A retired police officer in rural Alabama was running out of time for a life-saving kidney transplant and his only hope was a stranger. Well, not exactly a stranger.

A New Kidney & A Big Surprise

Things don’t always go as planned: Sometimes a drive in the mountains, or a swim in the ocean, suddenly turns into a dangerous situation. Other times it might be a medical emergency, or a family lost in a foreign country. These are the true stories of people helping people during the most pivotal moments in their lives.

Each episode also includes a conversation with an expert to provide added advice around crisis situations. Featured guests from the first two seasons include a psychologist, a search-and-rescue expert offering practical tips for surviving a blizzard when you are caught in a remote area, an emergency management expert and many more. Tell Me What Happened is brought to you by OnStar.

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Documentary

On September 11, 2001, Stanley Praimnath went to work on the 81st floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center, same as he always did. When a plane struck the north tower, Stanley and many others began their evacuation. But when he reached the lobby, he was told his building was safe and to return to work. He was back in his office minutes later when a plane hit the south tower and tore through his floor.

A 9/11 Miracle

In April 2023, Liv Titor visited Dreamtime beach on Australia's Gold Coast. What happened to her that day felt like a nightmare. After a quick swim, Liv walked out onto a sandbar beside some rocks. Then she felt a pull at her legs and fell into the water. Liv stepped into a rip current that quickly pulled her out to sea towards massive waves and jagged rocks.

Rip Current Rescue

Lani Williams and her mother, Sincerity, could smell smoke, but that wasn’t rare on Maui. Brush fires happen with some regularity. This fire, they quickly learned, was different.

Escaping the Hawaii Wildfires

Bob Tillotson knew the avalanche danger was high when he set out with friends into the Utah backcountry on his snowmobile. But he also knew which areas to avoid. Or so he thought. On January 13, 2024, an avalanche hit Bob without warning, carrying him down the mountain in a wave of snow. When he stopped, he was completely buried and separated from his group.

Under an Avalanche

When Gabriel Otrin and Klever Freire stepped into their office elevator, they naturally assumed they’d be able to get out. It was August 2018, and a massive downpour was causing floods all over Toronto. Gabriel and Klever were working late and went to check on Klever’s car in the basement garage. Before they reached the bottom, however, the elevator stopped with a jerk and began to quickly fill with water. They couldn’t open the doors. They were trapped.

A New Kidney & A Big Surprise

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