Best Rescue Rigging Podcasts (2025)

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Oceanos: Rescue off the Wild Coast | “Just A Precaution” | 1 40:31

Play Pause

4d ago40:31

40:31

On the night of August 3, 1991, the cruise ship Oceanos sets sail from South Africa’s eastern cape with 571 people aboard—despite a massive storm barreling up the coast. Soon, a breach in the hull knocks out power, and the ship begins taking on water. As senior officers abandon ship, the fate of everyone on board falls to the ship’s entertainers, w…

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An Exclusive Excerpt From Our New Book | 1 30:11

11d ago30:11

30:11

We’ve got a new book! How to Survive Against the Odds: Tales & Tips for Animal Attacks and Natural Disasters is out today from Wondery and HarperCollins. Go inside life-or-death situations where everyday people survived nature’s most extreme scenarios—and learn how you can, too, with expert insights and survival tips. In this episode, we’re sharing…

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Wondery Presents: How to Survive Against the Odds 6:02

12d ago6:02

6:02

Inspired by Wondery’s hit podcast Against the Odds—learn how to survive whatever nature can throw at you through gut-twisting true stories of survival on the brink How to Survive Against the Odds places you at the center of fifteen real life-or-death scenarios. Each story explores the physiological responses of the human body under unbearable condi…

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Retrievable rigging 5:01

16d ago5:01

5:01

This week we chat about rigging ropes that can be retrieved. The IRATA document says can’t normally be used for rescue. Do we need to change this as we have better methods now. have a listen and let me know what you think.By Leigh

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Mount St. Helens | Still Alive | 4 43:47

18d ago43:47

43:47

Rescue helicopters finally reach the campers, Sue and Bruce, as well as other stranded survivors like TV reporter David Crockett and logger Jim Scymanky. But with nightfall approaching, Sue worries that rescuers won’t be able to find her injured friends, Dan Balch and Brian Thomas, in time. With the roads onto the mountain impassible, blocked by tr…

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Mount St. Helens | Blast Zone | 3 42:11

25d ago42:11

42:11

The survivors of the Mount St. Helens eruption find themselves in an alien world, with toppled trees, mudslides, and thick, hot ash covering everything. Unsure when or if rescue is coming, campers Sue Ruff and Bruce Nelson must make a difficult decision: whether to stay with their injured friends, or leave them behind, in order to get help faster. …

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Mount St. Helens | Hell on Earth | 2 41:36

1M ago41:36

41:36

When Mount St. Helens erupts, Sue Ruff and her boyfriend Bruce Nelson are camping with four friends about 14 miles north of the volcano. They were told this was well out of range of any eruption, but soon they find themselves caught in a searing-hot cloud of ash and debris, fighting for their lives. Pre-order your copy of the new Against the Odds b…

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Mount St. Helens | Awakening | 1 43:55

1M ago43:55

43:55

In March 1980, after 120 years of dormancy, the volcano Mount St. Helens in Washington State begins showing signs of life. Scientists warn that a major eruption is coming, but they’re unable to completely block off access to the mountain. Some locals, like lodge owner Harry Truman, refuse to leave. And on May 18, when the volcano finally explodes, …

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Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | Keg Point | 4 38:36

2M ago38:36

38:36

It's March 10, 1979—24 days since their sailboat sank and 15 days since Elmo and Randy arrived at a remote cabin, trapped, powerless to save Cindy and Jena, and consumed by guilt and grief. Once they regain their strength and the snow begins to melt, they discover an old skiff on the beach. At last, Elmo and Randy set out to find the girls, and the…

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First Aid ticket. Who needs one? 6:38

2M ago6:38

6:38

This week we have a quick chat about first aid tickets. What IRATA say we need and could we do a bit better. Let us know what you think. Reach out on the socials.By Leigh

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Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | The Cabin | 3 43:51

2M ago43:51

43:51

Elmo and his son Randy leave the girls behind, paddling ahead in their Sport-Yak to find help—but trouble continues to follow. Though they eventually reach the cabin, the CB radio doesn’t work, and as their frostbitten feet thaw, they can barely stand. Helpless, they spend days struggling to recover while miles away, Cindy and Jena remain alone on …

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Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | The Raft | 2 40:44

2M ago40:44

40:44

After a powerful storm destroys their sailboat and leaves them stranded on a remote Alaskan island, Elmo Wortman and his children build a raft, determined to reach a friend’s cabin 25 miles north. Elmo expects southeastern winds to carry them there in a day or two, but the journey is far harsher than he imagined. After several grueling days inching…

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Family Shipwrecked in Alaska | Home | 1 47:16

2M ago47:16

47:16

It’s February 13, 1979. Elmo Wortman and his three children are sailing home to Alaska across the frigid North Pacific after a routine orthodontist visit in Canada. But this time, they get caught in a freak storm—80-mile-per-hour winds and towering 20-foot swells rip their homemade sailboat apart, leaving them stranded on a remote island in the dea…

