Alone in Antarctica: Richard Byrd's Deadly Solitude | E 155

Alone in Antarctica: Richard Byrd's Deadly Solitude | E 155

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Story Podcast, hosts Julie Henningsen and Kaycee McIntosh explore the harrowing experience of Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd in Antarctica during the winter of 1934. Byrd, already famous for his polar explorations, volunteered for a solo mission to collect meteorological data in a tiny buried shack during the Antarctic winter. With temperatures plummeting to -70°F in perpetual darkness, Byrd's scientific dedication was tested when his poorly ventilated stove began leaking carbon monoxide, slowly poisoning him over months. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued his meteorological observations and initially concealed his condition during radio check-ins to prevent endangering potential rescuers. After a failed first attempt, a rescue team led by Dr. Thomas Poulter finally reached Byrd, finding him emaciated but alive. Byrd's ordeal, which he later documented in his book "Alone," not only contributed valuable scientific data but influenced isolation studies for military and space programs and led to the prohibition of solo Antarctic missions. The episode presents a remarkable testament to human endurance in one of Earth's most unforgiving environments.

00:00 Welcome to the Crux True Survival Story Podcast
00:31 Setting the Scene: Antarctica, 1934
01:00 Meet Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Bird
01:27 Bird's Polar Expeditions
04:25 The Second Antarctic Expedition
06:14 Bird's Solo Winter Mission
07:52 Life in Isolation
12:08 The Silent Killer: Carbon Monoxide
18:04 Struggling with the Stove
19:17 Bird's Deteriorating Condition
19:52 Maintaining the Facade
22:04 Rescue Mission Begins
25:25 Second Rescue Attempt
27:53 Bird's Return and Recovery
30:36 Legacy and Impact
33:18 Epilogue and Final Thoughts

Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/

Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/

Primary Sources
  1. Byrd, Richard E. (1938). Alone. G.P. Putnam's Sons. [Byrd's personal memoir of his five months at Advance Base]
  2. Byrd, Richard E. (1935). Discovery: The Story of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
  3. Byrd, Richard E. (1930). Little America: Aerial Exploration in the Antarctic, The Flight to the South Pole. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
  4. Poulter, Thomas C. (1935). "The Advance Base Rescue." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 79(4), 593-609. [First-hand account of the rescue mission by Dr. Poulter]
  5. Byrd Antarctic Expedition Papers, 1925-1938. Ohio State University Archives & Special Collections. [Includes original journals, logbooks, and correspondence]
Secondary Sources
  1. Hoyt, Edwin P. (1968). The Last Explorer: The Adventures of Admiral Byrd. John Day Company.
  2. Rose, Lisle A. (2008). Explorer: The Life of Richard E. Byrd. University of Missouri Press.
  3. Goerler, Raimund E. (1998). To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E. Byrd, 1925-1927. Ohio State University Press.
  4. Beekman, Daniel (2014). "The Worst Journey in the World: Admiral Richard E. Byrd's Lonely Antarctic Winter." Weatherwise, 67(5), 18-25.
  5. Murphy, David Thomas (2002). German Exploration of the Polar World: A History, 1870-1940. University of Nebraska Press. [Provides context for international polar exploration]
  6. Darack, Ed (2011). "Against the Cold: Admiral Byrd's Dangerous Antarctic Winter." Alpinist, 13, 54-61.
  7. Demas, Coleen (2016). "Searching for Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Advance Base." Antarctic Sun, National Science Foundation. [Information on the 2016 search for the Advance Base]
  8. Johnson, Charles W. (1971). Antarctica: First Person Accounts. Dodd, Mead & Company.
  9. Pyne, Stephen J. (1986). The Ice: A Journey to Antarctica. University of Washington Press. [Contextual information on Antarctic exploration]
  10. Sullivan, Walter (1957). Quest for a Continent: The Story of Antarctic Exploration by the Men Who Did It. McGraw-Hill.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(191)

23) The Chilean Mining Accident: In 2010, 33 Unlucky Chilean Miners got Trapped when the San Jose Copper-Gold Mine Collapsed

23) The Chilean Mining Accident: In 2010, 33 Unlucky Chilean Miners got Trapped when the San Jose Copper-Gold Mine Collapsed

