life? What did Holly Erickson do with a spiral-bound logbook while no rescue came?

In this episode, we tell how a single fragmentary dispatch entry, a burned bridge, and a closed road combined to strand a seasoned fire lookout on a steel-and-glass cab for nearly a month, and how the green spiral-bound notebook she kept proved she had been alive the whole time. How did the notebook surface, and what did it reveal about the failure in the system that was supposed to keep her safe?

Person: Holly Erickson
Date: November 22-November 19, 2009
Location: Broken Kettle Lookout Tower, Umatilla National Forest
Height: 6,400 feet
Discovery date: November 19, 2009 at 6:12 AM

- Holly was 44 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 138 pounds in the fall of 2009.
- She had worked 11 seasons as a Forest Service fire lookout, the last four at Broken Kettle.
- At 2:58 AM on November 23, Dennis Park logged "Erickson EV confirmed, departed tower" after receiving three words of a 12-word transmission.
- The road out crossed Eleven-Bravo, and the bridge at Antler Run burned, closing the only route down.
- On November 19 at 6:12 AM, Chad Stewart found Holly's open green spiral-bound notebook held by a chunk of basalt in the gravel.

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/she-walked-out-then-her-paddle-hung-eleven-feet-up--73083996
Cold, precise danger: a kayak paddle was found knotted eleven feet up in a spruce tree with three half-hitches and a locking carabiner after a woman walked out of a basalt gorge into sub-freezing night - how did it get there? Which survival choices and river conditions turned a routine run into a four-month mystery no one could explain?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from launch to rescue and the evidence that baffled rescuers for months. We cover the river conditions, Erin Morgan’s equipment and decisions, the timeline of the capsize and escape, and the unresolved question about the paddle in the tree.

Person: Erin Morgan
Age: 28
Location: Rook Bar, Vantage River
Date: October 12
Equipment: drysuit, neoprene gloves, emergency bivy rated to 20°F, 50 feet parachute cord

- The paddle was found 11 feet up in a spruce tree, knotted with three half-hitches and secured with a locking carabiner.
- Erin launched at 7:45 AM and capsized at approximately 8:55 AM.
- River flow at the Elbow was roughly 6 feet per second, about double summer levels.
- Water temperature at the nearest monitoring station read 38°F; air at launch was 29°F, falling toward 24°F by nightfall.
- Erin had 50 feet of safety-orange parachute cord with locking carabiners clipped to her chest strap.

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/73083996Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out - Then Her Paddle Hung Eleven Feet Up Cold, precise danger: a kayak paddle was found knotted eleven feet up in a spruce tree with three half-hitches and a locking carabiner after a woman walked out of a basalt gorge into sub-freezing...
Cold, precise danger: a kayak paddle was found knotted eleven feet up in a spruce tree with three half-hitches and a locking carabiner after a woman walked out of a basalt gorge into sub-freezing night - how did it get there? Which survival choices and river conditions turned a routine run into a four-month mystery no one could explain?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of what happened from launch to rescue and the evidence that baffled rescuers for months. We cover the river conditions, Erin Morgan’s equipment and decisions, the timeline of the capsize and escape, and the unresolved question about the paddle in the tree.

Person: Erin Morgan
Age: 28
Location: Rook Bar, Vantage River
Date: October 12
Equipment: drysuit, neoprene gloves, emergency bivy rated to 20°F, 50 feet parachute cord

- The paddle was found 11 feet up in a spruce tree, knotted with three half-hitches and secured with a locking carabiner.
- Erin launched at 7:45 AM and capsized at approximately 8:55 AM.
- River flow at the Elbow was roughly 6 feet per second, about double summer levels.
- Water temperature at the nearest monitoring station read 38°F; air at launch was 29°F, falling toward 24°F by nightfall.
- Erin had 50 feet of safety-orange parachute cord with locking carabiners clipped to her chest strap.

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.]]>1083falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-desert-shoe-that-refused-to-lie-nine-days-alive--73083995
Fear tightens the chest when you imagine a single shoe standing upright on a cattle gate as the only message from someone lost in high desert heat - a left women's size eight caked in clay that didn't match any soil nearby. How did a 54-year-old teacher survive nine days with a swollen ankle, twenty ounces of water, and a torn shirt - and what did that shoe really mean?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of the Sackett Range Endurance Run that began on September 9, 2017, the choice made at mile 17, and the nine days that followed leading to the discovery on September 19. What decisions and improvised treatments kept Jennifer Holt alive long enough for her final signal to be found?

Person: Jennifer Holt
Date: September 9, 2017 (race start) and September 19, 2017 (shoe discovery)
Location: Dry Gulch access road and Sackett Range high desert terrain
Event: Sackett Range Endurance Run, 11th edition, 26.2 miles
Status: Survivor found with evidence after nine days

- Shoe: left trail shoe, women's size eight, standing upright with two overhand knots where a bow should be
- Water carried: twenty ounces total at race start
- Supplies carried: one energy gel, an emergency blanket, a compass, and a phone at 63% battery with no signal
- Race field: 114 registered runners; course marked with orange flags on wire stakes over 26.2 miles
- Injury timing: ankle rolled on descent around 12:30 PM at mile 17; ankle remained swollen for nine 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/73083995Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Desert Shoe That Refused to Lie: Nine Days Alive Fear tightens the chest when you imagine a single shoe standing upright on a cattle gate as the only message from someone lost in high desert heat - a left women's size eight caked in clay that...
Fear tightens the chest when you imagine a single shoe standing upright on a cattle gate as the only message from someone lost in high desert heat - a left women's size eight caked in clay that didn't match any soil nearby. How did a 54-year-old teacher survive nine days with a swollen ankle, twenty ounces of water, and a torn shirt - and what did that shoe really mean?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of the Sackett Range Endurance Run that began on September 9, 2017, the choice made at mile 17, and the nine days that followed leading to the discovery on September 19. What decisions and improvised treatments kept Jennifer Holt alive long enough for her final signal to be found?

Person: Jennifer Holt
Date: September 9, 2017 (race start) and September 19, 2017 (shoe discovery)
Location: Dry Gulch access road and Sackett Range high desert terrain
Event: Sackett Range Endurance Run, 11th edition, 26.2 miles
Status: Survivor found with evidence after nine days

- Shoe: left trail shoe, women's size eight, standing upright with two overhand knots where a bow should be
- Water carried: twenty ounces total at race start
- Supplies carried: one energy gel, an emergency blanket, a compass, and a phone at 63% battery with no signal
- Race field: 114 registered runners; course marked with orange flags on wire stakes over 26.2 miles
- Injury timing: ankle rolled on descent around 12:30 PM at mile 17; ankle remained swollen for nine 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.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-how-a-broken-ankle-outsmarted-search-teams--73083994
When a twelve-point alpine crampon with lichen that only grows above 11,000 feet turned up 43 miles from alpine terrain, it became the only physical trace of a six-day mountain survival that never triggered a search alarm. How did a methodical climber with a broken fibula navigate 400 vertical feet in 11 hours, find meltwater, and walk out while 23 volunteers searched the wrong drainage?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the trailhead register at 4:47 AM on August 13, 2011, through the choices that saved her life and the missed signals that delayed rescue, asking: what separates a plan from the moment the mountain refuses to cooperate?

Person: Pamela Lawson
Date: August 13-19, 2011
Location: Dunmore Spire area; crampon found on Sycamore Loop
Event: Fall resulting in broken fibula and six-day self-extraction
Searchers: 23 volunteers

- Crampon: twelve-point alpine model, left foot, ankle strap cut cleanly through, found August 19, 2011
- Lichen: crust of pale lichen characteristic of elevations above 11,000 feet present on crampon
- Distance to alpine terrain: nearest alpine terrain 43 miles from where crampon was found
- Trailhead sign-in: Pamela signed in at 4:47 AM on August 13, 2011 and listed return as August 14, 6:00 PM
- Descent rate after injury: 400 vertical feet covered in 11 hours, bivouacked at ~12,400 feet

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/73083994Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out: How a Broken Ankle Outsmarted Search Teams When a twelve-point alpine crampon with lichen that only grows above 11,000 feet turned up 43 miles from alpine terrain, it became the only physical trace of a six-day mountain survival...
When a twelve-point alpine crampon with lichen that only grows above 11,000 feet turned up 43 miles from alpine terrain, it became the only physical trace of a six-day mountain survival that never triggered a search alarm. How did a methodical climber with a broken fibula navigate 400 vertical feet in 11 hours, find meltwater, and walk out while 23 volunteers searched the wrong drainage?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the trailhead register at 4:47 AM on August 13, 2011, through the choices that saved her life and the missed signals that delayed rescue, asking: what separates a plan from the moment the mountain refuses to cooperate?

Person: Pamela Lawson
Date: August 13-19, 2011
Location: Dunmore Spire area; crampon found on Sycamore Loop
Event: Fall resulting in broken fibula and six-day self-extraction
Searchers: 23 volunteers

- Crampon: twelve-point alpine model, left foot, ankle strap cut cleanly through, found August 19, 2011
- Lichen: crust of pale lichen characteristic of elevations above 11,000 feet present on crampon
- Distance to alpine terrain: nearest alpine terrain 43 miles from where crampon was found
- Trailhead sign-in: Pamela signed in at 4:47 AM on August 13, 2011 and listed return as August 14, 6:00 PM
- Descent rate after injury: 400 vertical feet covered in 11 hours, bivouacked at ~12,400 feet

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/the-two-words-that-rewrote-a-41-hour-survival-ordeal--73083993
A tossed rubber boot, a waterproof note with two words, and a Coast Guard search shifted across thirty-one miles of Pacific-how did "C.J. grounded" redirect everything and lead to two men stranded for more than forty hours with one suffering a compound arm fracture? What sequence of hidden charts, a vanished radio, and a single AIS ping finally closed the loop?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a July 9 departure to a rescue after a storm accelerated faster than forecasts predicted. You will hear how the captain’s meticulous habits, a missing digital chart layer, a four‑second radio transmission, and a volunteer finding a boot in a church combined to answer one crucial question: how did they survive when so much failed?

Person: Laura Sullivan
Vessel: Carla Jean
Date of departure: July 9, 2019
Weather: eight‑foot seas escalating to fourteen feet with 41‑knot southwest winds
Injury: compound fracture of the radius to Roy Stanton’s left arm

- A size seven right rubber boot was found on the second pew of Saint Brendan's Lutheran Church on a Tuesday morning.
- The folded yellow waterproof note inside the boot contained two sets of coordinates and the words "C.J. grounded."
- The Carla Jean left Harlowe Point at 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2019, bound for a chinook salmon zone 38 miles offshore.
- At 6:51 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, Laura Sullivan reported seas at 14 feet and wind at 41 knots, then transmitted "Wrong side" before the radio went silent.
- An AIS ping from the Carla Jean appeared in Dennis Albright’s Coos Inlet Landing log about 22 miles south of Harlowe Point, contradicting the initial 31‑mile search grid.

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/73083993Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Two Words That Rewrote a 41‑Hour Survival Ordeal A tossed rubber boot, a waterproof note with two words, and a Coast Guard search shifted across thirty-one miles of Pacific-how did "C.J. grounded" redirect everything and lead to two men...
A tossed rubber boot, a waterproof note with two words, and a Coast Guard search shifted across thirty-one miles of Pacific-how did "C.J. grounded" redirect everything and lead to two men stranded for more than forty hours with one suffering a compound arm fracture? What sequence of hidden charts, a vanished radio, and a single AIS ping finally closed the loop?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a July 9 departure to a rescue after a storm accelerated faster than forecasts predicted. You will hear how the captain’s meticulous habits, a missing digital chart layer, a four‑second radio transmission, and a volunteer finding a boot in a church combined to answer one crucial question: how did they survive when so much failed?

Person: Laura Sullivan
Vessel: Carla Jean
Date of departure: July 9, 2019
Weather: eight‑foot seas escalating to fourteen feet with 41‑knot southwest winds
Injury: compound fracture of the radius to Roy Stanton’s left arm

- A size seven right rubber boot was found on the second pew of Saint Brendan's Lutheran Church on a Tuesday morning.
- The folded yellow waterproof note inside the boot contained two sets of coordinates and the words "C.J. grounded."
- The Carla Jean left Harlowe Point at 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2019, bound for a chinook salmon zone 38 miles offshore.
- At 6:51 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, Laura Sullivan reported seas at 14 feet and wind at 41 knots, then transmitted "Wrong side" before the radio went silent.
- An AIS ping from the Carla Jean appeared in Dennis Albright’s Coos Inlet Landing log about 22 miles south of Harlowe Point, contradicting the initial 31‑mile search grid.

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.]]>1224falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-green-thermos-placed-upright-in-the-sonoran-desert-with-water-still-inside--73083992
Heat, distance and a single upright military thermos create a moment of dread: water inside, a sealed cork, and a child’s size four sneaker wedged under a wash - why were these objects left together four hundred yards from the nearest dirt road in June 1997? What did the boot prints pointing away from every road actually mean?

In this episode, we follow the steps that Kenneth Long and his seven-year-old granddaughter Maya took after their pickup broke down, how a beagle named Copper halted at a thermos, and how those small choices shaped an eighteen-hour search that would need a retired surveyor and dawn light to resolve the mystery. Could careful decisions about direction and shelter explain the scene searchers first read as catastrophic?

Person: Kenneth Long
Person: Maya Renee Long
Date: June 9-10, 1997
Location: Seco Bench Road area, Sonoran Desert, Yavapai County
Animal: Copper (beagle mix)

- At 7:41 AM on June 10, 1997, Copper stopped beside a green Stanley thermos placed upright and sealed with water still inside.
- The thermos and sneaker were found about 400 yards from the nearest dirt road, in the shade of a creosote bush and creosote/caliche terrain.
- Deputy Art Solis bagged the thermos and the size four Velcro child's sneaker as evidence by 10:15 AM the same morning.
- Kenneth and Maya had walked roughly three miles by 3:45 PM when Maya sprained her left ankle, with approximately 3.5 miles still to go to reach Yucca Springs.
- Kenneth had a day pack containing a road flare, folding knife, first-aid kit, space blanket, a one-gallon jug three-quarters full of water, Maya’s 20-ounce bottle, and a green Stanley thermos full.

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/73083992Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaA green thermos, placed upright in the Sonoran Desert - with water still inside Heat, distance and a single upright military thermos create a moment of dread: water inside, a sealed cork, and a child’s size four sneaker wedged under a wash - why...
Heat, distance and a single upright military thermos create a moment of dread: water inside, a sealed cork, and a child’s size four sneaker wedged under a wash - why were these objects left together four hundred yards from the nearest dirt road in June 1997? What did the boot prints pointing away from every road actually mean?

In this episode, we follow the steps that Kenneth Long and his seven-year-old granddaughter Maya took after their pickup broke down, how a beagle named Copper halted at a thermos, and how those small choices shaped an eighteen-hour search that would need a retired surveyor and dawn light to resolve the mystery. Could careful decisions about direction and shelter explain the scene searchers first read as catastrophic?

Person: Kenneth Long
Person: Maya Renee Long
Date: June 9-10, 1997
Location: Seco Bench Road area, Sonoran Desert, Yavapai County
Animal: Copper (beagle mix)

- At 7:41 AM on June 10, 1997, Copper stopped beside a green Stanley thermos placed upright and sealed with water still inside.
- The thermos and sneaker were found about 400 yards from the nearest dirt road, in the shade of a creosote bush and creosote/caliche terrain.
- Deputy Art Solis bagged the thermos and the size four Velcro child's sneaker as evidence by 10:15 AM the same morning.
- Kenneth and Maya had walked roughly three miles by 3:45 PM when Maya sprained her left ankle, with approximately 3.5 miles still to go to reach Yucca Springs.
- Kenneth had a day pack containing a road flare, folding knife, first-aid kit, space blanket, a one-gallon jug three-quarters full of water, Maya’s 20-ounce bottle, and a green Stanley thermos full.

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.]]>1033falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wound-watch-microwave-air-23-hours-buried-alive-on-harkin-ridge--73083991
The first thing Marie Dixon gripped in the dark was a Timex Expedition with a scratched orange bezel - running, bone dry, and wound the night before. A fisherman found that same watch in Selby Creek at 5:12 a.m. on May 8, 2011, and it became the only external evidence that she was alive under four and a half feet of snow; how did a kitchen-wound timepiece become her lifeline and proof of life?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine hike and a wound watch to a Size Two avalanche that trapped Marie on Harkin Ridge, and the subsequent search that began when the watch was found; what did she do in the hours before rescuers arrived and how did a small mechanical device change the outcome?

Person: Marie Dixon
Date: May 8, 2011
Location: Harkin Ridge / Selby Creek
Event: Avalanche burial and 23+ hour search
Status: Rescued and received at Forster Valley Medical Center

- Marie was 26 years old, born February 19, 1985.
- She left the Harkin Ridge trailhead at 6:50 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2011.
- The avalanche was about 60 feet wide with an 18-inch crown and a 42-degree pitch.
- She was buried under approximately 4.5 feet of snow with an air pocket the size of a microwave.
- Curtis Cooper found the dry, running Timex Expedition at 5:12 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

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/73083991Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaWound Watch, Microwave Air: 23 Hours Buried Alive on Harkin Ridge The first thing Marie Dixon gripped in the dark was a Timex Expedition with a scratched orange bezel - running, bone dry, and wound the night before. A fisherman found that same...
The first thing Marie Dixon gripped in the dark was a Timex Expedition with a scratched orange bezel - running, bone dry, and wound the night before. A fisherman found that same watch in Selby Creek at 5:12 a.m. on May 8, 2011, and it became the only external evidence that she was alive under four and a half feet of snow; how did a kitchen-wound timepiece become her lifeline and proof of life?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine hike and a wound watch to a Size Two avalanche that trapped Marie on Harkin Ridge, and the subsequent search that began when the watch was found; what did she do in the hours before rescuers arrived and how did a small mechanical device change the outcome?

Person: Marie Dixon
Date: May 8, 2011
Location: Harkin Ridge / Selby Creek
Event: Avalanche burial and 23+ hour search
Status: Rescued and received at Forster Valley Medical Center

- Marie was 26 years old, born February 19, 1985.
- She left the Harkin Ridge trailhead at 6:50 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2011.
- The avalanche was about 60 feet wide with an 18-inch crown and a 42-degree pitch.
- She was buried under approximately 4.5 feet of snow with an air pocket the size of a microwave.
- Curtis Cooper found the dry, running Timex Expedition at 5:12 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

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.]]>1034falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-drew-a-map-in-darkness-then-sent-it-out-alive--73083990
Cold, methodical decisions saved a diver no one knew was lost: a dry, forty-one-page surveyor's book found in mud held a penciled note written four days earlier underground - and a map drawn blind. How did a cut guideline, a sketch pressed in total darkness, and a crack in limestone become the single clue that redirected a four-day search and meant the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the April dive to the moment the notebook surfaced, describing what happened, who found the book, and how one small piece of paper changed the rescue - all leading back to the central question of why the line was cut and where it led.

Person: Marcia Williams
Date: April 13, 2017
Location: Coldwater Hollow, Texas Hill Country
Finder: Kevin Osborne
Pages: 41

- The notebook was dry despite weeks of rain and contained 41 intact pages.
- The note on the final page read: "air est, four hrs - do not follow line past T3 - line is wrong - M. Williams."
- Marcia Williams had been diving for 19 years and was 47 years old at the time.
- An orange guideline extended 400 feet into the cave and ended at a knot that rescuers treated as a terminus.
- A dive reel with 300 feet of white nylon line remained coiled in her truck's mesh bag.

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/73083990Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Drew a Map in Darkness - Then Sent It Out Alive Cold, methodical decisions saved a diver no one knew was lost: a dry, forty-one-page surveyor's book found in mud held a penciled note written four days earlier underground - and a map drawn...
Cold, methodical decisions saved a diver no one knew was lost: a dry, forty-one-page surveyor's book found in mud held a penciled note written four days earlier underground - and a map drawn blind. How did a cut guideline, a sketch pressed in total darkness, and a crack in limestone become the single clue that redirected a four-day search and meant the difference between life and death?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the April dive to the moment the notebook surfaced, describing what happened, who found the book, and how one small piece of paper changed the rescue - all leading back to the central question of why the line was cut and where it led.

Person: Marcia Williams
Date: April 13, 2017
Location: Coldwater Hollow, Texas Hill Country
Finder: Kevin Osborne
Pages: 41

- The notebook was dry despite weeks of rain and contained 41 intact pages.
- The note on the final page read: "air est, four hrs - do not follow line past T3 - line is wrong - M. Williams."
- Marcia Williams had been diving for 19 years and was 47 years old at the time.
- An orange guideline extended 400 feet into the cave and ended at a knot that rescuers treated as a terminus.
- A dive reel with 300 feet of white nylon line remained coiled in her truck's mesh bag.

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© 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/frozen-coffee-wrong-spur-how-one-digit-kept-him-four-days--73083989
Cold, methodical survival hid in a frozen cup tilted at exactly fifteen degrees - the same angle as a truck nose-down in a drainage rut - and one transposed digit in a field note sent rescuers miles the wrong way. The discrepancy left a 31-year-old timber assessor with a quarter tank of gas, a wool blanket, and dwindling heat for four days; how did a single curved pencil mark cost him those hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Michael Cole went missing to the moment Kelly Bailey found his truck, reconstructing what he did to stretch fuel and warmth while search teams were routed to the wrong spur. What choices kept him alive long enough to be found, and how did one small error in a digit change everything?

Person: Michael Cole
Date: March 14, 2019
Location: Spur Seven, Aldercroft logging network
Age: 31
Status: Found alive in vehicle after four days

- The truck was nose-down in a drainage rut at a 15-degree tilt with a cup of coffee frozen solid and tilted at the same angle.
- Michael left home on Sunday, March 10 and completed the parcel walk before a storm dropped 4 inches of snow by 6 PM and 8 inches by 7 PM.
- He was high-centered 6.5 miles from the Aldercroft Main junction on Spur Seven, while searchers were sent to Spur Four due to a handwritten "7" transcribed as "4".
- He rationed fuel by running the engine 20 minutes on and 40 minutes off with roughly a quarter tank of gas and carried two granola bars, a sleeve of saltines, a packet of peanut butter, a Carhartt jacket rated to 20°F, a wool cap, work gloves, and a wool blanket.
- The engine ran until sometime Wednesday night when the quarter tank was exhausted, after which external temperatures fell to 11°F and the cab temperature dropped from about 50°F toward freezing.

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/73083989Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaFrozen Coffee, Wrong Spur: How One Digit Kept Him Four Days Cold, methodical survival hid in a frozen cup tilted at exactly fifteen degrees - the same angle as a truck nose-down in a drainage rut - and one transposed digit in a field note sent...
Cold, methodical survival hid in a frozen cup tilted at exactly fifteen degrees - the same angle as a truck nose-down in a drainage rut - and one transposed digit in a field note sent rescuers miles the wrong way. The discrepancy left a 31-year-old timber assessor with a quarter tank of gas, a wool blanket, and dwindling heat for four days; how did a single curved pencil mark cost him those hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Michael Cole went missing to the moment Kelly Bailey found his truck, reconstructing what he did to stretch fuel and warmth while search teams were routed to the wrong spur. What choices kept him alive long enough to be found, and how did one small error in a digit change everything?

Person: Michael Cole
Date: March 14, 2019
Location: Spur Seven, Aldercroft logging network
Age: 31
Status: Found alive in vehicle after four days

- The truck was nose-down in a drainage rut at a 15-degree tilt with a cup of coffee frozen solid and tilted at the same angle.
- Michael left home on Sunday, March 10 and completed the parcel walk before a storm dropped 4 inches of snow by 6 PM and 8 inches by 7 PM.
- He was high-centered 6.5 miles from the Aldercroft Main junction on Spur Seven, while searchers were sent to Spur Four due to a handwritten "7" transcribed as "4".
- He rationed fuel by running the engine 20 minutes on and 40 minutes off with roughly a quarter tank of gas and carried two granola bars, a sleeve of saltines, a packet of peanut butter, a Carhartt jacket rated to 20°F, a wool cap, work gloves, and a wool blanket.
- The engine ran until sometime Wednesday night when the quarter tank was exhausted, after which external temperatures fell to 11°F and the cab temperature dropped from about 50°F toward freezing.

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.]]>1175falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-survived-eleven-days-alone-the-sloop-that-should-have-sunk--73083988
Adrenaline and clinical calm collide: a fifty-one-year-old solo sailor survived eleven days on a thirty-four-foot dismasted sloop, with a broken arm and a life raft still sealed on deck-why did she never use it, and what choices kept her alive? Discover the small, calculated details that turned a likely death into a strange, stubborn survival.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a lighthouse sighting at 7:42 AM to the rescue boat boarding at 8:15, tracing the decisions Pamela Hansen made after her mast failed two days offshore; what made her keep the life raft lashed and stay with the hull rather than abandon ship?

Person: Pamela Hansen
Age: 51
Vessel: 34-foot Pacific Seacraft sloop named Celia B
Departure date: January 29, around 2:00 PM
Discovery date and time: February 9 at 7:42 AM

- The mast failed at 4:17 AM on January 31 when the lower shroud chainplate let go under storm load.
- Pamela had a fractured radius in her left arm after the mast came down and was left with effectively one usable hand.
- The boat’s water tank held 30 gallons and she carried four additional one-gallon emergency jugs.
- An EPIRB operating on 406 MHz was mounted eight feet from the companionway and had been tested the week before departure.
- Lloyd Reynolds spotted the listing, mastless sloop and the sealed orange life raft at 7:42 AM on February 9; the rescue boat reached the vessel by 8:15 AM.

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/73083988Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Eleven Days Alone: The Sloop That Should Have Sunk Adrenaline and clinical calm collide: a fifty-one-year-old solo sailor survived eleven days on a thirty-four-foot dismasted sloop, with a broken arm and a life raft still sealed on...
Adrenaline and clinical calm collide: a fifty-one-year-old solo sailor survived eleven days on a thirty-four-foot dismasted sloop, with a broken arm and a life raft still sealed on deck-why did she never use it, and what choices kept her alive? Discover the small, calculated details that turned a likely death into a strange, stubborn survival.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a lighthouse sighting at 7:42 AM to the rescue boat boarding at 8:15, tracing the decisions Pamela Hansen made after her mast failed two days offshore; what made her keep the life raft lashed and stay with the hull rather than abandon ship?

Person: Pamela Hansen
Age: 51
Vessel: 34-foot Pacific Seacraft sloop named Celia B
Departure date: January 29, around 2:00 PM
Discovery date and time: February 9 at 7:42 AM

- The mast failed at 4:17 AM on January 31 when the lower shroud chainplate let go under storm load.
- Pamela had a fractured radius in her left arm after the mast came down and was left with effectively one usable hand.
- The boat’s water tank held 30 gallons and she carried four additional one-gallon emergency jugs.
- An EPIRB operating on 406 MHz was mounted eight feet from the companionway and had been tested the week before departure.
- Lloyd Reynolds spotted the listing, mastless sloop and the sealed orange life raft at 7:42 AM on February 9; the rescue boat reached the vessel by 8:15 AM.

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.]]>1095falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cairned-the-boot-the-error-and-eleven-miles-wrong--73083987
A solitary hiking boot stood upright on a gate post at 5:51 AM-lace removed, toe pointing south, and inside a granola bar wrapper with W A T R scratched into the foil. Eleven miles of satellite data sent the search teams the wrong way; why did a methodical man with a tested Garmin InReach end up unconscious sixty yards east of that gate?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from John Harrison’s last normal Wednesday at the Millstone Grill to the morning a fourteen-year-old found evidence on Piedra Mesa Road, and we trace how a single question mark on a registration card-"cairned?"-became central to understanding his route and the search that missed him. How did careful planning, cairns, and one registration note all factor into where he was found?

Person: John Harrison
Age: 44
Date: January 4-8 (event span)
Location: Piedra Mesa Road, Kern County
Device: Garmin InReach satellite communicator

- At 5:51 AM on January 8 a fourteen-year-old bicyclist found a hiking boot upright on the Ortega Grazing Allotment gate post.
- The boot contained a folded granola bar wrapper with four letters scratched into the foil: W, A, T, R.
- Hospital staff recorded a core body temperature of 93.4°F for the man found 60 yards east of the gate at 6:22 AM.
- John had written "cairned?" with a question mark in the notes section of the hike registration card before he reached the trailhead.
- Search teams were misdirected by eleven miles due to reliance on satellite data from his Garmin InReach.

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/73083987Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaCairned? The Boot, The Error, And Eleven Miles Wrong A solitary hiking boot stood upright on a gate post at 5:51 AM-lace removed, toe pointing south, and inside a granola bar wrapper with W A T R scratched into the foil. Eleven miles of satellite...
A solitary hiking boot stood upright on a gate post at 5:51 AM-lace removed, toe pointing south, and inside a granola bar wrapper with W A T R scratched into the foil. Eleven miles of satellite data sent the search teams the wrong way; why did a methodical man with a tested Garmin InReach end up unconscious sixty yards east of that gate?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from John Harrison’s last normal Wednesday at the Millstone Grill to the morning a fourteen-year-old found evidence on Piedra Mesa Road, and we trace how a single question mark on a registration card-"cairned?"-became central to understanding his route and the search that missed him. How did careful planning, cairns, and one registration note all factor into where he was found?

Person: John Harrison
Age: 44
Date: January 4-8 (event span)
Location: Piedra Mesa Road, Kern County
Device: Garmin InReach satellite communicator

- At 5:51 AM on January 8 a fourteen-year-old bicyclist found a hiking boot upright on the Ortega Grazing Allotment gate post.
- The boot contained a folded granola bar wrapper with four letters scratched into the foil: W, A, T, R.
- Hospital staff recorded a core body temperature of 93.4°F for the man found 60 yards east of the gate at 6:22 AM.
- John had written "cairned?" with a question mark in the notes section of the hike registration card before he reached the trailhead.
- Search teams were misdirected by eleven miles due to reliance on satellite data from his Garmin InReach.

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/left-his-pole-not-his-plan-how-a-broken-knee-became-survival-math--73083986
Cold, isolated, and making decisions like a human calculator: a carbon-fiber trekking pole snapped and wrapped in blood was found on top of snow after a blizzard, placed there by someone who had walked out of the mountain alive - so where did he go, and how did he convert dwindling resources into the exact moves that kept him alive? This episode zeroes in on one man's step-by-step survival arithmetic and a single broken knee that turned a planned 102-mile route into a race against thermodynamics and time.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the planned start at Millhaven Pass through the Calloway Hundred and into the moment everything changed, describing the choices, terrain, and gear that mattered and asking whether the final decisions were the result of training, calculation, or sheer will.

Person: Eric Graham
Date: December 18-19, 2023
Event: Calloway Hundred self-supported route
Location: Ridgetop Bench and Fenwick Branch crossing on Calloway Hundred Road
Status: Found in hospital; pole discovered by snowplow operator Thomas Hicks

- At 6:14 AM on December 19, 2023, Thomas Hicks struck a snapped carbon-fiber trekking pole in a roadside ditch while plowing Calloway Hundred Road.
- Eric Graham began the Calloway Hundred at 6:00 AM on December 18, 2023, from Millhaven Pass with a plan and two days of winter kit.
- He hit Ridgetop Bench at 7:18 PM on December 18 with temperature around 9°F and snow at about one inch per hour when his right knee popped and structurally failed.
- Fenwick Branch crossing is near mile 71 and is a single 12-inch diameter pine log spiked with steel nails; the eastern bank bolt had been loosening since October per maintenance records.
- Eric completed a 100-mile ultramarathon the previous August in just over 28 hours, demonstrating experience in pacing, solitude, and calculated endurance.

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/73083986Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft His Pole, Not His Plan: How a Broken Knee Became Survival Math Cold, isolated, and making decisions like a human calculator: a carbon-fiber trekking pole snapped and wrapped in blood was found on top of snow after a blizzard, placed there by...
Cold, isolated, and making decisions like a human calculator: a carbon-fiber trekking pole snapped and wrapped in blood was found on top of snow after a blizzard, placed there by someone who had walked out of the mountain alive - so where did he go, and how did he convert dwindling resources into the exact moves that kept him alive? This episode zeroes in on one man's step-by-step survival arithmetic and a single broken knee that turned a planned 102-mile route into a race against thermodynamics and time.

