The Crux True Survival Stories

The Crux True Survival Stories
  • 4.1 (603)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

Are you drawn to thrilling survival stories where characters overcome impossible odds? The Crux: True Survival Stories is your podcast. Join us for gripping tales of resilience and invaluable insights into wilderness survival and the mindset needed to overcome adversity. Hosted by two practicing physician assistants, Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen, both passionate about wilderness and medicine. Our podcast is fueled by real-life stories and the pivotal moments that determine life or death outcomes. Tune in for captivating narratives that entertain and educate. Airing every Monday! Our bonus "Disaster Strikes" series episodes air every other Thursday.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.

  1. 2d ago

    Three Nights Stranded in Glacier National Park Without Shoes | E267

    A day hike in Glacier National Park turns into a fight for survival when 19-year-old Matthew Read encounters deep spring snow near Huckleberry Lookout.What begins as an ordinary hike quickly goes wrong, leaving Matthew stranded in steep, heavily forested terrain as changing weather and cold exposure raise the stakes.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, we follow Matthew’s three-night ordeal and the massive search effort unfolding around him. Along the way, we break down postholing in deep snow, wilderness survival strategy, hypothermia versus frostbite, and the challenges search-and-rescue teams face trying to locate one person in Glacier’s vast backcountry.How do you survive when a simple step into the snow changes everything? 00:00 Snow Trap Begins 00:45 Meet the Hosts 01:01 Huckleberry Trail and Terrain 04:17 Meet Matthew Read 06:22 A Warning on the Trail 08:09 Postholing Explained 09:25 Losing His Shoes and Sliding Off Trail 11:39 Building a Debris Shelter 13:32 Why Staying Put Matters 15:33 Hypothermia vs. Frostbite 20:06 Waiting and Signaling for Rescue 22:13 Search and Rescue Begins 24:55 Thermal Imaging Breakthrough 27:51 The Nighttime Hoist Rescue 29:46 Treating Severe Frostbite 33:35 Recovery and Survival Lessons 35:43 Final Takeaways Resources / ReferencesThese are the ones I'd actually put in your show notes rather than padding the list with generic sources: National Park Service — “Missing Hiker Rescued in Glacier National Park” — the primary official account of the search, Matthew's location, thermal detection and 175-foot hoist. National Park Service National Park Service rescue reportNational Park Service — “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing 19-Year-Old” — contemporary search announcement documenting winter-like upper-trail conditions and the agencies involved. National Park Service National Park Service search announcementFlathead Beacon — “Stranded Glacier National Park Hiker Shares Story of Survival and Hope” — the best detailed account, including Matthew's own description of losing his shoes, building shelter, staying put and the Two Bear Air search. Flathead Beacon Flathead Beacon feature on Matthew ReadDaily Inter Lake — “19-year-old rescued from Huckleberry Mountain in May avoids double amputation” — follow-up reporting on Matthew's frostbite treatment and recovery. Daily Inter Lake Daily Inter Lake recovery follow-upUndark — “The Burgeoning Science of Search and Rescue” — later reporting that uses Matthew's case to explain lost-person behavior and search strategy. Undark Magazine Undark search-and-rescue feature Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    Three Nights Stranded in Glacier National Park Without Shoes | E267

