Real Survival Stories

Hovercraft Calamity: Out of Control

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two brothers arrange a day trip to the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast. Keen to experience a novel form of transport, they travel by hoverc...

Spider Crack in Plane Window: Rapid Decompression

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An Air Force captain, George Burk, boards a plane bound for a base in Washington State. It’s a Monday morning like any other. Or at least, it should...

Escape Through the Blaze: Follow the Bobcat

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A lost hunter inadvertently sets in motion a terrifying chain of events. As his signal fire gets out of control it becomes a massive, uncontainable wi...

Total Isolation: The Cabin in the Woods…

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An idealistic teenager gets the chance to fulfil his long-held dream of living off-grid for an entire year. But when David Scott and his friend arrive...

Car Stuck Off-Road: Just Like the Movies… (Repeat)

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, another epic story from the Real Survival Stories archive. We’ll be back as normal, every week, after a short break.   A festive famil...

Mayday on Christmas: Epic Ocean Rescue (Repeat)

25 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we take a trip into the Real Survival Stories archive. In case you missed them the first time around, there are over 120 stories in the bac...

Human Fireball in the Mountains of Patagonia

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young New Zealander joins an intrepid crew carving mountain bike trails through the mountains and valleys of Patagonia, Chile. But with just a month...

Rescuers Stranded: Chopper Down in a Snowstorm

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A Canadian Air Force search & rescue team is dispatched to save a fisherman in a critical condition. But as the weather closes in over the icy Labrado...

Introducing: Charles Dickens Ghost Stories - A Christmas Carol

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a preview of a brand-new audiobook from the Noiser Podcast Network. Join Sir David Suchet as he reads a selection of Charles Dickens’s most ...

Man vs Beast: Half-Eaten Alive

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2019, Colin Dowler is exploring the rugged natural beauty around the southwest coast of Canada. After a night camping in the forest, he’s cy...

Typhoon in the Lagoon

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Booth has travelled far from his native England in search of dazzling tropical beauty. In 2015, he’s working as a cruise director onboard a yach...

Bolt From the Blue: Suspended Over a Chasm

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An extreme expedition, an unexpected storm, and an unlikely bolt from the blue all combine to create an extraordinary situation. Rod Liberal and a gro...

Burning Alive: Escape from the Wreckage

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Wilson is on a routine work trip to visit a construction project at Toba Inlet - a wild, remote fjord on the coast of British Columbia. But when h...

Kidnapped in Colombia: Into the Jungle (Part 2 of 2)

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We return to Matt Scott and his terrifying escapade in South America. The young British backpacker was recently kidnapped by armed men. But he’s jus...

Kidnapped in Colombia: Gap Year Gone Wrong (Part 1 of 2)

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A British backpacker nears the end of his gap year in South America. Before flying home, Matt Scott signs up for a guided trek into the mountains of n...

Critical Error: Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A 16-year-old battles through a terrifying human tragedy. Gillian Lashbrooke is on her way home from a family trip to Belgium. But when a critical err...

One Misstep: The 1500ft Fall

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young man seeks fulfilment in the majesty of the great outdoors. But one day, all alone in the Rockies, Ryan Montoya gets into serious trouble. Near...

Coast Guard Rescue: Jumping Into a Seething Ocean

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two Coast Guard swimmers, Michael Odom and Mario Vittone, are dispatched to rescue the crew of a stricken sailboat. But when the helicopter’s cable ...

Introducing: Jane Austen Stories

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a preview of a brand-new audiobook from the Noiser Podcast Network. Join Dame Julie Andrews as she reads Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pr...

One Earthquake, Then Another: Chaos on Mount Logan

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Earthquakes, avalanches and a superstorm combine atop Canada’s highest peak. And we meet the intrepid soul who endured it all. Natalia Martínez has...

Hole in the Ocean: Into the Vortex

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two men set out from Florida, ferrying a fishing boat to Cancún. It’s a routine job that should take a single day. But nearly 100 miles off the coa...

Underwater Labyrinth: Wedged Beneath the Waves

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A keen diver, Nikki Daniels is never happier than when exploring the open seas. 50 feet underwater is her home from home. But in the summer of 1999, o...

Alone in Zambia: Scorching Sun, Out of Water

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chaz Powell is determined to walk the full length of the Zambezi River, from source to mouth. 2,000 miles through harsh terrain, even harsher weather ...

No Mans Canyon: Brothers in Trouble

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A college professor and his older brother set out to explore Utah’s Canyonlands. But when a tricky climbing manoeuvre in a remote desert gully goes ...

Earthquake in India: Buried Alive

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young master’s student studying in the US travels back to India to visit loved ones. It’s a welcome break from his studies. But one morning Vira...

