Hello, survivalists. This is the Crux True Survival Story podcast. I'm Casey McIntosh. And I'm Julie

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

Join us as we explore real-life survival stories

and the critical moments that determine their outcomes.

Buckle up.

Adventure awaits.

Let's dive into this week's story.

Today's story comes from the Gulf of Mexico in March 2012, and it's about friendship, impossible choices,

and what happens when a perfect day of fishing becomes a fight for survival that will test the very

limits of human love and the marine training that shaped two men's lives.

This is the story of Ken Henderson and Ed Cohen, and it begins with

what should have been just another fishing trip between best friends in every way that matters.

When most people think about the Gulf of Mexico, they picture warm, tropical waters, but in March,

the reality is far different. We're talking about water

temperatures in the mid to upper 60s Fahrenheit, cold enough to trigger hypothermia within hours.

The Gulf and March is notorious among mariners because it's still carrying the chill of winter.

And if you end up in the water without proper protection, you're fighting

against time itself. The Gulf of Mexico is a massive body of water, 600,000 square miles of ocean

that can be deceptively calm one moment and deadly the next. It's home to some of the most

productive fishing grounds in North America, which is why

experienced anglers like Ken and Ed were drawn to those oil rigs 50 miles offshore.

These platforms act as artificial reefs attracting baitfish, which in turn draw larger gamefish

...