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Against The Odds

Wondery

Cassie De Pecol, History, Society & Culture, Dolby, Mike Corey, Dolby Atmos, Atmos

4.7 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As the search for the missing climbers enters its second day, rescuers redouble their efforts to find the lost students and their adult guides. But the vastness of the search area presents major challenges. Rescue workers and parents face the awful reality that the missing climbers' chances for survival are dwindling rapidly. But then, a crucial discovery gives them hope, and profoundly alters the nature of the search.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Against the Odds early and ad-free right now.
0:05.6	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:09.6	Join Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app to listen to Against the Odds early and ad-free.
0:17.0	This episode of Against the Odds contains depictions of suffering and death that some listeners may find disturbing.
0:24.4	Please be advised.
0:33.8	Ralph Summers looks out the scuffed window of a military helicopter as it hovers over the south side of Mount Hood.
0:42.1	He scans the snow-covered slopes below him, hoping to find some familiar landmarks.
0:47.7	But all he can see is an endless blanket of white.
0:51.8	Summers smacks the side of his face a couple times to wake himself up.
0:55.0	He hasn't slept in over 36 hours, but he has to keep his fatigue at bay.
1:02.0	The search and rescue workers riding in the helicopter with Summers are counting on him.
1:07.0	He needs to find the rest of his climbing party before they freeze to death on the side of this
1:12.6	mountain. Those 11 climbers are sheltered inside a tiny snow cave somewhere on the slopes below.
1:20.6	Nine of the climbers are teenagers from Oregon Episcopal School. Summers was hired as a climbing
1:26.5	consultant to help guide the group to the top of the mountain.
1:30.3	He assumed the climb would be straightforward.
1:33.3	But near the summit, they were suddenly caught in a vicious blizzard.
1:37.3	Summers dug the snow cave so they could take refuge from the elements.
1:41.3	That was at 8.30 p.m. last night, almost 20 hours ago.
1:47.0	This morning, Summers and a student named Molly Shula
1:50.3	hiked down the mountain to find help.
1:53.2	They risked their lives fighting through the storm.
	...

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