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the planned start at Millhaven Pass through the Calloway Hundred and into the moment everything changed, describing the choices, terrain, and gear that mattered and asking whether the final decisions were the result of training, calculation, or sheer will.

Person: Eric Graham
Date: December 18-19, 2023
Event: Calloway Hundred self-supported route
Location: Ridgetop Bench and Fenwick Branch crossing on Calloway Hundred Road
Status: Found in hospital; pole discovered by snowplow operator Thomas Hicks

- At 6:14 AM on December 19, 2023, Thomas Hicks struck a snapped carbon-fiber trekking pole in a roadside ditch while plowing Calloway Hundred Road.
- Eric Graham began the Calloway Hundred at 6:00 AM on December 18, 2023, from Millhaven Pass with a plan and two days of winter kit.
- He hit Ridgetop Bench at 7:18 PM on December 18 with temperature around 9°F and snow at about one inch per hour when his right knee popped and structurally failed.
- Fenwick Branch crossing is near mile 71 and is a single 12-inch diameter pine log spiked with steel nails; the eastern bank bolt had been loosening since October per maintenance records.
- Eric completed a 100-mile ultramarathon the previous August in just over 28 hours, demonstrating experience in pacing, solitude, and calculated endurance.

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.]]>1097falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-set-a-mug-on-fire-every-morning-how-she-survived--73083985
Snow and silence at 9,200 feet hid one stubborn signal: a ceramic coffee mug burning at the same minute every morning for four days. How did a fifty-four-year-old expedition cook with a broken radio, a blizzard at her back, and six days of food turn a daily habit into a rescue beacon?

In this episode, we tell what happened when Cynthia Green was left alone on a granite shelf in the Crestfall range after an evacuation and the plan to extract her failed - and how a routine from her life off the mountain became the core of her survival. What precise system did she use that made search-and-rescue read the report three times?

Person: Cynthia Green
Age: 54
Location: Crestfall range, Weller Basin base camp (approx. 9,200 feet)
Event: Antenna connector failure on Motorola field radio at -14°F
Duration: Blizzard lasted 61 hours

- Cynthia had been an expedition cook for 11 years and tracked propane, weather windows, and meal inventory.
- She woke at 6:15 every morning for years to feed her diabetic cat before a 7:00 insulin window.
- Base camp was established on November 3 at roughly 9,200 feet and had six people on the team.
- On November 9 Kevin Lau fractured his left tibia, prompting a helicopter extraction that left Cynthia behind on November 10.
- At 7:12 AM on November 10 Cynthia transmitted on the Motorola radio; the internal diagnostic later confirmed the transmission but the antenna had sheared from metal fatigue.

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/73083985Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Set a Mug on Fire Every Morning - How She Survived Snow and silence at 9,200 feet hid one stubborn signal: a ceramic coffee mug burning at the same minute every morning for four days. How did a fifty-four-year-old expedition cook with a broken...
Snow and silence at 9,200 feet hid one stubborn signal: a ceramic coffee mug burning at the same minute every morning for four days. How did a fifty-four-year-old expedition cook with a broken radio, a blizzard at her back, and six days of food turn a daily habit into a rescue beacon?

In this episode, we tell what happened when Cynthia Green was left alone on a granite shelf in the Crestfall range after an evacuation and the plan to extract her failed - and how a routine from her life off the mountain became the core of her survival. What precise system did she use that made search-and-rescue read the report three times?

Person: Cynthia Green
Age: 54
Location: Crestfall range, Weller Basin base camp (approx. 9,200 feet)
Event: Antenna connector failure on Motorola field radio at -14°F
Duration: Blizzard lasted 61 hours

- Cynthia had been an expedition cook for 11 years and tracked propane, weather windows, and meal inventory.
- She woke at 6:15 every morning for years to feed her diabetic cat before a 7:00 insulin window.
- Base camp was established on November 3 at roughly 9,200 feet and had six people on the team.
- On November 9 Kevin Lau fractured his left tibia, prompting a helicopter extraction that left Cynthia behind on November 10.
- At 7:12 AM on November 10 Cynthia transmitted on the Motorola radio; the internal diagnostic later confirmed the transmission but the antenna had sheared from metal fatigue.

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/trapped-nine-feet-up-how-he-counted-scratches-to-survive--73083984
The canyon wall held thirty-one horizontal scratches climbing six feet of sandstone, each paired with a number pressed into dried mud - a deliberate tally scratched into rock while a man clung to a ledge nine feet above a rising flood. How did those marks map the slow arithmetic of survival, and why did a thermal image that seemed to show him twenty-four hours earlier point to nothing when rescuers arrived?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the storm over Breckenridge Plateau to the moment Curtis Walker chose the Finger extension and became trapped, and we trace the actions he took to survive - including the markings he left on the wall - while asking how preparation met unpredictability in the canyon.

Person: Curtis Walker
Date: October 11-16, 2011
Location: the Finger, a side passage in the Caldera system on Piñon Mesa
Event: trapped on a ledge nine feet above canyon floor after flash flood
Detail: thirty-one horizontal scratches paired with numbers across six feet of sandstone

- Curtis turned twenty-two in August 2011 and had seven years of solo canyoneering experience.
- The Finger narrows to fourteen inches at its tightest point and ends in a pour-over that reconnects above the final narrows.
- A storm over the Breckenridge Plateau delivered two and a half inches of rain in six hours thirty-one miles northwest of Piñon Mesa.
- The flood in the Finger rose to eleven feet, leaving Curtis’s ledge two feet above the waterline.
- Curtis rationed water to three small swallows every four hours while trapped.

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/73083984Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaTrapped Nine Feet Up: How He Counted Scratches to Survive The canyon wall held thirty-one horizontal scratches climbing six feet of sandstone, each paired with a number pressed into dried mud - a deliberate tally scratched into rock while a man...
The canyon wall held thirty-one horizontal scratches climbing six feet of sandstone, each paired with a number pressed into dried mud - a deliberate tally scratched into rock while a man clung to a ledge nine feet above a rising flood. How did those marks map the slow arithmetic of survival, and why did a thermal image that seemed to show him twenty-four hours earlier point to nothing when rescuers arrived?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the storm over Breckenridge Plateau to the moment Curtis Walker chose the Finger extension and became trapped, and we trace the actions he took to survive - including the markings he left on the wall - while asking how preparation met unpredictability in the canyon.

Person: Curtis Walker
Date: October 11-16, 2011
Location: the Finger, a side passage in the Caldera system on Piñon Mesa
Event: trapped on a ledge nine feet above canyon floor after flash flood
Detail: thirty-one horizontal scratches paired with numbers across six feet of sandstone

- Curtis turned twenty-two in August 2011 and had seven years of solo canyoneering experience.
- The Finger narrows to fourteen inches at its tightest point and ends in a pour-over that reconnects above the final narrows.
- A storm over the Breckenridge Plateau delivered two and a half inches of rain in six hours thirty-one miles northwest of Piñon Mesa.
- The flood in the Finger rose to eleven feet, leaving Curtis’s ledge two feet above the waterline.
- Curtis rationed water to three small swallows every four hours while trapped.

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.]]>973falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/alone-in-a-two-knot-current-how-she-swam-while-the-boat-vanished--73083983
A lone swimmer lost in a two-knot eastward current, an escort boat that died without warning, and a laminated navigation card found dry and legible three hundred feet uphill - how did she survive and how did that card travel into a locked courtyard? This episode centers on a precise eight-hour gap framed by a vanished vessel and a baffling piece of evidence.

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from the morning Sherry Vickers entered the Strait of Gibraltar to the discovery of the navigation card, outlining the conditions, the crew, and the critical decisions that followed; can the card-and the strait’s hidden layers-explain the impossible trajectory?

Person: Sherry Vickers
Date: September 9, 2011
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, from Punta Carnero to Punta Carnero
Event: Escort boat engine failure at 06:52; radio transmission at 07:14
Finding: Laminated navigation card found six weeks later on Tarifa bluffs

- At 05:47 Sherry Vickers entered the water; surface temperature 68°F and air 61°F.
- Sixty-five minutes into the swim (06:52) the escort boat Meridian Cross’s engine suddenly stopped.
- The surface current pushed east at roughly 2.2 knots while a westward undercurrent flowed 8-12 feet below.
- Twenty-two minutes after the engine died (07:14) Donna Pirtle transmitted the last confirmed position to the Association in Algeciras.
- Six weeks later Pamela Rafferty found a dry laminated navigation card with annotations in Sherry Vickers’s handwriting wedged behind a gas meter housing on the Tarifa bluffs.

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/73083983Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaAlone in a Two-Knot Current: How She Swam While the Boat Vanished A lone swimmer lost in a two-knot eastward current, an escort boat that died without warning, and a laminated navigation card found dry and legible three hundred feet uphill - how...
A lone swimmer lost in a two-knot eastward current, an escort boat that died without warning, and a laminated navigation card found dry and legible three hundred feet uphill - how did she survive and how did that card travel into a locked courtyard? This episode centers on a precise eight-hour gap framed by a vanished vessel and a baffling piece of evidence.

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from the morning Sherry Vickers entered the Strait of Gibraltar to the discovery of the navigation card, outlining the conditions, the crew, and the critical decisions that followed; can the card-and the strait’s hidden layers-explain the impossible trajectory?

Person: Sherry Vickers
Date: September 9, 2011
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, from Punta Carnero to Punta Carnero
Event: Escort boat engine failure at 06:52; radio transmission at 07:14
Finding: Laminated navigation card found six weeks later on Tarifa bluffs

- At 05:47 Sherry Vickers entered the water; surface temperature 68°F and air 61°F.
- Sixty-five minutes into the swim (06:52) the escort boat Meridian Cross’s engine suddenly stopped.
- The surface current pushed east at roughly 2.2 knots while a westward undercurrent flowed 8-12 feet below.
- Twenty-two minutes after the engine died (07:14) Donna Pirtle transmitted the last confirmed position to the Association in Algeciras.
- Six weeks later Pamela Rafferty found a dry laminated navigation card with annotations in Sherry Vickers’s handwriting wedged behind a gas meter housing on the Tarifa bluffs.

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© 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.]]>1061falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-rode-the-wrong-drainage-survived-six-days-by-reading-water-like-music--73083982
Her survival hinged on one engineer’s ability to read desert water like sheet music: after descending eleven miles of switchbacks, she ignored a locked gate and followed how the land drained - and spent six days living off seeps and a single emergency gel. How did a composition notebook margin note and a chain of unconnected strangers end up saving her life?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a truck parked at Cinder Notch Pass to a low ridge above a dry tributary where a search volunteer found a sixty-two-year-old woman sitting on a rock; we cover the route choices, the margin note that mapped drainage to State Route 95, and the missed search area that delayed rescue - what exactly let her navigate six days alone?

Person: Amy Andrews
Date: August 3-8, 2019
Location: Cinder Notch Pass to Reyes Wash, eastern Nevada
Event: Six-day solo survival after wrong-route descent
Finder: Trish Malone

- Amy Andrews was sixty-two years old when found sitting on a flat rock on August 8, 2019 at 4:47 p.m.
- She descended eleven miles of switchbacks from Cinder Notch Pass (approximate elevation 8,000 feet).
- Her composition notebook contained a margin note: "Alvarez west face drains to Reyes Wash - Reyes Wash hits 95 at mile marker forty-one or forty-two."
- Search teams initially deployed three ground teams and a helicopter eastward toward Garnet Creek and found nothing on Monday and Tuesday.
- A ranch hand found a cycling helmet about two hundred yards from the water on Sunday, August 4, but did not connect it to a missing person.

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© 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/73083982Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Rode the Wrong Drainage - Survived Six Days By Reading Water Like Music Her survival hinged on one engineer’s ability to read desert water like sheet music: after descending eleven miles of switchbacks, she ignored a locked gate and followed...
Her survival hinged on one engineer’s ability to read desert water like sheet music: after descending eleven miles of switchbacks, she ignored a locked gate and followed how the land drained - and spent six days living off seeps and a single emergency gel. How did a composition notebook margin note and a chain of unconnected strangers end up saving her life?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a truck parked at Cinder Notch Pass to a low ridge above a dry tributary where a search volunteer found a sixty-two-year-old woman sitting on a rock; we cover the route choices, the margin note that mapped drainage to State Route 95, and the missed search area that delayed rescue - what exactly let her navigate six days alone?

Person: Amy Andrews
Date: August 3-8, 2019
Location: Cinder Notch Pass to Reyes Wash, eastern Nevada
Event: Six-day solo survival after wrong-route descent
Finder: Trish Malone

- Amy Andrews was sixty-two years old when found sitting on a flat rock on August 8, 2019 at 4:47 p.m.
- She descended eleven miles of switchbacks from Cinder Notch Pass (approximate elevation 8,000 feet).
- Her composition notebook contained a margin note: "Alvarez west face drains to Reyes Wash - Reyes Wash hits 95 at mile marker forty-one or forty-two."
- Search teams initially deployed three ground teams and a helicopter eastward toward Garnet Creek and found nothing on Monday and Tuesday.
- A ranch hand found a cycling helmet about two hundred yards from the water on Sunday, August 4, but did not connect it to a missing person.

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/he-drove-through-july-ice-how-a-rancher-survived-a-frozen-lake--73083981
A rancher drove a snowmobile through what looked like solid ground in July, punched straight through four feet of summer water, and left an oil sheen that saved his life-how did a routine morning on a Montana ranch spiral into a fight for survival, and what precise move bought him time in 41°F water?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a torn paper-bag note on a shed door to a submerged snowmobile at Copperline Lake, tracing the ordinary failures that stacked up and the one deliberate action that kept Bruce Stewart alive-what happened between his 5:40 a.m. departure and the discovery?

Person: Bruce Stewart
Date: July 12, 2019
Location: Copperline Lake, Duvall County, Montana
Animal: Patch (golden retriever)
Event: Snowmobile found submerged in four feet of summer water

- Bruce left the equipment shed at 5:40 a.m. on July 12, 2019 and wrote one note: "Checking south end of lake, back by noon."
- Copperline Lake had been ice-free for ten weeks before the snowmobile was found nose-down in four feet of water.
- The air temperature when Bruce left was 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fallow Creek ranch covers 12,000 acres and the Stewart family has owned it for three generations.
- Bruce performed a precise action in 41-degree water that produced an oil sheen on the lake surface and bought him enough time to be found.

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© 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/73083981Sat, 29 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Drove Through July Ice - How a Rancher Survived a Frozen Lake A rancher drove a snowmobile through what looked like solid ground in July, punched straight through four feet of summer water, and left an oil sheen that saved his life-how did a...
A rancher drove a snowmobile through what looked like solid ground in July, punched straight through four feet of summer water, and left an oil sheen that saved his life-how did a routine morning on a Montana ranch spiral into a fight for survival, and what precise move bought him time in 41°F water?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a torn paper-bag note on a shed door to a submerged snowmobile at Copperline Lake, tracing the ordinary failures that stacked up and the one deliberate action that kept Bruce Stewart alive-what happened between his 5:40 a.m. departure and the discovery?

Person: Bruce Stewart
Date: July 12, 2019
Location: Copperline Lake, Duvall County, Montana
Animal: Patch (golden retriever)
Event: Snowmobile found submerged in four feet of summer water

- Bruce left the equipment shed at 5:40 a.m. on July 12, 2019 and wrote one note: "Checking south end of lake, back by noon."
- Copperline Lake had been ice-free for ten weeks before the snowmobile was found nose-down in four feet of water.
- The air temperature when Bruce left was 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fallow Creek ranch covers 12,000 acres and the Stewart family has owned it for three generations.
- Bruce performed a precise action in 41-degree water that produced an oil sheen on the lake surface and bought him enough time to be found.

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.]]>1287falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-eleven-years-of-skill-failed-him-on-the-flats--73083980
The tide swallowed a camera bag whole and a seasoned fisherman found a dry camera in gray mud - but the owner, a man with eleven years of experience and a GPS, vanished into a wall of fog; how can a sequence of small, rational choices add up to disappearance on the flats? What single overlooked failure turned routine into disaster?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of June 17, 1998, and follow the facts left behind: the equipment Steven Fleming carried, his routines, and the sequence of failures that unfolded on Skaggit Flats - could a hairline crack and a shifted zipper explain everything?

Person: Steven Fleming
Age: 48
Location: Skaggit Flats
Date: June 17, 1998
Finder: Norman Porter, age 61

- Fleming left home at 4:50 AM expecting to be back before 8:00 AM.
- He had been photographing shorebirds since 1987, a total of eleven years of trips.
- The Garmin eTrex GPS showed three signal bars at departure and went dark at 6:40 AM.
- Fleming carried a Nikon F5 with a 300mm lens inside a canvas bag with a reinforced zipper.
- The camera bag was found half-buried in gray mud and the camera inside was completely dry.

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© 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/73083980Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHow Eleven Years of Skill Failed Him on the Flats The tide swallowed a camera bag whole and a seasoned fisherman found a dry camera in gray mud - but the owner, a man with eleven years of experience and a GPS, vanished into a wall of fog; how can a...
The tide swallowed a camera bag whole and a seasoned fisherman found a dry camera in gray mud - but the owner, a man with eleven years of experience and a GPS, vanished into a wall of fog; how can a sequence of small, rational choices add up to disappearance on the flats? What single overlooked failure turned routine into disaster?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of June 17, 1998, and follow the facts left behind: the equipment Steven Fleming carried, his routines, and the sequence of failures that unfolded on Skaggit Flats - could a hairline crack and a shifted zipper explain everything?

Person: Steven Fleming
Age: 48
Location: Skaggit Flats
Date: June 17, 1998
Finder: Norman Porter, age 61

- Fleming left home at 4:50 AM expecting to be back before 8:00 AM.
- He had been photographing shorebirds since 1987, a total of eleven years of trips.
- The Garmin eTrex GPS showed three signal bars at departure and went dark at 6:40 AM.
- Fleming carried a Nikon F5 with a 300mm lens inside a canvas bag with a reinforced zipper.
- The camera bag was found half-buried in gray mud and the camera inside was completely 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.]]>1064falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-on-the-ledge-how-one-mile-and-one-word-almost-killed-her--73083978
A single boot stood upright on an alpine ledge at 11,200 feet for three days while a woman survived thirty-one hours alone with a broken ankle, a dead communicator, and a fire she built herself - how did one mile and one overlooked word turn a planned solo into a near-fatal missearch? What tiny decisions stacked until only math and willpower kept her alive?

In this episode, we tell the story of Dawn Dalton and the sequence of small mechanical failures and a missing update that led search teams two and a half miles away for the first twenty-two hours. Listen to learn how her habits, preparations, and one altered coordinate framed the search and the crucial question that followed.

Person: Dawn Dalton
Age: 31
Date: May 14, 2019 (found at 8:54 AM)
Location: Dorado Peak / alpine ledge at 11,200 feet
Distance error: searchers looked 2.5 miles from her actual location for 22 hours

- Dawn had been alone on the mountain for 31 hours with a broken ankle and a dead communicator.
- She reached the summit on May 12 at approximately 2:15 PM and sent the last message at 2:22 PM: "Summit Dorado. Starting down. Wind picking up. Should make camp by dark."
- She moved her high camp a quarter mile southeast on the evening of May 11 and did not update the coordinates with Search and Rescue.
- The boot remained upright on a granite ledge at 11,200 feet and was photographed three days after her rescue.
- At Granger Memorial Hospital, her core temperature was described as incompatible with coherent decision-making.

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© 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/73083978Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot on the Ledge: How One Mile and One Word Almost Killed Her A single boot stood upright on an alpine ledge at 11,200 feet for three days while a woman survived thirty-one hours alone with a broken ankle, a dead communicator, and a fire she...
A single boot stood upright on an alpine ledge at 11,200 feet for three days while a woman survived thirty-one hours alone with a broken ankle, a dead communicator, and a fire she built herself - how did one mile and one overlooked word turn a planned solo into a near-fatal missearch? What tiny decisions stacked until only math and willpower kept her alive?

In this episode, we tell the story of Dawn Dalton and the sequence of small mechanical failures and a missing update that led search teams two and a half miles away for the first twenty-two hours. Listen to learn how her habits, preparations, and one altered coordinate framed the search and the crucial question that followed.

Person: Dawn Dalton
Age: 31
Date: May 14, 2019 (found at 8:54 AM)
Location: Dorado Peak / alpine ledge at 11,200 feet
Distance error: searchers looked 2.5 miles from her actual location for 22 hours

- Dawn had been alone on the mountain for 31 hours with a broken ankle and a dead communicator.
- She reached the summit on May 12 at approximately 2:15 PM and sent the last message at 2:22 PM: "Summit Dorado. Starting down. Wind picking up. Should make camp by dark."
- She moved her high camp a quarter mile southeast on the evening of May 11 and did not update the coordinates with Search and Rescue.
- The boot remained upright on a granite ledge at 11,200 feet and was photographed three days after her rescue.
- At Granger Memorial Hospital, her core temperature was described as incompatible with coherent decision-making.

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.]]>1070falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-left-the-map-how-a-broken-leg-recharted-a-rescue--73083977
Cold, methodical decisions saved and misled a search: a laminated topographic map, pinned inside a roadside culvert with a three-inch sprig of fresh spruce, redirected rescuers after two days searching the wrong river miles-so who left it there and why did she choose that culvert? What single detail hidden in the evidence explains the two-day misdirection?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Amanda Hall’s April 11-14, 2019 river trip, how a four-minute immersion in forty-six-degree water led her to a series of deliberate choices, and how a septic worker’s 7:40 a.m. discovery changed the search-what decision-making moved a search-and-rescue team away from the right spot?

Person: Amanda Hall
Date: April 11-14, 2019
Location: Minner River, river miles 22-31; County Road Seven culvert
Event: Kayak capsize at the Braids, river mile 29
Finder: Connie Gallagher, 7:40 a.m. on April 14, 2019

- Amanda Hall was 53 years old and had paddled solo for roughly 20 years.
- She spent approximately four minutes in 46-degree river water after capsizing at about 11:00 a.m, on April 12.
- The laminated topographic map was folded to show river miles 22 through 31 and pinned to the upstream grate with a three-inch sprig of fresh spruce.
- Amanda left a float plan naming Ossipee Reservoir as put-in, Dellard Crossing as take-out, and daily text check-ins with ex-husband Doug Ferris; the missing text triggered the search.
- Connie Gallagher had been draining culverts on County Road 7 for 11 years and photographed the map at 7:40 a.m, on April 14 before calling the county.

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/73083977Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Left the Map: How a Broken Leg Recharted a Rescue Cold, methodical decisions saved and misled a search: a laminated topographic map, pinned inside a roadside culvert with a three-inch sprig of fresh spruce, redirected rescuers after two days...
Cold, methodical decisions saved and misled a search: a laminated topographic map, pinned inside a roadside culvert with a three-inch sprig of fresh spruce, redirected rescuers after two days searching the wrong river miles-so who left it there and why did she choose that culvert? What single detail hidden in the evidence explains the two-day misdirection?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Amanda Hall’s April 11-14, 2019 river trip, how a four-minute immersion in forty-six-degree water led her to a series of deliberate choices, and how a septic worker’s 7:40 a.m. discovery changed the search-what decision-making moved a search-and-rescue team away from the right spot?

Person: Amanda Hall
Date: April 11-14, 2019
Location: Minner River, river miles 22-31; County Road Seven culvert
Event: Kayak capsize at the Braids, river mile 29
Finder: Connie Gallagher, 7:40 a.m. on April 14, 2019

- Amanda Hall was 53 years old and had paddled solo for roughly 20 years.
- She spent approximately four minutes in 46-degree river water after capsizing at about 11:00 a.m, on April 12.
- The laminated topographic map was folded to show river miles 22 through 31 and pinned to the upstream grate with a three-inch sprig of fresh spruce.
- Amanda left a float plan naming Ossipee Reservoir as put-in, Dellard Crossing as take-out, and daily text check-ins with ex-husband Doug Ferris; the missing text triggered the search.
- Connie Gallagher had been draining culverts on County Road 7 for 11 years and photographed the map at 7:40 a.m, on April 14 before calling the county.

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.]]>1230falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-in-140-000-bushels-the-auger-breath-that-saved-him--73083976
He was trapped waist-deep in 140,000 bushels of corn with only an eleven-inch auger shaft and a five-inch breach delivering the thin air that kept him alive-could a routine maintenance log have made the difference between rescue and death? How did a diabetic cat’s insulin schedule become the clock that ruled his fate?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened at the Prentiss Co-op grain facility on the night Russell Ward became buried in Silo Four, the decisions he made while trapped, and the small mechanical failure that sustained him-what finally tipped the balance toward survival?

Person: Russell Ward
Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Prentiss Co-op grain facility, Millhaven, Iowa
Event: Buried in Silo Four during transfer operation
Status: Survived (alive after being buried)

- Silo Four contained 140,000 bushels of corn at the time of the incident.
- The transfer auger had been running since 2:00 PM on March 5, 2019.
- Russell was buried to mid-thigh after the subsurface crust collapsed approximately four seconds.
- An eleven-inch diameter auger shaft with a five-inch breach in the safety guard provided the stream of air Russell breathed.
- The breach had been logged for repair on February 22, 2019, and remained unfixed that night.

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/73083976Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive in 140,000 Bushels: The Auger Breath that Saved Him He was trapped waist-deep in 140,000 bushels of corn with only an eleven-inch auger shaft and a five-inch breach delivering the thin air that kept him alive-could a routine...
He was trapped waist-deep in 140,000 bushels of corn with only an eleven-inch auger shaft and a five-inch breach delivering the thin air that kept him alive-could a routine maintenance log have made the difference between rescue and death? How did a diabetic cat’s insulin schedule become the clock that ruled his fate?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened at the Prentiss Co-op grain facility on the night Russell Ward became buried in Silo Four, the decisions he made while trapped, and the small mechanical failure that sustained him-what finally tipped the balance toward survival?

Person: Russell Ward
Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Prentiss Co-op grain facility, Millhaven, Iowa
Event: Buried in Silo Four during transfer operation
Status: Survived (alive after being buried)

- Silo Four contained 140,000 bushels of corn at the time of the incident.
- The transfer auger had been running since 2:00 PM on March 5, 2019.
- Russell was buried to mid-thigh after the subsurface crust collapsed approximately four seconds.
- An eleven-inch diameter auger shaft with a five-inch breach in the safety guard provided the stream of air Russell breathed.
- The breach had been logged for repair on February 22, 2019, and remained unfixed that night.

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.]]>1139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stranded-on-crow-step-how-she-survived-48-hours-on-a-basalt-island--73083975
Fear tightens around the image of a lone pilot upright on a flat-topped basalt column with vertical walls and no road - 48 hours from a dead battery, a broken wrist, and a cold February night. An orange-and-white paraglider wing nearly forty feet across lay spread to attract help; could one last impulse purchase and a single deliberate choice be the difference between rescue and oblivion?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine flight to an emergency landing on Crow Step Plateau and the chain of small decisions that kept Sharon Evans alive, asking how preparation, timing, and a teenager’s photograph converged to change the outcome.

Person: Sharon Evans
Date: February 9
Location: Crow Step Plateau
Age: 28
Injury: fractured left wrist

- Sharon launched around 2:00 PM and experienced a partial right-side collapse at 9,200 feet at 3:15 PM.
- The paraglider wing was roughly 40 feet across and was spread out on the basalt to signal rescuers.
- Sharon had logged roughly 400 hours of paragliding experience and had flown for six years.
- She carried a red dry bag containing 2 liters of water, four energy bars, a space blanket, a small folding knife, and her phone.
- A 14-year-old newspaper delivery driver photographed the wing and called the sheriff at 7:41 AM on Thursday.

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/73083975Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaStranded on Crow Step: How She Survived 48 Hours on a Basalt Island Fear tightens around the image of a lone pilot upright on a flat-topped basalt column with vertical walls and no road - 48 hours from a dead battery, a broken wrist, and a cold...
Fear tightens around the image of a lone pilot upright on a flat-topped basalt column with vertical walls and no road - 48 hours from a dead battery, a broken wrist, and a cold February night. An orange-and-white paraglider wing nearly forty feet across lay spread to attract help; could one last impulse purchase and a single deliberate choice be the difference between rescue and oblivion?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine flight to an emergency landing on Crow Step Plateau and the chain of small decisions that kept Sharon Evans alive, asking how preparation, timing, and a teenager’s photograph converged to change the outcome.

Person: Sharon Evans
Date: February 9
Location: Crow Step Plateau
Age: 28
Injury: fractured left wrist

- Sharon launched around 2:00 PM and experienced a partial right-side collapse at 9,200 feet at 3:15 PM.
- The paraglider wing was roughly 40 feet across and was spread out on the basalt to signal rescuers.
- Sharon had logged roughly 400 hours of paragliding experience and had flown for six years.
- She carried a red dry bag containing 2 liters of water, four energy bars, a space blanket, a small folding knife, and her phone.
- A 14-year-old newspaper delivery driver photographed the wing and called the sheriff at 7:41 AM on Thursday.

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.]]>1072falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/used-to-retrieve-the-line-primary-forensic-link-to-identification--73083974
Cold, precise danger: a pair of prescription diving goggles engraved "B.B." turns up 17 miles from the nearest boat launch and 12 miles from the ocean - yet no missing person is reported. How did a freediver vanish while tethered to an 18-inch mono line, and why did a rule meant to save lives become the single clue that mattered?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the moment Linda Petersen finds the goggles to the 47 hours of search and protocol that follow, tracing equipment, currents, and decisions to uncover what happened. What combination of physics, procedure, and one untested assumption explains Brenda Brooks' disappearance?

Person: Linda Petersen
Person: Brenda Brooks
Person: Frank Tate
Date: January 8-9, 2019
Location: Gulfside Cove / Old Gulfside Road

- Goggles found at 6:14 AM on January 9, 2019, upright in frozen mud with silicone skirt holding facial impression.
- Item located 17 miles from the nearest boat launch and 12 miles from the ocean.
- Brenda began primary descent at 8:47 AM on January 8, 2019, down a 42-meter weighted line.
- Line was severed approximately 2 minutes 12 seconds into descent when a sport boat propeller struck at ~3 meters depth.
- Subsurface tidal current below 20 meters ran southwest at ~1.5 knots, not accounted for in surface drift models.

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© 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/73083974Sun, 23 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at Obomediaused to retrieve the line - primary forensic link to identification Cold, precise danger: a pair of prescription diving goggles engraved "B.B." turns up 17 miles from the nearest boat launch and 12 miles from the ocean - yet no missing person is...
Cold, precise danger: a pair of prescription diving goggles engraved "B.B." turns up 17 miles from the nearest boat launch and 12 miles from the ocean - yet no missing person is reported. How did a freediver vanish while tethered to an 18-inch mono line, and why did a rule meant to save lives become the single clue that mattered?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the moment Linda Petersen finds the goggles to the 47 hours of search and protocol that follow, tracing equipment, currents, and decisions to uncover what happened. What combination of physics, procedure, and one untested assumption explains Brenda Brooks' disappearance?

Person: Linda Petersen
Person: Brenda Brooks
Person: Frank Tate
Date: January 8-9, 2019
Location: Gulfside Cove / Old Gulfside Road

- Goggles found at 6:14 AM on January 9, 2019, upright in frozen mud with silicone skirt holding facial impression.
- Item located 17 miles from the nearest boat launch and 12 miles from the ocean.
- Brenda began primary descent at 8:47 AM on January 8, 2019, down a 42-meter weighted line.
- Line was severed approximately 2 minutes 12 seconds into descent when a sport boat propeller struck at ~3 meters depth.
- Subsurface tidal current below 20 meters ran southwest at ~1.5 knots, not accounted for in surface drift models.

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© 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-hung-his-thermals-in-a-tree-how-he-stayed-alive--73083973
Cold fear tightens the chest: a man’s frozen thermals hung eight feet high in a spruce, arms outstretched, no footprints beneath and no fire for forty-four hours - how did he survive in minus seventeen Celsius and wet clothes? What one decision in the first twenty minutes kept him alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a December morning when a twenty-two-year-old skier signed a trail register and set off alone, through the moment he fell through river ice at Harrow Bend, to the improvised choices that let him live - could the same actions save you in similar conditions?