On Aug 5th 2010, miners were working hard at the San Jose Copper-Gold Mine in Chile, a mine that is located in the Atacama Desert, 45 km/28 miles North of the capitol Copiapo in Northern Chile. The mine, which was considered unsafe, collapsed, trapping 33 miners 700 m/2,300 feet underground and 3 miles from the mine's entrance via the length of the spiraling underground ramps. They were finally unearthed after a 69 day rescue mission. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Heinä 202124min

22) Takeyasu Minamiura and the 1990 Great Epic of Trango Tower: Paraglide Gone Wrong

22) Takeyasu Minamiura and the 1990 Great Epic of Trango Tower: Paraglide Gone Wrong

Takeyasu was 33 in 1990 when he summited the sheer rock face of Trango Tower In Pakistan, also called the Nameless Tower. Instead of belaying down the tower like most climbers would, Takeyasu decided to paraglide without his gear, and what happened next was an unimaginable terror. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

11 Heinä 202118min

21) The Evans Family: Plane Crash into a Mountain in Alaska

21) The Evans Family: Plane Crash into a Mountain in Alaska

The Evans family dreamed of moving to Alaska, and were able to make this a reality when parents Donald and Rosemarie got a teaching jobs in a remote village in 2011. They were traveling from McGrath to Anvik with their family in a small plane when the weather changed, setting the stage for a crash landing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Heinä 202117min

20) Deborah Scaling Kiley: Sharks in the Water!! A Skilled Sailor Attempts to Transport a Ship To Florida From Maine, but Meets a Large Storm on the Way.

20) Deborah Scaling Kiley: Sharks in the Water!! A Skilled Sailor Attempts to Transport a Ship To Florida From Maine, but Meets a Large Storm on the Way.

Deborah was a talented young sailer with a lot of experience who was hired to transport a yacht from Maine to Florida in the fall of 1981. Things were briefly going well until the second day when they came upon a large storm that lead to the sinking of said yacht, "Trashman". Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Kesä 202132min

19) The Endurance: The Story of Earnest Shakleton, His Crew, and Their Survival on the Icy Waters of the Antarctic Ocean

19) The Endurance: The Story of Earnest Shakleton, His Crew, and Their Survival on the Icy Waters of the Antarctic Ocean

Earnest Shackleton was a well known explorer in the early 1900's. In 1914 he embarked on a mission to Antarctica with a crew of 28 men. Little did they know that they would end up trapped in Arctic ice for more than a year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Kesä 202133min

18) Yossi Ghinsberg: Survived 3 Weeks in the Amazon Alone

18) Yossi Ghinsberg: Survived 3 Weeks in the Amazon Alone

Yossi Ghinsberg was just 21 when he set off to experience the Amazon in December of 1981. While traveling in Bolivia, a strange and enticing man touted stories of adventure and lore, and promised to take Ghinsberg to the heart of the jungle. Ghinsberg was excited at the prospect and encouraged 2 new friends to come along. No one could have anticipated the ways they would be tested by nature's elements and unexpected conditions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

14 Kesä 202127min

17) Nicholas Alkemade: Jumped From an Airplane Without a Parachute

17) Nicholas Alkemade: Jumped From an Airplane Without a Parachute

Nicholas Alkemade was part of the RAF when he had to face a terrible decision; to go down with a flaming aircraft or to jump to his certain death below. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Kesä 202125min

16) Joe Simpson & Simon Yates; The Mountain Survival Story that Inspired the Book, Touching the Void

16) Joe Simpson & Simon Yates; The Mountain Survival Story that Inspired the Book, Touching the Void

Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were two ambitious young climbers with aptitude and passion who pursued a first ascent of the West face of Siula Grande, a mountain in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. They were successful in reaching their goal of the summit, although the climbing was difficult. They had hoped that the descent they had chosen would be less difficult, but it turned into a nightmare when Joe broke is leg only 1/3 of the way down, which was the equivalent of a death sentence for both men. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

31 Touko 202143min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
sita
i-dont-like-mondays
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
aikalisa
kaksi-aitia
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
joku-tietaa-jotain-2
kolme-kaannekohtaa
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
mamma-mia
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-murhan-anatomia
lahko
terapeuttiville-qa
isani-on-terapeuttiville
loukussa