  2. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing MIKAYLA NOGUEIRA EXCLUSIVE: The Story She’s Finally Ready to Tell from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Jay sits down with beauty creator Mikayla Nogueira to go beyond the online persona and share the real story behind her rise. Mikayla opens up about the struggles that shaped her before finding success, the viral moment that changed her life overnight, and the painful reality of a marriage impacted by addiction and divorce. She also shares how she found her way forward, reconnected with her high school first love, and launched her own beauty brand with Sephora. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Built-in protections for teens. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Why Share Your Story Now? 01:31 Beyond The Influencer Persona 02:46 Childhood Memories That Shaped Her 03:45 Bullying & Discovering Makeup At Age 10 05:24 The Insecurities Behind the Confidence 06:48 Expressing Her True Self Online 08:55 The Origin Of Her Passion For Makeup 11:18 Work Ethic And Thinking Big 12:37 Creating Her Very First YouTube Video 13:58 Presenting A 50-Page Business Plan 16:30 Returning To Her Hometown & Donating Makeup 18:00 Getting Hired At Ulta Beauty 23:52 Letting Go of the Future She Planned 28:10 Losing Her Job and Finding a New Path 31:34 The First Viral Video 37:08 Manifesting Success & Building A Content Engine 41:53 Experiencing Her First Cancellation 45:25 Reflecting on Past Controversies 48:56 The Mental Health Toll of Rapid Growth 52:54 The Boston Accent 56:48 Meeting Her Ex-Husband Cody 59:41 Navigating Addiction In A Relationship 01:04:08 Dating An Influencer & Dating An Addict 01:05:56 Marriage Through Addiction and Relapse 01:13:00 A Harrowing Late-Night Emergency 01:18:11 Making the Decision to Divorce 01:33:53 The Path To Divorce 01:40:46 Finally A Fresh Start 01:46:45 Reconnecting With High School First Love, Zach 01:52:21 Building Her Beauty Brand (POV) 01:57:30 Looking Back 01:59:34 Mikayla On Final Five Episode Resources: Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/share/1C43BCLCFi/?mibextid=wwXIfr TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@mikaylanogueira Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mikaylajmakeup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Sep 28

    Trapped at 23,900 Feet: Doug Scott’s Descent With Two Broken Legs | E 266

    Doug Scott broke both his legs 23,900 feet above sea level on one of the world's most technically demanding mountains. No rescue team was waiting. No helicopter stood by. For eight days, Scott and his climbing partner Chris Bonington faced a descent that should have killed them—navigating crevasses, rappelling with broken legs, surviving a five-day storm with no food and wet sleeping bags in the death zone. But the real question isn't how they survived the mountain. It's what each person on that team did at every moment when survival seemed impossible. This is the story of how humans respond when everything goes catastrophically wrong. 00:00 Welcome to The Crux 01:50 Meet the Climbers 03:24 Why the Ogre Matters 04:47 Expedition Setup and Early Injury 07:35 Final Summit Push 11:44 The Fall and Broken Legs 15:56 Night on the Ledge 19:49 Crawling Descent and Regroup 23:08 Stormbound Survival 28:26 Base Camp Abandoned 30:37 Mo Runs for Rescue 33:33 Porter Carry and Helicopter Twist 37:35 Aftermath and Lessons 40:56 Closing Thoughts REFERENCES: Chris Bonington, "The Ogre," American Alpine Journal, 1978 Doug Scott, "A Crawl Down The Ogre," Himalayan Journal, 1979 Doug Scott, The Ogre: Biography of a Mountain and the Dramatic Story of the First Ascent, Vertebrate Publishing, 2017 Gripped Magazine, "The Climber Who Broke Both Legs and Crawled Off a Himalayan Mountain" Mo Anthoine, expedition audio recordings Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    Trapped at 23,900 Feet: Doug Scott’s Descent With Two Broken Legs | E 266

