Against The Odds

Yossi Ghinsberg, Survivor of being lost in the Bolivian rainforest, is desperately trying to save himself while his friend Kevin organizes a search party. Yossi faces despair, walks in circles, and contemplates his future in the rainforest. Kevin faces bureaucratic hurdles and fears the possibility of Yossi's demise. In the end, Yossi is rescued, but the story doesn't end there.

Yossi Ghinsberg and Kevin Gale face danger while rafting down the Tuichi River in Bolivia. Kevin goes missing when their raft gets stuck against a boulder, leaving Yossi alone. Yossi battles exhaustion, encounters a jaguar, and perseveres in the rainforest. Meanwhile, Kevin seeks help to find Yossi.

Yossi and his friends venture into the uncharted Amazon rainforest but quickly realize they are ill-equipped. Facing hunger, deteriorating health, and doubts about their guide, they make a tough decision. However, a new plan emerges to continue the adventure without one of their companions.

Kyle Dickman remembers the exact moment he learned about the fate of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. As a former firefighter and hotshot himself, the news hit him hard. He reported on the tragedy for Outside magazine, then spent the next two years researching and writing his book, On the Burning Edge: A Fateful Fire and the Men Who Fought It. Today, Kyle joins host Mike Corey to talk about the disaster and raise some tough questions about how wildland fires are fought.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fueled by 50-mile-an-hour winds, the Yarnell Hill Fire rages out of control. Fire officials have no choice but to evacuate all residents and firefighting crews in its path. But there’s still one crew out there: the Granite Mountain Hotshots. They think they’ve found a shortcut to a safety zone, but unbeknownst to them, the fire is heading right for them.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the Yarnell Hill Fire abruptly changes direction, hotshot Brendan McDonough has to abandon his lookout post and run for his life. Meanwhile, the rest of his crew, the Granite Mountain Hotshots, are safe on a ridge, in what firefighters call “the black” – an already-burned area. But when the winds change direction, and push the fire towards the town of Yarnell, crew chief Eric Marsh makes a fateful decision: to lead his men out of their safe area, so they can help fight the fire.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots arrive in Yarnell to help fight what is now the number-one fire priority in all of Arizona. But crew chief Eric Marsh is frustrated when his guys are assigned to create fire breaks at the back of the fire. He wants his team to be on the front lines, where the action is. Meanwhile, driven by high winds, the fire begins to threaten the town of Peeples Valley, forcing the evacuation of the fire command center and throwing the entire firefighting effort into chaos.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On June 28th, 2013, lightning sparks a wildfire near the town of Yarnell in central Arizona. Fueled by dry conditions, the fire quickly spreads. To contain the blaze, local officials call in elite crews of firefighters known as hotshots. One team, the Granite Mountain Hotshots, from the nearby town of Prescott, are especially eager to prove themselves. But they’ve never faced anything like the Yarnell Hill blaze.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans, 13-year-old Edward Buckles, Jr. piled into a car with his family and evacuated. They drove for hours on clogged roads, and slept on a shelter floor that night. When Edward woke up the next morning and saw news reports of his city under water, he began to realize that the life he had known was gone. Today, Edward joins Host Cassie De Pecol to discuss his HBO documentary, Katrina Babies, which looks at the toll the hurricane took on the youth of New Orleans.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At long last, the government’s rescue effort kicks into high gear and buses arrive to evacuate people from New Orleans. But it’s too late for many residents, who died in their homes waiting to be rescued. Thousands of people’s lives are shattered, and the damage to the city is extensive, particularly in predominantly Black neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward.Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/againsttheodds.Support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.