On May 20, 2013, residents of Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, awoke to a severe weather watch. But no one was overly concerned. Tornadoes are a fact of life in the Midwest, especially in Moore, which had already survived a devastating EF5-strength twister on May 3rd, 1999, packing winds of 321 miles per hour. No one really believed it could happen again. But soon, a powerful new tornado would be heading towards Moore – and two elementary schools, Plaza Towers and Briarwood, were right in its path.

For more on this story, we recommend:

The Mercy of the Sky by Holly Bailey

(also available as an audiobook on Audible).

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Rescue workers search for the camera crew trapped inside Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o crater, but they’re forced to abandon their efforts when an incoming storm makes conditions too hazardous. Cameramen Chris Duddy and Mike Benson struggle to survive a night inside the volcano. When daylight comes and there’s still no sign of rescue, Chris makes a fateful decision — to try to save his own life and bring back help for his friend.

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In November 1992, a Hollywood camera crew soars above Hawaii’s Kīlauea, one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, to capture footage for a major feature film. But suddenly their helicopter’s engine cuts out, and they plunge into an active crater. Trapped and inhaling toxic fumes, the men will have to battle for survival — even for every breath — if they’re going to escape the volcano and see their loved ones again.

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When Coast Guard pilot Steve Torpey got called into work on a Friday night back in January, 1998, he had no idea he was heading into the most challenging flight of his career. At that point, two Coast Guard helicopters had already failed to rescue the crew of the sunken fishing vessel La Conte. Torpey’s crew — manning the third helicopter — were the stranded fishermen’s last hope. Now retired, Steve Torpey joins host Mike Corey to share his memories of that fateful rescue mission. 

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Ed is the grandson of footballing legend Gordon Banks. He was a national icon, the only goalkeeper ever to win the soccer World Cup for England. But Ed’s heard a rumour: that in 1970, while defending the title, his granddad, his hero, was poisoned… by the CIA. All part of a Cold War plot to bolster a military dictatorship in Latin America, supposedly. Could this possibly be true? Banks did get ill in Mexico in 1970 with food poisoning. And England crashed out, marking the start of decades of hurt. Ed enlists the help of investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse. Together they embark on a journey into the bewildering world of Cold War espionage, a journey that threatens to unravel 60 years of sporting history; or possibly… to knock Ed’s granddad off his pedestal. 

Listen to FOUL PLAY on the Audible App or wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of FOUL PLAY early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible App or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

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With two helicopter teams exhausted and out of fuel after hours of failed attempts, the Coast Guard was forced to send out a third and final team to try to pluck the stranded fishermen from the icy waters. With no other pilots left, it fell to base commander Ted LeFeuvre to lead the final crew. And as the high winds and waves of the brutal storm refused to let up, he was forced to take unorthodox and risky measures. 

For more on this story, we recommend:

The Last Run by Todd Lewan

Coming Back Alive by Spike Walker (also available as an audiobook on Audible)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Forced to abandon the La Conte, the five fishermen — Bob Doyle, Mark Morley, Mike DeCapua, Giggy Mork and David Hanlon — find themselves at the mercy of towering waves and galeforce winds as they float in the frigid sea. As they prayed for a swift rescue, the Coast Guard helicopter crew sent from Sitka soon discovered this wasn’t an ordinary, or predictable, storm. 

For more on this story, we recommend:

The Last Run by Todd Lewan

Coming Back Alive by Spike Walker (also available as an audiobook on Audible)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On January 30, 1998, five fishermen finally hit the jackpot in a fishing bank known as Fairweather Ground off the southeastern coast of Alaska. They were aboard a wooden ship called the La Conte, which had seen better days. Despite a brewing storm approaching and the ship taking on water, the men decided to throw out one more fishing line. They’d soon learn they’d made a grave mistake.

For more on this story, we recommend:

The Last Run: A True Story of Rescue and Redemption on the Alaska Seas by Todd Lewan

Coming Back Alive: The True Story of the Most Harrowing Search and Rescue Mission Ever Attempted on Alaska’s High Seas by Spike Walker (also available as an audiobook on Audible)

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In July of 2025, climate reporter Alec Luhn was in his element hiking around a glacier in Norway’s Folgefonna National Park. But when Alec slipped off a boulder and broke his leg, he found himself unable to move and trapped in a remote area with no one expecting him home for days. On this episode of In Their Own Words, Alec recounts the story of his fall, being caught in a storm, and doing everything he could to give himself a chance to see his family again. 

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The capture of American nurses in the Philippines is often described as an “untold story” of WWII; Dr. Elizabeth Norman set out to change that. She conducted extensive interviews with 20 of the 77 nurses who were captured. Norman collected the nurses’ firsthand accounts, and pored over their diaries and letters, weaving these sources together in her book, We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of the American Women Trapped on Bataan. Norman joins Cassie to delve into what it was like to care for patients while trapped in an internment camp for three years. 

https://www.amazon.com/We-Band-Angels-American-Trapped/dp/0812984846

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The rations at the Los Baños P.O.W. camp are now down to just 400 calories per day. Every day, the nurses tend to patients who die from starvation. They don’t know how much longer they can hold on. Unbeknownst to them, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Muller of the U.S. Army launches his plan to liberate the camp. But it’s complex and dangerous, with many moving pieces. It’s very likely it could fail, leading to the death of his soldiers and the prisoners of Los Baños.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.