Person: Robert Turner
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Harrow Bend, Blackthorn River, Aldermoor service road
Temperature: minus seventeen degrees Celsius
Distance planned: 26 kilometers

- Thermals (charcoal wool-synthetic top and bottom) were hung from a black spruce at roughly eight feet off the ground with arms extended.
- No footprints were found in the snow beneath the suspended clothing at the discovery site.
- Robert left the trailhead and signed the voluntary register at 08:05 noting the full Blackthorn Loop, clockwise, 26 km.
- GPS watch recorded Robert at Harrow Bend at approximately 10:47 and then stationary near the far tree line after going through the ice.
- He survived roughly forty-four hours after falling through thin ice created by a thermal spring without a fire or an emergency kit.

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© 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/73083973Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Hung His Thermals in a Tree - How He Stayed Alive Cold fear tightens the chest: a man’s frozen thermals hung eight feet high in a spruce, arms outstretched, no footprints beneath and no fire for forty-four hours - how did he survive in minus...
Cold fear tightens the chest: a man’s frozen thermals hung eight feet high in a spruce, arms outstretched, no footprints beneath and no fire for forty-four hours - how did he survive in minus seventeen Celsius and wet clothes? What one decision in the first twenty minutes kept him alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a December morning when a twenty-two-year-old skier signed a trail register and set off alone, through the moment he fell through river ice at Harrow Bend, to the improvised choices that let him live - could the same actions save you in similar conditions?

Person: Robert Turner
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Harrow Bend, Blackthorn River, Aldermoor service road
Temperature: minus seventeen degrees Celsius
Distance planned: 26 kilometers

- Thermals (charcoal wool-synthetic top and bottom) were hung from a black spruce at roughly eight feet off the ground with arms extended.
- No footprints were found in the snow beneath the suspended clothing at the discovery site.
- Robert left the trailhead and signed the voluntary register at 08:05 noting the full Blackthorn Loop, clockwise, 26 km.
- GPS watch recorded Robert at Harrow Bend at approximately 10:47 and then stationary near the far tree line after going through the ice.
- He survived roughly forty-four hours after falling through thin ice created by a thermal spring without a fire or an emergency kit.

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.]]>1214falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrote-road-cut-surviving-11-days-beneath-the-blaze--73083971
Smoke and heat turned the southwestern sky the color of an open wound as a lone lookout scribbled "Camino cortado. No salgo." in her log - the road out was gone and she stayed. How did Nicole Weber survive eleven days in a steel tower with a 340-gallon cistern, surface temperatures over 1,400°F nearby, and no immediate rescue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline recorded in Nicole's logbook, the restricted access that delayed search efforts, and the small orange diary found two miles from the expected location. What details locked into place at the end to change everything the searchers believed?

Person: Nicole Weber
Date: November 5, 2019
Location: Pineward Fire Lookout Station, Garnet National Forest
Supervisor: Ray Aldrich
Search coordinator: Terry Brooks

- Nicole had twelve years in the lookout program and four seasons at Pineward, Torre Siete.
- Pineward's cistern held 340 gallons and Nicole estimated consumption at roughly 2 gallons per day.
- The Harlow Mountain fire grew from 400 acres to 3,000 acres by midnight on November 5, 2019.
- Surface temperatures in the northeast quadrant later measured exceeded 1,400°F on the night of November 7.
- A small orange-covered diary was found trapped in a burned pine branch two miles from where investigators expected.

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© 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/73083971Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrote "Road Cut" - Surviving 11 Days Beneath the Blaze Smoke and heat turned the southwestern sky the color of an open wound as a lone lookout scribbled "Camino cortado. No salgo." in her log - the road out was gone and she stayed. How did...
Smoke and heat turned the southwestern sky the color of an open wound as a lone lookout scribbled "Camino cortado. No salgo." in her log - the road out was gone and she stayed. How did Nicole Weber survive eleven days in a steel tower with a 340-gallon cistern, surface temperatures over 1,400°F nearby, and no immediate rescue?

In this episode, we follow the timeline recorded in Nicole's logbook, the restricted access that delayed search efforts, and the small orange diary found two miles from the expected location. What details locked into place at the end to change everything the searchers believed?

Person: Nicole Weber
Date: November 5, 2019
Location: Pineward Fire Lookout Station, Garnet National Forest
Supervisor: Ray Aldrich
Search coordinator: Terry Brooks

- Nicole had twelve years in the lookout program and four seasons at Pineward, Torre Siete.
- Pineward's cistern held 340 gallons and Nicole estimated consumption at roughly 2 gallons per day.
- The Harlow Mountain fire grew from 400 acres to 3,000 acres by midnight on November 5, 2019.
- Surface temperatures in the northeast quadrant later measured exceeded 1,400°F on the night of November 7.
- A small orange-covered diary was found trapped in a burned pine branch two miles from where investigators expected.

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.]]>1240falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-capsized-not-lost-how-a-61-year-old-outsmarted-a-lake--73083968
Cold, precise, and counting seconds, a 61-year-old civil engineer survived 38°F water and a four-knot glacial current by turning method into action - but how did she keep moving when the shore kept sliding away? Will her training and a single-handed bowline be enough to explain how she reached land?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning utility worker’s 7:40 a.m. discovery of an upright kayak on a county road to the search-and-rescue response and the survivor’s own logged notes and actions; we trace the physical conditions that created a four-knot current and the decisions Heather Lane made - what exactly saved her life?

Person: Heather Lane
Age: 61
Location: eastern arm of Hatchet Lake, Farrow access
Water temperature: 38 °F
Current speed: roughly 4 knots

- At 5:50 a.m. Heather logged "Eastern arm, Farrow access, five fifty a.m. Water looks fast. Current unusual. Going anyway. Back by nine."
- A utility meter reader found a yellow kayak upright in the road at 7:40 a.m., paddle clipped and bow rope tied to a road sign, with the waterline 40 feet behind.
- The bank between the road and lake was 4 feet high and there were no tire tracks, ramps, ATV trails, floods, or skid marks.
- Heather had logged over 40 kayak trips on Hatchet Lake over six years in a green spiral notebook kept in her Subaru glove box.
- After capsizing, Heather estimated she had 12 seconds before cold shock would impair controlled breathing and fought the current for roughly 20 minutes before conditions changed.

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/73083968Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Capsized, Not Lost: How a 61-Year-Old Outsmarted a Lake Cold, precise, and counting seconds, a 61-year-old civil engineer survived 38°F water and a four-knot glacial current by turning method into action - but how did she keep moving when the...
Cold, precise, and counting seconds, a 61-year-old civil engineer survived 38°F water and a four-knot glacial current by turning method into action - but how did she keep moving when the shore kept sliding away? Will her training and a single-handed bowline be enough to explain how she reached land?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning utility worker’s 7:40 a.m. discovery of an upright kayak on a county road to the search-and-rescue response and the survivor’s own logged notes and actions; we trace the physical conditions that created a four-knot current and the decisions Heather Lane made - what exactly saved her life?

Person: Heather Lane
Age: 61
Location: eastern arm of Hatchet Lake, Farrow access
Water temperature: 38 °F
Current speed: roughly 4 knots

- At 5:50 a.m. Heather logged "Eastern arm, Farrow access, five fifty a.m. Water looks fast. Current unusual. Going anyway. Back by nine."
- A utility meter reader found a yellow kayak upright in the road at 7:40 a.m., paddle clipped and bow rope tied to a road sign, with the waterline 40 feet behind.
- The bank between the road and lake was 4 feet high and there were no tire tracks, ramps, ATV trails, floods, or skid marks.
- Heather had logged over 40 kayak trips on Hatchet Lake over six years in a green spiral notebook kept in her Subaru glove box.
- After capsizing, Heather estimated she had 12 seconds before cold shock would impair controlled breathing and fought the current for roughly 20 minutes before conditions changed.

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.]]>1227falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-moved-four-miles-how-a-runner-outsmarted-a-desert-search--73083967
A racing bib, four safety pins, and a brown smear of blood hung six feet up a creosote bush-placed twelve feet from the road and three miles west of the official search area. The missing runner, Rebecca Clark, left three deliberate signals and survived nine days with a broken ankle, but why did every team read them wrong? What single misread shifted the search away from where she actually waited?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Rebecca's last GPS ping to the moment her signals were finally discovered. You will hear how her training, field skills, and small survival actions shaped nine days in the Mojave-and ask whether standard search protocols missed the one clue that mattered most.

Person: Rebecca Clark
Age: 26
Event: Ridgecrest Endurance Marathon
Date: September 5, 2011
Injury: lateral malleolus fracture (right ankle)

- Rebecca left the marked course at mile 19 and stepped 22 degrees northwest off the route at approximately 2:00 PM on September 5, 2011.
- Her GPS watch sent its last location ping at 2:17 PM, two miles northeast of the Caldera Ridge junction.
- She traveled approximately four miles west-northwest from that last GPS ping before stopping beside a sandstone shelf.
- She had roughly 12 ounces of water, two gel packets, a space blanket, a headlamp, a notebook, and a pen when stranded.
- On the afternoon of September 6 she tied six inches of orange flagging tape ankle-high to a creosote branch; it was found by Walt Ybarra on September 8.

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/73083967Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Moved Four Miles: How a Runner Outsmarted a Desert Search A racing bib, four safety pins, and a brown smear of blood hung six feet up a creosote bush-placed twelve feet from the road and three miles west of the official search area. The missing...
A racing bib, four safety pins, and a brown smear of blood hung six feet up a creosote bush-placed twelve feet from the road and three miles west of the official search area. The missing runner, Rebecca Clark, left three deliberate signals and survived nine days with a broken ankle, but why did every team read them wrong? What single misread shifted the search away from where she actually waited?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Rebecca's last GPS ping to the moment her signals were finally discovered. You will hear how her training, field skills, and small survival actions shaped nine days in the Mojave-and ask whether standard search protocols missed the one clue that mattered most.

Person: Rebecca Clark
Age: 26
Event: Ridgecrest Endurance Marathon
Date: September 5, 2011
Injury: lateral malleolus fracture (right ankle)

- Rebecca left the marked course at mile 19 and stepped 22 degrees northwest off the route at approximately 2:00 PM on September 5, 2011.
- Her GPS watch sent its last location ping at 2:17 PM, two miles northeast of the Caldera Ridge junction.
- She traveled approximately four miles west-northwest from that last GPS ping before stopping beside a sandstone shelf.
- She had roughly 12 ounces of water, two gel packets, a space blanket, a headlamp, a notebook, and a pen when stranded.
- On the afternoon of September 6 she tied six inches of orange flagging tape ankle-high to a creosote branch; it was found by Walt Ybarra on September 8.

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.]]>1084falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ice-axe-the-wrong-side-of-the-mountain-5-days-alone--73083966
Cold, deliberate signals can be the difference between rescue and oblivion: an ice axe stood perfectly vertical at 7,000 feet with a serial number that tied it to a missing climber, but the search went to the wrong side of the mountain - how did one ten-second decision create a five-day gap between being seen and being saved?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events over five days in the Ashford Range, from the discovery of the axe on August 9, 2011 to the realization that the search teams were searching the wrong side, and explore how Beverly Hunt’s private plan diverged from what others were told and where she actually crawled-what did her sketched route conceal?

Person: Beverly Hunt
Date: August 9, 2011
Location: Ashford Range, eastern face talus field at 7,000 feet
Status: Missing (reported August 8, 2011)
Event: Ice axe found upright with serial number matching owner

- At 7:42 AM on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, Pamela Stevens’ dog stopped at an ice axe planted blade-down in a crack between granite slabs.
- The axe was photographed in place at 9:15 AM by Todd Aberle, then lifted and checked beneath the collar to reveal a serial number.
- By 10:00 AM the axe serial number identified the owner as 48-year-old Beverly Hunt, reported missing the day before.
- Beverly Hunt had sent a text on the evening of Friday, August 5 saying she would be back Saturday and see Walt Ingram Tuesday, but she did not return and a missing person report was filed on Monday, August 8 at 11:00 AM.
- Beverly had a hand-drawn sketch of an unnamed, unmapped route folded in her shirt pocket and had left the Crestline topographic map inside her pack.

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/73083966Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Ice Axe, the Wrong Side of the Mountain: 5 Days Alone Cold, deliberate signals can be the difference between rescue and oblivion: an ice axe stood perfectly vertical at 7,000 feet with a serial number that tied it to a missing climber, but the...
Cold, deliberate signals can be the difference between rescue and oblivion: an ice axe stood perfectly vertical at 7,000 feet with a serial number that tied it to a missing climber, but the search went to the wrong side of the mountain - how did one ten-second decision create a five-day gap between being seen and being saved?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events over five days in the Ashford Range, from the discovery of the axe on August 9, 2011 to the realization that the search teams were searching the wrong side, and explore how Beverly Hunt’s private plan diverged from what others were told and where she actually crawled-what did her sketched route conceal?

Person: Beverly Hunt
Date: August 9, 2011
Location: Ashford Range, eastern face talus field at 7,000 feet
Status: Missing (reported August 8, 2011)
Event: Ice axe found upright with serial number matching owner

- At 7:42 AM on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, Pamela Stevens’ dog stopped at an ice axe planted blade-down in a crack between granite slabs.
- The axe was photographed in place at 9:15 AM by Todd Aberle, then lifted and checked beneath the collar to reveal a serial number.
- By 10:00 AM the axe serial number identified the owner as 48-year-old Beverly Hunt, reported missing the day before.
- Beverly Hunt had sent a text on the evening of Friday, August 5 saying she would be back Saturday and see Walt Ingram Tuesday, but she did not return and a missing person report was filed on Monday, August 8 at 11:00 AM.
- Beverly had a hand-drawn sketch of an unnamed, unmapped route folded in her shirt pocket and had left the Crestline topographic map inside her pack.

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.]]>1239falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dry-tide-chart-wrong-direction-how-four-vanished-from-bent-cape--73083965
Fear tightens when a life raft turns up miles inland with a dry tide chart marked "200 ft, 270°" - a notation that could only have been written before a boat ran itself onto rocks. A two-word radio transmission sent search teams the wrong way across ninety square miles; why did a seasoned crew run hard toward shore in worsening seas, and what does a dry chart in an estuary reveal about those last hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a July 7 departure across the Dellport bar to the discovery of a wrecked hull at Bent Cape and a flotation vest in Alder Slough, and we lay out the physical clues that reshape where and how the search should have been conducted. Which single entry in a waterproofed fuel log rewrote the search grid and pointed straight to a grounded vessel?

Person: Douglas Favre
Date: July 7 (departure) and July 14 (vest found)
Location: Bent Cape; Alder Slough; Dellport bar
Event: Two-word radio transmission; discovery of flotation vest and tide chart
Status: One dead, one missing, one clinging to life, one aboard wrecked hull

- The flotation vest recovered July 14 contained a tide chart showing a penciled depth of 200 feet and a bearing of 270°.
- Alder Slough's deepest point is barely 12 feet, yet the vest arrived there after traveling 11 miles from the Mira Jean's position.
- The Mira Jean crossed the Dellport bar at approximately 6:40 a.m. and was running southwest toward grounds 18 miles offshore.
- Phil Navarro's green-cover fuel log shows engines at near full throttle for 60 to 90 minutes between noon and the last radio transmission at 6:47 p.m.
- Search teams were focused on a 90-square-mile ocean grid centered on a noon position in 210-foot water while the vessel was actually grounded in 80-90 foot water near Bent Cape.

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/73083965Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaDry Tide Chart, Wrong Direction: How Four Vanished From Bent Cape Fear tightens when a life raft turns up miles inland with a dry tide chart marked "200 ft, 270°" - a notation that could only have been written before a boat ran itself onto rocks. A...
Fear tightens when a life raft turns up miles inland with a dry tide chart marked "200 ft, 270°" - a notation that could only have been written before a boat ran itself onto rocks. A two-word radio transmission sent search teams the wrong way across ninety square miles; why did a seasoned crew run hard toward shore in worsening seas, and what does a dry chart in an estuary reveal about those last hours?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a July 7 departure across the Dellport bar to the discovery of a wrecked hull at Bent Cape and a flotation vest in Alder Slough, and we lay out the physical clues that reshape where and how the search should have been conducted. Which single entry in a waterproofed fuel log rewrote the search grid and pointed straight to a grounded vessel?

Person: Douglas Favre
Date: July 7 (departure) and July 14 (vest found)
Location: Bent Cape; Alder Slough; Dellport bar
Event: Two-word radio transmission; discovery of flotation vest and tide chart
Status: One dead, one missing, one clinging to life, one aboard wrecked hull

- The flotation vest recovered July 14 contained a tide chart showing a penciled depth of 200 feet and a bearing of 270°.
- Alder Slough's deepest point is barely 12 feet, yet the vest arrived there after traveling 11 miles from the Mira Jean's position.
- The Mira Jean crossed the Dellport bar at approximately 6:40 a.m. and was running southwest toward grounds 18 miles offshore.
- Phil Navarro's green-cover fuel log shows engines at near full throttle for 60 to 90 minutes between noon and the last radio transmission at 6:47 p.m.
- Search teams were focused on a 90-square-mile ocean grid centered on a noon position in 210-foot water while the vessel was actually grounded in 80-90 foot water near Bent Cape.

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.]]>1088falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pink-sneaker-on-the-basalt-how-a-mother-vanished--73083964
Heat and distance turned a routine roadside breakdown into a nightmare: a size five pink sneaker, bow tied neat, perched four feet up on basalt eleven miles from the nearest paved road - and no child, no second shoe, no tracks at the rock. How did a woman who left her daughter in a shaded car and walked sixteen minutes to call 9-1-1 vanish so completely that only a single child's shoe seemed to explain what happened?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning discovery to the moments on the highway and the car that died, laying out each decision and mismatch of visibility that left Angela Russo effectively hidden. What small turn, what overlooked detail, might explain why a mother disappeared after doing what any parent would do to protect her child?

Date: June 14, 2017
Person: Angela Russo
Person: Mia (daughter), age 8
Location: near Opal Springs, Mojave fringe, Kern County
Time: engine died at 11:22 AM; 9-1-1 call at 3:31 PM

- A contract surveyor, Eugene Hensley, found a size five pink sneaker on top of a basalt outcropping at 6:42 AM.
- The sneaker was the right foot, with white laces tied in a neat bow, placed four feet above the desert floor.
- The rock was eleven miles from the nearest paved road and the relay tower that gave two bars at the highway shoulder.
- Angela and Mia left Bakersfield at 7:10 AM; the car engine died at 11:22 AM after being driven about a quarter mile down a dirt access track.
- Angela walked sixteen minutes to the highway, called 9-1-1 at 3:31 PM, and when responders reached the shoulder she had already turned back toward the car - but 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/73083964Sun, 16 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Pink Sneaker on the Basalt: How a Mother Vanished Heat and distance turned a routine roadside breakdown into a nightmare: a size five pink sneaker, bow tied neat, perched four feet up on basalt eleven miles from the nearest paved road - and no...
Heat and distance turned a routine roadside breakdown into a nightmare: a size five pink sneaker, bow tied neat, perched four feet up on basalt eleven miles from the nearest paved road - and no child, no second shoe, no tracks at the rock. How did a woman who left her daughter in a shaded car and walked sixteen minutes to call 9-1-1 vanish so completely that only a single child's shoe seemed to explain what happened?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning discovery to the moments on the highway and the car that died, laying out each decision and mismatch of visibility that left Angela Russo effectively hidden. What small turn, what overlooked detail, might explain why a mother disappeared after doing what any parent would do to protect her child?

Date: June 14, 2017
Person: Angela Russo
Person: Mia (daughter), age 8
Location: near Opal Springs, Mojave fringe, Kern County
Time: engine died at 11:22 AM; 9-1-1 call at 3:31 PM

- A contract surveyor, Eugene Hensley, found a size five pink sneaker on top of a basalt outcropping at 6:42 AM.
- The sneaker was the right foot, with white laces tied in a neat bow, placed four feet above the desert floor.
- The rock was eleven miles from the nearest paved road and the relay tower that gave two bars at the highway shoulder.
- Angela and Mia left Bakersfield at 7:10 AM; the car engine died at 11:22 AM after being driven about a quarter mile down a dirt access track.
- Angela walked sixteen minutes to the highway, called 9-1-1 at 3:31 PM, and when responders reached the shoulder she had already turned back toward the car - but in the wrong direction.

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© 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.]]>1261falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-48-hours-the-glove-that-stood-upright--73083963
A single wool glove was found standing upright in forty feet of untouched snow, thumb raised like a signal - and that lone oddity pushed a rescuer to freeze with a charge of dread. In May 2019 a seasoned biology teacher and mountaineer vanished beneath a Washington mountainside; could a glove tell the story of what happened in the hours after the slide?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events leading up to and during the avalanche burial, the methods Melissa Hayes used to survive without her pack, and the moment a caller described the glove that changed everything - could that detail point to where she lay under the snow?

Person: Melissa Hayes
Date: May 10-11, 2019
Location: Dearborn Creek spur, Washington Cascades
Event: Avalanche burial lasting approximately 48.5 hours
Rescuer: Melvin Webb

- Melissa left Dellwood on the night of Friday, May 10, 2019 and began her ascent at 5:40 AM on May 11.
- The temperature at the trailhead the morning she started was 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The avalanche released at 11:17 AM: a 220-foot-wide slab, 18 inches deep, running 400 vertical feet in under 30 seconds.
- Melissa was carried roughly 180 feet down the slope and buried with a roughly bathtub-sized survival pocket and a 4-inch air gap to her face.
- She had a hand warmer, a headlamp, and a small folding knife in her right jacket pocket; she used the knife to carve breathing space and removed her right glove around hour twelve.

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/73083963Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive 48 Hours: The Glove That Stood Upright A single wool glove was found standing upright in forty feet of untouched snow, thumb raised like a signal - and that lone oddity pushed a rescuer to freeze with a charge of dread. In May 2019 a...
A single wool glove was found standing upright in forty feet of untouched snow, thumb raised like a signal - and that lone oddity pushed a rescuer to freeze with a charge of dread. In May 2019 a seasoned biology teacher and mountaineer vanished beneath a Washington mountainside; could a glove tell the story of what happened in the hours after the slide?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events leading up to and during the avalanche burial, the methods Melissa Hayes used to survive without her pack, and the moment a caller described the glove that changed everything - could that detail point to where she lay under the snow?

Person: Melissa Hayes
Date: May 10-11, 2019
Location: Dearborn Creek spur, Washington Cascades
Event: Avalanche burial lasting approximately 48.5 hours
Rescuer: Melvin Webb

- Melissa left Dellwood on the night of Friday, May 10, 2019 and began her ascent at 5:40 AM on May 11.
- The temperature at the trailhead the morning she started was 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The avalanche released at 11:17 AM: a 220-foot-wide slab, 18 inches deep, running 400 vertical feet in under 30 seconds.
- Melissa was carried roughly 180 feet down the slope and buried with a roughly bathtub-sized survival pocket and a 4-inch air gap to her face.
- She had a hand warmer, a headlamp, and a small folding knife in her right jacket pocket; she used the knife to carve breathing space and removed her right glove around hour twelve.

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.]]>1153falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-drew-a-map-in-the-dark-found-after-76-hours-underground--73083962
Cold certainty and raw fear collide: a diver survived 76 hours trapped in 68°F water with no food, yet the map she drew by pencil in total darkness changed how cave surveyors understood an entire karst system. What did she draw that a trained rescue team, working from an incorrect 210-meter estimate, miss for two days?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from the April ninth dive through the rescue effort and the discovery of the drawn map, following the people on the surface and the decisions that guided the search. How did a single misreported distance and one woman’s drafting habit shape the outcome?

Person: Frances Phillips
Date: April 9-April 14 (76 hours underground)
Location: Loblolly Springs / Blue Mouth sinkhole, north-central Florida
Person: Kevin Pruitt
Person: Marcus Webb

- Frances Phillips had logged more than 400 cave dives before the April ninth incident.
- Frances was 28 years old and had carried a waterproof case with two 11x17 drafting sheets and a pencil for six years.
- Kevin Pruitt surfaced alone at 11:47 on April ninth and reported the restriction at 210 meters to rescuers.
- Dean Fisher took command of the rescue at 14:17 on April ninth; he had led 17 cave rescues in his career.
- Frances spent 76 hours inside the cave system with 68°F water pressing against every surface and no food.

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/73083962Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Drew a Map in the Dark - Found After 76 Hours Underground Cold certainty and raw fear collide: a diver survived 76 hours trapped in 68°F water with no food, yet the map she drew by pencil in total darkness changed how cave surveyors understood...
Cold certainty and raw fear collide: a diver survived 76 hours trapped in 68°F water with no food, yet the map she drew by pencil in total darkness changed how cave surveyors understood an entire karst system. What did she draw that a trained rescue team, working from an incorrect 210-meter estimate, miss for two days?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from the April ninth dive through the rescue effort and the discovery of the drawn map, following the people on the surface and the decisions that guided the search. How did a single misreported distance and one woman’s drafting habit shape the outcome?

Person: Frances Phillips
Date: April 9-April 14 (76 hours underground)
Location: Loblolly Springs / Blue Mouth sinkhole, north-central Florida
Person: Kevin Pruitt
Person: Marcus Webb

- Frances Phillips had logged more than 400 cave dives before the April ninth incident.
- Frances was 28 years old and had carried a waterproof case with two 11x17 drafting sheets and a pencil for six years.
- Kevin Pruitt surfaced alone at 11:47 on April ninth and reported the restriction at 210 meters to rescuers.
- Dean Fisher took command of the rescue at 14:17 on April ninth; he had led 17 cave rescues in his career.
- Frances spent 76 hours inside the cave system with 68°F water pressing against every surface and no food.

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.]]>1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-to-the-windows-how-a-timber-cruiser-survived-nine-days--73083961
Cold, isolation, and an impossible math of rationing: a man burned his own survey maps to stay warm and survived nine days inside a truck buried to its door handles - but deputies walked away twice before finding him. How did a surveyor, lost on an unmapped logging spur and with temperatures below 11°F, manage to endure until a child’s sled revealed his location?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Gary Collins to spend nine days trapped in his truck, describe how the official search grid missed an unmapped road, and follow the single chance discovery that changed everything. What gaps in maps and routine allowed a man to be invisible to rescuers?

Person: Gary Collins
Age: 54
Occupation: timber cruiser
Date of incident: late February-early March 2015 (truck buried by February 27)
Location: Vogler spur, Pelham highlands (unnamed/abandoned logging road)
Duration trapped: nine days

- Gary Collins had worked the Pelham uplands for 22 years.
- He rationed one granola bar per morning while trapped.
- The truck became buried to its door handles after 14 inches of snow in 36 hours.
- His cell phone pinged a tower on County Road Seven at approximately 11:40 a.m, on February 25.
- An eleven-year-old boy named Tyler Wess discovered the buried truck while sledding about 200 yards up the spur.

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/73083961Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:00:35 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried to the Windows: How a Timber Cruiser Survived Nine Days Cold, isolation, and an impossible math of rationing: a man burned his own survey maps to stay warm and survived nine days inside a truck buried to its door handles - but deputies...
Cold, isolation, and an impossible math of rationing: a man burned his own survey maps to stay warm and survived nine days inside a truck buried to its door handles - but deputies walked away twice before finding him. How did a surveyor, lost on an unmapped logging spur and with temperatures below 11°F, manage to endure until a child’s sled revealed his location?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Gary Collins to spend nine days trapped in his truck, describe how the official search grid missed an unmapped road, and follow the single chance discovery that changed everything. What gaps in maps and routine allowed a man to be invisible to rescuers?

Person: Gary Collins
Age: 54
Occupation: timber cruiser
Date of incident: late February-early March 2015 (truck buried by February 27)
Location: Vogler spur, Pelham highlands (unnamed/abandoned logging road)
Duration trapped: nine days

- Gary Collins had worked the Pelham uplands for 22 years.
- He rationed one granola bar per morning while trapped.
- The truck became buried to its door handles after 14 inches of snow in 36 hours.
- His cell phone pinged a tower on County Road Seven at approximately 11:40 a.m, on February 25.
- An eleven-year-old boy named Tyler Wess discovered the buried truck while sledding about 200 yards up the spur.

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.]]>1216falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/found-adrift-the-notebook-that-proved-he-was-alive--73083960
Adrenaline and disbelief: a salt-crusted yellow notebook, open to an entry dated January 29th written forty miles offshore, turned up on State Route 9 at 3:40 AM - eleven days after a Coast Guard search of three thousand square miles found nothing. How did a man presumed lost at sea end up alive in a grounded sloop thirty miles from the coast?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the EPIRB signal at 2:14 AM to the discovery of physical evidence on land, and we trace how three overlooked observations recreated where the boat actually went. What mistakes in drift modeling and missed sightings kept rescuers looking in the wrong ocean?

Person: Eric Mitchell
Date: January 29, 2017
Location: Tenmile Lake, Oregon
Event: EPIRB activation at 2:14 AM
Search area: 3,000 square miles

- At 3:40 AM a road grader operator, Rhonda Crawford, found a small yellow notebook on the eastbound shoulder of State Route 9.
- The open page was dated January 29 and was written forty miles offshore during a dismasting.
- Eric Mitchell activated his EPIRB at 2:14 AM; the signal reached the Coast Guard at 2:22 AM.
- The Coast Guard searched three thousand square miles and by February 2 shifted the presumption toward loss of life.
- On February 2 at 9:10 AM Terry Baskin recorded seeing an unmasted sloop drifting on Tenmile Lake about twenty-two nautical miles south-southeast of where the corrected drift model would later place the Lowline.

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/73083960Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaFound Adrift: The Notebook That Proved He Was Alive Adrenaline and disbelief: a salt-crusted yellow notebook, open to an entry dated January 29th written forty miles offshore, turned up on State Route 9 at 3:40 AM - eleven days after a Coast Guard...
Adrenaline and disbelief: a salt-crusted yellow notebook, open to an entry dated January 29th written forty miles offshore, turned up on State Route 9 at 3:40 AM - eleven days after a Coast Guard search of three thousand square miles found nothing. How did a man presumed lost at sea end up alive in a grounded sloop thirty miles from the coast?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the EPIRB signal at 2:14 AM to the discovery of physical evidence on land, and we trace how three overlooked observations recreated where the boat actually went. What mistakes in drift modeling and missed sightings kept rescuers looking in the wrong ocean?

Person: Eric Mitchell
Date: January 29, 2017
Location: Tenmile Lake, Oregon
Event: EPIRB activation at 2:14 AM
Search area: 3,000 square miles

- At 3:40 AM a road grader operator, Rhonda Crawford, found a small yellow notebook on the eastbound shoulder of State Route 9.
- The open page was dated January 29 and was written forty miles offshore during a dismasting.
- Eric Mitchell activated his EPIRB at 2:14 AM; the signal reached the Coast Guard at 2:22 AM.
- The Coast Guard searched three thousand square miles and by February 2 shifted the presumption toward loss of life.
- On February 2 at 9:10 AM Terry Baskin recorded seeing an unmasted sloop drifting on Tenmile Lake about twenty-two nautical miles south-southeast of where the corrected drift model would later place the Lowline.

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.]]>1160falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-one-shoe-how-a-hiker-outsmarted-five-days-in-calabra-canyon--73083958
A single running shoe stood upright in the red earth eleven miles from pavement - placed deliberately to be seen from above - while its owner lay four days below with a fractured ankle and eleven pounds lost; how did a prepared, cautious hiker survive five days with almost no gear, and what detail saved her life when Search and Rescue missed it?

In this episode, you’ll hear the chronological account of the five days Heather Rafferty spent inside Calabra Canyon, the choices she made before and after the fall, and the tactic she used to be found; what decision turned a routine hike into a life-or-death test, and why one object on the road became the key signal?

