In this powerful episode, we sit down with Heather VanBorum, who survived a devastating accident just five days before Christmas in 2021. While walking through a Costco parking lot in Murray, Utah, Heather was tragically struck by a car—an event that left her with life-threatening injuries, including the traumatic loss of both legs. Thanks to the quick actions of a courageous Good Samaritan, who applied two tourniquets to stop the critical blood loss, Heather's life was saved in those crucial mo...
Jul 12, 2025•56 min•Season 4Ep. 65
A Close Call With Death with Dustan Jackson, who is lucky to be alive after being assaulted in Mexico by the Cartel on Vacation at a luxury hotel. Dustan was severely beaten and left for dead in the desert after taking a taxi ride to a place tourists are taken when they wander away from the hotel on their own. Dustan was thrown from a vehicle while knocked unconcious shattering his shoulder and left in the desert with no clothes, identification, or anything but severe wounds leaving him unable t...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 64
Click here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bob937/episodes/Episode-63-A-Close-Call-With-Death-with-guest-Bobby-Maximus-e2qrci8/a-abkgti3 In light of Veterans Day this session talks about life as we face it with someone who has trained special opps men and women in our Military that put it all on the line for all of us and for that sacrifice I am grateful. Bobby Maximus is a powerhouse in the world of fitness, ranked among the top 100 Men's Fitness workout giants, and a highly accomplish...
Nov 11, 2024•52 min
Joey Wood is a true miracle, having faced just a 3% chance of survival after his accident. While mountain biking in the stunning Utah mountains, he crashed at high speed, careening off the track and into the woods. Joey sustained a punctured heart, marked by a visible hole in the center of his chest, a stark reminder of the life-threatening risk he faced that day. Join us to hear Joey share his incredible story of survival!
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr
In this episode, we sit down with @Kristi Whittingham, who experienced a harrowing close call while vacationing in Oahu, Hawaii, to celebrate a friend's birthday. While crossing a highway with her friends, Kristi was nearly run down by a driver who swerved directly at her, seemingly intent on causing harm. Join us as Kristi recounts the details of that fateful day. We’re grateful to have you on our show, Kristi, and we’re truly blessed to hear your story!
Oct 03, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 61
In this powerful episode, we are joined by Zac Matthews, a miraculous survivor of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck that resulted in a total paralysis for many months. Against all odds, Zac regained his feeling and now looks forward to a new life ahead of him. One year ago, in July 2024, Zac attempted to end his life with a bullet to the neck, leaving him paralyzed but ALIVE. Zac shares with us the events leading up to his suicide attempt and the moments of waking up award, unsure of wh...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 23 min
In this session, we talk with guest Jenny Ahlstrom, a true survivor of one of life's most dangerous cancers in our lifetime. I person every 9 minutes is diagnosed with a (Myeloma) Blood Cancer each year and is 10% of all cancers. Jenny tells us of her battle to not only overcome this dreaded disease but she has gone on with her husband Paul to develop a company called HealthTree Foundation which has involved patients in the pursuit to finding a cure. Mother of 6 and survivor, we are so happy you...
Jun 21, 2024•57 min
On a ten year anniversary of a near death incident my niece Elizabeth Howard said on this last Father's Day, that she had a desire to share her story and give thanks to her Dad Phil Howard, my brother, for the life saving action he provided to save Elizabeth from plummeting off a 50 foot cliff in Southern Moab Utah National Park. This will be the youngest interviewee I have had on the show and it is short in duration but a great reflection and tribute to a Dad on Father's Day of all days. Very t...
Jun 21, 2024•18 min
Kyle Rivera is an action packed character who has sky dived, BASE jumped and Wingsuited hundreds of times from airplanes, hot air balloons, cliffs, buildings, everything you can imagine that test a persons nerves and bravery. On one recent flight, Kyle had a scary malfunction of his equipment causing the lines that operate his Shute to wrap around his leg in decent and nearly cause him to crash land. Tune in and listen to what Kyle's experience has done to promote a great appreciation for the re...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min
This interview is with Peter Ballentine, a guy who lives life large!!! We get into a terrible crash in his 911 Porsche in San Francisco, Near Death Hypothermia on the Snake River, and a Firey Crash on his BMW Motorcycle when he went through a Black Angus Cow in the dark coming home from Jackson Hole Wyoming!!! Peter is an action hero and should have been a stunt man in the movies. Here, is Peter B ....Enjoy!!
May 18, 2024•46 min
Our interview is with the lone survivor Stein Rosvquist, a flight Nurse Medic whose helicopter went down one night in a dense fog over Salt Lake City's western border near Salt Lake City International Airport. Stein suffered a severed lower back and other life threatening injuries and yet survived. The pilot and other medic on board did not make it. This story is of that fateful night and how Stein has found life through his close call with death. Thank you Stein for your story and brave grit fi...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Kennedy Littledike, is a miracle! Kennedy was involved in a horrific car wreck that launched her 30 feet into the air and onto a power line in Idaho, breaking her femur and hanging for over an hour waiting for rescue. Two of her friends were also ejected out of the car breaking their necks and backs but lived and are fully recovered. Kennedy tells us about the incident and how now, having her leg amputated, has changed her life. For good :) It's amazing how people can find strength and a new per...