  4. Sep 24

    Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National Park | E265

    A late-afternoon hike in Glacier National Park seemed simple enough: climb toward the Mount Brown Fire Lookout, watch the sunset, and head back down.But as darkness settled over Mount Brown, 33-year-old Anthony Pollio found himself descending alone through steep, heavily forested terrain. Somewhere in the woods, a grizzly bear was moving through the darkness.In this episode of Disaster Strikes, we examine Anthony Pollio’s final hike, the search-and-rescue operation that followed, and the investigation into what happened on Mount Brown. We also look at a second grizzly bear encounter in Glacier National Park just 25 days later—and the warning signs, environmental conditions, and safety decisions that can turn an ordinary hike through bear country into a life-threatening situation.This episode explores: Anthony Pollio’s final hike on Mount BrownThe Mount Brown Fire Lookout trail in Glacier National ParkThe search for Anthony PollioGrizzly bear attacks and encounters in GlacierWhy hiking alone after dark can be dangerousHow to stay safe in grizzly countryWhat hikers should know before entering bear habitat00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro 00:37 Alone After Dark on Mount Brown 02:03 Glacier’s Grizzly Country 03:57 The Mount Brown Trail 05:18 Our Bear Encounters 08:18 Who Was Anthony Pollio? 10:02 A Late Start Up Mount Brown 12:33 A Surprise in the Deadfall 14:32 The Search for Anthony 16:23 How Rare Are Fatal Bear Attacks? 17:59 Another Grizzly Attack, 25 Days Later 20:20 What the Two Attacks Had in Common 24:32 Where Was the Bear? 27:35 Staying Safe in Grizzly Country 34:34 Remembering Anthony PollioReferences — Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National ParkPrimary / Official Sources National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing Hiker.” May 6, 2026. NPS — Search Underway for Anthony PollioNational Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Missing Hiker and Bear Encounter Victim Identified.” May 9, 2026. NPS — Anthony Pollio IdentifiedInteragency Grizzly Bear Committee Board of Review. Final investigation into the May 3, 2026 fatal grizzly encounter involving Anthony Pollio on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail. July 2026. The review reconstructed the encounter using physical evidence, DNA, trail conditions and Pollio’s communications and concluded that Pollio likely surprised an adult male grizzly at close range while descending in darkness.National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Hiker Injured by Grizzly Bear at Glacier National Park.” June 2, 2026. Official account of the May 28 Grinnell Glacier Trail attack discussed in the episode. NPS — Grinnell Glacier Grizzly EncounterReporting & Additional Sources Flathead Beacon. “Report Details Fatal Glacier Park Grizzly Bear Attack.” July 24, 2026. Detailed reporting on the final interagency investigation. Flathead Beacon — Fatal Grizzly InvestigationHungry Horse News. “Grizzly Bear Mauling Death in Glacier: A Closer Look at Full Report.” July 24, 2026. Includes details from the final investigation regarding the trail conditions, darkness, deadfall and circumstances of the surprise encounter. Hungry Horse News — Full Report CoverageMontana Free Press. “Glacier’s First Fatal Bear Attack in Almost 30 Years Came After Surprise Encounter.” July 24, 2026. Montana Free Press — Anthony Pollio InvestigationAssociated Press. Coverage of Anthony Pollio’s death and Glacier National Park’s first fatal bear attack since 1998. May 2026.People. Interview with Anthony Pollio’s father, Arthur Pollio, including Anthony’s background, his plans to watch the sunset from Mount Brown, and his final communication with his father. May 2026.ABC News / Good Morning America. Interview with Daniel Crago regarding the May 28, 2026 Grinnell Glacier Trail grizzly attack. June 8, 2026. ABC News — Daniel Crago InterviewBackpacker. “‘Pure Panic’: Glacier Grizzly Attack Survivor Shares the Story of the Rescue That Saved Him.” June 5, 2026. Backpacker — Daniel Crago Grizzly AttackLos Angeles Times. Reporting and interview with Daniel Crago following the Grinnell Glacier Trail attack. June 7, 2026. Los Angeles Times — Grinnell Glacier Attack Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National Park | E265

