Six hundred miles from where Hurricane Helene slammed into the Florida coast, a group of bridesmaids found themselves trapped on a mountainside.
Kayla Donnelly is getting married in a couple months… but before her big day, she’s planned a bachelorette weekend to remember. She’s booked a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina for herself and her 10 best friends.
Her idyllic plans turn disastrous when the remnants of Hurricane Helene flatten the surrounding forest and flood the nearby city of Asheville. They are trapped with no food, water, or electricity, and they have no idea how to escape.
But thanks to a stranger, who was actually looking for other people who might need help, they get what they need to find their way home.
We also talk to travel influencer Johnny Jet about travelling during hurricane season.

Kayla Donnelly and her friends started a GoFundMe page to raise money to send to the citizens of Asheville, NC.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-families-stranded-on-asheville-mountainside
Ben Moore still lives in the Asheville area. He continues to help with the recovery efforts.
Johnny Jet has flown millions of miles and visited over 75 countries. If something can go wrong while travelling, it has probably happened to him! https://johnnyjet.com/

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

As a luxury cruise ship sinks, unlikely heroes come to the rescue.
Rose-Marie Howe was shocked when her cruise was interrupted by a blackout. But she soon realized the loss of power was the least of her concerns. The ship was sinking, and no one seemed to know what to do.
Moss Hills, a guitarist in the ship’s band, decided to go to the lounge to investigate. He found instruments thrown about the stage and realized he couldn’t hear the ship’s engines. He also couldn’t find the captain or any of the senior crew. This is the story of how a guitarist, a bass player and two magicians saved hundreds of lives.
We also talk to marine historian Mallory Haas about what we can learn from disasters at sea.

Rose-Marie Rowe maintains a blog dedicated to the disaster.

Moss Hills is still working on cruise ships and is currently a cruise director for Silversea Cruises. He maintains a webpage dedicated to the disaster.

Mallory Haas is the director of The SHIPS Project, a volunteer non-profit organization that undertakes research and exploration of maritime historical sites and events.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

A simple drive home becomes a life-or-death struggle.
The weather wasn’t great, but Bryan Pederson was just a few blocks from home on a street he had driven a thousand times. Still, the wind was howling and rain was pouring down. Sitting at a traffic light, he heard a loud crack. Instantly, he was trapped in a car being crushed by a tree.
Ten cars drove past the scene, peering through the rain at the crumpled SUV and the tree blocking the road. Nine of them turned around and drove away. This is the story of the driver who didn’t: a single mom with three kids in the car. Later, Bryan would have an opportunity to thank her in an unexpected way.
Also, we talk with David Bennett, a driving safety expert who explains the importance of your tires when it comes to making your vehicle “road ready.”

Bryan Pederson and Veronica Marin have remained close friends.

David Bennett is the manager of repair systems for AAA.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

From a crowd of onlookers, one person steps forward to help.
A teenage girl named Maddie walked to a highway overpass and stopped. As dozens of cars sped past, she climbed a railing, looked over the edge and considered stepping off. A few cars stopped then and people began to gather, but only person, David Johnson, sat down and talked to Maddie. That conversation led to a scream, a laugh and eventually a hug. This is the story of how someone was saved and someone else was changed.
We also speak with Martha Thomas, the mother of a young woman who took her own life and the co-founder of an organization called “The Defensive Line.”

Maddie is now in college and wants to work in the mental health field to help people who find themselves in a situation like hers.
David Johnson is now a mental health counselor. (https://yourmindinmyhand.com/).
Martha and Chris Thomas and their son Solomon Thomas, a defensive lineman in the NFL, have founded The Defensive Line. (https://thedefensiveline.org/) It is an organization focused on reducing stigma and creating connections to save young lives.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

A leisurely float with friends nearly ends in tragedy.
On a hot summer afternoon, Abi Sherman and some friends decided to cool off by floating down the Snoqualmie River in Washington. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she had plenty of experience in rivers. This time, however, everything went wrong. Her tube got stuck on a stump and she slipped into the freezing cold water. Without a life jacket, she was unable to stay afloat in the fast-moving river and her friends were too far downstream to help. As she was tossed by rapids and smashed into rocks, a stranger came to her rescue.
We also talk with Peg Phillips, a boat safety expert, about what you can do to stay safe in and around the water.

Abi Sherman is now a high school special education teacher.
Hannah Hailee is a counselor with Meadow Counseling.
Peg Phillips is the executive director of the National Safe Boating Council.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

Social media comes to the rescue.
Stacey Eno loves to travel. Her friend Mikey does too, and so they made plans to meet up and explore Bali. After settling into their hotel, they decided to take a scooter to the town of Ubud for dinner. As they returned to the hotel in the dark, they veered off the road and tumbled into a ravine.
They were left there for hours, critically injured, unable to move. Mikey was, however, able to send a six-word Facebook post. That set in motion hundreds of people trying to help. In the end, it was the unrelenting effort of a freelance writer in the Poconos that led to their rescue.
We also talk with world traveler Jessica Nabongo about what to do when things go wrong in a foreign country.

Stacey Eno has resumed teaching and still loves traveling the world.

Aimee Spevak is a freelance medical writer.

Jessica Nabongo visited every country in the world by the age of 35. She is currently writing a cookbook of recipes from her travels.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

Something good emerges from something awful.

Chantal Melanson was a country girl from Canada. Austin Monfort was a college student from California. They met at a country bar in Las Vegas the night before the Route 91 Harvest Festival. By the next day, they were living the plot of a romance novel until gunfire erupted. The mass shooting claimed the lives of 60 people. The story of how Chantal and Austin escaped, helping another along the way, is terrifying and, ultimately, heartwarming.

We also talk to Daniel Ward, a crowd security expert about what you can do to stay safe when you go to a large event.

WARNING: This episode describes gun violence and mass panic.

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Chantal and Austin Monfort are happily raising their kids in Southern California.

Daniel Ward is director of training and integrated systems at the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

A fight for life in the Canadian wilderness.

Colin Dowler spent his whole life looking at the mountain named after his grandfather. Finally, at the age of 45, he decided to climb it. What should have been a two-day hike turned into a fight for his life when he encountered a massive grizzly bear. It took an extraordinary sequence of events to save his life.

We also talk with Dr. Matt Levy with the American Red Cross about the things that had to line up for Colin to survive and what you can do to help someone who needs blood.

WARNING: This episode describes a graphic and violent attack that may be disturbing to some listeners.

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Kalani Polson is the unit chief for Vancouver’s Critical Care Team at Station 280 YVR.

Dr Matt Levy is a doctor with the American Red Cross.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.