The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Nineteen Days in the Idaho Wilderness: They Did What They Had to Do | E 225

On the morning of May 5th, 1979, four residents of Estevan, Saskatchewan boarded a small Cessna bound for Boise, Idaho on what was supposed to be a day trip. By that afternoon, the plane was down in a remote canyon in the Salmon River Mountains, two of the four passengers were dead, and two badly injured survivors were completely alone. No gear. No supplies. No rescue coming. What Donna Johnson and Brent Dyer did over the next nineteen days to stay alive is one of the most remarkable — and least known — survival stories in North American history. This episode does not look away from any of it. Timestamps: 01:07 Crash Begins In Idaho 03:15 Meet The Passengers 05:28 Weather Route Decision 07:12 Impact And Injuries 10:51 Losses And Isolation 12:18 Search Misses Them 12:58 Cold Hunger And Journaling 15:25 Unthinkable Choice 18:25 Decision To Walk Out 21:53 Nineteen Day Escape 23:24 Rescue And Home News 24:30 Puppy And Lawsuit Fallout 27:01 Faith Legacy And Closing Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast [http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast] Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com [thecruxsurvival@gmail.com] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/] Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ [https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/]   REFERENCES Johnson v. Pischke, 108 Idaho 397, 700 P.2d 19 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1985) Gzowski, Peter. The Sacrament. Atheneum Books, 1980. "We Had to Eat Him and We Did." Maclean's, June 11, 1979. Timson, Judith. "Survival on Faith and Human Flesh." Maclean's, October 6, 1980. "Father's Protective Instinct Led to Miracle in Idaho Mountains." Regina Leader-Post, May 26, 1979. "Pair Walk Away from Crash Site." Lawrence Journal-World, May 26, 1979. "Air Crash Survivor Recounts Ordeal." Brandon Sun, June 1, 1979. Penn, Alix and Carmella Lowkis. "ICE Part II — The Crash of the Skyhawk." Casting Lots: A Survival Cannibalism Podcast, December 2020. Emilson, K. When Memories Remain, 3rd ed. Perpetual Books, 2018. "Brent Dyer Survived a Plane Crash — Extraordinary Lives." YouTube, DoxNM, 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Body Recovery: Fatal Cave Dive at Bushman's Hole | Disaster Strikes E 224

In this episode of the Crux podcast's Disaster Strikes segment, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into the harrowing story of Dave Shaw, a technical diver who tragically perished while attempting to recover the body of a fellow diver, Deon Dreyer, from the depths of Bushman's Hole in South Africa. Listeners are taken through the extreme dangers of cave diving, the physiological and equipment challenges faced at extreme depths, and the sequence of events that led to Shaw's death. The narrative also touches on the ethical debate surrounding the attempted recovery, the impact on the diving community, and the lessons learned from this tragic incident. 00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes 01:04 The Fatal Dive of Dave Shaw 01:46 Understanding the Dangers of Cave Diving 06:19 Dave Shaw's Background and Diving Career 10:14 The Discovery of Deon Dreyer's Body 11:56 Planning the Recovery Dive 14:37 The Final Dive 19:01 The Fatal Spiral Begins 19:10 Shaw's Descent and Initial Struggles 19:59 The Unexpected Buoyancy Challenge 20:46 The Entanglement and Panic 22:51 Shaw's Final Moments 25:01 The Aftermath and Recovery 26:58 Debates and Controversies 34:23 Changes in Diving Practices 36:28 Unresolved Questions and Legacy 38:01 Conclusion and Reflections Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast [http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast] Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com [thecruxsurvival@gmail.com] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/] Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ [https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/] Primary Sources: 1. Zimmermann, Tim. "Raising the Dead." Outside Magazine, August 1, 2005. * Main investigative article, extensive detail on Shaw and the incident 2. Finch, Phillip. Diving Into Darkness: A True Story of Death and Survival. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008. * Book-length treatment of the incident with detailed accounts 3. Mitchell, SJ; Cronjé, FJ; Meintjes, WA; Britz, HC. "Fatal respiratory failure during a 'technical' rebreather dive at extreme pressure." Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, February 2007; 78(2): 81-6. * Medical/forensic analysis of Shaw's death 4. Dave Not Coming Back (2020). Documentary film. * Features Don Shirley's firsthand account and helmet camera footage Secondary Sources: 1. Wikipedia: Dave Shaw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Shaw [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Shaw] * Verified biographical details, dates, equipment specifications 2. Wikipedia: Deon Dreyer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deon_Dreyer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deon_Dreyer] * Verified details about Dreyer's death and recovery 3. Wikipedia: Boesmansgat - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boesmansgat [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boesmansgat] * Geographic and depth record information 4. All That's Interesting. "The Tragic Story Of Dave Shaw" https://allthatsinteresting.com/dave-shaw [https://allthatsinteresting.com/dave-shaw] 5. Dive-Scuba.com [https://Dive-Scuba.com]. "Dave Shaw: The Full Story of the Bushman's Hole Diving Incident" https://www.dive-scuba.com/dave-shaw-incident/ [https://www.dive-scuba.com/dave-shaw-incident/] 6. South China Morning Post. "Dead diver fulfills his last mission," January 13, 2005 * Contemporary news coverage from Shaw's home base 7. News24 (South Africa). "Divers' bodies 'unexpected,'" January 12, 2005 https://www.news24.com/divers-bodies-unexpected-20050112 [https://www.news24.com/divers-bodies-unexpected-20050112] 8. Divernet. "Dave Shaw died from carbon dioxide black-out" https://divernet.com/scuba-news/dave-shaw-died-from-carbon-dioxide-black-out/ [https://divernet.com/scuba-news/dave-shaw-died-from-carbon-dioxide-black-out/] 9. InDEPTH Magazine. "The Aftermath Of Love: Don Shirley and Dave Shaw" https://indepthmag.com/the-consequence-of-love-don-shirley-and-dave-shaw/ [https://indepthmag.com/the-consequence-of-love-don-shirley-and-dave-shaw/] 10. Technical Diving Forums (ScubaBoard, Yorkshire Divers) * Contemporary discussions and firsthand accounts from support divers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trapped in Quicksand: 2 Hours vs. 6 Days | E223