  5. Sep 21

    15 Minutes in a Cougar's Jaws | E 264

    On February 17, 2024, five experienced cyclists set out on a familiar gravel-bike route through Washington's Cascade foothills. Nineteen miles into their ride, two cougars appeared on the trail. Seconds later, 60-year-old Keri Bergere was on the ground with a cougar's jaws clamped around her face.Her four friends rushed toward the attack. Armed with little more than rocks, sticks, and the equipment they carried on their bicycles, they faced a predator that refused to let go. With unreliable cell service and another cougar somewhere in the surrounding forest, the women were running out of options.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, Kaycee and Julie reconstruct the terrifying encounter, examine the medical dangers of a cougar attack, and explore the survival decisions that followed.A true story of wilderness survival, extraordinary friendship, and a fight that lasted far longer than anyone could have imagined. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Introduction00:28 – A Cougar Encounter in Washington01:54 – Meet the Five Cyclists03:23 – The Magic Carpet Gravel Route05:30 – Two Cougars Appear06:16 – The Fight to Save Keri11:19 – The Medical Dangers of a Cougar Attack13:35 – A Multitool and a Chance to Escape16:00 – Trapping the Cougar With a Bicycle19:12 – Calling 911 and Finding GPS Coordinates21:57 – Wildlife Officer Arrives24:07 – Keri's Injuries and Recovery26:17 – Why Did the Cougar Attack?27:36 – Cougar Safety and the Fatal 2018 Attack32:00 – Life After the Attack35:29 – Survival Lessons and Closing Dan Becker Podcast. (2025, December 9). The BRUTAL Cougar Attack That Lasted 55 Minutes. Interview with Keri Bergere and fellow survivors.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qYp058PJe8UxMIK83wTf7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brutal-cougar-attack-that-lasted-55-minutes/id1867315096?i=1000744190052 REFERENCES & FURTHER LISTENING Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2024). WDFW Statement on Cougar Incident in King County.https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/wdfw-statement/wdfw-statement-cougar-incident-king-countyCarnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). 18 Will Receive Carnegie Medal for Extraordinary Acts of Heroism.https://www.carnegiehero.org/awardee_pr/18-will-receive-carnegie-medal-for-extraordinary-acts-of-heroism/Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). Carnegie Medal Presentation to Annie Bilotta, Tisch Schmidt-Williams, Aune Tietz, and Erica Wolf.https://www.carnegiehero.org/carnegie-medal-presentation-to-annie-bilotta-tisch-schmidt-williams-aune-tietz-and-erica-wolf/King, A., & Newcomb, N. A. (2024). A Cougar Attacked Them. They Fought Back for 45 Harrowing Minutes. KUOW.https://thankyou.kuow.org/stories/cougar-attack-washington-state-cyclistsThe Seattle Times. (2024). What Life Has Been Like for the 5 WA Cyclists Who Survived a Cougar Attack.https://replica.seattletimes.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?appcode=SEATTL&artguid=fc562bab-2913-4872-aecc-4e00f32a1b88&eguid=898dacfc-ca94-4db7-9458-9e581ee289e2&pnum=138The Guardian. (2024). Women Rescue Friend Being Mauled by Cougar in Washington State.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/18/washington-state-cougar-attackWroe, S., McHenry, C., & Thomason, J. (2005). Bite Club: Comparative Bite Force in Big Biting Mammals and the Prediction of Predatory Behaviour in Fossil Taxa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 272(1563), 619–625.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2986 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    15 Minutes in a Cougar's Jaws | E 264

