April 10, 2025

Disaster Strikes! Tragedy in Death Valley: The German Tourist Mystery | E 156

29 minutes

In this inaugural episode of the new podcast segment 'Disaster Strikes,' host Kaycee McIntosh, joined by Julie Henningsen, explores a tragic outdoor adventure case. They recount the story of four German tourists who vanished in Death Valley in 1996, leading to one of the park’s most enduring mysteries. Through an in-depth examination of their journey and the subsequent discovery of their remains over a decade later, the episode highlights the extreme dangers of Death Valley and provides essential lessons for wilderness survival. The narrative underscores the importance of preparation, understanding the environment, and making prudent decisions in the face of nature's unforgiving challenges.

00:00 Introduction to Disaster Strikes

01:25 The Death Valley Germans: A Mysterious Disappearance

01:57 Understanding the Dangers of Death Valley

04:05 The Fateful Journey Begins

08:11 The Search and Discovery

17:25 Piecing Together the Tragedy

21:52 Lessons Learned from the Death Valley Germans

28:14 Final Thoughts and Cautionary Advice

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Primary Source Documentation

Mahood, Tom. "The Hunt for the Death Valley Germans." OtherHand.org. Accessed March 2025. A comprehensive account written by the person who ultimately solved the case in 2009.

News Articles and Official Resources

"Death Valley Germans." Wikipedia. Last edited February 23, 2025. A general overview of the case with multiple sources cited.

"Death Valley skeletons solve riddle of missing German tourists." The Telegraph. November 14, 2009.

"Remains May Be Tourists Missing 13 Years." CBS News. November 13, 2009.

Flinchum, Robin. "Interest continues in 20-year Death Valley mystery." Pahrump Valley Times. July 22, 2016.

Flinchum, Robin. "Twentieth anniversary of one of Death Valley's baffling mysteries." Pahrump Valley Times. July 20, 2016.

"Van of Missing German Tourists Found in Death Valley Park." Los Angeles Times. October 25, 1996.

Gorman, Tom. "Search Ends for 4 Missing German Tourists." Los Angeles Times. October 31, 1996.

"Children Still Missing in 1996 German Tourist Case." Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News. March 8, 2010.

National Park Service. "Safety." Death Valley National Park. Official park safety guidelines.

Online Resources and Documentaries

"One Family's Desperate Attempt to Survive in the Scorching Desert | The Death Valley Germans Story." Outdoor Disasters YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjEOYOZpGPo

"Death Valley Germans - companion reading." Medium.com. September 11, 2016.

"The German Tourists in Death Valley - Disturbing deaths in U.S. national parks and deserts." StrangeOutdoors.com.

"Searching for the Death Valley Germans." Compiled by Cassidy Garrett. June 3, 2021.

"Death Valley Germans." OddMurdersAndMysteries.com. August 10, 2020.

"Missing German Family." Vanished.us. Death Valley Cases.

Technical Information

Death Valley National Park. "Weather and Climate." Information on temperature records and climate conditions in Death Valley.

National Weather Service. Historic weather data for Death Valley, July 1996.

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By Kaycee McIntosh, Julie Henningsen, Bleav

3.9

425425 ratings