On July 17, 2006, 29-year-old Dave Buschow collapsed and died from dehydration less than 100 yards from water during a Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) course in Utah. Despite showing clear signs of severe dehydration for hours—pale skin, muscle cramps, slurred speech, and hallucinations—his guide never offered the emergency water he carried in his pack. This episode examines how institutional philosophy can override basic safety protocols, and asks: who is qualified to make life-or-death medical decisions in the wilderness?

00:46 The Tragic Story of Dave Buschow

01:29 Understanding Wilderness Survival Schools

02:36 The Appeal of Survival Challenges

06:46 The Psychological and Physical Risks

07:54 The Boulder Outdoor Survival School

12:38 Dave Buschow's Final Journey

18:45 The Effects of Severe Dehydration

21:24 Dehydration and Volume Shock

22:53 Recognizing and Reversing Symptoms

25:40 The Tragic Collapse

27:02 Emergency Response and Aftermath

29:01 Legal and Institutional Repercussions

31:41 Lessons and Changes

35:56 Ongoing Debate and Reflection

41:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

• Garfield County Sheriff's Office Investigation Report, July 2006
• Utah Office of the Medical Examiner Autopsy Report (Dr. Edward Leis), July 2006
• Associated Press FOIA Documents, May 2007
• Hebert/Buschow v. Boulder Outdoor Survival School, Federal Lawsuit, May 2007
• US Forest Service Permit Suspension Documents, 2006-2007

• Sean O'Neill (guide) written statement to Garfield County Sheriff's Office, July 19, 2006
• Course participant accounts (via FOIA documents)
• Deputy Ray Gardner, Garfield County Sheriff's Office

• Patricia Hebert (mother) and Rob Buschow (brother) public statements
• RememberDave.net (memorial website)

• Official website: www.boss-inc.com
• Course materials and policies (2006 and current)
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit filing (2018)

• Wilderness First Aid (WFA) vs. Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification standards
• Standard medical protocols for dehydration and hypovolemic shock
• Wilderness medicine oral rehydration protocols

• Milgram obedience experiment (authority compliance research)
• Dave Buschow's BOSS application and medical clearance (May 2006)
• News coverage: Associated Press reports (May-November 2007)

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February 28, 1987. Miller Cave, Iowa.

Five college students, their geology professor Kathy McCluskey, and staff member Mike Price descended 112 feet into a vertical shaft in an Iowa farm field. What should have been a routine winter caving trip became a fight for survival when a storm shifted direction and water began pouring into the cave.

Student leader Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) shares his firsthand account of climbing through freezing spray in complete darkness while battling severe hypothermia—making impossible decisions when conditions turned deadly.

Seven people entered Miller Cave that day. Only five would make it out alive.

This episode explores the technology limitations of 1987, the split-second decisions that determined who lived and who died, and the survival lessons that matter today: trust your gut, avoid sunk cost fallacy, and respect how quickly conditions can change in the wild.

We honor the memory of those lost that day.

Hosted by Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen

️ Contains descriptions of hypothermia, drowning, and death.

Share your survival story: thecruxsurvival@gmail.com

0:00 Welcome to The Crux: True Survival Stories

2:12 Miller Cave, Iowa, 1987: The Sinkhole That Became a Death Trap

4:04 Meet Chad Blietz (now Chad Darby) and the Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program

7:06 The Haunting Breakfast: Plans and Futures

7:51 Inside Miller Cave: 112 Feet Down, 42°F, and Vertical

11:00 Prepared But Vulnerable: 1987 Gear and Technology Limits

17:22 Water on the Rope: The First Sign of Trouble

18:36 Chad's Climb: Total Darkness, Freezing Spray, and Hypothermia

22:05 Four Still Trapped Below: The Crisis Escalates

24:00 Mike Price's Climb and Chad's Impossible Choice

28:37 Survival in a Chimney: Bart and Stone Wait in Rising Water

30:20 No Cell Phones: Racing for Help in a Snowstorm

32:09 The Rescue: 75 Responders, Bodies Recovered

34:52 Aftermath: Guilt, Media Scrutiny, and Panic Attacks

40:03 The Thin Margin: Leadership, Intuition, and Split-Second Decisions

41:22 Chad's Second Chance and Final Lessons

43:48 Closing: Trust Your Gut, Honor the Lost

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On February 10, 2008, Fred Frederickson and James Osborne started what should have been a routine winter day hike on New Hampshire's Franconia Ridge. Within hours, conditions changed catastrophically—temperatures plummeted to single digits, winds reached seventy miles per hour, and both men were fighting for their lives on an exposed mountain ridge. As night fell and the storm intensified, rescue teams mobilized for a desperate search in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable. This episode explores the cascade of small decisions that turned a beautiful Sunday hike into a tragedy, and the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers who risked everything to bring them home. A story about friendship, survival, and the unforgiving nature of winter in the White Mountains.

00:46 Welcome to The Crux + Listener Shoutout
01:25 Eyelids Frozen Shut on Little Haystack
02:17 Meet Fred & James + The Franconia Ridge Loop Plan
04:47 Overdressed, Sweating, and Wet Layers
05:46 The Forecast They Missed: 70–100 MPH Winds Incoming
06:40 Above Treeline: The Storm ‘Switch’ Flips
08:48 No Shelter, No Fire: Hypothermia Signs and the Fight Back to Haystack
11:12 Night in a Rock Cave: Deep Hypothermia and Rewarming Basics
15:24 Missing from Work: Search Teams Mobilize in Brutal Conditions
17:37 Found on the Ridge: Black Hawk Night Landing Rescue
19:07 Hospital Battle: ‘Warm and Dead,’ Rewarming, and Frostbite Losses
20:58 Aftermath & Lessons: Hike Safe Tips
27:14 Final Takeaways + Book Rec

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1. Boston Globe, September 15, 2008 - "Hiker recounts horrific struggle for survival on icy N.H. ridge"
2. Boston Herald, February 18, 2008 - "Hub hiker escapes death"
3. New Hampshire Public Radio - "Author Ty Gagne on The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites," December 31, 2020
4. Union Leader, November 29, 2020 - "A tale of life and death on Franconia Ridge"
5. Conway Daily Sun, January 17, 2021 - "The Last Traverse chronicles wintry search-and-rescue mission"
6. SkinnyMoose.com, February 12, 2008 - "Missing Hikers Found In Franconia Notch – One Dead"
7. WhiteBlaze.net forum discussion, February 2008
8. VFTT (Views From The Top) forum, September 14, 2008 - "James Osborne & Fred Fredrickson Follow-up Story"
9. Boston Globe, December 23, 2024 - "White Mountains, New Hampshire search and rescue data"
10. Mount Washington Observatory weather archives
11. NH Fish and Game Department rescue reports
12. Nashua Telegraph, September 14, 2008

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