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Skylotec Sirius & Spark used in Training 5:28

2M ago5:28

5:28

At 5th Point we have been using the Skylotec descenders for over 10 months now. Here is an update on what we know now.By Leigh

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Fallen on Mount Whitney | 1 46:41

2M ago46:41

46:41

In April of 1982, Jean Muenchrath and her boyfriend had nearly completed a 230-mile cross-country ski trip through California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. On the final day of their journey, they planned to hike the highest peak in the lower 48 states: Mount Whitney. But on the summit, the pair was engulfed in a blizzard and lightning storm. On this s…

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ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Breaking Free | 4 44:05

3M ago44:05

44:05

When the Americans finally act out and decide to fight for their lives, they’re left alone in an inhospitable mountain rage full of rebel militants and a trigger happy army. Far more than just a rescue mission, the climbers have to cross miles of treacherous terrain in the black of night with hopes that they won’t be mistaken for an insurgent milit…

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IRATA RASS 9:36

3M ago9:36

9:36

The time we have been waiting a while for the RASS Rope Access Safety Supervisor course is here. What to know who can become a RASS, or who can run a RASS course. Take a listen and find out all the info.By Leigh

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ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Fight or Flight | 3 41:51

3M ago41:51

41:51

Days without food or water start to weaken the young climbers as their captors push them further into the mountains and further from civilization. But their captors are starting to lose steam too. On a cold dark evening the Americans are left alone with only one of their kidnappers and it dawns on them: there won’t be many more moments where they m…

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ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Hostage Situation | 2 44:53

3M ago44:53

44:53

After being kidnapped by rebel militants in a remote region of Kyrgyzstan, four American rock climbers are forced at gunpoint toward the Uzbekistan border. But their captors are being trailed by the Kygyz army. Soon, the unwitting climbers find themselves in the middle of a firefight of epic proportions and they have to hide to stay alive. As night…

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Hanging haul 5:14

3M ago5:14

5:14

How did the hanging haul become a thing? This week we have a look at how we ended up in the roof of a training centre, hauling one of our mates to the roof. To then send him back to the ground. Is this a real situation?By Leigh

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ENCORE: Rock Climbers Abducted | Welcome to Paradise | 1 44:37

3M ago44:37

44:37

In August of the year 2000, four American rock climbers set out to explore the majesty of the Pamir Alai Mountain range in Kyrgyzstan. But only a week into their expedition, they’re taken captive by rebel militants. The group is forced to hike through brutal terrain under the cover of night to avoid detection by the Kyrgyz army. With little to no f…

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ENCORE: Stranded in Joshua Tree | 1 44:49

4M ago44:49

44:49

On May 22, 2018, Claire Nelson set out on what she thought would be a four-hour hike in Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. An experienced hiker, Claire packed plenty of water and followed an established trail in a park visited by millions of people each year. But after taking a wrong turn, she slipped off a boulder and shattered her p…

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Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | Togo’s Descendants | 4 36:00

4M ago36:00

36:00

In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the Nome Serum Run, Maine musher Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes is recreating the run. And he’s doing it with a team descended directly from Leonhard Seppala’s original dogs. Today, Hayes joins host Mike Corey to talk about the inspiration and preparations to travel hundreds of frozen miles across Alaska. Hayes is …

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Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | The Final Miles | 3 41:39

4M ago41:39

41:39

With a blizzard gaining force, the Mayor of Nome decides the safest choice is to halt the relay, rather than risk losing lives and the serum itself. But the storm makes it hard to spread the news of the Mayor’s order. Musher Gunnar Kaasen and his unlikely lead dog Balto decide to push ahead, battling whiteout conditions and 80-mile-an-hour gusts in…

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Ep 31. Rock Exotica 59:10

4M ago59:10

59:10

On this episode of the CMC Podcast, CMC instructor Doug McElmury talks to Rock Thompson from Rock Exotica. Rock Thompson is one of the most innovative and prolific people in any discipline that involves life safety rope equipment. In this podcast, Rock tells the story of the humble beginnings of Rock Exotica and how it has grown into a brand known …

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Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | The Ice Factory | 2 43:08

4M ago43:08

43:08

The diphtheria outbreak in Nome is spreading fast as a relay of dogsled teams races across Alaska, carrying the only available medicine. Leonard Seppala knows that if he and his lead dog Togo take a shortcut across the frozen Norton Sound, they can shave off precious time and make it to Nome faster. But Seppala also knows he risks getting blown out…

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Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | Outbreak | 1 43:50

5M ago43:50

43:50

It’s the winter of 1925 and in the remote town of Nome, Alaska, children are dying from a diphtheria outbreak that’s spreading fast. But in the dead of winter, the town is nearly impossible to reach and its supply of medicine is dwindling. The only option is to send the medicine by dogsled, in a relay led by one of Alaska’s best mushers, Leonhard S…