Person: Heather Rafferty
Event: Five days trapped in Calabra Canyon
Date: Saturday, January 8 (incident began); found after four days (Wednesday morning)
Location: Calabra Canyon, South Spur trailhead and unnamed northeast drainage
Status: Survived

- Heather left her truck at a dirt access road eleven miles from the nearest pavement at 8:17 AM on a Wednesday when a utility technician saw the shoe.
- On the day she entered the canyon she left the South Spur trailhead at 7:45 AM with an 18-pound pack.
- She entered the unnamed northeast drainage at 1:45 PM with approximately five hours of daylight remaining.
- Over four days she suffered a fractured ankle and lost eleven pounds before being signaled by the single upright running shoe.
- Her pack contained a first-aid kit, a mylar emergency blanket, a water filter, high-calorie bars, half a sandwich, and a camera with two charged batteries.

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/73083958Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft One Shoe: How a Hiker Outsmarted Five Days in Calabra Canyon A single running shoe stood upright in the red earth eleven miles from pavement - placed deliberately to be seen from above - while its owner lay four days below with a fractured...
A single running shoe stood upright in the red earth eleven miles from pavement - placed deliberately to be seen from above - while its owner lay four days below with a fractured ankle and eleven pounds lost; how did a prepared, cautious hiker survive five days with almost no gear, and what detail saved her life when Search and Rescue missed it?

In this episode, you’ll hear the chronological account of the five days Heather Rafferty spent inside Calabra Canyon, the choices she made before and after the fall, and the tactic she used to be found; what decision turned a routine hike into a life-or-death test, and why one object on the road became the key signal?

Person: Heather Rafferty
Event: Five days trapped in Calabra Canyon
Date: Saturday, January 8 (incident began); found after four days (Wednesday morning)
Location: Calabra Canyon, South Spur trailhead and unnamed northeast drainage
Status: Survived

- Heather left her truck at a dirt access road eleven miles from the nearest pavement at 8:17 AM on a Wednesday when a utility technician saw the shoe.
- On the day she entered the canyon she left the South Spur trailhead at 7:45 AM with an 18-pound pack.
- She entered the unnamed northeast drainage at 1:45 PM with approximately five hours of daylight remaining.
- Over four days she suffered a fractured ankle and lost eleven pounds before being signaled by the single upright running shoe.
- Her pack contained a first-aid kit, a mylar emergency blanket, a water filter, high-calorie bars, half a sandwich, and a camera with two charged batteries.

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.]]>1113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-broke-her-wrist-at-night-finished-31-miles-alone--73083957
Cold, isolation, and a snapped bone: a sixty-one-year-old runner finished 31 miles alone in winter after breaking her wrist in the dark, leaving a taped trekking pole at a trailhead and a GPS breadcrumb that paused for exactly four minutes-how did she keep moving through seventeen-degree air and ice? What choices kept her alive and pushing to the finish?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events and the evidence from the Caswell Ridgeline Hundred that show how preparation, specific equipment familiarity, and quick decisions mattered on a frozen ridgeline; could those four minutes and a strip of fleece explain the difference between rescue and self-reliance?

Person: Peggy Stewart
Date: December 8-9, 2017
Location: Caswell Ridgeline Forest, Caswell Ridgeline Hundred
Temperature: as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit overnight; 31°F at the start
Distance finished after injury: 31 miles

- GPS tracker recorded a pause of exactly four minutes at mile 62 in the Tallow Switchbacks at ~7,400 feet elevation.
- Peggy had completed 23 previous 100-mile finishes and had run ultra races for 19 years.
- Her personal first aid kit weighed 93 grams and contained a two-inch roll of medical tape and a fleece square cut from a 2003 jacket.
- She carried two handmade carbon trekking poles she built from raw tubing and purchased grip components.
- A broken trekking pole wrapped with fleece and medical tape was found at 6:22 AM on December 9, placed at a trailhead sign where lost items are left.

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/73083957Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:06 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Broke Her Wrist at Night - Finished 31 Miles Alone Cold, isolation, and a snapped bone: a sixty-one-year-old runner finished 31 miles alone in winter after breaking her wrist in the dark, leaving a taped trekking pole at a trailhead and a GPS...
Cold, isolation, and a snapped bone: a sixty-one-year-old runner finished 31 miles alone in winter after breaking her wrist in the dark, leaving a taped trekking pole at a trailhead and a GPS breadcrumb that paused for exactly four minutes-how did she keep moving through seventeen-degree air and ice? What choices kept her alive and pushing to the finish?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events and the evidence from the Caswell Ridgeline Hundred that show how preparation, specific equipment familiarity, and quick decisions mattered on a frozen ridgeline; could those four minutes and a strip of fleece explain the difference between rescue and self-reliance?

Person: Peggy Stewart
Date: December 8-9, 2017
Location: Caswell Ridgeline Forest, Caswell Ridgeline Hundred
Temperature: as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit overnight; 31°F at the start
Distance finished after injury: 31 miles

- GPS tracker recorded a pause of exactly four minutes at mile 62 in the Tallow Switchbacks at ~7,400 feet elevation.
- Peggy had completed 23 previous 100-mile finishes and had run ultra races for 19 years.
- Her personal first aid kit weighed 93 grams and contained a two-inch roll of medical tape and a fleece square cut from a 2003 jacket.
- She carried two handmade carbon trekking poles she built from raw tubing and purchased grip components.
- A broken trekking pole wrapped with fleece and medical tape was found at 6:22 AM on December 9, placed at a trailhead sign where lost items are left.

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.]]>1115falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-kept-a-signal-fire-burning-a-rabbit-saved-him--73083956
Fear clenches when routine breaks: a trained 24-year-old at 4,100 feet fed a six-foot signal fire every two hours in 30 mph wind for eight days and no one saw a single wisp of smoke. A retired postal worker’s unease about a Holland Lop rabbit finally set a rescue in motion-how did a rabbit outlast a signal fire as the decisive clue?

In this episode, we tell what happened to Kenneth Rafferty from November 5-11, 2019, how a client’s injury extended the season, and how a missed call and one neighbor’s worry turned into the thread between survival and being lost. How did a daily routine about feeding a rabbit become the pivotal factor that led people back to him?

Person: Kenneth Rafferty
Date: November 5-11, 2019
Location: Gallatin Range, Montana
Event: Extended expedition after a client fall and subsequent shelter-in-place
Witness: Bob Erwin, retired postal worker

- Kenneth was 24 years old and worked two seasons for Tallow Creek Expeditions as expedition cook, camp manager, and designated first-aid officer.
- On November 5, David Yount suffered a 15-foot leader fall and shattered his right ankle, triggering a full haul evacuation.
- Kenneth lit a six-foot signal fire at 3:00 PM on November 7 and fed it every two hours through the night in 30-mile-per-hour wind.
- The logging road received eight inches of wet snow the night after the client fall, making the road impassable by November 6.
- Bob Erwin noticed Kenneth hadn’t texted for four days on the evening of November 9 and, worried about feeding the rabbit Cass twice daily, called the outfitter which ultimately led to questioning why Kenneth hadn’t been contacted.

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/73083956Sun, 09 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Kept a Signal Fire Burning - A Rabbit Saved Him Fear clenches when routine breaks: a trained 24-year-old at 4,100 feet fed a six-foot signal fire every two hours in 30 mph wind for eight days and no one saw a single wisp of smoke. A retired...
Fear clenches when routine breaks: a trained 24-year-old at 4,100 feet fed a six-foot signal fire every two hours in 30 mph wind for eight days and no one saw a single wisp of smoke. A retired postal worker’s unease about a Holland Lop rabbit finally set a rescue in motion-how did a rabbit outlast a signal fire as the decisive clue?

In this episode, we tell what happened to Kenneth Rafferty from November 5-11, 2019, how a client’s injury extended the season, and how a missed call and one neighbor’s worry turned into the thread between survival and being lost. How did a daily routine about feeding a rabbit become the pivotal factor that led people back to him?

Person: Kenneth Rafferty
Date: November 5-11, 2019
Location: Gallatin Range, Montana
Event: Extended expedition after a client fall and subsequent shelter-in-place
Witness: Bob Erwin, retired postal worker

- Kenneth was 24 years old and worked two seasons for Tallow Creek Expeditions as expedition cook, camp manager, and designated first-aid officer.
- On November 5, David Yount suffered a 15-foot leader fall and shattered his right ankle, triggering a full haul evacuation.
- Kenneth lit a six-foot signal fire at 3:00 PM on November 7 and fed it every two hours through the night in 30-mile-per-hour wind.
- The logging road received eight inches of wet snow the night after the client fall, making the road impassable by November 6.
- Bob Erwin noticed Kenneth hadn’t texted for four days on the evening of November 9 and, worried about feeding the rabbit Cass twice daily, called the outfitter which ultimately led to questioning why Kenneth hadn’t been contacted.

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.]]>1207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/eleven-feet-above-a-flood-how-one-man-measured-his-rescue--73083955
The cliff face held a record of survival: dozens of tight, deliberate marks scratched eleven feet above a canyon floor where water sat trapped by a hidden logjam. Precision measurements, a carbide-tipped multitool, and a man with twenty-two years of canyoneering experience turned a sandstone wall into a lifeline-and his marks posed one urgent question: how long could he wait before attempting to escape?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Rachel Fitzgerald found a red daypack at Copperhead Canyon trailhead to how the marks on the sandstone became the only record of where Harvey Patterson had been; what those marks measured and why they mattered is the question that kept rescuers searching.

Person: Harvey Patterson
Date: October 20-25, 2011
Location: Copperhead Canyon, southern Utah
Age: 48
Profession: Calibration technician

- At 9:47 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, Rachel Fitzgerald found a red daypack hung above the mud line at the Copperhead Canyon trailhead.
- Harvey reached a ledge eleven feet above the canyon floor at approximately 1:30 a.m, on Friday, October 21 after a flash flood hit.
- The ledge where he waited was roughly six feet deep and fifteen feet wide, with water reaching within eighteen inches of its lip.
- Harvey used a carbide-tipped multitool to make grouped marks two inches apart, with each mark representing one inch of water drop.
- By Saturday afternoon he had eleven marks (22 inches dropped); by Sunday there were fourteen marks (28 inches dropped) before the level held due to a downstream logjam.

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/73083955Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaEleven Feet Above a Flood: How One Man Measured His Rescue The cliff face held a record of survival: dozens of tight, deliberate marks scratched eleven feet above a canyon floor where water sat trapped by a hidden logjam. Precision measurements, a...
The cliff face held a record of survival: dozens of tight, deliberate marks scratched eleven feet above a canyon floor where water sat trapped by a hidden logjam. Precision measurements, a carbide-tipped multitool, and a man with twenty-two years of canyoneering experience turned a sandstone wall into a lifeline-and his marks posed one urgent question: how long could he wait before attempting to escape?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment Rachel Fitzgerald found a red daypack at Copperhead Canyon trailhead to how the marks on the sandstone became the only record of where Harvey Patterson had been; what those marks measured and why they mattered is the question that kept rescuers searching.

Person: Harvey Patterson
Date: October 20-25, 2011
Location: Copperhead Canyon, southern Utah
Age: 48
Profession: Calibration technician

- At 9:47 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, Rachel Fitzgerald found a red daypack hung above the mud line at the Copperhead Canyon trailhead.
- Harvey reached a ledge eleven feet above the canyon floor at approximately 1:30 a.m, on Friday, October 21 after a flash flood hit.
- The ledge where he waited was roughly six feet deep and fifteen feet wide, with water reaching within eighteen inches of its lip.
- Harvey used a carbide-tipped multitool to make grouped marks two inches apart, with each mark representing one inch of water drop.
- By Saturday afternoon he had eleven marks (22 inches dropped); by Sunday there were fourteen marks (28 inches dropped) before the level held due to a downstream logjam.

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.]]>1066falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-drank-the-sea-surviving-15-hours-alone--73083954
Cold, lonely, and fourteen kilometers from shore: one swimmer trained for three years, entered at 06:41, and vanished into a shifting subsurface eddy that left him alone in open water for fifteen hours - how did he survive with radio, bag, and a notebook that later turned up in a tree? Who carried the dry, seventy-page notebook into a juniper fourteen miles inland, and what does it reveal about the crossing?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Playa de los Lances entry to the moment search teams looked the wrong way, recounting the equipment, people, and currents involved and asking how preparation met unpredictable ocean forces to produce one of the most methodical open-water survival stories on record.

Person: Kenneth Wallace
Date: September 14, 2019 (entry at 06:41)
Location: Playa de los Lances to Strait of Gibraltar crossing
Permit: GSC-2019-114 (Gibraltar Strait Crossing Association)
Found item: 70-page olive-green notebook, interior dry, sealed in waterproof ziplock

- Distance: crossing goal roughly 14 kilometers at narrowest point
- Time alone: fifteen hours between being alone in the water and search teams launching in the right area
- Water temperature: approximately 19-20 degrees Celsius in September
- Escort: support boat captain Aurelio Mena and kayak support James Corby
- Discovery: notebook found wedged in a juniper along Mirador de Cerro Blanco, 14 miles from nearest boat launch

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/73083954Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Drank the Sea: Surviving 15 Hours Alone Cold, lonely, and fourteen kilometers from shore: one swimmer trained for three years, entered at 06:41, and vanished into a shifting subsurface eddy that left him alone in open water for fifteen...
Cold, lonely, and fourteen kilometers from shore: one swimmer trained for three years, entered at 06:41, and vanished into a shifting subsurface eddy that left him alone in open water for fifteen hours - how did he survive with radio, bag, and a notebook that later turned up in a tree? Who carried the dry, seventy-page notebook into a juniper fourteen miles inland, and what does it reveal about the crossing?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the Playa de los Lances entry to the moment search teams looked the wrong way, recounting the equipment, people, and currents involved and asking how preparation met unpredictable ocean forces to produce one of the most methodical open-water survival stories on record.

Person: Kenneth Wallace
Date: September 14, 2019 (entry at 06:41)
Location: Playa de los Lances to Strait of Gibraltar crossing
Permit: GSC-2019-114 (Gibraltar Strait Crossing Association)
Found item: 70-page olive-green notebook, interior dry, sealed in waterproof ziplock

- Distance: crossing goal roughly 14 kilometers at narrowest point
- Time alone: fifteen hours between being alone in the water and search teams launching in the right area
- Water temperature: approximately 19-20 degrees Celsius in September
- Escort: support boat captain Aurelio Mena and kayak support James Corby
- Discovery: notebook found wedged in a juniper along Mirador de Cerro Blanco, 14 miles from nearest boat launch

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.]]>1176falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-rode-up-alone-returned-six-days-later-missing-wheel--73083953
Cold mountain weather can turn discipline into desperation: a fifty-two-year-old cyclist rode alone into a sealed forest route, a storm dropped the temperature 27 degrees in under 30 minutes, and six days later her expensive carbon frame was found upright in a creek-without its front wheel. What happened between the moment she fell forty feet on a scree slope and the moment the bike ended up in Coldtail Creek, alone and zip-tied mirror still attached, and how did routine choices make survival possible or nearly impossible?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Gail Keller’s solo ride to Harlan Peak, the unexpected descent, and the cascade of small failures and decisions that shaped the six days that followed. Which decisions saved her life and which concealed her absence until the bicycle turned up in the willows?

Person: Gail Keller
Date: mid-August 2019
Location: Harlan Peak / Coldtail Creek
Occupation: Radiology technician at Briar Falls Regional Medical Center
Club: Central Garnet Cycling Club

- Gail left Forest Route 11 at 7:40 AM the Saturday she rode to Harlan Peak.
- A 60-foot washout blocked the eastern descent; Gail turned around at 12:30 PM after reaching it.
- At 2:17 PM the temperature dropped 27 degrees in under 30 minutes and rain became sleet.
- Gail fell approximately 40 feet down the western slope and the bike’s front wheel separated and lodged 150 feet below.
- Erin Taylor found the carbon-frame bicycle twelve feet from the bank in Coldtail Creek at 6:15 AM, with no front wheel and a zip-tied rearview mirror catching the dawn light.

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/73083953Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Rode Up Alone - Returned Six Days Later, Missing Wheel Cold mountain weather can turn discipline into desperation: a fifty-two-year-old cyclist rode alone into a sealed forest route, a storm dropped the temperature 27 degrees in under 30...
Cold mountain weather can turn discipline into desperation: a fifty-two-year-old cyclist rode alone into a sealed forest route, a storm dropped the temperature 27 degrees in under 30 minutes, and six days later her expensive carbon frame was found upright in a creek-without its front wheel. What happened between the moment she fell forty feet on a scree slope and the moment the bike ended up in Coldtail Creek, alone and zip-tied mirror still attached, and how did routine choices make survival possible or nearly impossible?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Gail Keller’s solo ride to Harlan Peak, the unexpected descent, and the cascade of small failures and decisions that shaped the six days that followed. Which decisions saved her life and which concealed her absence until the bicycle turned up in the willows?

Person: Gail Keller
Date: mid-August 2019
Location: Harlan Peak / Coldtail Creek
Occupation: Radiology technician at Briar Falls Regional Medical Center
Club: Central Garnet Cycling Club

- Gail left Forest Route 11 at 7:40 AM the Saturday she rode to Harlan Peak.
- A 60-foot washout blocked the eastern descent; Gail turned around at 12:30 PM after reaching it.
- At 2:17 PM the temperature dropped 27 degrees in under 30 minutes and rain became sleet.
- Gail fell approximately 40 feet down the western slope and the bike’s front wheel separated and lodged 150 feet below.
- Erin Taylor found the carbon-frame bicycle twelve feet from the bank in Coldtail Creek at 6:15 AM, with no front wheel and a zip-tied rearview mirror catching the dawn light.

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.]]>1229falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/helmet-on-gravel-no-tracks-how-linda-walked-back-from-the-impossible--73083952
A single white snowmobile helmet sat upright on a gravel bar in mid-July with its chin strap buckled and interior foam bone dry - no machine, no tracks, and no person within four miles of the nearest plowed road. That image drove a county search for four days until a rancher walked back onto her property and the impossible details started to make sense; how did she survive freezing water and a sinking snowmobile and then keep walking as if nothing had happened?

In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded after a July afternoon on the Ridgetop Bench led to a submerged snowmobile and a missing rider, and we follow how the scene - a helmet on gravel with no tracks - shaped the search and the questions that followed. What really happened between the moment the Arctic Cat punched through the root mat and the moment Linda returned home?

Person: Linda Hill
Location: Broken Timber Ranch, Ridgeback County, Montana
Date: July 11, 2009 (incident discovered July 14, 2009)
Equipment: Arctic Cat "Spare" snowmobile and Yamaha "Workhorse"
Search: 18 volunteers, 2 search dogs, 1 county investigator

- Helmet found upright on a gravel bar with chin strap buckled and interior foam bone dry.
- Scene was discovered by Glenn Simmons on July 14, 2009, who returned to finish a land survey.
- Broken Timber Ranch covers 460 acres; nearest town Ceder Basin is roughly 11 miles east.
- Ridgetop Bench elevation is 7,200 feet and is seven miles northwest of the ranch.
- Linda was 44 years old, widowed in 2003, and had been running the ranch alone for six years.

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/73083952Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHelmet on Gravel, No Tracks: How Linda Walked Back From the Impossible A single white snowmobile helmet sat upright on a gravel bar in mid-July with its chin strap buckled and interior foam bone dry - no machine, no tracks, and no person within...
A single white snowmobile helmet sat upright on a gravel bar in mid-July with its chin strap buckled and interior foam bone dry - no machine, no tracks, and no person within four miles of the nearest plowed road. That image drove a county search for four days until a rancher walked back onto her property and the impossible details started to make sense; how did she survive freezing water and a sinking snowmobile and then keep walking as if nothing had happened?

In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded after a July afternoon on the Ridgetop Bench led to a submerged snowmobile and a missing rider, and we follow how the scene - a helmet on gravel with no tracks - shaped the search and the questions that followed. What really happened between the moment the Arctic Cat punched through the root mat and the moment Linda returned home?

Person: Linda Hill
Location: Broken Timber Ranch, Ridgeback County, Montana
Date: July 11, 2009 (incident discovered July 14, 2009)
Equipment: Arctic Cat "Spare" snowmobile and Yamaha "Workhorse"
Search: 18 volunteers, 2 search dogs, 1 county investigator

- Helmet found upright on a gravel bar with chin strap buckled and interior foam bone dry.
- Scene was discovered by Glenn Simmons on July 14, 2009, who returned to finish a land survey.
- Broken Timber Ranch covers 460 acres; nearest town Ceder Basin is roughly 11 miles east.
- Ridgetop Bench elevation is 7,200 feet and is seven miles northwest of the ranch.
- Linda was 44 years old, widowed in 2003, and had been running the ranch alone for six years.

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/she-stopped-112-photos-that-map-a-survivor-s-invisible-choices--73083950
A solitary tripod in mud, a camera pointed inland, and 112 time-lapse photos that quietly record a woman’s methodical choices in zero visibility - could those images be the map that saved her life? This episode follows a fogbound tidal flat, precise timing, and one decision to stop that turned survival into a sequence.

In this episode, we trace the events of June 12, 2019 and the deliberate actions taken on a Heron Inlet tidal flat that left a tripod aimed toward shore and a sequence of photographs that documented a plan to be found. How did one pause, a Mylar strip, and an interval setting become a rescue protocol no one expected?

Person: Marie Rafferty
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: Heron Inlet tidal flat near Pelican Spit Road
Occupation: Laboratory technician at a water quality firm in Brackmore, Oregon
Visibility: Approximately thirty feet in dense fog

- She arrived at Heron Inlet at 4:50 AM and low tide occurred at 5:38 AM.
- By 6:15 AM fog reduced visibility to about thirty feet while channels began flooding.
- She was approximately 300 yards from the nearest solid ground when she stopped.
- She set her camera to take one frame every ten seconds, creating 112 photographs.
- She tied a torn strip of Mylar emergency blanket to the tripod leg and left the tripod pointed inland.

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/73083950Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Stopped - 112 Photos That Map a Survivor's Invisible Choices A solitary tripod in mud, a camera pointed inland, and 112 time-lapse photos that quietly record a woman’s methodical choices in zero visibility - could those images be the map that...
A solitary tripod in mud, a camera pointed inland, and 112 time-lapse photos that quietly record a woman’s methodical choices in zero visibility - could those images be the map that saved her life? This episode follows a fogbound tidal flat, precise timing, and one decision to stop that turned survival into a sequence.

In this episode, we trace the events of June 12, 2019 and the deliberate actions taken on a Heron Inlet tidal flat that left a tripod aimed toward shore and a sequence of photographs that documented a plan to be found. How did one pause, a Mylar strip, and an interval setting become a rescue protocol no one expected?

Person: Marie Rafferty
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: Heron Inlet tidal flat near Pelican Spit Road
Occupation: Laboratory technician at a water quality firm in Brackmore, Oregon
Visibility: Approximately thirty feet in dense fog

- She arrived at Heron Inlet at 4:50 AM and low tide occurred at 5:38 AM.
- By 6:15 AM fog reduced visibility to about thirty feet while channels began flooding.
- She was approximately 300 yards from the nearest solid ground when she stopped.
- She set her camera to take one frame every ten seconds, creating 112 photographs.
- She tied a torn strip of Mylar emergency blanket to the tripod leg and left the tripod pointed inland.

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.]]>1273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/found-alive-the-upright-boot-that-broke-every-search-theory--73083949
Cold, high and alone: a single leather mountaineering boot was found standing upright in four inches of icy runoff, dry inside with a folded sock in the toe - and that boot became the first real clue after thirty-six hours of searching; how could someone survive a night at eleven thousand feet with a broken ankle and nearly empty food rations? What did a transposed coordinate and a lone boot reveal about who was looking - and where?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the boot was discovered to the errors and decisions that shaped the search. You’ll hear how a personal locator beacon, a trip plan, and a single data-entry mistake sent rescuers the wrong way - and why that mattered for finding the missing climber.

Person: Diane Porter
Age: 54
Date first reported missing: May 13, 2019
Location of summit: Arrowhead Ridge, elevation 11,200 ft
Search team size: 12-person ground team

- At 6:47 AM on May 14, 2019 Gordon Richardson found a single leather mountaineering boot standing upright in ~4 inches of icy runoff.
- Diane signed the summit register on May 12 at 11:04 AM and injured her right ankle roughly 90 minutes into the descent with a grade-two fibula fracture.
- Diane carried approximately 2.5 days of food, a bivy sack, closed-cell foam pad, sleeping bag rated to 15°F, lighter, small pot, headlamp, whistle, and a personal locator beacon.
- Diane activated her personal locator beacon at 4:30 PM on May 12; the signal was received but processed with two digits transposed, placing her on the south slope instead of the north-facing drainage.
- The data-entry error was not discovered for 19 hours, during which a 12-person team searched the wrong side of Arrowhead Ridge.

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/73083949Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaFound Alive: The Upright Boot That Broke Every Search Theory Cold, high and alone: a single leather mountaineering boot was found standing upright in four inches of icy runoff, dry inside with a folded sock in the toe - and that boot became the...
Cold, high and alone: a single leather mountaineering boot was found standing upright in four inches of icy runoff, dry inside with a folded sock in the toe - and that boot became the first real clue after thirty-six hours of searching; how could someone survive a night at eleven thousand feet with a broken ankle and nearly empty food rations? What did a transposed coordinate and a lone boot reveal about who was looking - and where?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the boot was discovered to the errors and decisions that shaped the search. You’ll hear how a personal locator beacon, a trip plan, and a single data-entry mistake sent rescuers the wrong way - and why that mattered for finding the missing climber.

Person: Diane Porter
Age: 54
Date first reported missing: May 13, 2019
Location of summit: Arrowhead Ridge, elevation 11,200 ft
Search team size: 12-person ground team

- At 6:47 AM on May 14, 2019 Gordon Richardson found a single leather mountaineering boot standing upright in ~4 inches of icy runoff.
- Diane signed the summit register on May 12 at 11:04 AM and injured her right ankle roughly 90 minutes into the descent with a grade-two fibula fracture.
- Diane carried approximately 2.5 days of food, a bivy sack, closed-cell foam pad, sleeping bag rated to 15°F, lighter, small pot, headlamp, whistle, and a personal locator beacon.
- Diane activated her personal locator beacon at 4:30 PM on May 12; the signal was received but processed with two digits transposed, placing her on the south slope instead of the north-facing drainage.
- The data-entry error was not discovered for 19 hours, during which a 12-person team searched the wrong side of Arrowhead Ridge.

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.]]>1262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/found-alive-the-paddle-in-a-mailbox-that-saved-her--73083945
A fourteen-year-old on a paper route found a carbon-fiber canoe paddle standing upright inside a rusted mailbox that hadn't received mail in four years - and that tiny discovery linked directly to a twenty-two-year-old woman found alive in a barn after four days missing. How did a paddle in a mailbox, a paper-route photo, and a chain of precise decisions lead rescuers to Paula Wilson when every search grid and aerial sweep missed her?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Paula Wilson's solo April canoe trip through her capsize, the gear she kept, and the decisions that kept her alive, asking which single choice in this chain mattered most to her survival.

Person: Paula Wilson
Date: April 2014
Location: Ardeen River corridor, Weyburn County
Event: Solo canoe capsize and four-day survival
Finder: Deputy Art Solis

- At 6:15 a.m. on a Friday, a fourteen-year-old found a paddle inside a mailbox that had not received mail in four years.
- Paula was missing for four days and was found sitting on a hay bale eating sunflower seeds 85 minutes after the mailbox photo was taken.
- She launched on Monday, April 14, and capsized around 2:30 p.m. above Ardeen Bend.
- Her dry bag, including phone and one water bottle, was lost to the current; she retained the paddle, PFD, hip pack, and one granola bar.
- She walked along the bank using the carbon-fiber paddle as a staff despite a swollen ankle and used rationing strategies (splitting a granola bar) to survive.

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/73083945Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaFound Alive: The Paddle in a Mailbox That Saved Her A fourteen-year-old on a paper route found a carbon-fiber canoe paddle standing upright inside a rusted mailbox that hadn't received mail in four years - and that tiny discovery linked directly to...
A fourteen-year-old on a paper route found a carbon-fiber canoe paddle standing upright inside a rusted mailbox that hadn't received mail in four years - and that tiny discovery linked directly to a twenty-two-year-old woman found alive in a barn after four days missing. How did a paddle in a mailbox, a paper-route photo, and a chain of precise decisions lead rescuers to Paula Wilson when every search grid and aerial sweep missed her?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Paula Wilson's solo April canoe trip through her capsize, the gear she kept, and the decisions that kept her alive, asking which single choice in this chain mattered most to her survival.

Person: Paula Wilson
Date: April 2014
Location: Ardeen River corridor, Weyburn County
Event: Solo canoe capsize and four-day survival
Finder: Deputy Art Solis

- At 6:15 a.m. on a Friday, a fourteen-year-old found a paddle inside a mailbox that had not received mail in four years.
- Paula was missing for four days and was found sitting on a hay bale eating sunflower seeds 85 minutes after the mailbox photo was taken.
- She launched on Monday, April 14, and capsized around 2:30 p.m. above Ardeen Bend.
- Her dry bag, including phone and one water bottle, was lost to the current; she retained the paddle, PFD, hip pack, and one granola bar.
- She walked along the bank using the carbon-fiber paddle as a staff despite a swollen ankle and used rationing strategies (splitting a granola bar) to survive.

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.]]>1021falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-vanished-into-460-tons-of-corn-boot-upright-in-snow--73083944
Cold, controlled danger: a size eleven boot stood upright in pristine snow, laces tied, toe pointing at a locked ladder - and steam rose from the sealed cap of Silo Four. In a nineteen-degree morning with seven inches of snow, one man was later found breathing through a golf-ball-sized hole sixty feet beneath 460 tons of old corn; how did he get in and why was no one aware for three days?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and small, specific details that framed the search and eventual rescue: the missing evening insulin, the sealed co-op silo with no heaters or power, and the odd placement of a single boot that led to questions no one could immediately answer. How did a punctual maintenance worker end up trapped inside a silo with no visible entry or exit?

Person: Bruce Callahan
Age: 38
Date: March 9, 2011 (initial discovery) / March 8, 2011 (last seen)
Location: Silo Four, Feltner Agricultural Cooperative, southwest Kearney County, near Dunnegan
Quantity of corn: 460 tons

- Boot size eleven found upright in undisturbed snow, laces still tied, toe pointing at the ladder.
- Temperature at discovery: 19 degrees Fahrenheit with seven inches of snow accumulated overnight.
- Steam observed rising in a thin, steady column from the sealed cap of Silo Four with no heaters or electrical connections.
- Callahan had worked at the Feltner Agricultural-op for eleven years and was a construction and industrial maintenance laborer.
- Pepper, Callahan’s diabetic cat, missed its 7 p.m. injection on March 8 and 7 a.m. injection on March 9; insulin kit remained sealed on the counter.

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© 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/73083944Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Vanished Into 460 Tons of Corn - Boot Upright in Snow Cold, controlled danger: a size eleven boot stood upright in pristine snow, laces tied, toe pointing at a locked ladder - and steam rose from the sealed cap of Silo Four. In a nineteen-degree...
Cold, controlled danger: a size eleven boot stood upright in pristine snow, laces tied, toe pointing at a locked ladder - and steam rose from the sealed cap of Silo Four. In a nineteen-degree morning with seven inches of snow, one man was later found breathing through a golf-ball-sized hole sixty feet beneath 460 tons of old corn; how did he get in and why was no one aware for three days?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and small, specific details that framed the search and eventual rescue: the missing evening insulin, the sealed co-op silo with no heaters or power, and the odd placement of a single boot that led to questions no one could immediately answer. How did a punctual maintenance worker end up trapped inside a silo with no visible entry or exit?

Person: Bruce Callahan
Age: 38
Date: March 9, 2011 (initial discovery) / March 8, 2011 (last seen)
Location: Silo Four, Feltner Agricultural Cooperative, southwest Kearney County, near Dunnegan
Quantity of corn: 460 tons

- Boot size eleven found upright in undisturbed snow, laces still tied, toe pointing at the ladder.
- Temperature at discovery: 19 degrees Fahrenheit with seven inches of snow accumulated overnight.
- Steam observed rising in a thin, steady column from the sealed cap of Silo Four with no heaters or electrical connections.
- Callahan had worked at the Feltner Agricultural-op for eleven years and was a construction and industrial maintenance laborer.
- Pepper, Callahan’s diabetic cat, missed its 7 p.m. injection on March 8 and 7 a.m. injection on March 9; insulin kit remained sealed on the counter.

