The CRUX: True Survival Stories

On February 10, 2008, Fred Frederickson and James Osborne started what should have been a routine winter day hike on New Hampshire's Franconia Ridge. Within hours, conditions changed catastrophically—temperatures plummeted to single digits, winds reached seventy miles per hour, and both men were fighting for their lives on an exposed mountain ridge. As night fell and the storm intensified, rescue teams mobilized for a desperate search in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable. This episode explores the cascade of small decisions that turned a beautiful Sunday hike into a tragedy, and the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers who risked everything to bring them home. A story about friendship, survival, and the unforgiving nature of winter in the White Mountains.

00:46 Welcome to The Crux + Listener Shoutout

01:25 Eyelids Frozen Shut on Little Haystack

02:17 Meet Fred & James + The Franconia Ridge Loop Plan

04:47 Overdressed, Sweating, and Wet Layers

05:46 The Forecast They Missed: 70–100 MPH Winds Incoming

06:40 Above Treeline: The Storm ‘Switch’ Flips

08:48 No Shelter, No Fire: Hypothermia Signs and the Fight Back to Haystack

11:12 Night in a Rock Cave: Deep Hypothermia and Rewarming Basics

15:24 Missing from Work: Search Teams Mobilize in Brutal Conditions

17:37 Found on the Ridge: Black Hawk Night Landing Rescue

19:07 Hospital Battle: ‘Warm and Dead,’ Rewarming, and Frostbite Losses

20:58 Aftermath & Lessons: Hike Safe Tips

27:14 Final Takeaways + Book Rec 

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References:

Boston Globe, September 15, 2008 - "Hiker recounts horrific struggle for survival on icy N.H. ridge"

Boston Herald, February 18, 2008 - "Hub hiker escapes death"

New Hampshire Public Radio - "Author Ty Gagne on The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites," December 31, 2020

Union Leader, November 29, 2020 - "A tale of life and death on Franconia Ridge"

Conway Daily Sun, January 17, 2021 - "The Last Traverse chronicles wintry search-and-rescue mission"

SkinnyMoose.com, February 12, 2008 - "Missing Hikers Found In Franconia Notch – One Dead"

WhiteBlaze.net forum discussion, February 2008

VFTT (Views From The Top) forum, September 14, 2008 - "James Osborne & Fred Fredrickson Follow-up Story"

Boston Globe, December 23, 2024 - "White Mountains, New Hampshire search and rescue data"

Mount Washington Observatory weather archives

NH Fish and Game Department rescue reports

Nashua Telegraph, September 14, 2008

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On a snowy Black Friday in November 2024, a 22-year-old experienced hiker from Quebec set out alone to climb one of the most remote peaks in New York's Adirondack Mountains—a challenging 18-mile journey he expected to complete in a single day. When he didn't return as planned, what followed was one of the most extensive search operations in Adirondack history, involving dozens of elite forest rangers battling brutal winter conditions for over a week. This is the story of Leo Dufour, a university student studying to become a teacher who had already conquered 32 of the legendary 46 High Peaks, and the extraordinary efforts to find him in a wilderness that doesn't always give up its secrets. It's a reminder that even the most prepared among us are never more than one wrong turn away from the unforgiving power of the mountains.

00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes

00:42 Leo Dufour's Quest in the Adirondacks

03:00 The Challenge of Allen Mountain

07:09 The Search and Rescue Efforts

12:47 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned

24:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast

Email us! [email protected]

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Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/

References:

"New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Statement on Recovery of Missing Canadian Hiker Leo DuFour." DEC Press Release, May 10, 2025.

"Update: State Police seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing hiker in the town of Newcomb." NYS Police Press Release, December 2024.

Lynch, Mike. "Remains of missing Canadian hiker found." Adirondack Explorer, May 2025.

Lynch, Mike. "Missing hiker: What we know so far, as search enters 5th day." Adirondack Explorer, January 22, 2025.

Lynch, Mike. "Search for Canadian hiker shifts to recovery." Adirondack Explorer, March 28, 2025.

"DEC: Body of missing hiker Leo DuFour found May 10 off Mt. Allen Mountain trail." The Adirondack Almanack, May 12, 2025.

"Due to treacherous conditions, search for Leo DuFour transitioned to recovery mission." The Adirondack Almanack, December 10, 2024.

"Extensive search underway in the Adirondacks for missing Canadian hiker." NCPR News, December 4, 2024.

"Rangers had to divert resources during Allen Mt. search to rescue solo searcher." NCPR News, December 10, 2024.

"DEC: No signs of missing hiker Thursday." Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 5, 2024.

"Hikers find body of missing person on Allen Mountain." My NBC5, May 2025.

"Body of Missing Hiker Is Found 5 Months After He Vanished in the Adirondacks." The New York Times, May 29, 2025.

The Globe and Mail (Canada): "U.S. authorities find body of missing Quebec hiker in New York state's Adirondacks." May 11, 2025.

Advnture: Clarke, Julia. "Body of 22-year-old Canadian hiker found 5 months after vanishing on snowy Adirondacks mountain." May 2025.

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In this unflinching episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into one of history's most harrowing survival stories. On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 slammed into the Andes Mountains, leaving 33 survivors stranded at 12,000 feet in subzero temperatures. For 72 days, they battled avalanches, frostbite, and starvation. When their meager supplies ran out, they faced an unthinkable decision: consume the dead or die themselves. This episode chronicles the psychological torment, the impossible moral choices, and the superhuman trek of two survivors who walked ten days through the frozen mountains to find rescue. A raw testament to human resilience and the terrifying price of survival.