Trapped in the Tropics: Stranger to Saviour

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger presents Warren Macdonald with the adventure opportunity of a lifetime. But deep in Queensland’s Hinch...

Deadliest Day on Everest

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As his surname suggests, Jules Mountain is a man destined to scale the heights. After battling cancer and emerging with a new lease of life, he takes ...

Shipwreck off Australia: Dragged Towards the Rocks

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A merchant vessel departs Tasmania. The scheduled journey time is two days. But 18-year-old Mick Doleman and his crewmates will end up at sea for far ...

Kidnapped at Gunpoint: 81 Days in Captivity

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2013 a celebrated journalist travels to war-torn Syria. But near the front line he’s taken hostage by a group of rebel fighters. Over the next 81...

Lost in the Amazon: Rainforest Nightmare

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Boyer heads to Brazil to explore the largest tropical rainforest on earth. It’s a place of breathtaking beauty and constant sensory stimulation...

Deep Dive Mystery: Hit by the Bends

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Blue Lake holds a mystery deep beneath its surface. And Martin Robson wants to solve it. The British diver descends into the murky depths. But hundred...

Plane Down in Africa: Search Party Lost

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Deep in rural South Africa, it’s a tough life for a farmer. John Moor has spent years tackling thieves who pilfer his livestock. One day he takes a ...

Alone in the Valley: Outdoorsman in Peril

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Burns embarks on a solo expedition into the Blue Mountains of Oregon. But when a freak accident flips the script, this resourceful hunter is turn...

Upended in a Lake: Ivory Coast Ambush

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Ritchey sets out on a relaxing fishing trip in the Ivory Coast - a West African country that is close to his heart. But out on the tranquil water,...

Crumbling Mountainside: Into the Void

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

High in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, a huge shift on the surface of a glacier sends two climbers hurtling down the slope at breakneck speed. With no...

Swept Downstream: Mountain Biker in Costa Rica

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Lyons enters an epic mountain bike race through the heart of Costa Rica. Its fearsome reputation is well deserved. The father of two will end up ...

Two Kilometres Underground: Inches of Breathing Room

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the world’s top cave photographers travels to Russian-occupied Georgia to capture images of a true natural wonder - a cave so deep it takes f...

Skidding off the Freeway: Trapped out of Sight

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On a foggy winter’s night in 2023, Matt Reum is driving home along a deserted stretch of freeway… when suddenly disaster strikes. As his truck swe...

Alpine Adventure: First Date on a Mountain

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel and Jeremy head to Switzerland to explore a notorious peak in the Alps. They’ve planned meticulously... but Mother Nature has other ideas. Ma...

Stranded on Ice: Polar Bears Prowling…

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Glen Gantz is a biologist from Utah who likes to take a walk, or a row, on the wild side. In August 2000, he embarks on a never-before-attempted chall...

Bahamas Hurricane: Water Level Rising

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tara Pyfrom and her family live a life of idyllic bliss in the Bahamas. That is, until 2019 - when Hurricane Dorian makes landfall, plunging their pea...

Eject, Eject: Out of the Cockpit, Into the Unknown

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When a US Navy fighter pilot loses control of his jet it seems his fate is sealed. Even if Kegan Gill can bail himself out of immediate danger, furthe...

Train Disaster: Battered by a Tsunami

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young Brit arrives in Sri Lanka to spend Christmas with family. Festivities over, Shenth Ravindra heads off on a solo trip around the country’s st...

Mayday in the Falklands: Surrounded by Fire

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

May 1982 in the South Atlantic. Argentine jets speed towards a British naval destroyer. On board the vessel, down in the communications room, Chris Ho...

Cowboy in the Wilderness: Real Life Rodeo

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Leif Videen lives a pared back, outdoorsy life in the remote reaches of the Mid West. In October 2015, he embarks on an elk stalking trip in the Wind ...

Introducing: Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 1

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famou...

Sinking Cargo Ship: Adrift Without a Lifejacket

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

London to Guernsey - a simple trip transporting cargo via the world’s busiest shipping lane. Or so you might think… When pounding waves flood thei...

Underground Flood: Climbing Through Caves

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An expedition to the deepest known cave in the world goes suddenly wrong. In 1977, British caver Dick Willis and his companions descend into the dark ...

Lethal Waters: Great Barrier Reef Attack

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justine Barwick loves the Whitsundays. The picturesque Australian islands have been the scene of many a family holiday. But one day - swimming in wate...

Leaping From a Burning Oil Rig: Piper Alpha Down

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest offshore disasters in history. In July 1988, a fire breaks out on the Piper Alpha - a vast oil rig in the North Sea. Those statione...

Lightning Strikes Twice: Tallest Thing on the Mountain

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when millions of electrical volts strike the human body? We meet a man who knows first hand. In 2012, Andrej Orogvani and two friends hea...