Quicksand isn't a movie prop. It's real, it looks completely normal, and it happened to two men in the past three months — one in a frozen Utah canyon, one in a Florida mud pit. Austin Dirks is an experienced thru-hiker with thousands of backcountry miles. He stepped into what looked like an inch of water in Arches National Park and couldn't move for two hours. Andrew Giddens disappeared on Valentine's Day and wasn't found for days — shoulder-deep in saturated clay at an industrial site, invisible from 20 feet away. We cover the science of why quicksand traps people, why fighting back makes it worse, and what actually works — plus a 2026 NPS safety alert for Glen Canyon that's worth hearing before spring break. If you ever find yourself sinking, stop. Just stop. 00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:30 Quicksand Nightmare Setup 02:29 Utah Canyon Incident 06:06 Rescue In Courthouse Wash 08:00 Quicksand Myths Explained 08:44 How Quicksand Works 12:18 Rescue Tactics And Physics 14:17 Self Rescue Tips 15:17 Zion Subway Survival 18:20 Florida Mud Pit Case 21:40 Entrapment Survival Mindset 22:20 How Long Was He Stuck 23:27 Deputy Spots The Truck 24:49 A Face In The Mud 25:57 Two Hour Extraction 27:31 Aftermath And Medical Risks 29:15 Is Quicksand A Real Risk 30:55 Where Quicksand Forms 31:48 Warning Signs And Probing 32:53 Smart Moves If You Sink 34:43 Calling For Help Fast 37:32 Why Stillness Wins 41:34 New NPS Quicksand Alert 43:07 Final Takeaways And Resources Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast [http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast] Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com [thecruxsurvival@gmail.com] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/] Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ [https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/] Resources * Austin Dirks / Grand County Search and Rescue — local Utah news coverage, December 2025 * Andrew Giddens / Putnam County Sheriff's Office — Palatka Fire Department statement, February 2026 * Ryan Osmond / Zion National Park — Utah DPS rescue records, February 2019 Science * Daniel Bonn et al., Nature — "Granular media: how to pull out a foot" (2005) Safety & Alerts * National Park Service — Glen Canyon National Recreation Area quicksand safety alert, March 2026 — nps.gov The Broomway * Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broomway [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broomway] * BBC Travel — "This desolate English path has killed more than 100 people" — bbc.com/travel [https://bbc.com/travel] * Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways (2012) Crisis Resource * 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 — 988lifeline.org [https://988lifeline.org/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fourteen Days Down Under: The Beaconsfield Mine Rescue That Captivated the World | E222

When a 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Beaconsfield Gold Mine in Tasmania on ANZAC Day 2006, seventeen miners were underground. Fourteen walked out. One didn't survive. And two men — Todd Russell and Brant Webb — simply disappeared into the rock. In this episode, Julie and Kaycee go deep into the fourteen days that followed: the silence, the injuries, the moment rescuers heard something unexpected, and the painstaking engineering effort to bring them home — plus the part of the story that rarely gets told, what survival cost them long after they walked back into the light. 00:00 Patreon 00:34 Podcast Intro And Setup 01:09 Mine Collapse Strikes 03:46 Meet Todd And Brant 05:42 Trapped In Darkness 08:44 Rescue Plan And Bad Ground 11:07 Singing Confirms Life 12:28 Borehole Lifeline Supplies 14:00 Injuries And Long Wait 16:05 Grief And Gallows Humor 17:57 Music And Foo Fighters Note 19:57 Drilling The Escape Tunnel 21:58 World Watches The Rescue 22:46 Day 14 Breakthrough 24:50 Aftermath PTSD And Community Cost 28:05 Why They Survived 30:22 Legacy And Closing Thanks 32:19 Reviews And Listener Outreach   Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast [http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast] Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com [thecruxsurvival@gmail.com] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/] Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ [https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/] REFERENCES: 1. Beaconsfield Mine Collapse, Wikipedia 2. Bad Ground: Inside the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue — Tony Wright, Todd Russell & Brant Webb 3. The Examiner, Launceston — "Rescuers Real Heroes," April 2016 4. Australian Geographic — "On This Day: Beaconsfield Miners Rescued," November 2013 5. SBS News — "Beaconsfield Miners Speak of Lasting Scars," April 2016 6. Raisebore Australia — Beaconsfield Rescue Case Study, raisebore.com.au 7. Monument Australia — Beaconsfield Mine Rescue Plaque Record 8. Celebrity Speakers Australia — Todd Russell Speaker Profile 9. World Socialist Web Site — "The Australian Media and the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue," May 2006 10. Geoscience Australia — Seismic Event Records, April 2006 11. Channel 9 — Todd Russell and Brant Webb exclusive interview, May 21, 2006 12. 60 Minutes Australia — Todd Russell interview on PTSD 13. The Sydney Morning Herald — Beaconsfield Mine rescue coverage, May 2006 14. Prime Minister John Howard — Parliamentary Reception Statement, May 29, 2006 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Vanishing at Pendleton Mountain | Disaster Strikes E221