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.]]>1170falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/paint-still-wet-on-crestfall-how-one-beacon-s-drift-left-her-91-hours-alone--73083941
Cold, isolated danger: seven stones with a single orange stripe and paint still wet in eight-below temperatures signaled someone had been on Crestfall within hours-not days. The beacon's coordinates pointed rescuers two miles away, a firmware flaw in first-generation 406 MHz beacons shifted position in sub-25°F conditions-so how did Paula end up alone for 91 hours where every system meant to save her failed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from launch through the failed rescue response, describing the conditions, equipment, and decisions that left Paula stranded and the discovery that changed the search. What does one pilot's survival reveal about the limits of rescue technology and human detection?

Person: Paula Bowers
Event: Paraglider wing collapse and reserve landing
Location: Crestfall Plateau, Pinebrook County
Date: early February (landing approximately 1:22 PM)
Device: first-generation 406 MHz personal locator beacon

- Seven smooth stones with a single orange stripe were found on the plateau; the paint smeared on a glove and was still wet.
- Paula launched at 12:40 PM and entered the convergence line around 1:15 PM; she landed on the eastern plateau at approximately 1:22 PM.
- Her ankle folded on landing and the radio antenna was damaged at a 45-degree angle, leaving the beacon as her only working device.
- The beacon transmitted to NOAA-SARSAT at 1:34 PM but reported coordinates 1.8 miles southwest-inside the Prow launch zone on the western face.
- The beacon's firmware allowed up to a two nautical mile position drift below 25°F, and rescuers searched the western face until darkness without finding her.

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/73083941Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaPaint Still Wet on Crestfall: How One Beacon's Drift Left Her 91 Hours Alone Cold, isolated danger: seven stones with a single orange stripe and paint still wet in eight-below temperatures signaled someone had been on Crestfall within hours-not...
Cold, isolated danger: seven stones with a single orange stripe and paint still wet in eight-below temperatures signaled someone had been on Crestfall within hours-not days. The beacon's coordinates pointed rescuers two miles away, a firmware flaw in first-generation 406 MHz beacons shifted position in sub-25°F conditions-so how did Paula end up alone for 91 hours where every system meant to save her failed?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from launch through the failed rescue response, describing the conditions, equipment, and decisions that left Paula stranded and the discovery that changed the search. What does one pilot's survival reveal about the limits of rescue technology and human detection?

Person: Paula Bowers
Event: Paraglider wing collapse and reserve landing
Location: Crestfall Plateau, Pinebrook County
Date: early February (landing approximately 1:22 PM)
Device: first-generation 406 MHz personal locator beacon

- Seven smooth stones with a single orange stripe were found on the plateau; the paint smeared on a glove and was still wet.
- Paula launched at 12:40 PM and entered the convergence line around 1:15 PM; she landed on the eastern plateau at approximately 1:22 PM.
- Her ankle folded on landing and the radio antenna was damaged at a 45-degree angle, leaving the beacon as her only working device.
- The beacon transmitted to NOAA-SARSAT at 1:34 PM but reported coordinates 1.8 miles southwest-inside the Prow launch zone on the western face.
- The beacon's firmware allowed up to a two nautical mile position drift below 25°F, and rescuers searched the western face until darkness without finding her.

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.]]>1078falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/severed-line-at-dawn-how-he-lasted-two-hours-underwater--73083940
Fear of vanishing into cold water and time: a freediver's guideline was severed at 12 meters in 61°F ocean water, his surface tender 310 meters away, and he spent two hours and thirty-six minutes fighting to stay alive-how did methodical training and a spare mask under an anchor keep him breathing? Which single choices kept him from disappearing?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the specific actions the diver took from launch to rescue, laying out the equipment, distances, and timings that mattered most-what decision turned a near-disappearance into survival?

Person: Kevin Sharp
Date: January 11, 2022
Location: Caulfield Cove, 310 meters offshore
Depth reached: 43 meters
Duration in water before extraction: 2 hours 36 minutes

- Mask with water and kelp was found on a pickup roof at 6:53 a.m.
- Surface tender was anchored 310 meters offshore and contained a VHF radio, waterproof phone, and air horn.
- Water temperature at the site was 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Kevin's resting heart rate was 44 beats per minute.
- Spare mask was clipped to an anchor weight found at approximately 15 meters and recovered around 7:40 a.m.

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© 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/73083940Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaSevered Line at Dawn: How He Lasted Two Hours Underwater Fear of vanishing into cold water and time: a freediver's guideline was severed at 12 meters in 61°F ocean water, his surface tender 310 meters away, and he spent two hours and thirty-six...
Fear of vanishing into cold water and time: a freediver's guideline was severed at 12 meters in 61°F ocean water, his surface tender 310 meters away, and he spent two hours and thirty-six minutes fighting to stay alive-how did methodical training and a spare mask under an anchor keep him breathing? Which single choices kept him from disappearing?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the specific actions the diver took from launch to rescue, laying out the equipment, distances, and timings that mattered most-what decision turned a near-disappearance into survival?

Person: Kevin Sharp
Date: January 11, 2022
Location: Caulfield Cove, 310 meters offshore
Depth reached: 43 meters
Duration in water before extraction: 2 hours 36 minutes

- Mask with water and kelp was found on a pickup roof at 6:53 a.m.
- Surface tender was anchored 310 meters offshore and contained a VHF radio, waterproof phone, and air horn.
- Water temperature at the site was 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Kevin's resting heart rate was 44 beats per minute.
- Spare mask was clipped to an anchor weight found at approximately 15 meters and recovered around 7:40 a.m.

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.]]>924falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-fell-through-frozen-creek-and-skied-twelve-miles-to-survival--73083939
She survived five nights in open country with a core temperature of 91.4°F, ten toes intact, and temperatures that never rose above -14°F-an outcome rescuers called impossible. How did a methodical 48-year-old earth science teacher, with no winter survival gear, end up twelve miles and the wrong direction from her car after breaking through refrozen creek ice?

In this episode, we follow the reconstructed timeline of what happened between December 7 and December 12, 2009, and trace the few details that ultimately led searchers to her. What forced Jean Nelson onto an unmarked trapper route and across breaking ice that did not appear on current trail maps?

Person: Jean Nelson
Date: December 7-12, 2009
Location: Sawback Drainage between Otter Bend and the Pedersen cabin
Finder: April Barrett
Core temperature: 91.4 °F

- Jean Nelson was 48 years old and had been backcountry skiing for 11 years.
- Her car was found at Vanner Creek trailhead on Forest Service Road 41, 11 miles northeast of Briar Falls.
- Temperatures during her five nights outside never rose above -14 °F and were -31 °F the morning her car was found.
- Search teams initially searched a nine-mile corridor northeast to the Boundary Lake warming hut for two days with no sign.
- A hand-annotated topographic map borrowed from Frank Pearce three weeks earlier showed a winter trapper route that led 12 miles west and ultimately to the broken, refrozen creek where she fell through.

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/73083939Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Fell Through Frozen Creek and Skied Twelve Miles to Survival She survived five nights in open country with a core temperature of 91.4°F, ten toes intact, and temperatures that never rose above -14°F-an outcome rescuers called impossible. How...
She survived five nights in open country with a core temperature of 91.4°F, ten toes intact, and temperatures that never rose above -14°F-an outcome rescuers called impossible. How did a methodical 48-year-old earth science teacher, with no winter survival gear, end up twelve miles and the wrong direction from her car after breaking through refrozen creek ice?

In this episode, we follow the reconstructed timeline of what happened between December 7 and December 12, 2009, and trace the few details that ultimately led searchers to her. What forced Jean Nelson onto an unmarked trapper route and across breaking ice that did not appear on current trail maps?

Person: Jean Nelson
Date: December 7-12, 2009
Location: Sawback Drainage between Otter Bend and the Pedersen cabin
Finder: April Barrett
Core temperature: 91.4 °F

- Jean Nelson was 48 years old and had been backcountry skiing for 11 years.
- Her car was found at Vanner Creek trailhead on Forest Service Road 41, 11 miles northeast of Briar Falls.
- Temperatures during her five nights outside never rose above -14 °F and were -31 °F the morning her car was found.
- Search teams initially searched a nine-mile corridor northeast to the Boundary Lake warming hut for two days with no sign.
- A hand-annotated topographic map borrowed from Frank Pearce three weeks earlier showed a winter trapper route that led 12 miles west and ultimately to the broken, refrozen creek where she fell through.

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.]]>1207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-alone-at-mineral-bench-eleven-days-one-failing-compass--73083938
A small brass compass and four cracked water jugs turned routine safety into a slow-motion survival nightmare at six thousand feet in Nevada - a lookout keeper spent eleven days cut off while a quarter-turn of a coax connector silenced her radio. How did a sequence of ordinary, overlooked failures nearly kill a thirty-two-year-old fire lookout and leave only a logbook as witness?

In this episode, we follow the timeline recorded in the lookout's own log and the dispatcher's radio records to show what happened from November 7 to November 19, 2011, and ask whether standard procedures and tiny hardware flaws are enough to explain the near-fatal isolation.

Person: Gina Armstrong
Date: November 7-19, 2011
Location: Mineral Bench, north-central Nevada
Status: Radio silence after coaxial antenna fitting vibrated loose
Equipment: four 5-gallon water containers (two with hairline seam cracks)

- Gina logged gusts up to 51 miles per hour at 10:40 PM on November 7.
- The station sits roughly 6,000 feet in basin-and-range country with the nearest paved road more than 12 miles away.
- Gina had worn her father's brass compass daily since age 18; its needle pulled 3 degrees west of true north.
- The antenna coaxial fitting vibrated a quarter-turn loose on November 11, resulting in complete radio silence.
- Two hairline seam cracks along the base of two of the four 5-gallon water containers were present before Gina's arrival.

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/73083938Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:00:24 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Alone at Mineral Bench: Eleven Days, One Failing Compass A small brass compass and four cracked water jugs turned routine safety into a slow-motion survival nightmare at six thousand feet in Nevada - a lookout keeper spent eleven days cut off...
A small brass compass and four cracked water jugs turned routine safety into a slow-motion survival nightmare at six thousand feet in Nevada - a lookout keeper spent eleven days cut off while a quarter-turn of a coax connector silenced her radio. How did a sequence of ordinary, overlooked failures nearly kill a thirty-two-year-old fire lookout and leave only a logbook as witness?

In this episode, we follow the timeline recorded in the lookout's own log and the dispatcher's radio records to show what happened from November 7 to November 19, 2011, and ask whether standard procedures and tiny hardware flaws are enough to explain the near-fatal isolation.

Person: Gina Armstrong
Date: November 7-19, 2011
Location: Mineral Bench, north-central Nevada
Status: Radio silence after coaxial antenna fitting vibrated loose
Equipment: four 5-gallon water containers (two with hairline seam cracks)

- Gina logged gusts up to 51 miles per hour at 10:40 PM on November 7.
- The station sits roughly 6,000 feet in basin-and-range country with the nearest paved road more than 12 miles away.
- Gina had worn her father's brass compass daily since age 18; its needle pulled 3 degrees west of true north.
- The antenna coaxial fitting vibrated a quarter-turn loose on November 11, resulting in complete radio silence.
- Two hairline seam cracks along the base of two of the four 5-gallon water containers were present before Gina's arrival.

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/she-survived-twelve-minutes-why-her-hands-betrayed-her-in-varda--73083937
Cold, fast water stole coordinated grip in roughly twelve minutes - a kayaker pinned in the Varda Canyon spent less than two minutes submerged, was separated by sixty feet of whitewater, and left an uncapped orange dry-erase marker four feet above the river that went undiscovered for six days; how did her knowledge of "twelve minutes" shape the choices that followed and why did her hands fail when she needed them most?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of October 17-18, 2011, tracing the actions Karen Clark took before and after she capsized in the Varda Slot, the gear she had clipped to her PFD, and the search decisions that missed her location; what did she know about hand function in 38°F water, and how did that clock run out?

Person: Karen Clark
Date: October 17-18, 2011
Location: Varda Canyon, Cascavel Range, north-central Montana
Age: 53
Occupation: Radiologic technician

- She capsized in the Varda Slot and was in the water for less than two minutes before pulling onto a gravel bar.
- The water temperature upstream was 38°F while air temperature before dawn was 31°F.
- She was separated from her truck by approximately 60 feet of glacial whitewater.
- Her dry bag contained a space blanket, headlamp, folding knife, one Clif Bar, car keys, and an orange dry-erase marker.
- An uncapped, completely dry orange dry-erase marker was later found standing in a crack in the granite four feet above the Varda River and remained undiscovered for six full 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/73083937Mon, 27 Jul 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived Twelve Minutes: Why Her Hands Betrayed Her in Varda Cold, fast water stole coordinated grip in roughly twelve minutes - a kayaker pinned in the Varda Canyon spent less than two minutes submerged, was separated by sixty feet of...
Cold, fast water stole coordinated grip in roughly twelve minutes - a kayaker pinned in the Varda Canyon spent less than two minutes submerged, was separated by sixty feet of whitewater, and left an uncapped orange dry-erase marker four feet above the river that went undiscovered for six days; how did her knowledge of "twelve minutes" shape the choices that followed and why did her hands fail when she needed them most?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of October 17-18, 2011, tracing the actions Karen Clark took before and after she capsized in the Varda Slot, the gear she had clipped to her PFD, and the search decisions that missed her location; what did she know about hand function in 38°F water, and how did that clock run out?

Person: Karen Clark
Date: October 17-18, 2011
Location: Varda Canyon, Cascavel Range, north-central Montana
Age: 53
Occupation: Radiologic technician

- She capsized in the Varda Slot and was in the water for less than two minutes before pulling onto a gravel bar.
- The water temperature upstream was 38°F while air temperature before dawn was 31°F.
- She was separated from her truck by approximately 60 feet of glacial whitewater.
- Her dry bag contained a space blanket, headlamp, folding knife, one Clif Bar, car keys, and an orange dry-erase marker.
- An uncapped, completely dry orange dry-erase marker was later found standing in a crack in the granite four feet above the Varda River and remained undiscovered for six full 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.]]>1342falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-runner-the-missing-bib-and-nine-days-of-silence--73083936
Cold river water delivered a paper racing bib to a fisherman on September 22, 2014 - bib number 417 - nine days after a runner vanished from a southern Montana ultramarathon. A veteran search coordinator deployed seventy percent of resources to the wrong corridor and a rancher's day-five report didn't reach the right desk until day seven; how did those delays shape what rescuers eventually found?

In this episode, you'll hear the sequence of events from the Ridgeline 50K start through the discovery of the bib, the gaps in the search, and the personal details that shaped Marcia Farrell's decisions and survival; could her map study, route choice, and equipment explain why she was alone in Spur Hollow?

Person: Marcia Farrell
Date: September 13-22, 2014
Event: Ridgeline 50K disappearance and search
Location: Spur Hollow / Kettle Peak drainage, southern Montana
Age: 44

- Fisherman Norman Collins found bib number 417 pinned against a limestone shelf at the Gallatin Fork at 6:00 AM on September 22, 2014.
- Marcia was logged through the mile 21 aid station at 11:47 AM on September 13, 2014, by Doug Sewell and left two minutes later.
- In 2014, 112 runners started the Ridgeline 50K and 111 finished.
- Marcia weighed 138 pounds, stood 5 feet 6 inches tall, and had run ultramarathons for six years.
- The cliff band in Spur Hollow was approximately a 12-foot drop onto loose talus at mile three of that 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/73083936Sun, 26 Jul 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Runner, The Missing Bib, and Nine Days of Silence Cold river water delivered a paper racing bib to a fisherman on September 22, 2014 - bib number 417 - nine days after a runner vanished from a southern Montana ultramarathon. A veteran search...
Cold river water delivered a paper racing bib to a fisherman on September 22, 2014 - bib number 417 - nine days after a runner vanished from a southern Montana ultramarathon. A veteran search coordinator deployed seventy percent of resources to the wrong corridor and a rancher's day-five report didn't reach the right desk until day seven; how did those delays shape what rescuers eventually found?

In this episode, you'll hear the sequence of events from the Ridgeline 50K start through the discovery of the bib, the gaps in the search, and the personal details that shaped Marcia Farrell's decisions and survival; could her map study, route choice, and equipment explain why she was alone in Spur Hollow?

Person: Marcia Farrell
Date: September 13-22, 2014
Event: Ridgeline 50K disappearance and search
Location: Spur Hollow / Kettle Peak drainage, southern Montana
Age: 44

- Fisherman Norman Collins found bib number 417 pinned against a limestone shelf at the Gallatin Fork at 6:00 AM on September 22, 2014.
- Marcia was logged through the mile 21 aid station at 11:47 AM on September 13, 2014, by Doug Sewell and left two minutes later.
- In 2014, 112 runners started the Ridgeline 50K and 111 finished.
- Marcia weighed 138 pounds, stood 5 feet 6 inches tall, and had run ultramarathons for six years.
- The cliff band in Spur Hollow was approximately a 12-foot drop onto loose talus at mile three of that 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.]]>1064falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-boot-one-map-one-man-54-hours-crawling-home--73083935
A single size ten hiking boot stood upright on a logging road with a tightly rolled, annotated topographic map tucked into its toe - the map contained two days of movements and a note: "left ankle compound, going down, aug 4." How did a methodical 28‑year‑old end up crawling 54 hours across more than twelve square miles of broken rock on a fractured ankle, and why did that one boot become the crucial clue nobody expected?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from an August morning when Keith Miller found the boot through the decisions Mark Jones made after his fall; the story covers the injury, the improvised self‑care he applied, his route choices, and the consequences for the search that spent a day looking in the wrong place - what did his trip plan and actions reveal that changed the search?

Person: Mark Jones
Date: August 3-6, 2014
Location: Talus Point Ridge, eastern Cascades
Finder: Keith Miller
Injury: left ankle displaced fracture (compound noted on map)

- The boot found was a men's size ten trail model, nearly new, with laces double‑knotted.
- The map inside the toe recorded two days of movement and a handwritten note dated August 4: "left ankle compound, going down, aug 4."
- Mark signed the trailhead register at 3:47 PM on August 2, 43 minutes behind his planned schedule due to returning for crampons.
- He fell 60 meters into the névé on the northeast face and climbed back up the same 60 meters to the summit plateau on a broken left ankle.
- Mark began descending the south ridge at approximately 4:50 PM with his left ankle wrapped and the boot kept on as a splint, intending to cover three miles to the trailhead.

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/73083935Sat, 25 Jul 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaOne Boot, One Map, One Man: 54 Hours Crawling Home A single size ten hiking boot stood upright on a logging road with a tightly rolled, annotated topographic map tucked into its toe - the map contained two days of movements and a note: "left ankle...
A single size ten hiking boot stood upright on a logging road with a tightly rolled, annotated topographic map tucked into its toe - the map contained two days of movements and a note: "left ankle compound, going down, aug 4." How did a methodical 28‑year‑old end up crawling 54 hours across more than twelve square miles of broken rock on a fractured ankle, and why did that one boot become the crucial clue nobody expected?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from an August morning when Keith Miller found the boot through the decisions Mark Jones made after his fall; the story covers the injury, the improvised self‑care he applied, his route choices, and the consequences for the search that spent a day looking in the wrong place - what did his trip plan and actions reveal that changed the search?

Person: Mark Jones
Date: August 3-6, 2014
Location: Talus Point Ridge, eastern Cascades
Finder: Keith Miller
Injury: left ankle displaced fracture (compound noted on map)

- The boot found was a men's size ten trail model, nearly new, with laces double‑knotted.
- The map inside the toe recorded two days of movement and a handwritten note dated August 4: "left ankle compound, going down, aug 4."
- Mark signed the trailhead register at 3:47 PM on August 2, 43 minutes behind his planned schedule due to returning for crampons.
- He fell 60 meters into the névé on the northeast face and climbed back up the same 60 meters to the summit plateau on a broken left ankle.
- Mark began descending the south ridge at approximately 4:50 PM with his left ankle wrapped and the boot kept on as a splint, intending to cover three miles to the trailhead.

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.]]>1351falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/boot-on-the-spit-how-a-missing-crabber-survived-against-odds--73083934
Fear and tension at sea: a single orange boot, size seven, upright forty-one feet from the waterline, and a commercial catch log naming the 42-foot crabber Delmar Rose - but no boat, no crew, and five days of silence. How did a captain with 27 years of experience and a dwindling radio battery keep her crew alive when rescue teams were searching the wrong direction?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment the Delmar Rose left Coos Harbor on July 8 through the failed rescue attempts and the improvised survival choices that followed, asking how routine checks, a recalled EPIRB, and a drifting search buoy combined to turn a routine trip into a fight for life.

Person: Cynthia Lawson
Vessel: Delmar Rose
Date departed: July 8
Distance offshore: roughly 60 miles
Search uncertainty: EPIRB position error 11 miles

- An orange rubber boot, size seven, was found standing upright 41 feet from the waterline with a waterproof sleeve containing a commercial catch log.
- The Delmar Rose was a 42-foot fiberglass crabber registered out of Coos Harbor and captained by Cynthia Lawson, age 53.
- The crew of four departed pre-dawn on July 8 for the Heceta grounds with a planned return by the evening of July 10.
- At 4:17 AM on July 9 a wave knocked the EPIRB off its bracket and it transmitted with a position uncertainty of 11 miles due to a recalled antenna fault.
- Seas built to 18 feet while the search concentrated north; a sensor buoy had drifted off-station causing the drift model to underweight a southward current reversal.

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/73083934Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:00:06 +0000Creator at ObomediaBoot on the Spit: How a Missing Crabber Survived Against Odds Fear and tension at sea: a single orange boot, size seven, upright forty-one feet from the waterline, and a commercial catch log naming the 42-foot crabber Delmar Rose - but no boat, no...
Fear and tension at sea: a single orange boot, size seven, upright forty-one feet from the waterline, and a commercial catch log naming the 42-foot crabber Delmar Rose - but no boat, no crew, and five days of silence. How did a captain with 27 years of experience and a dwindling radio battery keep her crew alive when rescue teams were searching the wrong direction?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the moment the Delmar Rose left Coos Harbor on July 8 through the failed rescue attempts and the improvised survival choices that followed, asking how routine checks, a recalled EPIRB, and a drifting search buoy combined to turn a routine trip into a fight for life.

Person: Cynthia Lawson
Vessel: Delmar Rose
Date departed: July 8
Distance offshore: roughly 60 miles
Search uncertainty: EPIRB position error 11 miles

- An orange rubber boot, size seven, was found standing upright 41 feet from the waterline with a waterproof sleeve containing a commercial catch log.
- The Delmar Rose was a 42-foot fiberglass crabber registered out of Coos Harbor and captained by Cynthia Lawson, age 53.
- The crew of four departed pre-dawn on July 8 for the Heceta grounds with a planned return by the evening of July 10.
- At 4:17 AM on July 9 a wave knocked the EPIRB off its bracket and it transmitted with a position uncertainty of 11 miles due to a recalled antenna fault.
- Seas built to 18 feet while the search concentrated north; a sensor buoy had drifted off-station causing the drift model to underweight a southward current reversal.

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.]]>1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/sippy-cup-in-the-sand-how-a-toddler-s-bottle-saved-them--73083930
Heat, distance and a tiny green sippy cup became the thin line between life and oblivion: a cartoon-turtle cup left upright with liquid four point three miles from pavement in 107°F desert led searchers to a stranded woman and a sleeping four-year-old - but why did she place it there, and how did that small act change everything?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from a morning sighting to a night lost in the Sonoran Desert, following the decisions Megan made after her car overheated and how a chance discovery by a retired dental hygienist redirected a search; what did that carefully placed sippy cup reveal about their chances of survival?

Person: Megan Peterson
Date: June 15, 2019
Location: Sonoran Desert, 4.3 miles from the nearest paved road on Cobre Road
Temperature: 107 degrees Fahrenheit
Companion: Cody, four years old

- At 6:17 AM a retired dental hygienist found a green cartoon-turtle sippy cup upright between two rocks with one inch of liquid still inside.
- Megan left Phoenix at 2:15 PM on June 14, 2019, driving a 2007 Hyundai Sonata with 161,000 miles.
- The car’s temperature gauge swung into the red at 4:47 PM and the outside temperature was 107°F.
- Megan started walking north with three water bottles, a 32-ounce Nalgene, the sippy cup, crackers, and a phone at 61% battery.
- She set the sippy cup upright at 9:45 PM at the edge of the wash before continuing into the desert with her four-year-old on her 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/73083930Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaSippy Cup in the Sand: How a Toddler's Bottle Saved Them Heat, distance and a tiny green sippy cup became the thin line between life and oblivion: a cartoon-turtle cup left upright with liquid four point three miles from pavement in 107°F desert...
Heat, distance and a tiny green sippy cup became the thin line between life and oblivion: a cartoon-turtle cup left upright with liquid four point three miles from pavement in 107°F desert led searchers to a stranded woman and a sleeping four-year-old - but why did she place it there, and how did that small act change everything?

In this episode, you will hear the sequence of events from a morning sighting to a night lost in the Sonoran Desert, following the decisions Megan made after her car overheated and how a chance discovery by a retired dental hygienist redirected a search; what did that carefully placed sippy cup reveal about their chances of survival?

Person: Megan Peterson
Date: June 15, 2019
Location: Sonoran Desert, 4.3 miles from the nearest paved road on Cobre Road
Temperature: 107 degrees Fahrenheit
Companion: Cody, four years old

- At 6:17 AM a retired dental hygienist found a green cartoon-turtle sippy cup upright between two rocks with one inch of liquid still inside.
- Megan left Phoenix at 2:15 PM on June 14, 2019, driving a 2007 Hyundai Sonata with 161,000 miles.
- The car’s temperature gauge swung into the red at 4:47 PM and the outside temperature was 107°F.
- Megan started walking north with three water bottles, a 32-ounce Nalgene, the sippy cup, crackers, and a phone at 61% battery.
- She set the sippy cup upright at 9:45 PM at the edge of the wash before continuing into the desert with her four-year-old on her 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.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-kept-time-while-she-buried-herself-alive--73083928
Every second mattered: a stainless steel Timex kept ticking on top of a five-foot avalanche debris field while, beneath it, Karen Whitaker may have been alive - how could a thrown watch, a planted pole and two or three seconds rewrite what survival looks like? What did she do in those last instants that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the morning of May 9, 2011, on Cornice Ridge and the sequence of actions that followed the slab release; we describe what was found and why those three objects - a watch, a trekking pole and the shed beacon - force a new question about human response in avalanches.

Person: Karen Whitaker
Date: May 9, 2011
Location: Cornice Ridge trailhead / runout zone
Status: Found under approximately five feet of avalanche debris; watch found face-up, unscratched, functioning
Witness: Ralph Rice, age 17

- The avalanche slab ran approximately 1,200 feet across the aspect of the ridge.
- Karen had left her avalanche beacon on its charger at home the morning she hiked.
- The watch was thrown upward and outward between 15 and 20 feet before landing face-up.
- A trekking pole with an orange strap was driven tip-down into the snow about 60 feet from Karen’s final deposition.
- Ralph Rice discovered the ticking Timex at 6:40 AM during his delivery 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/73083928Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Kept Time While She Buried Herself Alive Every second mattered: a stainless steel Timex kept ticking on top of a five-foot avalanche debris field while, beneath it, Karen Whitaker may have been alive - how could a thrown watch, a...
Every second mattered: a stainless steel Timex kept ticking on top of a five-foot avalanche debris field while, beneath it, Karen Whitaker may have been alive - how could a thrown watch, a planted pole and two or three seconds rewrite what survival looks like? What did she do in those last instants that changed everything?

In this episode, we follow the morning of May 9, 2011, on Cornice Ridge and the sequence of actions that followed the slab release; we describe what was found and why those three objects - a watch, a trekking pole and the shed beacon - force a new question about human response in avalanches.

Person: Karen Whitaker
Date: May 9, 2011
Location: Cornice Ridge trailhead / runout zone
Status: Found under approximately five feet of avalanche debris; watch found face-up, unscratched, functioning
Witness: Ralph Rice, age 17

- The avalanche slab ran approximately 1,200 feet across the aspect of the ridge.
- Karen had left her avalanche beacon on its charger at home the morning she hiked.
- The watch was thrown upward and outward between 15 and 20 feet before landing face-up.
- A trekking pole with an orange strap was driven tip-down into the snow about 60 feet from Karen’s final deposition.
- Ralph Rice discovered the ticking Timex at 6:40 AM during his delivery 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.]]>1155falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-drew-a-dry-map-and-left-the-darkness-behind--73083927
Fear tightens when a dry, hand-drawn cave map appears inside a soaked neoprene glove at the edge of a locked reserve - the map was dry, the gate was locked, and the access road had been buried under six inches of wet snow for five days. Why would a sixty-two-year-old technical diver send that map out through the rock itself instead of leaving by the gate?

In this episode, we tell the story of James Erickson and the strange trail that led rescuers to Whetstone Caverns: a glove in a ditch, a sealed zip-lock with precise sump measurements, and three small cairns found beyond a locked gate. Can the rescue team read his map in time to follow the current he calculated years earlier?

Person: James Erickson
Date: April 19, 2009
Location: Whetstone Caverns Nature Reserve
Age: 62
Certification: National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section

- At 7:00 AM on April 19, 2009, a road grader blade snagged a neoprene diving glove in a drainage ditch outside Whetstone Caverns.
- The glove was seven millimeter neoprene, soaked through, with a rolled and sealed wrist cuff containing a zip-lock bag.
- Inside the zip-lock was an 8 by 10 inch white foam panel covered in black permanent marker with lines, numbers, arrows, compass bearings, and depth/sump measurements.
- The access road had been buried under six inches of wet snow for five days and the reserve gate was locked with an intact padlock and chain.
- Three deliberate cairns, each roughly eight inches high, were found on a limestone ledge beside the sump entry pool fifty yards past the locked gate.

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/73083927Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:29 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Drew a Dry Map and Left the Darkness Behind Fear tightens when a dry, hand-drawn cave map appears inside a soaked neoprene glove at the edge of a locked reserve - the map was dry, the gate was locked, and the access road had been buried under...
Fear tightens when a dry, hand-drawn cave map appears inside a soaked neoprene glove at the edge of a locked reserve - the map was dry, the gate was locked, and the access road had been buried under six inches of wet snow for five days. Why would a sixty-two-year-old technical diver send that map out through the rock itself instead of leaving by the gate?

In this episode, we tell the story of James Erickson and the strange trail that led rescuers to Whetstone Caverns: a glove in a ditch, a sealed zip-lock with precise sump measurements, and three small cairns found beyond a locked gate. Can the rescue team read his map in time to follow the current he calculated years earlier?

Person: James Erickson
Date: April 19, 2009
Location: Whetstone Caverns Nature Reserve
Age: 62
Certification: National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section

- At 7:00 AM on April 19, 2009, a road grader blade snagged a neoprene diving glove in a drainage ditch outside Whetstone Caverns.
- The glove was seven millimeter neoprene, soaked through, with a rolled and sealed wrist cuff containing a zip-lock bag.
- Inside the zip-lock was an 8 by 10 inch white foam panel covered in black permanent marker with lines, numbers, arrows, compass bearings, and depth/sump measurements.
- The access road had been buried under six inches of wet snow for five days and the reserve gate was locked with an intact padlock and chain.
- Three deliberate cairns, each roughly eight inches high, were found on a limestone ledge beside the sump entry pool fifty yards past the locked gate.

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/she-survived-26-days-alone-why-her-trap-was-intentional--73083926
Cold, isolated, and still alive after 26 days in a truck that should have killed her twice over - Linda Vickers engineered improvised survival in temperatures that ice over fast. She left an orange flagging on the roll bar not by accident but as a deliberate trap; why would a boundary verification technician set a signal to lure instead of warn?

In this episode, we follow the exact timeline from Linda leaving for Drover Creek to the discovery at mile 7.5, detailing the decisions, calculations, and one critical mistake that defined her ordeal. How did training, habit, and a single intentional signal help her survive, and what did that mistake cost her?

