A thrilling adventure as Lauren Elder shares her experience flying in a small plane over California's Sierra Nevada. After a last-minute sightseeing flight, she becomes stranded on a mountaintop, facing a difficult decision. Lauren wakes up after a plane crash, assesses the damage, and starts her descent down the mountain. She encounters challenges but eventually finds help from a town sheriff. The chapter also hints at an upcoming episode featuring firefighter Dan Akwa's dangerous situation.
Trusting one's instincts in dire situations can be crucial for survival.
Human resilience and interconnectedness can play a significant role in overcoming adversity.
Deep dives
Surviving a Plane Crash on a Mountain
In 1976, Lauren Elder, an artist, takes a last-minute sightseeing flight over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The pilot, Jay, and his girlfriend, Jean, join her. While flying over the mountains, they realize they are off course and heading towards a dangerous area. Their plane crashes near the summit of Mount Bradley. Lauren regains consciousness and finds Jay injured but alive. Jean is severely injured and dies shortly after. Lauren keeps a fire going throughout the freezing night, but Jay passes away by morning. Determined to survive, Lauren descends the treacherous mountain, climbs down vertical inclines, and traverses rocky terrain barefoot. After a grueling 14-hour journey, she reaches the outskirts of a small town. Despite initial skepticism, she eventually finds help and is reunited with her family. It is later discovered that Jean died due to a fall down the mountainside, while Jay succumbed to internal injuries and hypothermia. Lauren's experience reaffirms her belief in a spiritual dimension to reality.
Struggles and Loss in a Fight for Survival
After the plane crash, Lauren finds herself in a dire situation. With no immediate rescue in sight, she and Jay rely on a fire for warmth through the freezing night. Jay's condition deteriorates, and Lauren is forced to comfort and care for him, despite her own injuries. The loss of Jean compels Lauren to take action. She climbs down the treacherous mountain, using rocks and tree branches as precarious footholds. Despite hallucinations and exhaustion, Lauren perseveres, driven by her will to survive. Along the way, she battles despair, faces obstacles, and navigates the darkness with determination.
Reception and Challenges in Civilization
After a long and challenging descent, Lauren emerges onto the desert floor near a small town called Independence. Fatigued and injured, she seeks help at a motel but is turned away multiple times, mistaken for a member of the Manson Family cult. Finally, a compassionate sheriff recognizes her as a survivor and provides assistance. Lauren is taken to a hospital, where she reunites with her relieved family. The crash's cause is later determined to be navigation errors, and the loss of Jean and Jay is attributed to fatal injuries sustained during the accident and subsequent exposure to the elements.
Reflections on the Experience
Decades later, Lauren reflects on her survival and the spiritual lessons learned. She emphasizes the importance of trusting one's instincts, highlighting the emotional and spiritual connection she felt with her mother and grandmother during the ordeal. Lauren expresses gratitude for the experience, which has shaped her perspective on reality and reinforced her optimism and belief in a broader understanding of existence. She also acknowledges the impact of human resilience and the interconnectedness between different dimensions of reality.
In 1976, Lauren Elder takes up the last-minute offer of a sightseeing flight with some friends. The plan is to range out over the desert, stop for a picnic, then head home before it’s dark. As she boards the light aircraft, Lauren never imagines she’ll end up stranded on a mountaintop. There she’ll face a desperate choice: wait for a rescue that may never materialise? Or descend the wall of rock and ice… alone?
A Noiser production, written by Susan Allott.
For more on Lauren’s story read And I Alone Survived.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions
If you have an amazing survival story of your own that you’d like to put forward for the show, let us know. Drop us an email at support@noiser.com