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Crashed in the Canadian Wilderness | The Bonds Forged by Wapiti 402 | 4 35:08

5M ago35:08

35:08

In 1984, Carol Shaben was just 22-years-old when her father, politician Larry Shaben, narrowly survived the Wapiti 402 crash. Nearly 30 years later, she chronicled the crash and the unlikely friendships it forged in her book, Into the Abyss. Today, Carol joins host Cassie De Pecol to discuss how the experience shaped the lives of the four survivors…

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Crashed in the Canadian Wilderness | Search and Rescue | 3 38:28

5M ago38:28

38:28

As the freezing night drags on, the four survivors of a plane crash in the remote Canadian wilderness are running out of things to burn. As hypothermia sets in and their injuries worsen, their spirits begin to falter. Meanwhile, rescuers battle brutal weather conditions in a desperate race to find them before it’s too late. See Privacy Policy at ht…

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Crashed in the Canadian Wilderness | Stranded | 2 44:26

5M ago44:26

44:26

The survivors of a plane crash in the remote Canadian wilderness free themselves from the wreckage and must rely on the only uninjured passenger among them—a prisoner who was being escorted to face charges—to survive the frigid conditions. Meanwhile, rescue teams scramble to locate the downed plane, but their search is hampered by the dense cloud c…

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Crashed in the Canadian Wilderness | Ice | 1 34:38

6M ago34:38

34:38

On an icy October night in 1984, a young, overworked pilot took off from Edmonton, Alberta, in a small commuter plane with nine passengers aboard, including a politician, a cop and his prisoner. Battling thick cloud cover and the accumulation of ice on the aircraft, the pilot misjudged his descent. Moments later, the plane collided with a hillside …

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Nine Days in the Desert | Return to the Marabout | 4 35:22

6M ago35:22

35:22

In his Netflix sports docuseries Losers, director Mickey Duzyj explores how people respond to failure in a culture where “winning is everything” – and how failure can sometimes lead to greater success. It’s not surprising then that Duzyj tackles Mauro Prosperi’s survival story, and the ripple effects his journey had on Mauro and his loved ones. Tod…

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Nine Days in the Desert I The Finish Line | 3 43:13

6M ago43:13

43:13

Mauro Prosperi has lost count of how many days he’s been lost. In despair, he attempts to take his own life. But when he wakes up still alive, he decides he has to keep going – even if that means climbing over a mountain range — and praying that on the other side, he’ll finally find help. In this episode, we discuss suicide and depression. If you o…

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Nine Days in the Desert I Delirium | 2 41:04

6M ago41:04

41:04

Mauro Prosperi wakes up alone and lost in the middle of the Sahara Desert. He’s forced to drink his own urine, and tries and fails to attract the attention of a rescue plane by burning his belongings. Finally, he takes shelter in an abandoned Islamic burial shrine, where he eats bats and drinks their blood. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newe…

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Nine Days in the Desert I The Race | 1 44:26

6M ago44:26

44:26

It’s April 14, 1994, and an Italian policeman and ultramarathoner named Mauro Prosperi is running the world’s most challenging footrace: the Marathon des Sables, across the Sahara Desert in Morocco. But when a sandstorm kicks up, Mauro finds himself hopelessly lost. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and …

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Whakaari: Eruption on White Island | Dad and Daughter Remember | 4 33:07

7M ago33:07

33:07

On December 9, 2019, Pastor Geoff Hopkins and his 22-year-old daughter, Lillani, visited Whakaari/White Island to celebrate Geoff’s 50th birthday—a long-held dream. But as their boat began its return to the mainland, the volcano suddenly erupted, leaving 47 people on the island to endure its blast. Geoff and Lillani quickly found themselves swept u…

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Whakaari: Eruption on White Island | A Long Way Home | 3 46:08

7M ago46:08

46:08

Aboard the Phoenix, the boat carrying many of the survivors back to the mainland, passengers tend to the wounded, who are suffering now from shock in the wake of their terrible burns. Back on White Island, Mark Law and his colleagues come face to face with the awful impact of the eruption. With limited space on their helicopters, they're confronted…

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Whakaari: Eruption on White Island | Hell on Earth | 2 38:19

7M ago38:19

38:19

As a wave of burning steam, ash and debris rolls down toward the shore, 47 tourists and guides sprint for cover, but there is no avoiding the blast. Meanwhile, a boat full of tourists that just left White Island returns to help. And back on the mainland, a local helicopter pilot named Mark Law sees the eruption and makes a fateful decision to fly o…

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Whakaari: Eruption on White Island | A Perfect Day | 1 38:44