Person: Linda Anne Vickers
Date: February 24 (departure) - found after 26 days
Location: Drover Creek corridor, mile 7.5
Occupation: Forest inspection technician (boundary verification)
Relative: Brenda Vickers (sister)

- Linda entered the corridor with a full tank and a job on February 24 and remained alive inside the truck for 26 days.
- Searchers walked the corridor on day 15 and logged it clear, having turned around at mile 4 while Linda was at mile 7.5.
- The orange flagging tape tied to her truck roll bar was intentionally placed as a trap, not mistakenly backwards.
- Linda’s routine included a pre-shift run; her running shoes were found unmoved outside her apartment on the evening of February 25.
- The engine quit on day 4 after she had been running it in 30-minute intervals; she had calculated fuel based on a 21-gallon tank and assumed roughly half a gallon per hour idle.

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/73083926Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:26 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Survived 26 Days Alone - Why Her Trap Was Intentional Cold, isolated, and still alive after 26 days in a truck that should have killed her twice over - Linda Vickers engineered improvised survival in temperatures that ice over fast. She left an...
Cold, isolated, and still alive after 26 days in a truck that should have killed her twice over - Linda Vickers engineered improvised survival in temperatures that ice over fast. She left an orange flagging on the roll bar not by accident but as a deliberate trap; why would a boundary verification technician set a signal to lure instead of warn?

In this episode, we follow the exact timeline from Linda leaving for Drover Creek to the discovery at mile 7.5, detailing the decisions, calculations, and one critical mistake that defined her ordeal. How did training, habit, and a single intentional signal help her survive, and what did that mistake cost her?

Person: Linda Anne Vickers
Date: February 24 (departure) - found after 26 days
Location: Drover Creek corridor, mile 7.5
Occupation: Forest inspection technician (boundary verification)
Relative: Brenda Vickers (sister)

- Linda entered the corridor with a full tank and a job on February 24 and remained alive inside the truck for 26 days.
- Searchers walked the corridor on day 15 and logged it clear, having turned around at mile 4 while Linda was at mile 7.5.
- The orange flagging tape tied to her truck roll bar was intentionally placed as a trap, not mistakenly backwards.
- Linda’s routine included a pre-shift run; her running shoes were found unmoved outside her apartment on the evening of February 25.
- The engine quit on day 4 after she had been running it in 30-minute intervals; she had calculated fuel based on a 21-gallon tank and assumed roughly half a gallon per hour idle.

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/lost-at-sea-found-by-a-tide-chart-how-he-outsmarted-the-search--73083925
Cold, methodical survival beat chaotic luck: a tide chart tied to an orange fender washed ashore three hundred miles north of the chart’s intended waters, carrying a single handwritten instruction that would reroute a search. The only working man aboard a thirty-two-foot sloop had no radio, no mast, and a bruised rib-so how did one scrap of paper become his last, best signal to the world?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events from departure to discovery and learn how small, deliberate choices shaped a four-day solo survival against a misdirected search-could a chart and a note really overcome a twenty-two nautical mile error in the rescue geometry?

Person: Michael Stroud
Location: Crestfall, Oregon coast
Vessel: Patience, thirty-two-foot sloop
Date: February 5-7 (storm and search events)
Item found: orange fender with Northern California tide chart

- At 06:15 a tide chart tied to an orange fender washed ashore on the Crestfall breakwater seawall.
- The chart was issued for Northern California waters located 300 miles south of where it was found.
- Michael Stroud had been missing for four days when the chart was recovered.
- His EPIRB signal was logged as being 22 nautical miles southeast of his actual position.
- On February 7 a debris field appeared 40 miles southwest of Crescent City that included an orange fender matching Patience’s equipment.

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/73083925Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:22 +0000Creator at ObomediaLost at Sea, Found by a Tide Chart: How He Outsmarted the Search Cold, methodical survival beat chaotic luck: a tide chart tied to an orange fender washed ashore three hundred miles north of the chart’s intended waters, carrying a single...
Cold, methodical survival beat chaotic luck: a tide chart tied to an orange fender washed ashore three hundred miles north of the chart’s intended waters, carrying a single handwritten instruction that would reroute a search. The only working man aboard a thirty-two-foot sloop had no radio, no mast, and a bruised rib-so how did one scrap of paper become his last, best signal to the world?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events from departure to discovery and learn how small, deliberate choices shaped a four-day solo survival against a misdirected search-could a chart and a note really overcome a twenty-two nautical mile error in the rescue geometry?

Person: Michael Stroud
Location: Crestfall, Oregon coast
Vessel: Patience, thirty-two-foot sloop
Date: February 5-7 (storm and search events)
Item found: orange fender with Northern California tide chart

- At 06:15 a tide chart tied to an orange fender washed ashore on the Crestfall breakwater seawall.
- The chart was issued for Northern California waters located 300 miles south of where it was found.
- Michael Stroud had been missing for four days when the chart was recovered.
- His EPIRB signal was logged as being 22 nautical miles southeast of his actual position.
- On February 7 a debris field appeared 40 miles southwest of Crescent City that included an orange fender matching Patience’s equipment.

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.]]>1184falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-walked-out-110-hours-one-boot-a-wrong-trail--73083924
Cold, isolated danger: a single wrong turn at a tampered trail marker sent a 32-year-old hiker into a canyon where 110 hours of exposure, two fractured ribs, one missing boot, and near-freezing nights should have ended her life - so how did she survive? The wrong marker, a snapped post, and a boot placed upright on hardpan point to choices that still won’t add up until you hear what happened next.

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of events from Lori Fleming signing the Tejano trailhead register at 10:16 AM on January 8 to the morning she was found, exploring the decisions she made, the missing gear, and the trail conditions that led her away from the Mesa Verde Loop - how did a calibration technician’s habits and one broken marker determine her fate?

Person: Lori Fleming
Age: 32
Date: January 8 (signed at 10:16 AM) to January 13 (boot found at 8:41 AM)
Location: Tejano trailhead / Tejano Canyon drainage / Crestfall Estates (14 Ocotillo Drive)
Injury: two fractured ribs and a badly sprained right ankle

- Lori signed the trail register at 10:16 AM on January 8 and planned to return by 3:00 PM.
- She left her personal locator beacon locked inside her car, about ten feet from the trailhead.
- Mile three trail markers had two posts snapped off and the remaining post rotated about 90 degrees by a boot print.
- Lori fell a six-foot drop onto broken rock within an hour of starting and cracked two ribs.
- A single upright, new hiking boot with a red clay smear was found on the caliche hardpan at 8:41 AM on January 13 at 14 Ocotillo Drive.

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/73083924Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Walked Out: 110 Hours, One Boot, A Wrong Trail Cold, isolated danger: a single wrong turn at a tampered trail marker sent a 32-year-old hiker into a canyon where 110 hours of exposure, two fractured ribs, one missing boot, and near-freezing...
Cold, isolated danger: a single wrong turn at a tampered trail marker sent a 32-year-old hiker into a canyon where 110 hours of exposure, two fractured ribs, one missing boot, and near-freezing nights should have ended her life - so how did she survive? The wrong marker, a snapped post, and a boot placed upright on hardpan point to choices that still won’t add up until you hear what happened next.

In this episode, we walk through the timeline of events from Lori Fleming signing the Tejano trailhead register at 10:16 AM on January 8 to the morning she was found, exploring the decisions she made, the missing gear, and the trail conditions that led her away from the Mesa Verde Loop - how did a calibration technician’s habits and one broken marker determine her fate?

Person: Lori Fleming
Age: 32
Date: January 8 (signed at 10:16 AM) to January 13 (boot found at 8:41 AM)
Location: Tejano trailhead / Tejano Canyon drainage / Crestfall Estates (14 Ocotillo Drive)
Injury: two fractured ribs and a badly sprained right ankle

- Lori signed the trail register at 10:16 AM on January 8 and planned to return by 3:00 PM.
- She left her personal locator beacon locked inside her car, about ten feet from the trailhead.
- Mile three trail markers had two posts snapped off and the remaining post rotated about 90 degrees by a boot print.
- Lori fell a six-foot drop onto broken rock within an hour of starting and cracked two ribs.
- A single upright, new hiking boot with a red clay smear was found on the caliche hardpan at 8:41 AM on January 13 at 14 Ocotillo Drive.

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© 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.]]>1044falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-fell-south-while-all-evidence-pointed-north-34-minutes--73083923
Cold clarity: she waited thirty-four minutes in nineteen-degree air with a broken arm while the searchers followed a trail that led the other way. The race transponder stopped four minutes after she left mile 60, footprints tracked north, and yet Tracy Wright ended up south of the rim - how did the evidence point one direction while she fell the other?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events on the Braden Plateau the night Tracy Wright went missing during the Rimstone Hundred, laying out the movements, the physical evidence, and the gaps that left rescuers looking the wrong way. What mismatch between tracker data, footprints, and place left Tracy waiting alone in the cold?

Person: Tracy Wright
Date: December 1, 2019
Event: Rimstone Hundred ultramarathon leg after mile 60
Location: El Notch / Braden Plateau, northeast Oregon
Status: Alive and conscious at scene with broken arm for 34 minutes

- Time of leaving mile 60 checkpoint: 11:53 PM
- GPS transponder last transmission: four minutes later at 11:57 PM, then dark on the race board
- Checkpoint confirmation time logged by volunteer Paul Greer: 11:49 PM entry, 11:53 PM departure
- Search initiated by county coordinator Michael Rogers: 1:15 AM
- Time Marcus Beal photographed footprints and broken pole at El Notch: 2:12 AM

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© 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/73083923Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:17 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Fell South While All Evidence Pointed North - 34 Minutes Cold clarity: she waited thirty-four minutes in nineteen-degree air with a broken arm while the searchers followed a trail that led the other way. The race transponder stopped four...
Cold clarity: she waited thirty-four minutes in nineteen-degree air with a broken arm while the searchers followed a trail that led the other way. The race transponder stopped four minutes after she left mile 60, footprints tracked north, and yet Tracy Wright ended up south of the rim - how did the evidence point one direction while she fell the other?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events on the Braden Plateau the night Tracy Wright went missing during the Rimstone Hundred, laying out the movements, the physical evidence, and the gaps that left rescuers looking the wrong way. What mismatch between tracker data, footprints, and place left Tracy waiting alone in the cold?

Person: Tracy Wright
Date: December 1, 2019
Event: Rimstone Hundred ultramarathon leg after mile 60
Location: El Notch / Braden Plateau, northeast Oregon
Status: Alive and conscious at scene with broken arm for 34 minutes

- Time of leaving mile 60 checkpoint: 11:53 PM
- GPS transponder last transmission: four minutes later at 11:57 PM, then dark on the race board
- Checkpoint confirmation time logged by volunteer Paul Greer: 11:49 PM entry, 11:53 PM departure
- Search initiated by county coordinator Michael Rogers: 1:15 AM
- Time Marcus Beal photographed footprints and broken pole at El Notch: 2:12 AM

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© 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.]]>1072falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-behind-at-7-300ft-how-todd-barnes-walked-out-alive--73083922
Cold, alone, and eleven miles from the nearest road, a ceramic mug and a still-warm fire ring told rescuers someone had been alive there less than two hours earlier - but no radio, no beacon, and no record that Todd was supposed to stay. How did a 44-year-old backcountry cook survive seven days at 7,300 ft in a snowstorm with a broken hand, and why did the official file reduce him to “elected to remain”?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the exact gear list that Todd Barnes used to survive while left at Carver Basin, and we reconstruct the decisions and omissions that shaped what happened; what really mattered to keeping him alive, and what the incident report left out?

Person: Todd Barnes
Date: November 4-19, 2011
Location: Carver Basin, Northern Cascades (base camp ~7,300 ft)
Status: Survived; walked out after seven days alone
Organization: Meridian Fieldwork

- Todd was 44 years old and worked as a backcountry expedition cook based in Grants Pass, Oregon.
- He carried 14 days of food, a four-season tent, a -20°F sleeping bag, a camp stove with four fuel canisters, a first-aid kit, a fixed-blade knife, and a hand-drawn topographic map.
- On November 12 the satellite communicator assigned to him was missing from its equipment case; the case was empty in his tent that night.
- A search volunteer found a ceramic camp mug beside a cold fire ring at 8:43 AM on November 19; the ambient temperature was 22°F and the coffee inside had not yet frozen when discovered.
- Meridian Fieldwork’s operations coordinator, Brenda Calloway, later described Todd as having “elected to remain” in a three-paragraph incident report with no attachments or documented weather or communication checks.

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© 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/73083922Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:15 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft Behind at 7,300ft: How Todd Barnes Walked Out Alive Cold, alone, and eleven miles from the nearest road, a ceramic mug and a still-warm fire ring told rescuers someone had been alive there less than two hours earlier - but no radio, no beacon,...
Cold, alone, and eleven miles from the nearest road, a ceramic mug and a still-warm fire ring told rescuers someone had been alive there less than two hours earlier - but no radio, no beacon, and no record that Todd was supposed to stay. How did a 44-year-old backcountry cook survive seven days at 7,300 ft in a snowstorm with a broken hand, and why did the official file reduce him to “elected to remain”?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the exact gear list that Todd Barnes used to survive while left at Carver Basin, and we reconstruct the decisions and omissions that shaped what happened; what really mattered to keeping him alive, and what the incident report left out?

Person: Todd Barnes
Date: November 4-19, 2011
Location: Carver Basin, Northern Cascades (base camp ~7,300 ft)
Status: Survived; walked out after seven days alone
Organization: Meridian Fieldwork

- Todd was 44 years old and worked as a backcountry expedition cook based in Grants Pass, Oregon.
- He carried 14 days of food, a four-season tent, a -20°F sleeping bag, a camp stove with four fuel canisters, a first-aid kit, a fixed-blade knife, and a hand-drawn topographic map.
- On November 12 the satellite communicator assigned to him was missing from its equipment case; the case was empty in his tent that night.
- A search volunteer found a ceramic camp mug beside a cold fire ring at 8:43 AM on November 19; the ambient temperature was 22°F and the coffee inside had not yet frozen when discovered.
- Meridian Fieldwork’s operations coordinator, Brenda Calloway, later described Todd as having “elected to remain” in a three-paragraph incident report with no attachments or documented weather or communication checks.

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.]]>1222falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hours-in-a-slot-how-she-wrote-her-own-rescue-on-stone--73083920
A single red-and-gray climbing rope dangles twenty feet down into the Canejo River and rows of five-notch marks are chiseled into the orange sandstone - desperate, careful, and placed where no trail or ledge exists; who made those marks and did they survive the rising flood? The discovery at 6:17 a.m. set a search into motion and raised the question that drives this episode: how does someone write their own rescue on the face of a canyon wall?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Marilyn Berry’s routine trip and her eleven-year angler acquaintance Donna Stein’s morning find, through the search decisions and the flood behavior that produced a twenty-foot-high refuge; what choices did Marilyn make in the minutes the canyon filled, and could the marks and rope be the answer?

Person: Marilyn Berry
Date: Saturday, October 11 (call to mother at 11:15 p.m. that night)
Location: Pitcher Neck, Canejo River, southeastern Utah
Status: Overdue reported Monday morning
Event: Flash flood during overnight storm that tracked through basin

- Donna Stein found the rope and marks Tuesday at 6:17 a.m, after fishing that stretch for eleven years.
- Rescue coordinator Carl Hall arrived by 9:00 a.m. and observed the rope and marks for thirty seconds before speaking.
- The canyon walls at Pitcher Neck are eighteen feet apart and vertical sandstone.
- Marilyn was twenty-nine years old, five feet four, and worked as a hydrological technician.
- She hammered a tungsten-carbide anchor and climbed to about twenty feet above the rising water during the flood.

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© 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/73083920Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:12 +0000Creator at ObomediaHours in a Slot: How She Wrote Her Own Rescue on Stone A single red-and-gray climbing rope dangles twenty feet down into the Canejo River and rows of five-notch marks are chiseled into the orange sandstone - desperate, careful, and placed where no...
A single red-and-gray climbing rope dangles twenty feet down into the Canejo River and rows of five-notch marks are chiseled into the orange sandstone - desperate, careful, and placed where no trail or ledge exists; who made those marks and did they survive the rising flood? The discovery at 6:17 a.m. set a search into motion and raised the question that drives this episode: how does someone write their own rescue on the face of a canyon wall?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Marilyn Berry’s routine trip and her eleven-year angler acquaintance Donna Stein’s morning find, through the search decisions and the flood behavior that produced a twenty-foot-high refuge; what choices did Marilyn make in the minutes the canyon filled, and could the marks and rope be the answer?

Person: Marilyn Berry
Date: Saturday, October 11 (call to mother at 11:15 p.m. that night)
Location: Pitcher Neck, Canejo River, southeastern Utah
Status: Overdue reported Monday morning
Event: Flash flood during overnight storm that tracked through basin

- Donna Stein found the rope and marks Tuesday at 6:17 a.m, after fishing that stretch for eleven years.
- Rescue coordinator Carl Hall arrived by 9:00 a.m. and observed the rope and marks for thirty seconds before speaking.
- The canyon walls at Pitcher Neck are eighteen feet apart and vertical sandstone.
- Marilyn was twenty-nine years old, five feet four, and worked as a hydrological technician.
- She hammered a tungsten-carbide anchor and climbed to about twenty feet above the rising water during the flood.

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.]]>1248falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/locked-grove-sealed-chart-how-a-swimmer-reappeared-four-kilometers-inland--73083918
Danger arrived as a sealed waterproof chart case sat upright in red clay four kilometers from the nearest beach inside a locked grove with no footprints - how did a nautical chart turn up one kilometer past an unforced gate, dry and intact? The case contained handwritten waypoints, current vectors and a United States emergency phone number, but the man who carried it had already made landfall alone; what sequence of failures and precise decisions turned a planned crossing into a field puzzle?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a swimmer’s disciplined preparations through a mid-crossing mechanical failure and a search that was misdirected by 400 meters. The episode covers the swim plan, the boat failure that triggered the rescue, and the oddities at the discovery site that left investigators struggling to explain how a chart ended up in a locked grove.

Person: Neil Cole
Date: September 15 (morning of the crossing)
Location: Strait of Gibraltar; chart found four kilometers inland in a locked grove
Event: Both engines on the support boat stopped simultaneously at 08:56
Distance: Four hundred meters difference between logged boat coordinates and swimmer’s actual position

- Age: Neil Cole was 55 the spring before his trip and lived in Bozeman, Montana
- Crossing distance: Strait of Gibraltar narrowest point roughly 14 kilometers
- Current speed: Two-and-a-half-knot westward flow through the strait
- Swim entry time: Cole entered the water at 06:42; engines failed and distress call at 08:56
- Found items: sealed waterproof chart case containing a laminated nautical chart with pencil current vectors and a United States emergency phone number

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© 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/73083918Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaLocked Grove, Sealed Chart: How a Swimmer Reappeared Four Kilometers Inland Danger arrived as a sealed waterproof chart case sat upright in red clay four kilometers from the nearest beach inside a locked grove with no footprints - how did a...
Danger arrived as a sealed waterproof chart case sat upright in red clay four kilometers from the nearest beach inside a locked grove with no footprints - how did a nautical chart turn up one kilometer past an unforced gate, dry and intact? The case contained handwritten waypoints, current vectors and a United States emergency phone number, but the man who carried it had already made landfall alone; what sequence of failures and precise decisions turned a planned crossing into a field puzzle?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a swimmer’s disciplined preparations through a mid-crossing mechanical failure and a search that was misdirected by 400 meters. The episode covers the swim plan, the boat failure that triggered the rescue, and the oddities at the discovery site that left investigators struggling to explain how a chart ended up in a locked grove.

Person: Neil Cole
Date: September 15 (morning of the crossing)
Location: Strait of Gibraltar; chart found four kilometers inland in a locked grove
Event: Both engines on the support boat stopped simultaneously at 08:56
Distance: Four hundred meters difference between logged boat coordinates and swimmer’s actual position

- Age: Neil Cole was 55 the spring before his trip and lived in Bozeman, Montana
- Crossing distance: Strait of Gibraltar narrowest point roughly 14 kilometers
- Current speed: Two-and-a-half-knot westward flow through the strait
- Swim entry time: Cole entered the water at 06:42; engines failed and distress call at 08:56
- Found items: sealed waterproof chart case containing a laminated nautical chart with pencil current vectors and a United States emergency phone number

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.]]>1200falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/locked-gate-no-exit-how-nancy-walked-out-alive-after-five-days--73083915
Adrenaline and methodical calm collide: a padlocked gate at 6,200 feet, an upright carbon-fiber road bike with size seven cycling shoes clipped in, and no rider - yet five days later Nancy Wallace walked out of the Kessler Range alive. How did a trained, meticulous cyclist survive nearly six days beyond a closed road with empty water bottles, one-quarter of an energy gel, and no marked trail?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Nancy's routine preparations and Saturday visits to her grandmother through the denied access email, the decision to lift her bike over a locked gate at dawn, and the descent into Bitter Hollow that became a dead-end. What small decisions compounded into a survival that surprised searchers and left only the bike and shoes as the first visible clues?

Person: Nancy Wallace
Age: 23
Location: Kessler Range, Forest Service Road Seven-Bravo
Date: August 14-19, 2016
Event: Bicycle found at locked gate after five days

- Gate padlocked and locked for 23 days at 6,200 feet where the bicycle was found
- Bicycle discovered upright with tires inflated and two size seven cycling shoes clipped into pedals on August 19 at 7:14 a.m.
- Nancy left one-quarter of an energy gel and had finished one of two water bottles before lifting her bike over the gate
- Forest Service Road Seven-Bravo climbs 14 miles to a summit at 7,800 feet and then drops into Bitter Hollow, which dead-ends about 8 miles below the pass
- County emailed Nancy a denial to access the closed road on August 13; she arrived at the gate at 5:50 a.m. on August 14

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/73083915Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:06 +0000Creator at ObomediaLocked Gate, No Exit: How Nancy Walked Out Alive After Five Days Adrenaline and methodical calm collide: a padlocked gate at 6,200 feet, an upright carbon-fiber road bike with size seven cycling shoes clipped in, and no rider - yet five days later...
Adrenaline and methodical calm collide: a padlocked gate at 6,200 feet, an upright carbon-fiber road bike with size seven cycling shoes clipped in, and no rider - yet five days later Nancy Wallace walked out of the Kessler Range alive. How did a trained, meticulous cyclist survive nearly six days beyond a closed road with empty water bottles, one-quarter of an energy gel, and no marked trail?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Nancy's routine preparations and Saturday visits to her grandmother through the denied access email, the decision to lift her bike over a locked gate at dawn, and the descent into Bitter Hollow that became a dead-end. What small decisions compounded into a survival that surprised searchers and left only the bike and shoes as the first visible clues?

Person: Nancy Wallace
Age: 23
Location: Kessler Range, Forest Service Road Seven-Bravo
Date: August 14-19, 2016
Event: Bicycle found at locked gate after five days

- Gate padlocked and locked for 23 days at 6,200 feet where the bicycle was found
- Bicycle discovered upright with tires inflated and two size seven cycling shoes clipped into pedals on August 19 at 7:14 a.m.
- Nancy left one-quarter of an energy gel and had finished one of two water bottles before lifting her bike over the gate
- Forest Service Road Seven-Bravo climbs 14 miles to a summit at 7,800 feet and then drops into Bitter Hollow, which dead-ends about 8 miles below the pass
- County emailed Nancy a denial to access the closed road on August 13; she arrived at the gate at 5:50 a.m. on August 14

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/she-tied-a-foil-blanket-to-her-wrist-and-survived-54-minutes--73083914
Cold and alone on a sinking snowmobile, she pressed her hands to the warm exhaust manifold and held on for 54 minutes while the machine disappeared into 41°F water - and she tied an emergency thermal blanket to her wrist to keep it from sinking with the Polaris; how did that single choice turn a likely death into survival?

In this episode, we follow the minutes and decisions that shaped one woman's survival after a snowmobile broke through the ice of Hallett Lake, and we trace why she chose to head east instead of the more obvious west - could the memory of a childhood rescue explain her direction?

Person: Jean Cox
Date: July 14 (machine sank at approximately 12:45 PM)
Location: Hallett Lake, Garnet Hills, Montana
Event: Snowmobile broke through ice; Polaris sank
Status: Found alive five days later on the east ridge at 7:10 PM

- Jean Cox was 38 years old and ran Pelham Basin Ranch alone on roughly 1,200 acres at about 6,200 feet elevation.
- The snowmobile was a used early-1990s Polaris bought at auction and owned by Jean after her father's death.
- The water temperature when the snowmobile sank was 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Jean held her gloved hands on the exhaust manifold for 54 minutes while the snowmobile sank.
- She tied a thermal emergency blanket to her left wrist with parachute cord and crawled 30 feet across ice to reach the north 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/73083914Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Tied a Foil Blanket to Her Wrist and Survived 54 Minutes Cold and alone on a sinking snowmobile, she pressed her hands to the warm exhaust manifold and held on for 54 minutes while the machine disappeared into 41°F water - and she tied an...
Cold and alone on a sinking snowmobile, she pressed her hands to the warm exhaust manifold and held on for 54 minutes while the machine disappeared into 41°F water - and she tied an emergency thermal blanket to her wrist to keep it from sinking with the Polaris; how did that single choice turn a likely death into survival?

In this episode, we follow the minutes and decisions that shaped one woman's survival after a snowmobile broke through the ice of Hallett Lake, and we trace why she chose to head east instead of the more obvious west - could the memory of a childhood rescue explain her direction?

Person: Jean Cox
Date: July 14 (machine sank at approximately 12:45 PM)
Location: Hallett Lake, Garnet Hills, Montana
Event: Snowmobile broke through ice; Polaris sank
Status: Found alive five days later on the east ridge at 7:10 PM

- Jean Cox was 38 years old and ran Pelham Basin Ranch alone on roughly 1,200 acres at about 6,200 feet elevation.
- The snowmobile was a used early-1990s Polaris bought at auction and owned by Jean after her father's death.
- The water temperature when the snowmobile sank was 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Jean held her gloved hands on the exhaust manifold for 54 minutes while the snowmobile sank.
- She tied a thermal emergency blanket to her left wrist with parachute cord and crawled 30 feet across ice to reach the north 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.]]>1114falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-a-photographer-vanished-into-fog-and-nearly-drowned--73083913
Fog so thick visibility fell to thirty feet swallowed a 62-year-old photographer who knew Pelham Flat for eleven years - and her camera kept recording for almost an hour with no one behind it. A tripod stood thirty yards out in the mud pointing at a puddle while the tide was coming back in; how did a lifetime of local knowledge lead her straight into a three-foot-deep, suction-filled channel?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events on the morning of June 9, 2019, from the last timestamped frame to the discovery by a fourteen-year-old paper carrier, and the rescue that followed. What error in judgment or hidden hazard turned a routine dawn shoot into a life-or-death struggle?

Person: Patricia Snyder
Date: June 9, 2019
Location: Pelham Flat
Age: 62
Duration camera ran empty: almost 1 hour

- Camera last showed her shadow at 5:13 AM and then recorded 47 frames of an empty puddle.
- She had walked Pelham Flat for 11 years and moved to Harwick in 2008 after 30 years teaching art.
- The flat stretches three quarters of a mile from the boardwalk to the low-water line.
- Visibility in the fog dropped to about 30 feet and the bank of fog rose to chest height by 5:15 AM.
- The Millrace Cut channel is three feet deep and eight feet across, filled with mud like wet concrete.

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/73083913Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:07:00 +0000Creator at ObomediaHow a Photographer Vanished into Fog and Nearly Drowned Fog so thick visibility fell to thirty feet swallowed a 62-year-old photographer who knew Pelham Flat for eleven years - and her camera kept recording for almost an hour with no one behind it....
Fog so thick visibility fell to thirty feet swallowed a 62-year-old photographer who knew Pelham Flat for eleven years - and her camera kept recording for almost an hour with no one behind it. A tripod stood thirty yards out in the mud pointing at a puddle while the tide was coming back in; how did a lifetime of local knowledge lead her straight into a three-foot-deep, suction-filled channel?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of events on the morning of June 9, 2019, from the last timestamped frame to the discovery by a fourteen-year-old paper carrier, and the rescue that followed. What error in judgment or hidden hazard turned a routine dawn shoot into a life-or-death struggle?

Person: Patricia Snyder
Date: June 9, 2019
Location: Pelham Flat
Age: 62
Duration camera ran empty: almost 1 hour

- Camera last showed her shadow at 5:13 AM and then recorded 47 frames of an empty puddle.
- She had walked Pelham Flat for 11 years and moved to Harwick in 2008 after 30 years teaching art.
- The flat stretches three quarters of a mile from the boardwalk to the low-water line.
- Visibility in the fog dropped to about 30 feet and the bank of fog rose to chest height by 5:15 AM.
- The Millrace Cut channel is three feet deep and eight feet across, filled with mud like wet concrete.

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.]]>987falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/boot-in-the-snow-how-he-hobbled-four-miles-on-one-leg--73083912
Danger and grit meet in a single image: a size ten left boot, laces tied, standing upright in four feet of packed January snow with no body nearby - a deliberate message that led searchers to a man four miles away surviving on one leg. How did a 24‑year‑old surveyor endure nine days on a mountain after a two‑place ankle fracture and walk back toward civilization?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the boot was found to the decisions that kept Robert Casey alive. You'll hear what he carried, what he forgot, how he sheltered and rationed, and the single choice that turned a likely death into a rescue - could that choice have been made any other way?

Date: May 14, 2022
Person: Robert Casey
Location: Kellum Peak, Arrowhead Range
Population: 11,000
Injury: right ankle fracture (two places)

- At 6:10 AM on May 14, 2022, Sherry Tucker found a left boot standing upright in at least four feet of consolidated snow.
- Robert registered at the trailhead at 9:40 AM on May 5 with a pack containing a four‑season tent, sleeping bag rated to -10°F, stove, half‑full gas canister, first‑aid kit, 2 liters of water, and four days of food.
- He reached the summit of Kellum Peak (12,400 ft) on May 6 and at 2:57 PM his right boot sank on a 40° couloir, fracturing his ankle in two places 2,000 ft above base camp.
- That first night he dug a snow cave by hand using a probe and spent two hours excavating; exterior temperature was 11°F and interior held at 28°F.
- He set his phone alarm to wake every two hours to stave off hypothermia and conserved supplies intended for a four‑day trip while remaining immobile on May 6-8.

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/73083912Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:58 +0000Creator at ObomediaBoot in the Snow: How He Hobbled Four Miles On One Leg Danger and grit meet in a single image: a size ten left boot, laces tied, standing upright in four feet of packed January snow with no body nearby - a deliberate message that led searchers to a...
Danger and grit meet in a single image: a size ten left boot, laces tied, standing upright in four feet of packed January snow with no body nearby - a deliberate message that led searchers to a man four miles away surviving on one leg. How did a 24‑year‑old surveyor endure nine days on a mountain after a two‑place ankle fracture and walk back toward civilization?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the boot was found to the decisions that kept Robert Casey alive. You'll hear what he carried, what he forgot, how he sheltered and rationed, and the single choice that turned a likely death into a rescue - could that choice have been made any other way?

Date: May 14, 2022
Person: Robert Casey
Location: Kellum Peak, Arrowhead Range
Population: 11,000
Injury: right ankle fracture (two places)

- At 6:10 AM on May 14, 2022, Sherry Tucker found a left boot standing upright in at least four feet of consolidated snow.
- Robert registered at the trailhead at 9:40 AM on May 5 with a pack containing a four‑season tent, sleeping bag rated to -10°F, stove, half‑full gas canister, first‑aid kit, 2 liters of water, and four days of food.
- He reached the summit of Kellum Peak (12,400 ft) on May 6 and at 2:57 PM his right boot sank on a 40° couloir, fracturing his ankle in two places 2,000 ft above base camp.
- That first night he dug a snow cave by hand using a probe and spent two hours excavating; exterior temperature was 11°F and interior held at 28°F.
- He set his phone alarm to wake every two hours to stave off hypothermia and conserved supplies intended for a four‑day trip while remaining immobile on May 6-8.

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.]]>1125falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/eleven-days-one-map-how-donna-survived-the-pelham-river--73083910
Hypothermia, bark for food, three fires and a laminated map found dry against a utility pole - Donna Simmons survived eleven days after capsizing in 38-degree water on the Pelham River. How did a prepared, methodical 48-year-old physical therapist end up nine pounds lighter with a frostbitten toe and a map she couldn't remember placing - and what did searchers miss?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Donna's float plan through the unexpected cold front, the capsize, and the days she spent alone trying to signal searchers, asking what turned a controlled wilderness trip into a fight for survival.

