
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen recount the harrowing 20-hour survival and rescue ordeal of 65-year-old Lithuanian adventurer Valdas Bieliauskas in the wilderness of Tasmania. After a tragic fall left Valdas' leg wedged between two boulders in freezing rapids, his friends and a dedicated Australian rescue team faced impossible decisions and extraordinary challenges. The rescue's climax involved an underwater amputation performed with minimal resources, saving Valdas' life. This story underscores human resilience, the capabilities of modern emergency medicine, and the extraordinary courage of wilderness rescue professionals.
01:32 The Incident on the Franklin River
04:03 The Rescue Operation Begins
07:04 The Struggle to Free Valdas
16:24 Critical Decisions and Final Attempts
21:13 A Desperate Situation
21:43 The Arrival of Dr. Kippax
22:57 The Underwater Amputation
26:39 A Race Against Time
29:15 The Miracle of Hypothermia
30:42 A Remarkable Recovery
34:14 Reflections on Risk and Rescue
38:52 Valdas' Future Plans
41:44 Final Thoughts and Gratitude
42:57 Closing Remarks
Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast
Email us! [email protected]
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/
Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
By Kaycee McIntosh, Julie Henningsen, Bleav3.9
416416 ratings
In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen recount the harrowing 20-hour survival and rescue ordeal of 65-year-old Lithuanian adventurer Valdas Bieliauskas in the wilderness of Tasmania. After a tragic fall left Valdas' leg wedged between two boulders in freezing rapids, his friends and a dedicated Australian rescue team faced impossible decisions and extraordinary challenges. The rescue's climax involved an underwater amputation performed with minimal resources, saving Valdas' life. This story underscores human resilience, the capabilities of modern emergency medicine, and the extraordinary courage of wilderness rescue professionals.
01:32 The Incident on the Franklin River
04:03 The Rescue Operation Begins
07:04 The Struggle to Free Valdas
16:24 Critical Decisions and Final Attempts
21:13 A Desperate Situation
21:43 The Arrival of Dr. Kippax
22:57 The Underwater Amputation
26:39 A Race Against Time
29:15 The Miracle of Hypothermia
30:42 A Remarkable Recovery
34:14 Reflections on Risk and Rescue
38:52 Valdas' Future Plans
41:44 Final Thoughts and Gratitude
42:57 Closing Remarks
Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast
Email us! [email protected]
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/
Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

10,422 Listeners

823 Listeners

1,919 Listeners

19,044 Listeners

855 Listeners

993 Listeners

7,766 Listeners

468 Listeners

1,286 Listeners

751 Listeners

398 Listeners

107 Listeners

872 Listeners

959 Listeners

469 Listeners