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The CRUX: True Survival Stories

10 Days Lost: California Hiker Survives Santa Cruz Mountains Against All Odds | E200

The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Bleav + Kaycee McIntosh + Julie Henningsen

Society & Culture, Halloween, Wilderness, True Crime, Nature, National, Crime, Documentary

4.0606 Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In June 2024, 34-year-old Lukas McClish set out for a three-hour hike near his California hometown and vanished for 10 days in the burn-scarred Santa Cruz Mountains, surviving on creek water drunk from his boot and wild berries while a mountain lion stalked him through the wilderness. This is the story of how an experienced hiker got lost less than a mile from home, the massive search that followed, and the simple survival strategy that kept him alive when rescue seemed impossible.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Out there, survival isn't about luck.

0:03.0

It's about being ready.

0:04.1

And for over 100 years, that's what Case Knives has stood for.

0:07.5

Built with legendary craftsmanship in Bradford, Pennsylvania,

0:11.2

these knives have been trusted by soldiers, explorers,

0:14.6

and everyday people who know capability matters.

0:17.8

This holiday season, give the gift of confidence.

0:20.8

Give the gift of case knives.

0:22.6

Find yours at caseknives.com.

0:28.7

Hello, survivalists. This is the Crux True Survival Story podcast.

0:39.0

I'm Casey McIntosh.

0:40.4

And I'm Julie Henningson.

0:44.0

And we are medical professionals with a passion for wilderness survival.

0:49.6

Join us as we explore real-life survival stories and the critical moments that determine their outcomes.

0:50.7

Buckle up.

0:51.7

Adventure awaits.

0:53.5

Let's dive into this week's story. So there you are, Casey,

0:58.3

crouched beside a waterfall in the Santa Cruz Mountains, filling your hiking boot with creek water.

1:04.6

It's your 10th morning doing this, your 10th morning of the same routine that's keeping you alive.

1:12.5

The leather in your boot is getting soft from the constant soaking, but it's all you have. No water bottle, no backpack, no food.

1:19.7

Just this boot, this water, and the wild berries you find between the waterfalls. You tilt your

1:26.0

head back and drink straight from the boot, the cold

...

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