Person: Donna Simmons
Date: April 18-April 29, 2011
Location: Pelham River, Minnesota; put-in Garnett Road bridge; take-out Hollis Landing
Age: 48
Condition at rescue: Alive; nine pounds lighter; one frostbitten toe

- She filed a float plan on April 18 with estimated return April 22 and camped at the put-in that night.
- The river temperature after the capsize was 38 degrees Fahrenheit, giving about ten minutes of meaningful muscle control.
- A cold front arrived six hours ahead of forecast, dropping temperature to 26 degrees Fahrenheit by midnight.
- She made fire three separate times to signal aircraft she could hear but could not reach.
- The laminated map was found dry leaning against a utility pole roughly 400 meters from the water's edge with "D. SIMMONS" and a phone number 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/73083910Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:55 +0000Creator at ObomediaEleven Days, One Map: How Donna Survived the Pelham River Hypothermia, bark for food, three fires and a laminated map found dry against a utility pole - Donna Simmons survived eleven days after capsizing in 38-degree water on the Pelham River. How...
Hypothermia, bark for food, three fires and a laminated map found dry against a utility pole - Donna Simmons survived eleven days after capsizing in 38-degree water on the Pelham River. How did a prepared, methodical 48-year-old physical therapist end up nine pounds lighter with a frostbitten toe and a map she couldn't remember placing - and what did searchers miss?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Donna's float plan through the unexpected cold front, the capsize, and the days she spent alone trying to signal searchers, asking what turned a controlled wilderness trip into a fight for survival.

Person: Donna Simmons
Date: April 18-April 29, 2011
Location: Pelham River, Minnesota; put-in Garnett Road bridge; take-out Hollis Landing
Age: 48
Condition at rescue: Alive; nine pounds lighter; one frostbitten toe

- She filed a float plan on April 18 with estimated return April 22 and camped at the put-in that night.
- The river temperature after the capsize was 38 degrees Fahrenheit, giving about ten minutes of meaningful muscle control.
- A cold front arrived six hours ahead of forecast, dropping temperature to 26 degrees Fahrenheit by midnight.
- She made fire three separate times to signal aircraft she could hear but could not reach.
- The laminated map was found dry leaning against a utility pole roughly 400 meters from the water's edge with "D. SIMMONS" and a phone number 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.]]>1306falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-in-nine-hundred-tons-how-peggy-survived-51-hours--73083909
A calm dome light burned for hours while nine hundred and twenty tons of corn pressed like concrete above someone nobody knew was missing - for fifty-one hours a single receipt and a glove cuff proved she had been there. How did a methodical, trained maintenance worker survive alone twelve feet underground when the grain moved in forty seconds and no one came to her checks?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened the night Peggy Boyd signed in for a solo overnight maintenance shift and then vanished beneath Silo B, exploring the conditions she faced and the unanswered decisions that left her unseen. What choices, protocols, and small items - like a receipt in a glove cuff - became the only trail back to her?

Person: Peggy Boyd
Date: March 4, 2019
Location: Silo B, Halverson Cooperative, south-central Kansas
Weight of grain: approximately 920 tons
Duration: 51 hours

- Peggy signed in at the guard shack at 21:47 for a solo overnight maintenance shift.
- The silo held approximately 920 tons of corn the night she was buried.
- The corn shifted and swallowed her in roughly 40 seconds, leaving her buried to her shoulders twelve feet underground.
- Chris Weld, the overnight guard, saw Peggy’s truck dome light lit for hours but did not walk outside or call 911.
- Peggy kept a veterinary receipt tucked inside the cuff of her left work glove for Depot, her diabetic cat, which stayed dry and legible after 51 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/73083909Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:52 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive in Nine Hundred Tons: How Peggy Survived 51 Hours A calm dome light burned for hours while nine hundred and twenty tons of corn pressed like concrete above someone nobody knew was missing - for fifty-one hours a single receipt and a...
A calm dome light burned for hours while nine hundred and twenty tons of corn pressed like concrete above someone nobody knew was missing - for fifty-one hours a single receipt and a glove cuff proved she had been there. How did a methodical, trained maintenance worker survive alone twelve feet underground when the grain moved in forty seconds and no one came to her checks?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened the night Peggy Boyd signed in for a solo overnight maintenance shift and then vanished beneath Silo B, exploring the conditions she faced and the unanswered decisions that left her unseen. What choices, protocols, and small items - like a receipt in a glove cuff - became the only trail back to her?

Person: Peggy Boyd
Date: March 4, 2019
Location: Silo B, Halverson Cooperative, south-central Kansas
Weight of grain: approximately 920 tons
Duration: 51 hours

- Peggy signed in at the guard shack at 21:47 for a solo overnight maintenance shift.
- The silo held approximately 920 tons of corn the night she was buried.
- The corn shifted and swallowed her in roughly 40 seconds, leaving her buried to her shoulders twelve feet underground.
- Chris Weld, the overnight guard, saw Peggy’s truck dome light lit for hours but did not walk outside or call 911.
- Peggy kept a veterinary receipt tucked inside the cuff of her left work glove for Depot, her diabetic cat, which stayed dry and legible after 51 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.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wrote-help-ten-days-alone-on-a-mountain-ledge--73083908
Cold, isolated, and barely within earshot of civilization: a laminated map with the single word "Help" turns up eleven miles from the nearest trailhead, and the woman who wrote it has already survived nine days on a narrow rock shelf with broken ribs. How did a P-4 paraglider, a perfect planner, end up stranded on a 212-by-74-foot ledge with no signal and no obvious route down?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the January 25 launch through the search efforts that began when her Wednesday morning call never came. The story covers the landing at Upper Crow Step, the failed locator beacon, and the search patterns that chased the wind - but why did the map surface eleven miles away and what happened during those nine days alone?

Person: Connie Schmidt
Date: January 25, 2022
Location: Upper Crow Step, Drayback Range
Status: Alive on the ledge for nine days before map discovery
Event: Map with "Help" found behind gas meter panel in Tulliver

- Connie launched at approximately 2:00 PM on January 25 and was swept northwest by a rotor wave.
- The ledge measured 212 feet long and 74 feet wide with drops between 60 and 300 feet on three sides.
- Connie turned fifty-two in autumn 2021 and had been paragliding for eleven years with a P-4 certification.
- She called her daughter Meg every Wednesday at 5:45 AM for roughly two hundred consecutive weeks and missed the call on January 26.
- Phil Desanto called search and rescue at 4:17 PM on January 26 after finding Connie’s truck with keys inside.

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/73083908Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:49 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wrote "Help" - Ten Days Alone on a Mountain Ledge Cold, isolated, and barely within earshot of civilization: a laminated map with the single word "Help" turns up eleven miles from the nearest trailhead, and the woman who wrote it has already...
Cold, isolated, and barely within earshot of civilization: a laminated map with the single word "Help" turns up eleven miles from the nearest trailhead, and the woman who wrote it has already survived nine days on a narrow rock shelf with broken ribs. How did a P-4 paraglider, a perfect planner, end up stranded on a 212-by-74-foot ledge with no signal and no obvious route down?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the January 25 launch through the search efforts that began when her Wednesday morning call never came. The story covers the landing at Upper Crow Step, the failed locator beacon, and the search patterns that chased the wind - but why did the map surface eleven miles away and what happened during those nine days alone?

Person: Connie Schmidt
Date: January 25, 2022
Location: Upper Crow Step, Drayback Range
Status: Alive on the ledge for nine days before map discovery
Event: Map with "Help" found behind gas meter panel in Tulliver

- Connie launched at approximately 2:00 PM on January 25 and was swept northwest by a rotor wave.
- The ledge measured 212 feet long and 74 feet wide with drops between 60 and 300 feet on three sides.
- Connie turned fifty-two in autumn 2021 and had been paragliding for eleven years with a P-4 certification.
- She called her daughter Meg every Wednesday at 5:45 AM for roughly two hundred consecutive weeks and missed the call on January 26.
- Phil Desanto called search and rescue at 4:17 PM on January 26 after finding Connie’s truck with keys inside.

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.]]>1096falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-felt-the-rope-go-slack-surviving-4-minutes-20-seconds--73083907
Fear and focus collide in four minutes and twenty seconds: a forty-meter rope was found floating in Crestwater Channel on the morning of January 14, 2019, one end cut clean at the surface while the other remained anchored - and a diver was missing below. How did Julie Murphy survive from forty-one meters in fifty-two-degree water after the line went slack, and what would investigators learn from that single clean slice?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the precise details of Julie Murphy’s training, equipment, and actions as she made a controlled ascent. The episode covers the conditions, the cut line, the kayak drift, and the four minutes and twenty seconds of breath-hold that decided everything - how did the rope become slack and what did that cut reveal?

Person: Julie Murphy
Age: 44
Date: January 14, 2019
Location: Crestwater Channel
Water temperature: 52 degrees Fahrenheit

- The rope was forty meters long and found floating in Crestwater Channel on the morning of January 14, 2019.
- One end of the rope was attached to a concrete anchor block on the bottom; the other end had a single smooth cut at the surface.
- Julie Murphy was at forty-one meters depth when she felt the descent line go slack at approximately 6:03 a.m.
- Slack water window on that date ran roughly 5:45 to 6:20 a.m., and Julie launched from Tanner Road boat ramp about 160 meters upstream from the warehouse dock.
- A calm, controlled ascent from forty-one meters took roughly four minutes and twenty seconds, which Julie timed by counting fin kicks.

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/73083907Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:46 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Felt the Rope Go Slack - Surviving 4 Minutes 20 Seconds Fear and focus collide in four minutes and twenty seconds: a forty-meter rope was found floating in Crestwater Channel on the morning of January 14, 2019, one end cut clean at the surface...
Fear and focus collide in four minutes and twenty seconds: a forty-meter rope was found floating in Crestwater Channel on the morning of January 14, 2019, one end cut clean at the surface while the other remained anchored - and a diver was missing below. How did Julie Murphy survive from forty-one meters in fifty-two-degree water after the line went slack, and what would investigators learn from that single clean slice?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of that morning and the precise details of Julie Murphy’s training, equipment, and actions as she made a controlled ascent. The episode covers the conditions, the cut line, the kayak drift, and the four minutes and twenty seconds of breath-hold that decided everything - how did the rope become slack and what did that cut reveal?

Person: Julie Murphy
Age: 44
Date: January 14, 2019
Location: Crestwater Channel
Water temperature: 52 degrees Fahrenheit

- The rope was forty meters long and found floating in Crestwater Channel on the morning of January 14, 2019.
- One end of the rope was attached to a concrete anchor block on the bottom; the other end had a single smooth cut at the surface.
- Julie Murphy was at forty-one meters depth when she felt the descent line go slack at approximately 6:03 a.m.
- Slack water window on that date ran roughly 5:45 to 6:20 a.m., and Julie launched from Tanner Road boat ramp about 160 meters upstream from the warehouse dock.
- A calm, controlled ascent from forty-one meters took roughly four minutes and twenty seconds, which Julie timed by counting fin kicks.

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.]]>913falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/whistle-on-a-spruce-root-how-she-walked-out-of-31-c-alive--73083906
Cold, precise survival: a 28-year-old cartography technician survived seven nights in Sable County backcountry at -31°C, kept a fire burning every forty minutes, and was found with a sheriff's whistle tied to a spruce root that had been inventoried seven days earlier - how did that whistle travel from a supply room to her neck? What unseen link guided her toward the search teams who were looking on the wrong ridge?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Christine Young's Tuesday routines and her December 7 log entry to the search operation and the moment she broke through the false deck at Spruce Root; we describe the equipment she had, the decisions she made, and the unresolved detail about the missing whistle that may explain how she was guided to safety.

Person: Christine Young
Age: 28
Date: December 7-14, 2019
Location: Spruce Root drainage, Sable County
Event: Missing and found after seven nights in -31°C

- Christine signed the trailhead log at 2:17 p.m. on December 7 and then took the West Fork variant toward Spruce Root.
- She broke through the false deck at 3:51 p.m., entered water at -29°C, and had four minutes to act.
- She stripped wet layers, used a stove sparker and knapped quartz to start a fire she tended every 40 minutes through the night.
- She carried one dry ski boot, one waterlogged boot, one ski, one pole, a wet bivy sack, a damp but readable topo map, a headlamp, and an empty lighter.
- A sheriff's whistle tagged December 7, 2019, and inventoried in a sheriff's supply room that evening was later found hanging on a braided spruce root at her neck when paramedics reached her.

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/73083906Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaWhistle on a Spruce Root: How She Walked Out of -31°C Alive Cold, precise survival: a 28-year-old cartography technician survived seven nights in Sable County backcountry at -31°C, kept a fire burning every forty minutes, and was found with a...
Cold, precise survival: a 28-year-old cartography technician survived seven nights in Sable County backcountry at -31°C, kept a fire burning every forty minutes, and was found with a sheriff's whistle tied to a spruce root that had been inventoried seven days earlier - how did that whistle travel from a supply room to her neck? What unseen link guided her toward the search teams who were looking on the wrong ridge?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Christine Young's Tuesday routines and her December 7 log entry to the search operation and the moment she broke through the false deck at Spruce Root; we describe the equipment she had, the decisions she made, and the unresolved detail about the missing whistle that may explain how she was guided to safety.

Person: Christine Young
Age: 28
Date: December 7-14, 2019
Location: Spruce Root drainage, Sable County
Event: Missing and found after seven nights in -31°C

- Christine signed the trailhead log at 2:17 p.m. on December 7 and then took the West Fork variant toward Spruce Root.
- She broke through the false deck at 3:51 p.m., entered water at -29°C, and had four minutes to act.
- She stripped wet layers, used a stove sparker and knapped quartz to start a fire she tended every 40 minutes through the night.
- She carried one dry ski boot, one waterlogged boot, one ski, one pole, a wet bivy sack, a damp but readable topo map, a headlamp, and an empty lighter.
- A sheriff's whistle tagged December 7, 2019, and inventoried in a sheriff's supply room that evening was later found hanging on a braided spruce root at her neck when paramedics reached her.

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.]]>1147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/left-the-case-at-the-gauge-post-nine-days-on-duskwater-river--73083904
Fear of the unknown: a missing fire lookout, a zip-tied orange case left four feet above the Duskwater River, and sixty-one pages of handwritten notes whose last entry came eleven days earlier - what did she mean by "left the case at the gauge post"? How far downstream could she have gone with dwindling water and a burning ridge above her?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events recorded in the logbook and radio checks, tracing the timeline from the damaged water tank to the final terse entry that changed everything. You will hear how resource decisions, firefighting logistics, and one woman's calculations intersected with survival on a ridge - and why that seven-word note mattered.

Person: Christine Hansen
Person: Christine Schmidt
Person: Sherry Campbell
Date: November 14, 2019
Location: Duskwater River

- The orange case was zip-tied exactly four feet above the waterline on a branch above the Duskwater River.
- The case contained sixty-one pages of handwritten notes with the last entry dated eleven days before November 14, 2019.
- Christine Schmidt turned fifty-five in August 2019 and had worked twenty-two years as a fire lookout.
- Schmidt's water tank held roughly forty gallons under normal conditions and, under rationing, provided about twelve days when she told Paul Weston she had twelve days of water and food.
- Schmidt's final logbook entry on the morning of November 3, 2019 read: "left the case at the gauge post. Heading downstream."

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/73083904Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:41 +0000Creator at ObomediaLeft the Case at the Gauge Post: Nine Days on Duskwater River Fear of the unknown: a missing fire lookout, a zip-tied orange case left four feet above the Duskwater River, and sixty-one pages of handwritten notes whose last entry came eleven days...
Fear of the unknown: a missing fire lookout, a zip-tied orange case left four feet above the Duskwater River, and sixty-one pages of handwritten notes whose last entry came eleven days earlier - what did she mean by "left the case at the gauge post"? How far downstream could she have gone with dwindling water and a burning ridge above her?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events recorded in the logbook and radio checks, tracing the timeline from the damaged water tank to the final terse entry that changed everything. You will hear how resource decisions, firefighting logistics, and one woman's calculations intersected with survival on a ridge - and why that seven-word note mattered.

Person: Christine Hansen
Person: Christine Schmidt
Person: Sherry Campbell
Date: November 14, 2019
Location: Duskwater River

- The orange case was zip-tied exactly four feet above the waterline on a branch above the Duskwater River.
- The case contained sixty-one pages of handwritten notes with the last entry dated eleven days before November 14, 2019.
- Christine Schmidt turned fifty-five in August 2019 and had worked twenty-two years as a fire lookout.
- Schmidt's water tank held roughly forty gallons under normal conditions and, under rationing, provided about twelve days when she told Paul Weston she had twelve days of water and food.
- Schmidt's final logbook entry on the morning of November 3, 2019 read: "left the case at the gauge post. Heading downstream."

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/two-thousand-eighteen-checking-survey-markers-for-a-timber-rights-dispute--73083903
The paddle was bone dry beside a forty-one-degree glacial creek after nights below freezing - a detail that flipped a rescuer's search and hinted at a narrow, deliberate survival. One woman spent twelve crucial minutes fighting numbness, a credit-card-sized Fresnel lens, and a forty-minute window of clear sky; how did those small choices add up to staying alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened on June 12-14, 2018 on Sable Creek and how one dry paddle led a surveyor to the first clue. We trace the decisions - a drysuit, a life jacket pocket, a Fresnel lens - that together created a chance of survival and ask which of those moments mattered most.

Person: Jessica Murphy
Date: June 12-14, 2018
Location: Sable Creek, Copper River watershed
Water temperature: 41 degrees Fahrenheit
Air temperature: 29 degrees Fahrenheit (morning of June 12)

- Marie Nelson found a Werner carbon-fiber kayak paddle laid flat on a lichen-covered boulder with tacky grip tape and no moisture.
- Jessica Murphy was in the water for approximately four minutes after capsizing at the Dog Leg.
- Jessica carried a Fresnel lens the size of a credit card in her life jacket pocket for three years after a wilderness medicine course.
- Jessica received her father's four-year-old Kokatat drysuit and folded it into her gear bag before the trip.
- The clear-sky window Jessica used opened at roughly 1:00 PM and lasted about forty minutes.

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© 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/73083903Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:39 +0000Creator at Obomediatwo thousand eighteen, checking survey markers for a timber rights dispute The paddle was bone dry beside a forty-one-degree glacial creek after nights below freezing - a detail that flipped a rescuer's search and hinted at a narrow, deliberate...
The paddle was bone dry beside a forty-one-degree glacial creek after nights below freezing - a detail that flipped a rescuer's search and hinted at a narrow, deliberate survival. One woman spent twelve crucial minutes fighting numbness, a credit-card-sized Fresnel lens, and a forty-minute window of clear sky; how did those small choices add up to staying alive?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of what happened on June 12-14, 2018 on Sable Creek and how one dry paddle led a surveyor to the first clue. We trace the decisions - a drysuit, a life jacket pocket, a Fresnel lens - that together created a chance of survival and ask which of those moments mattered most.

Person: Jessica Murphy
Date: June 12-14, 2018
Location: Sable Creek, Copper River watershed
Water temperature: 41 degrees Fahrenheit
Air temperature: 29 degrees Fahrenheit (morning of June 12)

- Marie Nelson found a Werner carbon-fiber kayak paddle laid flat on a lichen-covered boulder with tacky grip tape and no moisture.
- Jessica Murphy was in the water for approximately four minutes after capsizing at the Dog Leg.
- Jessica carried a Fresnel lens the size of a credit card in her life jacket pocket for three years after a wilderness medicine course.
- Jessica received her father's four-year-old Kokatat drysuit and folded it into her gear bag before the trip.
- The clear-sky window Jessica used opened at roughly 1:00 PM and lasted about forty 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.]]>1191falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-runner-who-reasoned-his-way-back-from-nine-desert-nights--73083901
Fear and focus meet: a race bib nailed to a ponderosa pine forty-one miles from the nearest paved road was the only clue that stopped a search team from assuming the worst - and one man survived nine nights in the Nevada high desert with no food, no shelter, no communication. How did a 39-year-old field technician, carrying only a folding knife and a failing phone, turn precise reasoning into survival?

In this episode, we tell the episode's account of what happened from race start to rescue and outline the decisions, tools, and logic the runner used to navigate nine days alone in scrubland. What choices did he make when his timing chip disappeared and his phone died?

Person: Mark Brooks
Date: August 28, 2014 (race), September 5, 2014 (bib found)
Location: Nevada high desert, north of Elko
Event: High Basin Marathon
Status: Missing transponder at mile 18.6; found bib on September 5

- 412 runners registered for the High Basin Marathon the year Mark ran.
- Mark's target Boston qualifying time was 3:05; his personal best was 3:11.
- Mark turned northeast onto a fork at approximately mile 18.5; his transponder signal disappeared at mile 18.6.
- Mark turned 39 in July 2014 and worked as a field technician for an electrical utility out of Elko.
- Mark always carried a folding knife and kept a spiral notebook logging split times by hand.

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/73083901Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:36 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Runner Who Reasoned His Way Back from Nine Desert Nights Fear and focus meet: a race bib nailed to a ponderosa pine forty-one miles from the nearest paved road was the only clue that stopped a search team from assuming the worst - and one man...
Fear and focus meet: a race bib nailed to a ponderosa pine forty-one miles from the nearest paved road was the only clue that stopped a search team from assuming the worst - and one man survived nine nights in the Nevada high desert with no food, no shelter, no communication. How did a 39-year-old field technician, carrying only a folding knife and a failing phone, turn precise reasoning into survival?

In this episode, we tell the episode's account of what happened from race start to rescue and outline the decisions, tools, and logic the runner used to navigate nine days alone in scrubland. What choices did he make when his timing chip disappeared and his phone died?

Person: Mark Brooks
Date: August 28, 2014 (race), September 5, 2014 (bib found)
Location: Nevada high desert, north of Elko
Event: High Basin Marathon
Status: Missing transponder at mile 18.6; found bib on September 5

- 412 runners registered for the High Basin Marathon the year Mark ran.
- Mark's target Boston qualifying time was 3:05; his personal best was 3:11.
- Mark turned northeast onto a fork at approximately mile 18.5; his transponder signal disappeared at mile 18.6.
- Mark turned 39 in July 2014 and worked as a field technician for an electrical utility out of Elko.
- Mark always carried a folding knife and kept a spiral notebook logging split times by hand.

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.]]>1166falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-left-her-poles-54-hours-alone-on-cutter-s-rim--73083900
Alone on a six-hundred-foot technical face with a fractured ankle, a torn forearm and no emergency beacon, Vicki Webb spent 54 hours alive in one of the steepest, most unforgiving places near Salida - and she left her trekking poles intentionally under a granite shelf. How did a retired dental hygienist, age 63, convert limited daylight and severe injury into a survival plan that searchers later decoded from a shoe, fleece and rock scratches?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Vicki signing the trail register at 6:15 a.m. to the moment Todd Marsh found her gear at 7:44 a.m. the next day, tracing each deliberate choice she made on the north face variant and asking how those decisions guided rescuers' search priority and changed local logging practice.

Person: Vicki Webb
Age: 63
Location: Cutter's Rim, north face variant
Date: August 10-12, 2019
Observer: Todd Marsh

- Two trekking poles were found collapsed, bound with torn fleece and wedged under a granite shelf at 7:44 a.m, on Sunday, August 12, 2019.
- Vicki signed the trail register at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2019, and planned the north face variant with summit via the northwest shoulder.
- The fall occurred at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, when a hold about the size of a hardback book detached, causing an eight-foot fall.
- Injuries included a non-displaced lateral malleolus fracture of the left ankle, a hip injury, and a lacerated forearm; she had eight hours of daylight remaining after the fall.
- Vicki carried no satellite communicator or emergency beacon and used borrowed trekking poles lent by neighbor Tom Ferris.

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/73083900Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:33 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Left Her Poles: 54 Hours Alone on Cutter's Rim Alone on a six-hundred-foot technical face with a fractured ankle, a torn forearm and no emergency beacon, Vicki Webb spent 54 hours alive in one of the steepest, most unforgiving places near...
Alone on a six-hundred-foot technical face with a fractured ankle, a torn forearm and no emergency beacon, Vicki Webb spent 54 hours alive in one of the steepest, most unforgiving places near Salida - and she left her trekking poles intentionally under a granite shelf. How did a retired dental hygienist, age 63, convert limited daylight and severe injury into a survival plan that searchers later decoded from a shoe, fleece and rock scratches?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Vicki signing the trail register at 6:15 a.m. to the moment Todd Marsh found her gear at 7:44 a.m. the next day, tracing each deliberate choice she made on the north face variant and asking how those decisions guided rescuers' search priority and changed local logging practice.

Person: Vicki Webb
Age: 63
Location: Cutter's Rim, north face variant
Date: August 10-12, 2019
Observer: Todd Marsh

- Two trekking poles were found collapsed, bound with torn fleece and wedged under a granite shelf at 7:44 a.m, on Sunday, August 12, 2019.
- Vicki signed the trail register at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2019, and planned the north face variant with summit via the northwest shoulder.
- The fall occurred at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, when a hold about the size of a hardback book detached, causing an eight-foot fall.
- Injuries included a non-displaced lateral malleolus fracture of the left ankle, a hip injury, and a lacerated forearm; she had eight hours of daylight remaining after the fall.
- Vicki carried no satellite communicator or emergency beacon and used borrowed trekking poles lent by neighbor Tom Ferris.

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/she-said-two-words-alone-hypothermic-carver-island-saved-them--73083897
Cold, isolated, and with only a dying radio, a 26-year-old woman named Gina Holt spoke two words that would become the thin line between life and death: Carver Island. The EPIRB put searchers four miles west-southwest of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four, but the Delia Mae and its crew were actually eleven miles northeast - so how did a radio washed from a sinking cabin end up in a mailbox and change everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning departure to a six-day search in the wrong quadrant and the single transmission that mattered. Hear how a portable VHF, a life raft with three people, and a misfiled report created a rescue puzzle that only one moment could solve.

Person: Gina Holt
Date: July 2-9, 2011
Location: Gravel Flat / eleven miles northeast of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four
Event: Delia Mae sinking and six-day search
Item: Portable VHF marine radio with call sign on black athletic tape

- At 4:40 a.m. on July 3, 2011, Gina boarded the Delia Mae with Curtis Breck and Tom Farley.
- The Delia Mae’s EPIRB signaled at 2:17 p.m., placing a transmission approximately four miles west-southwest of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four.
- Divers located the Delia Mae hull on July 7 at sixty feet of water on the Gravel Flat, eleven miles northeast of the EPIRB position.
- Gina used approximately two minutes and fifty seconds of radio battery to reach the Meridian Sun and said the words "Carver Island" before the signal cut.
- On July 9 at 5:40 a.m., a fourteen-year-old found a salt-crusted dry-bag with the portable VHF and the call sign written on black athletic tape in a mailbox on Calloway Street.

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/73083897Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:30 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Said Two Words - Alone, Hypothermic, Carver Island Saved Them Cold, isolated, and with only a dying radio, a 26-year-old woman named Gina Holt spoke two words that would become the thin line between life and death: Carver Island. The EPIRB put...
Cold, isolated, and with only a dying radio, a 26-year-old woman named Gina Holt spoke two words that would become the thin line between life and death: Carver Island. The EPIRB put searchers four miles west-southwest of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four, but the Delia Mae and its crew were actually eleven miles northeast - so how did a radio washed from a sinking cabin end up in a mailbox and change everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning departure to a six-day search in the wrong quadrant and the single transmission that mattered. Hear how a portable VHF, a life raft with three people, and a misfiled report created a rescue puzzle that only one moment could solve.

Person: Gina Holt
Date: July 2-9, 2011
Location: Gravel Flat / eleven miles northeast of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four
Event: Delia Mae sinking and six-day search
Item: Portable VHF marine radio with call sign on black athletic tape

- At 4:40 a.m. on July 3, 2011, Gina boarded the Delia Mae with Curtis Breck and Tom Farley.
- The Delia Mae’s EPIRB signaled at 2:17 p.m., placing a transmission approximately four miles west-southwest of Pelican Shoals Buoy Four.
- Divers located the Delia Mae hull on July 7 at sixty feet of water on the Gravel Flat, eleven miles northeast of the EPIRB position.
- Gina used approximately two minutes and fifty seconds of radio battery to reach the Meridian Sun and said the words "Carver Island" before the signal cut.
- On July 9 at 5:40 a.m., a fourteen-year-old found a salt-crusted dry-bag with the portable VHF and the call sign written on black athletic tape in a mailbox on Calloway Street.

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.]]>1156falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sneaker-on-the-caliche-mother-child-wrong-mile-marker--73083894
A single child's pink canvas sneaker, size four or five, was found upright and deliberately placed on the white caliche stripe of Bolivar Flat Road at 6:40 AM on June 9, 2017-while a tan Jeep Cherokee sat empty about thirty yards off the road with its driver's door open. How did a licensed physical therapist and her six-year-old end up stranded with four ounces of water in 107-degree desert heat, and why did the map they trusted lead rescuers to the wrong spot?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Ruth Hansen’s turn onto Bolivar Flat Road to the first emergency call logged as “past mile marker nine,” and the consequences of a renumbered road that shifted search teams four miles away. We trace Ruth’s methodical notes in a 1998 atlas, her water calculations for six-year-old Mia, and the moments that turned an ordinary shortcut into a life-or-death navigation failure.

Person: Ruth Hansen
Person: Mia (age 6)
Date: June 9, 2017
Location: Bolivar Flat Road, Nevada
Event: Road mile markers renumbered after 2014 regrading

- At 6:40 AM a pink canvas sneaker sat upright on the white caliche stripe of Bolivar Flat Road.
- The tan Jeep Cherokee was found tilted about thirty yards off the road with the driver’s door open and empty.
- Temperature reached 107 degrees by 8:00 AM on the day of the incident.
- Ruth gave Mia four ounces of water at 3:45 PM, leaving roughly twenty ounces total from two 16-ounce bottles.
- The first emergency call at 2:51 PM was logged as “past mile marker nine,” though current signage showed marker fourteen, causing searches to focus on the wrong four-mile stretch.

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/73083894Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:27 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Sneaker on the Caliche: Mother, Child, Wrong Mile Marker A single child's pink canvas sneaker, size four or five, was found upright and deliberately placed on the white caliche stripe of Bolivar Flat Road at 6:40 AM on June 9, 2017-while a tan...
A single child's pink canvas sneaker, size four or five, was found upright and deliberately placed on the white caliche stripe of Bolivar Flat Road at 6:40 AM on June 9, 2017-while a tan Jeep Cherokee sat empty about thirty yards off the road with its driver's door open. How did a licensed physical therapist and her six-year-old end up stranded with four ounces of water in 107-degree desert heat, and why did the map they trusted lead rescuers to the wrong spot?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Ruth Hansen’s turn onto Bolivar Flat Road to the first emergency call logged as “past mile marker nine,” and the consequences of a renumbered road that shifted search teams four miles away. We trace Ruth’s methodical notes in a 1998 atlas, her water calculations for six-year-old Mia, and the moments that turned an ordinary shortcut into a life-or-death navigation failure.

Person: Ruth Hansen
Person: Mia (age 6)
Date: June 9, 2017
Location: Bolivar Flat Road, Nevada
Event: Road mile markers renumbered after 2014 regrading

- At 6:40 AM a pink canvas sneaker sat upright on the white caliche stripe of Bolivar Flat Road.
- The tan Jeep Cherokee was found tilted about thirty yards off the road with the driver’s door open and empty.
- Temperature reached 107 degrees by 8:00 AM on the day of the incident.
- Ruth gave Mia four ounces of water at 3:45 PM, leaving roughly twenty ounces total from two 16-ounce bottles.
- The first emergency call at 2:51 PM was logged as “past mile marker nine,” though current signage showed marker fourteen, causing searches to focus on the wrong four-mile stretch.

