We’ve got our first listener survival story! And trust us — it delivers.

This week, Cheryl shares a wild real-life tale submitted by a listener, packed with adrenaline and close calls. Then we dive into the deadly world of hippos that attack, kiteboards that launch without warning, and brakes that fail when you need them most.

It’s a mix of wild animals, wild gear, and wildly bad luck — with just enough survival instinct to walk away.

🦛 Hungry hippos.

🪁 Rogue kiteboards.

#DeadOrSurvive #HippoAttack #ListenerStory #KiteboardingFail #BrakeFailure #SurvivalPodcast #DarwinAwards #TrueStories

At just 15 years old, Mary Vincent was brutally attacked while hitchhiking in California. Her arms were cut off. She was thrown from a cliff. And somehow… she lived. This week, Cheryl tells the extraordinary survival story of a teenager who refused to die — and what happened when she came face to face with her attacker in court.

Then Rob, as always, helps us process the darkness with some truly absurd Darwin Award winners — including a man who played with live hand grenades and another who thought gasoline was a fun beverage choice.

💀 One brutal survival.

💣 Two explosive mistakes.

😬 Zero common sense.

#MaryVincent #SurvivorStory #DeadOrSurvive #HitchhikingHorror #DarwinAwards #TrueCrimePodcast #BrutalSurvival #LawrenceSingleton

What happens when you fall 47 stories from the top of a New York high-rise?

If you’re Alcides Moreno — somehow, you live. In one of the most jaw-dropping survival stories ever recorded, Cheryl tells the unbelievable tale of a man who should have died on impact… but didn’t.

Then, Rob is back with a triple dose of absurdity:

🦤 ostrich attacks,

🎄 Christmas chaos with weaponized decorations,

and a Darwin Award-worthy display of bad neighbor behavior that truly brings the holiday spirit down a notch.

💥 Gravity, birds, and bad decisions — this one has it all.

#AlcidesMoreno #DeadOrSurvive #WindowWasherSurvivor #JurassicParkVibes #OstrichAttack #ChristmasFails #DarwinAwards #TrueSurvivalStories

Imagine waking up trapped underwater — in total darkness — 100 feet beneath the ocean’s surface. For three days.

That’s exactly what happened to Harrison Okene, the cook aboard the Jackson 4, when his ship capsized off the coast of Nigeria. With no scuba gear, no light, and no idea if rescue was even coming, he clung to life in a tiny air pocket at the bottom of the Atlantic.

Cheryl dives into this mind-blowing deep-sea survival story, and Rob follows up with the perfect palate cleanser: Darwin Award-worthy disasters involving bungee jumping gone wrong and a mail carrier’s epic fail you truly won’t believe.

🌊 Trapped at sea.

🎣 Saved by science and luck.

🤦‍♂️ And some of the dumbest decisions ever caught on record.

#DeadOrSurvive #HarrisonOkene #UnderwaterSurvivor #DarwinAwards #BungeeJumpFail #TrueSurvivalStory #OceanRescue #ScubaDivingGoneWrong

What starts as a casual second date ends with both Danielle and Daniel shot in the face — but somehow still alive. In a horrifying twist of fate, the couple found themselves ambushed by a gunman in broad daylight. Bleeding, stunned, and barely conscious, they pulled off a survival story that’s nothing short of miraculous.

And if that’s not wild enough — we wrap this episode with some fresh Darwin Award Winners, because what could possibly go wrong when you mix geysers, snowblowers, and a total lack of common sense?

💥 True crime meets survival.

🧠 Shot in the head… and still cracking jokes.

🥇 Plus: Darwin Award disasters you won’t believe.

#DeadOrSurvive #TrueCrimePodcast #DanielleAndDaniel #SurvivorCouple #DarwinAwards #ShotAndSurvived #SecondDateSurvival

At 17, Juliane Koepcke boarded a flight through the Peruvian rainforest. She had no idea she'd soon be freefalling through the sky — the sole survivor of a devastating crash.

After falling two miles into the Amazon jungle, Juliane awoke strapped to her seat with a broken collarbone, a swollen eye, and one sandal. For the next 11 days, she fought hunger, bugs, infection, and despair — all alone — using only her instincts and the survival lessons her father once taught her.

This is the true story of what it takes to survive the unimaginable.

🌿 Jungle horror.

🦋 Miraculous escape.

🩸 One girl. Zero gear. No way out.

#JulianeKoepcke #SurvivalStory #DeadOrSurvive #PlaneCrashSurvivor #TrueCrimePodcast #AmazonJungle #AgainstAllOdds

Followed by Canadian Darwin award winners. Listen to hear some good stories, Eh?

When Jennifer Morey moved into what was supposed to be a safe, upscale apartment complex in Houston, she had no idea the real danger was already inside. After waking up to a man in her bedroom — bleeding, terrified, and half-conscious — Jennifer realized she was fighting for her life against a predator in disguise: a private security guard.

This is the story of one of the most chilling home invasions in U.S. history — and the fierce survivor who used her wits, strength, and a 911 call to make it out alive

Followed by Darwin award stories, that prove that women can also win Darwin awards, despite Cheryl's comments in past episodes

What starts as a sailing dream turns into a salty nightmare when a young couple’s boat is rammed by a whale and sinks — leaving them stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with almost nothing. For the next 118 days, they drift in a life raft battling starvation, sharks, and the unforgiving sea.

This episode dives into one of the most jaw-dropping animal-related survival stories ever recorded — and sticks the landing with a few Darwin Award winners who prove that sometimes, nature’s biggest threat... is us.

🌊 Lost at sea.

🐋 Whale collision.

🦎 And of course, animals doing what animals do — in both survival and stupidity.

#SurvivalStory #DeadOrSurvive #LifeRaftSurvival #DarwinAwards #OceanDisaster #WhaleAttack #TrueStoriesPodcast #AnimalEncounters

Imagine being trapped in the mountains for an entire winter… watching people around you die of starvation, frostbite, and despair. How desperate would you have to be to eat the remains of your loved ones?

This is the harrowing true story of the Donner Party — a group of pioneers who set out for California in 1846 and wound up snowbound in the Sierra Nevada for months. Delays, bad luck, and brutal weather led to one of the darkest chapters in overland migration history — a tale of survival, desperation, and unthinkable choices.

Cheryl dives deep into the chilling events that unfolded on that mountain pass — and what it took to survive when all hope (and food) was gone.

Then Rob lightens the mood the only way he knows how: by honoring the poor souls who ignored common sense and paid the price — with this week’s Darwin Award nominees.

🧊 Cannibalism, snow, starvation... and snowblowers.

💀 One story of survival. One list of the dumbest ways to die.

#DonnerParty #DeadOrSurvive #TrueSurvivalStory #Cannibalism #MountainDisaster #DarwinAwards #TrueCrimePodcast