Cyclone in the English Channel: Search & Rescue Go

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2007 a once-in-a-lifetime cyclone approaches the UK. Royal Navy search & rescue diver, Jay O’Donnell, finds himself in the eye of the storm. A ti...

Trapped Under the Sunken Titanic

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dik Barton has an amazing job. His 9 to 5 is spent recovering artefacts from the world’s most iconic shipwreck. In August 1994, Dik leads a dive to ...

Snowmobile Excursion: Olympic Athlete vs Nature

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rulon Gardner is no stranger to adversity. At the 2000 Olympic Games he won gold in Greco-Roman wrestling, against all the odds. But in 2002, he finds...

Race Against Time: Deep in Loch Ness

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A diver explores the depths of Loch Ness - on the lookout for a submerged World War Two plane. But suddenly, Hugh Williams finds himself trapped under...

Aid Worker Kidnapped: Daring Bolt for Freedom (Part 2 of 2)

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We return to Jeff Frazier as he prepares for an audacious prison break. In the dead of night, with the guards distracted, he’ll make his move. Can h...

Aid Worker Kidnapped: Held Hostage in Haiti (Part 1 of 2)

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An American humanitarian worker falls prey to a ruthless gang. In April 2023, Jeff Frazier is running a relief programme in Haiti - a beautiful Caribb...

Clinging to a Mast: Boat Going Down

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An Indian naval commander takes leave from the military to take part in a unique nautical contest. No GPS, no computers - the purest test of sailing s...

Flash Flood on Family Hike: Father’s Nightmare

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014, the Greenbergs are enjoying a restorative family holiday on Kauai - a wild and stunning Hawaiian island used as a location for the Jurassic P...

Grizzly Bear Attack: Ambushed in the Rockies (Repeat)

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, another visit to the Real Survival Stories archive. We’ll be back as normal, every week, after a short festive break. Jeremy Evans is a ...

Paragliding Disaster: Sucked Towards the Stratosphere (Repeat)

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we delve into the Real Survival Stories archive. In case you missed them the first time around, there are over 70 stories in the back catal...

Whiteout: Crash Landing in Greenland

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A private plane hits a blizzard somewhere near the Arctic Circle. With their instruments down and visibility gone, Viv Bird and her two friends crash ...

Introducing: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A brand-new release from the Noiser Network. Join Hugh Bonneville on a thrilling journey through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated Holmes mys...

Rainforest Rafting: White Water Odyssey

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Papua New Guinea, deep in the jungle, a group sets off on a rafting trip. 17-year-old Zamon Kingi and his friend Andrew are having a blast… until...

Icelandic Disaster: Retirement Gone Awry…

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A recently retired theatre teacher sets off on a later-life adventure. Morrie Piersol joins a stunning ocean voyage from the US to Iceland. But in the...

Everest Expedition: Decision Time at the Summit

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1991 Mount Everest is a very different place than it is today. A young American arrives at the remote outpost of Base Camp intent on tackling the p...

Fighter Pilot Ejects at Speed of Sound

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Captain Brian Udell is an elite fighter pilot at the top of his game. But there are still some scenarios that defy all expectations. When his F15 suff...

Wrong Side of the Fire: Rangers in Peril…

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a wildfire breaks out in Minnesota, a ranger crew is dispatched to clear the forest of members of the public. But unbeknownst to Todd Stefanic and ...

The ‘Aussie Mermaid’: Adrift in the Philippines

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A mother and daughter relax into ten days of luxury on a tropical island. But fate has other plans. A day trip gone wrong leaves Michelle Hamilton alo...

Nepal Nightmare: Highest Helicopter Mission

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two men soar over the majestic Himalayas, risking their lives to save others. Richard Lehner and Daniel Aufdenblatten must extract a group of climbers...

Buried Alive in a Gold Mine

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Tasmania, a deadly seismic tremor brings Todd Russell’s world crashing down on top of him. As a miner, he’s used to working far underground - e...

Tropical Cruise: Swim for the Shore…

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A tranquil boat trip around Indonesia becomes a terrifying test of will and endurance. Els Visser is a trainee doctor enjoying some well deserved down...

Introducing: Short History Of… The Real Robinson Crusoe

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a taster episode from our sister show, Short History Of… which is also hosted by John Hopkins. Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe ...

Deadly Descent: Power Outage at 18,000 Feet

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A private flight to Scotland runs into serious trouble. With his passengers safely on board and sipping bubbly, pilot Jonathan Moss takes off on what ...

Mayday on Christmas: Epic Ocean Rescue

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most don’t make it to the finish. Some don’t survive. Two months into a monumental sailing race, Pete Goss is beset by the worst storm he’s ever...