7M ago38:44

38:44

On December 9, 2019, 47 tourists and guides set off to visit New Zealand’s most active volcano — Whakaari / White Island — located 30 miles off the country’s north coast. Visitors are amazed as they hike up to the edge of the blue lake at its center, and peer down into the steaming mouth of the crater. But on their way back down, awe turns to horro…

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Encore: K2 - The Savage Mountain I The Final Descent | 3 48:47

8M ago48:47

48:47

Unforeseen conditions have put the world's strongest climbers to the test as they battle their way down the mountain. Before it’s over, the savage mountain will bring on more avalanches and below-zero temperatures. It’s a race against the clock for the remaining climbers to get off the mountain before it’s too late. Listen to Against The Odds on th…

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Encore: K2 - The Savage Mountain I The Death Zone | 2 43:24

8M ago43:24

43:24

An international group of climbers are close to summiting one of the world’s tallest, and most dangerous, mountains. Their goal was to reach the peak by mid-afternoon and get down before dark when temperatures drop to 40 below and the thin air and darkness can leave climbers confused and lost. But problems with the rope line have put them behind an…

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Encore: K2 - The Savage Mountain | Summit Fever | 1 40:19

8M ago40:19

40:19

In the summer of 2008, mountaineers from eight different countries gather at the foot of the world’s second tallest mountain, K2. All of them have a single goal: reach the summit. But to do that they will need to undertake one most difficult, and dangerous, climbs on earth. Sunny mornings can suddenly transform into white out conditions. Avalanches…

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Encore: USS Indianapolis: Disaster at Sea I Rescued | 4 43:36

8M ago43:36

43:36

By sheer chance, an American bomber pilot on a routine test flight has spotted the survivors of U.S.S. Indianapolis, who have been floating in the middle of the Philippine Sea for over three days. But rescuing them will be easier said than done. The survivors are hundreds of miles from the nearest land, and the ocean waters are getting rough. To ge…

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Encore: USS Indianapolis: Disaster at Sea I Holding On | 3 42:25

9M ago42:25

42:25

It’s been two days since U.S.S. Indianapolis sank, and the number of survivors is dwindling. They’re being picked off by sharks, and driven insane by sleep deprivation, dehydration, and saltwater poisoning. As they hope and pray for a rescue, they will encounter a new enemy that none of them could have imagined, even in their worst nightmares. List…

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Encore: USS Indianapolis: Disaster at Sea I Troubled Waters | 2 43:18

9M ago43:18

43:18

The nine hundred men who survived the torpedo attack on the U.S.S. Indianapolis are either drifting in the sea, fighting strong currents and swells, or clinging to rafts. They’re at the mercy of the ocean, hundreds of miles from land, with dwindling supplies and no drinking water. And soon, they’ll have to confront a terrifying new challenge – shar…

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Encore: USS Indianapolis: Disaster at Sea I Abandon Ship | 1 43:54

9M ago43:54

43:54

In the final weeks of World War II, the Navy cruiser U.S.S. Indianapolis was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the middle of the Philippine Sea. The nine hundred survivors found themselves stranded in the middle of the open ocean, many without rafts or life vests, wondering when – or if – help was coming. This is the story of the greates…

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Piper Alpha: Oil Rig Disaster | A Survivor Remembers | 5 35:35

9M ago35:35

35:35

Diver Ed Punchard loved his job and the people on Piper Alpha, even if it meant working on a noisy rig for weeks at a time, far out in the North Sea. Being part of a dive team meant everyone trained hard and relied on each other to stay alive. But nothing could have prepared Ed and his colleagues for what happened on July 6th, 1988. Today, Ed joins…

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Piper Alpha: Oil Rig Disaster | Collapse | 4 45:34

9M ago45:34

45:34

At 10:52pm, Piper Alpha is hit by the biggest explosion yet. Soon, the rig begins to break apart and tumble into the ocean, dooming the men still trapped inside. Meanwhile, rescuers like Z-boat commander James McNeill risk their lives to pull men from the debris-strewn water beneath the burning rig. Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or …

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Piper Alpha: Oil Rig Disaster | Explosions | 3 42:12

10M ago42:12

42:12

As the fire continues to rage on Piper Alpha, rescuers in small motorboats race to get workers off the burning oil rig. Diver Ed Punchard has his men climb down a rope to safety, while electrician Bob Ballantyne tries to lead his friends down a series of smoke-filled stairways. Then, when another huge explosion rocks the rig, some men are forced to…

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Piper Alpha: Oil Rig Disaster | Inferno | 2 39:08

10M ago39:08

39:08

After an explosion rocks the Piper Alpha oil rig, a huge, smoky fire begins to spread, taking down the rig’s power supply and communications equipment. Workers hurry to their evacuation stations, and a state-of-the-art rescue ship, the Tharos, moves into position to battle the blaze and get men off the platform. But soon, it becomes clear that this…