Silver Plume, Colorado — population 130 — became the setting for one of the strangest unsolved disappearances in Rocky Mountain history. In the summer of 1988, sportswriter-turned-novelist Keith Reinhard rented a storefront on Main Street, began writing a fictional character based on the building's previous tenant — a reclusive man who'd walked into the mountains and never returned — and slowly lost the boundary between the story he was writing and the life he was living. On August 7th, hungover and wearing tennis shoes, Keith announced to multiple townspeople that he was going to summit 12,275-foot Pendleton Mountain alone, starting at 4:30 in the afternoon — then walked away and was never seen again. What followed was one of the largest search and rescue operations in Colorado history, a fatal plane crash, and a cold case that's now over 35 years old. Was it an accident? A suicide? A staged disappearance? Or did Keith Reinhard stumble onto something about his predecessor's death that someone didn't want known? 00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes 00:42 Keith Reinhardt's Mysterious Disappearance 03:01 The Life of Keith Reinhardt 05:20 The Eerie Connection to Tom Young 08:06 Keith's Obsession and Final Days 16:31 The Search and Theories 23:25 Unsolved Mysteries and Ongoing Questions 26:59 Conclusion and Dedication Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast [http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast] Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com [thecruxsurvival@gmail.com] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/] Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ [https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/] References * Colorado Cold Case Files - Keith Reinhard Case #307 - Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office (Contact: 303-679-2376) - https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=307 [https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=307] * Chicago Tribune: "Search for Reporter Halted in Colorado" (August 15, 1988) * Chicago Tribune: "A Chicago-area sportswriter disappeared 31 years ago in Colorado" (January 9, 2020) * Daily Herald: "The anniversary of Keith Reinhard's disappearance sparks fresh perspectives" by Jim O'Donnell (August 8, 2023) * CBS Colorado: "Still No Clues In Cold Case Of Man Who Went Missing 30 Years Ago" (August 7, 2018) * Eric Walter Blog: "Mountain, Murder, or Mexico?" and "The Needle in the Haystack" - https://www.ericwalterdocs.com/ [https://www.ericwalterdocs.com/] * Travel Channel: "Lost in the Wild" - Keith Reinhard episode (January 2020) - Investigators: J.J. Kelley and Kinga Philipps * Unsolved Mysteries: Original broadcast January 31, 1990 (Season 2, Episode 15 with Robert Stack); Rebroadcast Season 6, Episode 20 (with Dennis Farina) * The Charley Project: Keith R. Reinhard case file - https://charleyproject.org/case/keith-r-reinhard [https://charleyproject.org/case/keith-r-reinhard] * StrangeOutdoors.com [https://strangeoutdoors.com/]: "The bizarre disappearance of Keith Reinhard and death of Tom Young in the Rocky Mountains" - https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/keith-reinhard [https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/keith-reinhard] * Missing NPF: Keith R. Reinhard case listing - https://missingnpf.com/listing/keith-r-reinhard/ [https://missingnpf.com/listing/keith-r-reinhard/] * Historic Mysteries: "The Bizarre Disappearance of Keith Reinhard in Silver Plume, Colorado" (April 17, 2020) * Locations Unknown: Keith Reinhard case profile (November 28, 2021) * Unsolved Mysteries Wiki: Keith Reinhard and Tom Young case pages * Our Community Now: "Cold Cases: The Disappearances of These 2 Colorado Men Are Eerily Similar and Creepy as Hell" * Substack: "Twin Disappearances into the Peaks" by Thorne (July 22, 2021) * Unsolved.com [https://unsolved.com/]: Keith Reinhard case discussion forum * The Curious Case of Keith Reinhard and Tom Young blog (February 24, 2025) - https://www.asheycakes.com/post/the-curious-case-of-keith-reinhard-and-tom-young [https://www.asheycakes.com/post/the-curious-case-of-keith-reinhard-and-tom-young] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.