00:00 Welcome and Housekeeping

01:25 Introducing the Podcast

01:48 Setting the Scene: The Andes Flight Disaster

02:08 The Crash

03:11 Immediate Aftermath

04:05 Struggle for Survival

15:55 The Search is Called Off

18:16 Facing the Unthinkable

20:06 The Grim Reality of Survival

21:01 A Desperate Decision

23:35 The Psychological Toll

25:44 Avalanche Strikes Again

27:18 A Daring Escape Plan

28:38 Journey Through the Mountains

35:36 Rescue and Aftermath

39:22 Legacy of Survival

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Check out our website! www.thecruxsurvival.com
REFERENCES

Primary Sources:

Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read (1974)

Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado (2006)

Out of the Silence: After the Crash by Eduardo Strauch (2019)

Technical Documentation:

Official Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 accident investigation reports

Medical journals documenting survivors' conditions upon rescue

Geographic surveys of crash site location

Aviation records and flight data

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When a routine test flight goes catastrophically wrong, Army Air Forces Lieutenant Leon Crane parachutes into the Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter—alone, with no survival gear, and temperatures at 40 below zero. The city kid from Philadelphia has never spent a night outdoors in his life. What follows is one of the most remarkable survival stories of World War II: 84 days in the Arctic, a 120-mile trek through brutal terrain, and a series of decisions that meant the difference between life and death. This is the story almost nobody knows about—the man who refused to die on a frozen mountain.

Time Stamps:
00:00 Escape Ads with Patreon

00:46 Introduction to Crux True Survival Stories

01:10 Leon Crane's Harrowing Fall

02:48 The Crash and Immediate Aftermath

03:48 The Struggle for Survival Begins

04:19 The Fateful Flight Details

06:12 The Plane's Descent and Crash

09:48 Crane's First Night in the Wilderness

14:14 Days of Waiting and Desperation

17:38 The Decision to Move

20:38 Finding the Trapper's Cabin

23:27 Recovery and Reflection

26:10 Surviving the Wilderness: Rationing and Isolation

28:04 A Glimmer of Hope: Discovering the Map

30:06 The Desperate Journey Begins

31:09 Battling the Elements: Falling Through the Ice

34:11 Miraculous Rescue: Finding Shelter

35:58 The Final Struggle: Marching Towards Survival

38:05 The Unbelievable Reunion

42:34 Aftermath and Legacy

47:25 Lessons from Leon Crane's Survival

48:03 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements

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Email us! [email protected]

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Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/

REFERENCES

Wikipedia - Leon Crane

Military.com - "How This Airman Survived 3 Months in the Alaskan Wilderness After a World War II Plane Crash"

Anchorage Daily News - "Lost in the wilderness for 81 days: The tortuous tale of Leon Crane's first Christmas in Alaska" by David Reamer

Adventure Journal - "Leon Crane Survived a Terrifying Plane Crash, Then 80 Days Alone in an Alaskan Winter"

Air & Space Forces Magazine - "Valor: Alone in the Arctic" (April 1997)

Heroes, Heroines, and History - "A WWII Pilot's Incredible Survival Story in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness" by Mary Dodge Allen

National Park Service - Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve documentation

Murphy, Brian. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness

Valor Friday - This ain't Hell military history blog

Amazon.com - 81 Days Below Zero book listing and reviews

Hachette Book Group / Da Capo Press - 81 Days Below Zero publisher information

Goodreads - 81 Days Below Zero reviews and ratings

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In this episode of 'Disaster Strikes' on the Crux podcast, host Julie Henningsen delves into the harrowing story of David Sharp, a dedicated mountaineer whose third attempt to summit Mount Everest ended in tragedy. On May 15, 2006, Sharp was found unresponsive at 27,890 feet, seated next to the landmark known as Green Boots Cave. Despite attempts to help from several climbers, Sharp ultimately did not survive. The episode explores the decisions and conditions that led to this tragic outcome, the ethical dilemmas facing fellow climbers, and the broader implications for high-altitude mountaineering. Henningsen also contrasts Sharp's fate with the miraculous survival of Lincoln Hall, another climber left for dead but who managed to survive under similar conditions. The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the perils of mountaineering.

00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes
00:59 The Tragic Encounter on Everest

03:34 David Sharp's Background and Climbing History

06:25 The Final Attempt and Its Challenges

07:13 The Controversial Basic Package

14:33 The Deadly Climb of 2006

16:37 Green Boots and the Final Resting Place

19:12 David Sharp's Final Hours

19:54 Turkish Climbers' Dilemma

21:50 Controversy and Confusion

22:44 Efforts to Save Sharp

24:35 The Aftermath and Public Outcry

27:29 Lincoln Hall's Miraculous Survival

31:53 Comparing Sharp and Hall

34:20 Legacy and Reflection

35:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

References

David Sharp (mountaineer) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sharp_(mountaineer)

Lincoln Hall (climber) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Hall_(climber)

Green Boots - Ultimate Kilimanjaro
https://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/green-boots-on-mount-everest-who-was-he-how-did-he-die/

"Dying For Everest" (2007)
New Zealand TV3 Documentary featuring interviews with climbers and expedition leaders

"Everest: Beyond the Limit" (2006-2009)
Discovery Channel series featuring Russell Brice's Himex expeditions, Season 1 includes David Sharp incident

"Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest" by Lincoln Hall (2007)

"Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season" by Nick Heil (2008)

"Over the Top" - Outside Online (August 15, 2006)
https://www.outsideonline.com/1909966/over-top

"The Tragic Death of David Sharp" - Eight Summits
https://eightsummits.com/bills-articles/the-tragic-death-of-david-sharp/

"Lincoln Hall Rescue" - SummitClimb
https://www.summitclimb.com/news/mef/lincoln-hall-rescue

Alan Arnette - Everest Coverage
https://www.alanarnette.com

"Mortality on Mount Everest, 1921-2006: descriptive study"
British Medical Journal (PMC2602730)

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