Highland Plunge: Unlikely Saviour on the Isle of Skye

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An outdoor instructor plummets into peril on the misty, mythical Isle of Skye. Iain Afshar is traversing a precipitous sawtooth ridgeline in the Cuill...

Volcanic Deluge in the Land of Mordor

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deep in New Zealand’s North Island, William Pike climbs a volcano. But amidst the stunning scenery - used as a location for the Lord of the Rings fi...

Earth’s Deadliest Waters: 1,000 Miles From Land

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, Australian sailor Lisa Blair is going for a record - the fastest ever solo circumnavigation of Antarctica. She is nearing the finish line whe...

Raging Rapids: Marooned in Manitoba

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two young backpackers from Germany throw themselves deep into the wilds of Canada. Wolf and Johannes embark on an epic adventure down the remote Hayes...

Car Stuck Off-Road: Just Like the Movies…

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A family outing takes one wrong turn… literally. In 2016, the Kleins drive out towards the Grand Canyon. But in the height of winter, the roads are ...

Transylvania Trek: Horror Story in the Wild

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2003, a former special forces soldier journeys into the wilds of Romania. But here, in this land of myth and legend - of Bram Stoker’s Dracula - ...

Too Late to Run: Family Trapped by Flames

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A family road trip through the south of France goes up in flames. In the scorchingly hot summer of 2021, Fiona is relaxing with her husband and kids a...

Buried in a Gully: Tragedy in the White Mountains

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Lentini is an elite mountain rescuer in New Hampshire. He regularly faces high-stakes decisions and dilemmas. But in 1982, during one treacherous ...

Starvation in the Outback: Aussie Bushwhacking

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In northern Australia, two friends venture deep into the bush on the lookout for a mysterious serpent. But after weeks trekking through desert plains ...

Tsunami in Sri Lanka

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A couple are torn apart by one of the most terrible natural disasters the world has ever seen. In December 2004, Brits Pat and Pete Etheridge are on h...

Trapped Inside an Iceberg

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian Jill Heinerth has one of the most dangerous jobs on earth. She’s a cave diver - she explores underwater tunnels and caverns. In 2001, she t...

Hawaii Wildfire: Ocean or Inferno? (Part 2 of 2)

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We return to Annelise Cochran and the Lahaina wildfire. As the blaze intensifies, she and her neighbours must band together to keep each other going. ...

Hawaii Wildfire: Island in Flames (Part 1 of 2)

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Annelise Cochran is a marine conservationist who lives a tranquil life in Hawaii. But in 2023, the island paradise she calls home transforms into a he...

Swept Away in Antarctica: Great White Chaos

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two friends from Australia attempt the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula. The brutal conditions of the world’s southernmost cont...

One Man and a Kayak: Adrift With Half a Paddle

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff Hunter sets out on an epic maritime adventure. He’s attempting to circumnavigate Britain in a tiny, homemade kayak. Fierce weather, rough seas...

Caving Calamity: Scramble to the Surface

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Lane is leading a group of friends on an adventure which is not for the faint-hearted. They’re headed hundreds of feet underground - to explore...

Introducing: D-Day: The Tide Turns - Episode 1

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser network. Host Paul McGann follows the real people involved in the D-Day landings. It’...

Hanging by a Thread: Upside Down off a Mountain

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ln the wilderness of Washington state, Dan Smith’s life literally hangs by a thread. After a terrifying accident, he’s left dangling in mid-air, m...

Pinned by a 4-Ton Boulder: Inches from Death

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin DePaolo is a ‘digital nomad’. He works remotely, lives in his van, and freely travels around the United States seeking new experiences. One ...

Alaska Adventure: Cut off in a Frozen Wilderness

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three friends venture into the depths of Alaska. Tackling some of the most extreme weather on Earth, they’re attempting to reach North America’s h...

Shipwrecked on a Reef: A Mother’s Courage

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jean Silverwood and her family are in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime voyage around the world. As they sail serenely through the remote waters of F...

Mountain Bike Crash: Ambushed at Sunset

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An evening ride in the picturesque foothills of Southern California takes a terrifying turn. Anne Hjelle is a competitive mountain biker, used to push...

Dangling off a Granite Cliff: Teenager Runs for Help

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two rock climbers - father and son - embark on an epic adventure in the Idaho wilderness. But as they work their way up jagged ridges and towering cli...

Fishing Trip Nightmare: Dragged Under in the Coral Sea

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Maike Hohnen is an experienced seaman. His 7-year-old son, Julian, loves getting out on the waves just as much as he does. Joined by a friend, Stephen...

Desert Rescue: Blazing Sun, Twist of Fate

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Worn out by city life, a young travel journalist decides it’s time to reconnect with herself out in the desert. But what should be a straightforward...