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.]]>1260falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-alive-54-hours-how-one-notebook-choice-saved-her-life--73083893
She survived fifty-four hours under roughly eighteen inches of compacted snow after being carried 450 vertical feet by an avalanche - and a single notebook entry at a trailhead redirected the true search only after 36 hours gone wrong. How did a four-word note and a ticking Seiko watch change everything, and why did teams spend a day and a half looking in the wrong place?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sandra Dalton's last confirmed contacts through the search operations and the eventual discovery, outlining the decisions, equipment status, and data that determined where teams looked - and why those signals misled them at first. What does a guide’s routine notebook reveal that GPS history and probability envelopes did not?

Person: Sandra Dalton
Date: May 6-9, 2019
Location: Upper Calloway Basin, Idaho
Event: Avalanche burial and rescue after 54 hours
Status: Rescued alive

- Avalanche released at approximately 2:00 PM, May 6, 2019, carrying Sandra 450 vertical feet down the west couloir.
- Sandra was buried beneath about 18 inches of compacted snow and survived for 54 hours before discovery.
- A hiker noted Sandra’s dark green pickup at the trailhead at 6:45 PM on May 6 but did not report it.
- Sandra wrote in her notebook at 11:40 AM on May 6: "West couloir instead. Better line." - the only west route record.
- A lineman found Sandra’s unbuckled Seiko watch ticking on a transformer pad at 7:52 AM on May 9 and called 9-1-1 at 7:53 AM.

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/73083893Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:25 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Alive 54 Hours: How One Notebook Choice Saved Her Life She survived fifty-four hours under roughly eighteen inches of compacted snow after being carried 450 vertical feet by an avalanche - and a single notebook entry at a trailhead...
She survived fifty-four hours under roughly eighteen inches of compacted snow after being carried 450 vertical feet by an avalanche - and a single notebook entry at a trailhead redirected the true search only after 36 hours gone wrong. How did a four-word note and a ticking Seiko watch change everything, and why did teams spend a day and a half looking in the wrong place?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sandra Dalton's last confirmed contacts through the search operations and the eventual discovery, outlining the decisions, equipment status, and data that determined where teams looked - and why those signals misled them at first. What does a guide’s routine notebook reveal that GPS history and probability envelopes did not?

Person: Sandra Dalton
Date: May 6-9, 2019
Location: Upper Calloway Basin, Idaho
Event: Avalanche burial and rescue after 54 hours
Status: Rescued alive

- Avalanche released at approximately 2:00 PM, May 6, 2019, carrying Sandra 450 vertical feet down the west couloir.
- Sandra was buried beneath about 18 inches of compacted snow and survived for 54 hours before discovery.
- A hiker noted Sandra’s dark green pickup at the trailhead at 6:45 PM on May 6 but did not report it.
- Sandra wrote in her notebook at 11:40 AM on May 6: "West couloir instead. Better line." - the only west route record.
- A lineman found Sandra’s unbuckled Seiko watch ticking on a transformer pad at 7:52 AM on May 9 and called 9-1-1 at 7:53 AM.

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.]]>951falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/una-mujer-desaparecida-dejo-un-mapa-seco-en-una-cueva-que-nunca-fue-mojada--73083892
Fear tightens the chest: a dry, nine-page hand-drawn cave map sealed in plastic, weighted with limestone, sat beside a dive flag despite no rain for six days and a woman missing below. The central unresolved question: how did Christine Rice, an experienced cave diver with over 400 dives and deliberate gear, leave that map on the surface while the sink she entered remained unmapped and unforgiving?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events and concrete details surrounding Christine Rice’s disappearance from Cimarron Sink and the puzzling dry map left at the entry; what choices did she make during that April 2011 dive that led to the only strange explanations left to consider?

Person: Christine Rice
Date: April 4-9, 2011
Location: Cimarron Sink, karst depression forty miles northwest of San Marcos, Texas
Experience: more than 400 cave dives and four prior cave dive surveys
Permit: reconnaissance permit dated November 2010 authorizing 80 feet penetration and 40 minutes bottom time

- She entered Cimarron Sink on Monday, April 4, 2011, with twin tanks, a spare tank, three reels, and four lights (two of which failed before reaching the water).
- At approximately 180 feet of penetration her primary reel slipped into a crack and became irrecoverable.
- She found a breathable air pocket called the Back Gallery with a fourteen-inch gap between water surface and ceiling.
- The dry nine-page map with pencil notations, compass bearings and depth readings was sealed individually in plastic, weighted with roadside limestone, and placed at the sink beside a yellow dive flag.
- It had not rained in six days and no one had pulled Christine out of the water when Lloyd Andrews received her call on April 9, 2011 stating she was at the Kerr County Emergency Room.

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/73083892Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:22 +0000Creator at ObomediaUna mujer desaparecida dejó un mapa seco en una cueva que nunca fue mojada Fear tightens the chest: a dry, nine-page hand-drawn cave map sealed in plastic, weighted with limestone, sat beside a dive flag despite no rain for six days and a woman...
Fear tightens the chest: a dry, nine-page hand-drawn cave map sealed in plastic, weighted with limestone, sat beside a dive flag despite no rain for six days and a woman missing below. The central unresolved question: how did Christine Rice, an experienced cave diver with over 400 dives and deliberate gear, leave that map on the surface while the sink she entered remained unmapped and unforgiving?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events and concrete details surrounding Christine Rice’s disappearance from Cimarron Sink and the puzzling dry map left at the entry; what choices did she make during that April 2011 dive that led to the only strange explanations left to consider?

Person: Christine Rice
Date: April 4-9, 2011
Location: Cimarron Sink, karst depression forty miles northwest of San Marcos, Texas
Experience: more than 400 cave dives and four prior cave dive surveys
Permit: reconnaissance permit dated November 2010 authorizing 80 feet penetration and 40 minutes bottom time

- She entered Cimarron Sink on Monday, April 4, 2011, with twin tanks, a spare tank, three reels, and four lights (two of which failed before reaching the water).
- At approximately 180 feet of penetration her primary reel slipped into a crack and became irrecoverable.
- She found a breathable air pocket called the Back Gallery with a fourteen-inch gap between water surface and ceiling.
- The dry nine-page map with pencil notations, compass bearings and depth readings was sealed individually in plastic, weighted with roadside limestone, and placed at the sink beside a yellow dive flag.
- It had not rained in six days and no one had pulled Christine out of the water when Lloyd Andrews received her call on April 9, 2011 stating she was at the Kerr County Emergency Room.

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.]]>1012falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-missed-the-turn-survived-nine-days-in-a-buried-truck--73083890
Adrenaline tightens at the first sentence: a teacher missed a familiar turn, drove four miles past her destination, and sat nine days inside a buried truck with a frozen blanket taped to the rear window-alive. How did a routine morning run, a family argument, and a forgotten turn signal combine to hide her for more than a week?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the missed junction to the moment a meter reader found the truck, tracing the decisions and small objects that kept her alive and delayed her rescue. What single detail, remembered and withheld for five days, finally broke the case open?

Person: Cheryl Sheridan
Age: 44
Date: March 4 (missed turn) and March 14 (truck found); 9 days trapped
Location: Sperry Road logging spur, four miles past Wicker Creek junction
Responder: Deputy Paul Reeve, arrived at 10:15 AM

- Cheryl Sheridan had driven the Teller Basin meter route for 11 years and taught at Draper Falls Middle School for 16 years.
- She left on a hands-free call with her sister Donna and missed the Wicker Creek turn while arguing about their father's tools.
- Heavy wet snow fell for approximately 40 minutes, depositing about 6 inches that trapped the truck’s rear tires in a drainage ditch.
- Cheryl used an 18-inch orange corrugated dryer duct from a hardware bag and a gray wool blanket pressed frozen to the rear window to configure the truck’s ventilation.
- Amanda Olson saw the dark green pickup 60 yards down a logging track and called 911 at 9:42 AM; Deputy Reeve looked in at 10:15 AM and found Cheryl alive.

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/73083890Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Missed the Turn; Survived Nine Days in a Buried Truck Adrenaline tightens at the first sentence: a teacher missed a familiar turn, drove four miles past her destination, and sat nine days inside a buried truck with a frozen blanket taped to the...
Adrenaline tightens at the first sentence: a teacher missed a familiar turn, drove four miles past her destination, and sat nine days inside a buried truck with a frozen blanket taped to the rear window-alive. How did a routine morning run, a family argument, and a forgotten turn signal combine to hide her for more than a week?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the missed junction to the moment a meter reader found the truck, tracing the decisions and small objects that kept her alive and delayed her rescue. What single detail, remembered and withheld for five days, finally broke the case open?

Person: Cheryl Sheridan
Age: 44
Date: March 4 (missed turn) and March 14 (truck found); 9 days trapped
Location: Sperry Road logging spur, four miles past Wicker Creek junction
Responder: Deputy Paul Reeve, arrived at 10:15 AM

- Cheryl Sheridan had driven the Teller Basin meter route for 11 years and taught at Draper Falls Middle School for 16 years.
- She left on a hands-free call with her sister Donna and missed the Wicker Creek turn while arguing about their father's tools.
- Heavy wet snow fell for approximately 40 minutes, depositing about 6 inches that trapped the truck’s rear tires in a drainage ditch.
- Cheryl used an 18-inch orange corrugated dryer duct from a hardware bag and a gray wool blanket pressed frozen to the rear window to configure the truck’s ventilation.
- Amanda Olson saw the dark green pickup 60 yards down a logging track and called 911 at 9:42 AM; Deputy Reeve looked in at 10:15 AM and found Cheryl alive.

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.]]>1214falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-dripped-blood-on-a-flare-casing-found-after-13-days-adrift--73083889
Adrenaline and dread: a bright orange flare casing, zip-tied and stained with hydraulic fluid and dried blood, washed into Port of Long Beach - the only clue to a man who survived thirteen days alone at sea with no mast, no engine, and no working radio. How did one sign become the single thread that unraveled a drifting mystery?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from departure to discovery, detailing the equipment on board, the failed distress signals, and the moments that left a thirty-eight-foot sloop invisible to passing freighters - all leading to the question: how did Earl Vaughn stay alive long enough for someone to finally find the sign?

Person: Earl Vaughn
Date (departure): February 4, 2017
Date (port arrival of sign): February 19, 2017
Location (incident): ~20 miles west of Point Arguello
Crew: 1 (solo)

- The zip-tied sign arrived at Port of Long Beach on February 19, 2017, written in hydraulic fluid and dried blood.
- Vaughn departed Alameda on February 4 and stopped in Morro Bay on February 5 before continuing south.
- On February 6, about 20 miles west of Point Arguello, a wind shift caused the mast to break in two when a corroded port lower shroud parted.
- The EPIRB transmitted a nine-second signal at 11:40 that morning before the battery terminal cracked and the transmission stopped.
- The Waypoint was a thirty-eight-foot sloop with four parachute flares, two handheld orange smokes, a handheld VHF radio, a chartplotter, and a small storm staysail stowed in the forward locker.

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/73083889Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:16 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Dripped Blood on a Flare Casing - Found After 13 Days Adrift Adrenaline and dread: a bright orange flare casing, zip-tied and stained with hydraulic fluid and dried blood, washed into Port of Long Beach - the only clue to a man who survived...
Adrenaline and dread: a bright orange flare casing, zip-tied and stained with hydraulic fluid and dried blood, washed into Port of Long Beach - the only clue to a man who survived thirteen days alone at sea with no mast, no engine, and no working radio. How did one sign become the single thread that unraveled a drifting mystery?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from departure to discovery, detailing the equipment on board, the failed distress signals, and the moments that left a thirty-eight-foot sloop invisible to passing freighters - all leading to the question: how did Earl Vaughn stay alive long enough for someone to finally find the sign?

Person: Earl Vaughn
Date (departure): February 4, 2017
Date (port arrival of sign): February 19, 2017
Location (incident): ~20 miles west of Point Arguello
Crew: 1 (solo)

- The zip-tied sign arrived at Port of Long Beach on February 19, 2017, written in hydraulic fluid and dried blood.
- Vaughn departed Alameda on February 4 and stopped in Morro Bay on February 5 before continuing south.
- On February 6, about 20 miles west of Point Arguello, a wind shift caused the mast to break in two when a corroded port lower shroud parted.
- The EPIRB transmitted a nine-second signal at 11:40 that morning before the battery terminal cracked and the transmission stopped.
- The Waypoint was a thirty-eight-foot sloop with four parachute flares, two handheld orange smokes, a handheld VHF radio, a chartplotter, and a small storm staysail stowed in the forward locker.

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.]]>1237falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/held-a-full-bottle-starved-five-days-why-he-wouldn-t-drink--73083884
Cold, precise survival: a 54-year-old land surveyor with a lifetime of canyon knowledge walked into a wrong slot and spent five days dying beside an unopened liter of water - why wouldn't he drink the bottle he held? What methodical rule kept him from lifting the seal, even as dehydration claimed him?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Russell Brown's last hike, the choices he made after he lost the route, and the small, exact details that investigators tied to his methodical mind. How did a paper sketch, two 16-ounce bottles, and a decision to wait on a ledge become the difference between rescue and final silence?

Person: Russell Brown
Age: 54
Location: Copperview Loop trail, Moab, Utah
Date: January 14 (left truck), found January 19
Equipment: two 16-ounce water bottles, space blanket, granola bar, headlamp, phone

- He carried two 16-ounce water bottles and drank half of one before the error.
- He reached the Notch at 10:40 AM after roughly two hours of hiking.
- He spent 40 minutes in the wrong slot canyon before admitting the mistake and turning back.
- He had perhaps 90 minutes of usable light remaining when he confirmed his position and stopped moving.
- He was found on a sandstone ledge six feet below the trail, still holding a completely full sealed water bottle.

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/73083884Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:06:12 +0000Creator at ObomediaHeld a Full Bottle, Starved Five Days: Why He Wouldn't Drink Cold, precise survival: a 54-year-old land surveyor with a lifetime of canyon knowledge walked into a wrong slot and spent five days dying beside an unopened liter of water - why wouldn't...
Cold, precise survival: a 54-year-old land surveyor with a lifetime of canyon knowledge walked into a wrong slot and spent five days dying beside an unopened liter of water - why wouldn't he drink the bottle he held? What methodical rule kept him from lifting the seal, even as dehydration claimed him?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Russell Brown's last hike, the choices he made after he lost the route, and the small, exact details that investigators tied to his methodical mind. How did a paper sketch, two 16-ounce bottles, and a decision to wait on a ledge become the difference between rescue and final silence?

Person: Russell Brown
Age: 54
Location: Copperview Loop trail, Moab, Utah
Date: January 14 (left truck), found January 19
Equipment: two 16-ounce water bottles, space blanket, granola bar, headlamp, phone

- He carried two 16-ounce water bottles and drank half of one before the error.
- He reached the Notch at 10:40 AM after roughly two hours of hiking.
- He spent 40 minutes in the wrong slot canyon before admitting the mistake and turning back.
- He had perhaps 90 minutes of usable light remaining when he confirmed his position and stopped moving.
- He was found on a sandstone ledge six feet below the trail, still holding a completely full sealed water bottle.

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.]]>1147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-broke-her-arm-walked-forty-miles-how-she-survived--73083874
Cold, pain and exhaustion stacked against her for over twelve hours - yet she walked out on her own, wrapped in a silver space blanket with a splinted, broken right forearm. This episode follows the extraordinary facts of a twenty-two-year-old ultrarunner who left an aid station, fell through thin ice into 31-degree water, and then chose an eleven-mile descent that led to a locked gate; how did she still make it forty miles in all?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from the start of the Drayburn Hundred through the night she went missing, the immediate decisions she made after breaking both bones in her right forearm, and the search effort that failed to find her while she walked out - could calculation, endurance and a jury-rigged splint be enough to survive?

Person: Marcia Bennett
Date: December 8-9, 1998
Event: Drayburn Hundred ultramarathon
Location: Wicker Hollow / Dray Spine / County Road 7
Status: Found on shoulder of County Road 7 by rancher Don Pollard at 7:40 AM

- She had run approximately 62 miles by 8:30 PM when she fell through ice into 31-degree water and broke both bones of her right forearm.
- She improvised a splint by snapping a trekking pole and using a shirt sleeve tied with a trucker hitch; a surgeon later said the splint prevented secondary displacement.
- She chose a descent of roughly 11 miles to reach a logging road she believed would be faster and warmer, despite being soaked and in worsening cold.
- She reached a locked gate at approximately 2:00 AM after covering those 11 miles and went under the metal gate to continue south.
- Don Pollard spotted her moving on the shoulder of County Road 7 at 7:40 AM on December 9, 1998, wrapped in a silver space 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/73083874Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:57 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Broke Her Arm, Walked Forty Miles - How She Survived Cold, pain and exhaustion stacked against her for over twelve hours - yet she walked out on her own, wrapped in a silver space blanket with a splinted, broken right forearm. This episode...
Cold, pain and exhaustion stacked against her for over twelve hours - yet she walked out on her own, wrapped in a silver space blanket with a splinted, broken right forearm. This episode follows the extraordinary facts of a twenty-two-year-old ultrarunner who left an aid station, fell through thin ice into 31-degree water, and then chose an eleven-mile descent that led to a locked gate; how did she still make it forty miles in all?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events from the start of the Drayburn Hundred through the night she went missing, the immediate decisions she made after breaking both bones in her right forearm, and the search effort that failed to find her while she walked out - could calculation, endurance and a jury-rigged splint be enough to survive?

Person: Marcia Bennett
Date: December 8-9, 1998
Event: Drayburn Hundred ultramarathon
Location: Wicker Hollow / Dray Spine / County Road 7
Status: Found on shoulder of County Road 7 by rancher Don Pollard at 7:40 AM

- She had run approximately 62 miles by 8:30 PM when she fell through ice into 31-degree water and broke both bones of her right forearm.
- She improvised a splint by snapping a trekking pole and using a shirt sleeve tied with a trucker hitch; a surgeon later said the splint prevented secondary displacement.
- She chose a descent of roughly 11 miles to reach a logging road she believed would be faster and warmer, despite being soaked and in worsening cold.
- She reached a locked gate at approximately 2:00 AM after covering those 11 miles and went under the metal gate to continue south.
- Don Pollard spotted her moving on the shoulder of County Road 7 at 7:40 AM on December 9, 1998, wrapped in a silver space 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.]]>959falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wrong-smoke-wrong-mile-how-a-passed-helicopter-missed-him--73083873
The smell of woodsmoke-faint and wrong-led Jean Griffin to Roy Mueller, who had lain forty yards into the tree line for four days with a singed chef's apron and a barefoot wrapped in kitchen towel and zip ties; a rescue helicopter had already flown over and radioed a negative. What sequence of failures-from a collapsed culvert to a four-mile radio range-allowed a trained expedition cook and his dog to be missed by search efforts?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that left Roy Mueller stranded after the November eighth culvert collapse left the logging road impassable, and we trace how communications, equipment limits, and routine plans intersected with weather and terrain to create the unanswered question at the heart of the discovery: how did a helicopter pass without seeing him?

Person: Roy Mueller
Event: Road culvert collapse at mile three
Date: November 8, 2019
Location: Calloway Range base camp at 6,200 feet, seven miles by road from pavement
Animal: Pepper, a three-year-old shepherd mix

- Roy Mueller was found forty yards into the tree line on November 14, 2019, after having been there for four days.
- His radio had a range of roughly four miles while base camp was seven miles from pavement by road.
- The camp sat at 6,200 feet on a shelf above Wicker Run Creek, reached by seven miles of logging road.
- The culvert at mile three of the logging road collapsed around nine o’clock the night of November 8, 2019.
- Jean Griffin smelled woodsmoke at quarter past nine on the morning of November 14, 2019, and then found Mueller wearing a grease-stained, singed white chef's apron.

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/73083873Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:55 +0000Creator at ObomediaWrong Smoke, Wrong Mile: How a Passed Helicopter Missed Him The smell of woodsmoke-faint and wrong-led Jean Griffin to Roy Mueller, who had lain forty yards into the tree line for four days with a singed chef's apron and a barefoot wrapped in...
The smell of woodsmoke-faint and wrong-led Jean Griffin to Roy Mueller, who had lain forty yards into the tree line for four days with a singed chef's apron and a barefoot wrapped in kitchen towel and zip ties; a rescue helicopter had already flown over and radioed a negative. What sequence of failures-from a collapsed culvert to a four-mile radio range-allowed a trained expedition cook and his dog to be missed by search efforts?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that left Roy Mueller stranded after the November eighth culvert collapse left the logging road impassable, and we trace how communications, equipment limits, and routine plans intersected with weather and terrain to create the unanswered question at the heart of the discovery: how did a helicopter pass without seeing him?

Person: Roy Mueller
Event: Road culvert collapse at mile three
Date: November 8, 2019
Location: Calloway Range base camp at 6,200 feet, seven miles by road from pavement
Animal: Pepper, a three-year-old shepherd mix

- Roy Mueller was found forty yards into the tree line on November 14, 2019, after having been there for four days.
- His radio had a range of roughly four miles while base camp was seven miles from pavement by road.
- The camp sat at 6,200 feet on a shelf above Wicker Run Creek, reached by seven miles of logging road.
- The culvert at mile three of the logging road collapsed around nine o’clock the night of November 8, 2019.
- Jean Griffin smelled woodsmoke at quarter past nine on the morning of November 14, 2019, and then found Mueller wearing a grease-stained, singed white chef's apron.

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.]]>1114falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-on-the-dashboard-that-saved-a-canyoneer-s-life--73083872
A forgotten field watch counting up from zero on a Subaru dashboard became the single fact that redirected a search and likely saved a trapped canyoneer’s life - the watch read forty-one hours when found. How did a routine habit, two watches, a chisel and patient measurements turn into a survival strategy that outlived radio silence and broken phones?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed a solo trip into Redtail Wash: the routine habit that left a running watch on a dashboard, a canyoneer’s precise timing and measurements on a ledge, and the decision rule she set as water rose. How did those details - time, rate, threshold - combine to keep her alive?

Person: Paula Hill
Date: October 21-24, 2015
Location: Redtail Wash trailhead, Garfield County, Utah
Status: Trapped on a ledge, rescued after tracking water levels
Case: Solo canyoneering flash-flood entrapment

- The watch on the dashboard was counting upward and read forty-one hours when found.
- Paula carried two field watches and set a backup watch on the dashboard face-up before entering the canyon.
- The canyon walls rise roughly 200 feet and narrow the sky to a thin ribbon.
- Paula marked seven waterline measurements with a masonry chisel; water dropped roughly six inches overnight.
- She set a decision threshold of sixty hours total to choose between swimming the exit or attempting a technical climb.

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/73083872Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:52 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch on the Dashboard That Saved a Canyoneer's Life A forgotten field watch counting up from zero on a Subaru dashboard became the single fact that redirected a search and likely saved a trapped canyoneer’s life - the watch read forty-one...
A forgotten field watch counting up from zero on a Subaru dashboard became the single fact that redirected a search and likely saved a trapped canyoneer’s life - the watch read forty-one hours when found. How did a routine habit, two watches, a chisel and patient measurements turn into a survival strategy that outlived radio silence and broken phones?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that followed a solo trip into Redtail Wash: the routine habit that left a running watch on a dashboard, a canyoneer’s precise timing and measurements on a ledge, and the decision rule she set as water rose. How did those details - time, rate, threshold - combine to keep her alive?

Person: Paula Hill
Date: October 21-24, 2015
Location: Redtail Wash trailhead, Garfield County, Utah
Status: Trapped on a ledge, rescued after tracking water levels
Case: Solo canyoneering flash-flood entrapment

- The watch on the dashboard was counting upward and read forty-one hours when found.
- Paula carried two field watches and set a backup watch on the dashboard face-up before entering the canyon.
- The canyon walls rise roughly 200 feet and narrow the sky to a thin ribbon.
- Paula marked seven waterline measurements with a masonry chisel; water dropped roughly six inches overnight.
- She set a decision threshold of sixty hours total to choose between swimming the exit or attempting a technical climb.

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.]]>1095falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/found-on-a-buoy-at-dawn-how-she-survived-the-shipping-lane--73083871
The moment a birdwatcher saw a woman motionless on a navigation buoy three nautical miles offshore, she appeared to be an impossible survivor: ninety centimeters above the Strait of Gibraltar with no ladder, no rope, and no vessel nearby. How did a twenty-six-year-old who trained inland for two years end up poised on buoy AL-7 after swimming alone through a fog-blinded international shipping lane?

In this episode, you will hear a chronological account of the swim, the fog, the failed sightlines, and the search decisions that followed, tracing Melissa Sanders’s preparation, the Albatros escort, and the critical minutes after visibility collapsed. What sequence of currents, vessel maneuvers, and timing explains her disappearance from the water and reappearance on the buoy?

Person: Melissa Sanders
Date: September 14, 2011
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, buoy AL-7, three nautical miles offshore
Vessel: Albatros (escort), tanker MSC Palmira (traffic)
Event: Fog arrival reducing visibility to 40 meters at 05:59

- Melissa entered the water at 04:37 and completed the westbound shipping lane by 05:15.
- Visibility dropped to 40 meters within eight minutes after fog arrived at 05:49.
- The Albatros swung thirty meters north in a 90-second maneuver to avoid the tanker at 05:51.
- The buoy’s anchor chain descended 14 meters to the seafloor and the buoy sat 90 centimeters above the water.
- Melissa had trained for 2 years and 4 months and kept an open-water stroke rate of 42 strokes per minute.

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/73083871Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:49 +0000Creator at ObomediaFound on a Buoy at Dawn: How She Survived the Shipping Lane The moment a birdwatcher saw a woman motionless on a navigation buoy three nautical miles offshore, she appeared to be an impossible survivor: ninety centimeters above the Strait of...
The moment a birdwatcher saw a woman motionless on a navigation buoy three nautical miles offshore, she appeared to be an impossible survivor: ninety centimeters above the Strait of Gibraltar with no ladder, no rope, and no vessel nearby. How did a twenty-six-year-old who trained inland for two years end up poised on buoy AL-7 after swimming alone through a fog-blinded international shipping lane?

In this episode, you will hear a chronological account of the swim, the fog, the failed sightlines, and the search decisions that followed, tracing Melissa Sanders’s preparation, the Albatros escort, and the critical minutes after visibility collapsed. What sequence of currents, vessel maneuvers, and timing explains her disappearance from the water and reappearance on the buoy?

Person: Melissa Sanders
Date: September 14, 2011
Location: Strait of Gibraltar, buoy AL-7, three nautical miles offshore
Vessel: Albatros (escort), tanker MSC Palmira (traffic)
Event: Fog arrival reducing visibility to 40 meters at 05:59

- Melissa entered the water at 04:37 and completed the westbound shipping lane by 05:15.
- Visibility dropped to 40 meters within eight minutes after fog arrived at 05:49.
- The Albatros swung thirty meters north in a 90-second maneuver to avoid the tanker at 05:51.
- The buoy’s anchor chain descended 14 meters to the seafloor and the buoy sat 90 centimeters above the water.
- Melissa had trained for 2 years and 4 months and kept an open-water stroke rate of 42 strokes per minute.

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.]]>1034falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lost-garmin-wrong-drainage-6-days-alone-against-the-mountains--73083868
Fear of being alone and missed: a missing Garmin led search teams straight past a man who survived six days in high‑country storms and mud. The GPS was gone, the bike left against a tree, and nobody saw the empty handlebars that rerouted the rescue - how did a simple device change everything?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of choices, weather and map signals that shaped the search and the survival, and the single logistical error that split the search area when time mattered most: could a tiny missing tracker be the reason a man walked out alive instead of being found sooner?

Person: Chad Davis
Date: August 10-14, 2019
Location: Cimarron Valley / Escondido Pass / Mora Valley
Age: 48
Injury: swollen left ankle

- Chad began his ride at approximately 9:17 AM on August 10, 2019.
- The Forest Service closed Escondido Pass Road on August 1, 2019, three clicks deep on the federal website.
- Chad crossed the 9,400-foot summit and reached a collapsed road section about four miles past the summit at 8,200 feet.
- A storm delivered four inches of rain in ninety minutes on the morning of the incident.
- Chad carried a Garmin taken from his handlebars and left the bike leaned against a ponderosa pine roughly three miles from the closure barricade.

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/73083868Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:46 +0000Creator at ObomediaLost Garmin, Wrong Drainage: 6 Days Alone Against the Mountains Fear of being alone and missed: a missing Garmin led search teams straight past a man who survived six days in high‑country storms and mud. The GPS was gone, the bike left against a...
Fear of being alone and missed: a missing Garmin led search teams straight past a man who survived six days in high‑country storms and mud. The GPS was gone, the bike left against a tree, and nobody saw the empty handlebars that rerouted the rescue - how did a simple device change everything?

In this episode, you’ll hear the sequence of choices, weather and map signals that shaped the search and the survival, and the single logistical error that split the search area when time mattered most: could a tiny missing tracker be the reason a man walked out alive instead of being found sooner?

Person: Chad Davis
Date: August 10-14, 2019
Location: Cimarron Valley / Escondido Pass / Mora Valley
Age: 48
Injury: swollen left ankle

- Chad began his ride at approximately 9:17 AM on August 10, 2019.
- The Forest Service closed Escondido Pass Road on August 1, 2019, three clicks deep on the federal website.
- Chad crossed the 9,400-foot summit and reached a collapsed road section about four miles past the summit at 8,200 feet.
- A storm delivered four inches of rain in ninety minutes on the morning of the incident.
- Chad carried a Garmin taken from his handlebars and left the bike leaned against a ponderosa pine roughly three miles from the closure barricade.

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© 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/hours-on-ice-how-a-rancher-outwitted-freezing-night-alone--73083867
Cold, high-elevation nights can kill fast-she spent eleven hours stranded on open ice at 9,200 feet with a running snowmobile as her only heat source; how did she stay alive until morning? What choices kept her from succumbing to 38°F water and soaked insulation that can incapacitate in under thirty minutes?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the Arctic Cat broke through the ice to the long night that followed, laying out the actions Nicole Richardson took and the environmental conditions she faced - could routine, training, and a running engine be enough to survive?

Person: Nicole Richardson
Date: July 9, 1991
Location: Coldwater Lake, Mineral County
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Duration: Approximately 11 hours

- Nicole rode onto the lake at approximately 7:15 PM on July 8 and went missing until discovered at 5:47 AM on July 9.
- The lake ice was about 18 inches thick at center in early July due to an unusually cold, dry spring.
- Nicole was 32 years old and had been running the Richardson ranch alone for 2.5 years, managing 4,800 head of cattle across 12,000 acres.
- She pressed her soaked legs against the Arctic Cat’s engine tunnel and remained there for about one hour as the primary source of heat.
- The running engine began to stutter around 8:30 PM; the machine sank fully roughly thirty seconds later, leaving her sitting on the ice sixty yards from shore with one boot filled with 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/73083867Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:04:43 +0000Creator at ObomediaHours on Ice: How a Rancher Outwitted Freezing Night Alone Cold, high-elevation nights can kill fast-she spent eleven hours stranded on open ice at 9,200 feet with a running snowmobile as her only heat source; how did she stay alive until morning?...
Cold, high-elevation nights can kill fast-she spent eleven hours stranded on open ice at 9,200 feet with a running snowmobile as her only heat source; how did she stay alive until morning? What choices kept her from succumbing to 38°F water and soaked insulation that can incapacitate in under thirty minutes?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the Arctic Cat broke through the ice to the long night that followed, laying out the actions Nicole Richardson took and the environmental conditions she faced - could routine, training, and a running engine be enough to survive?

Person: Nicole Richardson
Date: July 9, 1991
Location: Coldwater Lake, Mineral County
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Duration: Approximately 11 hours

- Nicole rode onto the lake at approximately 7:15 PM on July 8 and went missing until discovered at 5:47 AM on July 9.
- The lake ice was about 18 inches thick at center in early July due to an unusually cold, dry spring.
- Nicole was 32 years old and had been running the Richardson ranch alone for 2.5 years, managing 4,800 head of cattle across 12,000 acres.
- She pressed her soaked legs against the Arctic Cat’s engine tunnel and remained there for about one hour as the primary source of heat.
- The running engine began to stutter around 8:30 PM; the machine sank fully roughly thirty seconds later, leaving her sitting on the ice sixty yards from shore with one boot filled with 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.]]>1216falsefull