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, we're diving into a story that had me on the edge of my seat, a three-day ordeal

that could have easily ended in tragedy.

We're talking about Ryan Wardwell's rescue from seven teacups waterfall in California this past August. Julie,

when I first heard about someone surviving three days trapped behind a waterfall in hypothermic conditions,

my immediate thought was, how is that even possible? That was my reaction, too, Casey,

from a medical standpoint, prolonged cold exposure like this should be fatal. The fact that Ryan

survived tells us a lot about human resilience, but also highlights some pretty critical lessons

about wilderness medicine and rescue operations.

Right. And what makes the story even more compelling is how seven teacups has become an

Instagram hotspot. But it's actually an expert level technical canyon that's claimed multiple lives.

Exactly. We're going to break down not just what happened to Ryan, but the

medical aspects of his survival, which are pretty remarkable. The incredible rescue operation

and what this incident teaches us about staying safe in these increasingly popular but dangerous

locations. So let's start with Ryan Wardwell himself.

Who is this guy? And how did he end up in this situation?

...