  6. Sep 10

    3 Hours in the Heat: The Ultramarathoner Who Vanished in Plain Sight | Disaster Strikes E263

    Philip Kreycik was 37, a Harvard graduate, an ultramarathoner, and an experienced outdoorsman. On July 10, 2021, he left for a training run at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in California, telling his wife he'd be back in an hour. He never returned. The search that followed became one of the West Coast's largest rescue operations, involving nearly 300 volunteers, multiple agencies, helicopters, and thermal imaging. But GPS data from his smartwatch revealed something investigators initially missed: he likely died within 75 minutes of going missing, before rescue teams could even fully mobilize. Julie and Kaycee walk through the timeline, the medical reality of heat illness, and the margins of error that collapse faster than experience can account for. Timestamps:  00:00 Welcome to Disaster Strikes 00:42 Heatwave Run Begins 02:26 Who Was Philip Kreycik 03:35 GPS Shows Trouble 05:25 Wrong Turn Off Trail 06:17 Heat Illness Explained 09:06 Minutes to Heatstroke 10:56 Smartwatch Timeline 13:06 Massive Search Effort 15:14 Found After Four Weeks 17:13 Family Reflections 17:51 Lessons and Takeaways 18:57 Why Heat Sneaks Up 20:48 Closing and Tribute KEY REFERENCES Pleasanton Police Department Missing Person Investigation Files (2021)Alameda County Sheriff's Office Autopsy and Investigation Report (2021)Dapcevich, Madison. "The Fastest Heat Death: Investigation into Philip Kreycik's Disappearance," Outside Online (2021)Silacci, Erik. Official Statement and Timeline Analysis, Pleasanton Police Department (2021)"Philip Kreycik '06, Who Died at 37 After Going Missing on Run," The Harvard Crimson (August 2021)Kelly, Ray. Investigation Summary, Alameda County Sheriff's Department (2021)Pleasanton Weekly: "Authorities: Philip Kreycik Likely Died Before Search Even Got Off the Ground" (2021)NBC News Dateline: "Family Holding Hope of Finding Philip Kreycik" (August 2021)ABC News: "California Dad Found Dead Weeks After Vanishing on Run" (August 2021)First-Year Outdoors Program, Harvard University — Remembrance Documentation (2021)Yao, Jen. Family Press Conference Statement (August 2021)East Bay Regional Park District — Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Records (2021)Smartwatch GPS Data Analysis — Alameda County Investigation (2021)Search and Rescue Volunteer Accounts — San Francisco Bay Area News Archives (2021)Heat-Related Illness Medical Analysis — Emergency Medicine Literature (2021) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    3 Hours in the Heat: The Ultramarathoner Who Vanished in Plain Sight | Disaster Strikes E263

  7. Sep 7

    15-Year-Old Alone on Kit Carson Peak: A 200-Foot Fall | E262

    A 15-year-old hiker set out on an ambitious three-day backpacking trip through Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, planning to summit four 14ers. He successfully climbed Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak. Then his route took him into terrain he apparently did not realize was a technical mountaineering route.Halfway down the steep, snow-covered Outward Bound Couloir, his backpack began sliding away. He went after it—and fell roughly 200 feet.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, Kaycee and Julie retrace what brought the teenager into the couloir, the limitations of relying on Google Maps in the backcountry, and the search-and-rescue operation that followed. It’s a story about route finding, steep-snow travel, a split-second decision, and what happens when an ambitious wilderness trip suddenly becomes a survival situation.Timestamps00:00 — A Teenager, a 14er and a Snow Couloir. 00:27 — Trouble in the Outward Bound Couloir 02:47 — The 15-Year-Old Behind the Rescue 05:21 — Climbing Toward Challenger Point 09:10 — Route Finding on Kit Carson Peak 11:44 — Crossing the Mountains Without a Trail 13:39 — When Google Maps Meets the Backcountry 15:01 — Inside the Outward Bound Couloir 18:03 — The Backpack Slides—and He Goes After It 22:16 — Injured at 13,000 Feet: Calling 911 23:22 — Search and Rescue Heads Into the Mountains 26:00 — The 200-Foot Technical Lower 28:02 — What He Did Right—and What We Can Learn 34:35 — Closing Thoughts Primary incident reporting Alamosa News — “Alamosa SAR aid in rescue of teen” — July 29, 2026. Reports the July 20 rescue, the 15-year-old hiker, approximately 200-foot slide, injuries, transfer of incident command to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, and helicopter/SAR response. Alamosa News reportOutThere Colorado / Denver Gazette — “Teen slides 200 feet down couloir snowfield while attempting to retrieve dropped gear” — July 27, 2026. Covers the three-day backpacking trip, dropped backpack, Outward Bound Couloir location and rescue. OutThere Colorado reportRoute / mountain references 14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak: Outward Bound Couloir — Detailed route description and technical information for the snow-only Class 3 route, including approach and terrain. Outward Bound Couloir route description14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak via Challenger Point — Standard-route information, including Kit Carson Avenue, elevation, route-finding difficulty and the approach from Challenger Point. Kit Carson via Challenger Point14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak Conditions — July 2026 condition reporting for the standard route, useful for contemporaneous mountain conditions around the time of the incident. Kit Carson Peak condition reportsColorado Mountain Club — Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point — Route overview for Kit Carson, Challenger Point and the Outward Bound Couloir in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Colorado Mountain Club route information Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    15-Year-Old Alone on Kit Carson Peak: A 200-Foot Fall | E262

  8. Aug 31

    Lost in the Outback for 43 Days: The Man Who Didn't Want to be Found | E261

    When tourists found an abandoned bicycle on a remote track in Australia's Great Sandy Desert, it triggered one of the strangest missing person searches in outback history — police, aircraft, and Aboriginal trackers combing the Kimberley for a man who had vanished without telling anyone where he was going. Twelve days in, the search was called off and his family was told he was almost certainly dead, so they hired a private American wilderness rescue team led by a man who insisted on being called Gunslinger. What none of them knew was that he had walked into the desert deliberately, on a spiritual quest, and had no idea anyone was searching for him at all. Forty-three days of starvation, dehydration and roughly 250 miles on foot later, a helicopter found him alive — and set off a fight that reached the Premier of Western Australia, while the man who led the rescue turned out to have invented his entire past. Twenty-five years on, one of the trackers who searched for him asked him for a single word, and what he said instead is still an uncomfortable part of this story. Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast Intro Setup 00:30 Mud Water In The Desert 02:22 Abandoned Bike Mystery 03:18 No One Knew The Plan 06:36 Spiritual Quest Revealed 07:34 Search Begins With Trackers 09:27 Media Frenzy And Survival Math 10:28 Search Called Off Parents React 11:57 Gunslinger Arrives Private Team 15:06 Fresh Tracks And Desert Ordeal 18:52 Help Sign And Found Alive 21:49 News Crew Rescue Controversy 25:10 Hospital Risks Refeeding 27:22 Costs Rumors And Apology 30:04 Gunslinger Exposed As Fraud 33:27 The Tracker Story And Apology 35:26 Final Reflections And Outro REFERENCES Parke, Erin. Expanse: Nowhere Man. ABC listen, 2025.Parke, Erin. "Finding Robert Bogucki, the man who disappeared on purpose." ABC News, 6 July 2025. Sweeney, Lucy, and Erin Parke. "The strange story of Garrison 'Gunslinger' St Clair, the American sent to find Robert Bogucki." ABC News, 23 August 2025. Lowth, Adrienne. "Channel Nine under fire over Bogucki actions." ABC Radio PM, 24 August 1999.Media Watch. ABC Television, 30 August 1999."American found after outback odyssey." BBC News, 23 August 1999. Associated Press. "Wanderer May Have To Foot Bill." CBS News, 26 August 1999. Morgan, Curtis. "Daring rescuer dogged by a questionable past." Miami Herald, 21 May 2000.Orr, Stephen. The Fierce Country. Wakefield Press, 2018.Adshead, Gary. "Finding Bogucki: The fallout, the stuff-ups and a tinderbox of tension." The Age, 3 September 2023."Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition (1896)." Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ This episode includes AI-generated content.

    Lost in the Outback for 43 Days: The Man Who Didn't Want to be Found | E261
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Hosts & Guests

4.1
out of 5
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About

Are you drawn to thrilling survival stories where characters overcome impossible odds? The Crux: True Survival Stories is your podcast. Join us for gripping tales of resilience and invaluable insights into wilderness survival and the mindset needed to overcome adversity. Hosted by two practicing physician assistants, Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen, both passionate about wilderness and medicine. Our podcast is fueled by real-life stories and the pivotal moments that determine life or death outcomes. Tune in for captivating narratives that entertain and educate. Airing every Monday! Our bonus "Disaster Strikes" series episodes air every other Thursday.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.

Information

  • Creator
    The Crux True Survival Stories
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    267
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Julie Henningsen
  • Show Website
    The Crux True Survival Stories

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