Nov 29, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 54
This episode is with guest Ben Gunn who 20 years ago experienced a tragic plane crash into the frigid waters of the ocean in Alaska on his way with his family to Anchorage for go fishing. Ben and his five family members went down into 42 degree ocean waters losing four of his family that day and only he and his brother in law survived. Tune into this heart felt testimonial of an experience that left Ben with great grief but at the same time, great lessons in survival, love, and appreciation for ...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 54 min•Season 3Ep. 17
This episode we re-launch episode #31 with David Osmond who wrote the new music for our podcast series A Close Call With Death, with the song "Last Day" from the Reflected Album. David's lyrics in this song truly reflect the meaning of the podcast series with looking at our survival stories with the eye of living life like it just may be the last day of our lives. Thank you David for your beautiful song and dedication of it to this series. With the launch of the new music, it seemed perfect to h...
Oct 31, 2023•54 min
John Knab, "Life is Moving At A 2x Pace: not sure how to slow it down!" John comes to the show with a close call with death due to a change in physical condition impacted by long corporate travel internationally reaching a status of Diamond Medallion 2.7 million miles in the air and with that plus work stress and weight gain, John experienced many negative health risks such as obesity, high blood pressure, blood clots, spots of cancer, etc. sending him to die in the hospital from a terrible blot...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr
Moka Best. Super cool name to go with someone who has been the best in many athletic events. Moka accomplished many goals in sports and actually reached a level of professionalism in the world of triathlon and became an Olympic hopeful for the United States. But, a deadly disease fell upon Moka called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) where the blood doesn't circulate properly and connective tissues fail. Leaving muscles, tendons, and organs all at...
Aug 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Mark Webb, active guy, sports enthusiast, golfer, motorcycle enthusiast, family man with a wife and four kids, and fighter.... Mark suffers with Stomach Cancer and this month celebrates a two year period of fighting for his life. Mark has found over the last two years more about life, what is life, how fragile it can be, and what next? How is Mark dealing with his condition and battling for more time? Listen in on how Mark has changed and how we views life going forward. He is not giving up and ...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Mark Haley, Survivor of a tragic hot rod crash that caught fire and burned Mark over much of his body and nearly leaving him dead in the cockpit. First responders sped to Marks aid to pull him unconscious and on fire from his wreck. Mark suffers a majority of his body having to be skin grafted back together, the loss of his left arm and all the fingers from his right hand and even facial burns and grafting to help him live. Mark was sedated into an induced coma for six months! He survived this f...
Jun 19, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 48
JR Celski, a phenomenal Olympic star and team mate to famous Apollo Ono has won many national and international competitions including winning the Bronze medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Canada. He has won many silver and bronze medals over this career and at the top of this game he had a terrible accident on the ice qualifying for the Olympics in 2010 when he fell on the last turn slashing his thigh muscles in half and nicking his femoral artery! JR thought his Olympic dreams were...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Darren Ewell's life was spared when a fast action hero nurse came to his rescue and started immediate CPR on Darren after suffering cardiac arrest! Darren was playing softball one night in Murray Utah when suddenly he fell onto the playing field without a heart beat and unconscious. Darren had complete blockage to his heart and it stopped. Immediate and aggressive CPR was provided on scene by a Cardiac Nurse Danya Topham acting quickly and, with that bravery and technical training, saved Darren'...
May 22, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 46
Matt Blanchard is most likely one of the only human beings on the planet that have experienced TWO near death experiences that resulted in two head on wrecks, being extracted TWICE from the scenes with Jaws of Life equipment from his first responders, TWICE LifeFlighted to the emergency room nearby and TWICE Paralyzed...... Seriously a unique experience of pain and suffering! He is another one of those that now, understands his purpose. Matt has inspired millions of people with his stories of tr...
Mar 18, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Peter Vidmar! Peter is one of the most decorated American gymnasts in Olympic History. The winner of numerous national and international titles, he finished his successful career at the 1984 Olympic Games. As the USA men's gymnastics team captain, he led his teammates to America's first ever team gold medal, with their stunning upset victory over the defending world champions, the People's Republic of China! Peter went on to win the silver medal in the individual all-round competition (the first...
Feb 22, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 44
Neal Middleton is our guest on the podcast series, A Close Call With Death, and Neal comes to us from an intro from my daughter Adrienne who sends me some of the most amazing touching stories on the planet. Adrienne knows Neal and his wife who he talks about very lovingly in the interview. Adrienne said "You have to talk with Neal! He has a close call with death and his life is incredible!" I connected with Neal and between performances he came and sat down with me to share his story. I was so t...
Feb 11, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 43
This week we sat down with another miracle story of survival and A Close Call With Death for Lori Higbee. Back in 1994 Lori was 16 years old and had plans to spend some fun in the sun on Utah Lake with her friends. While out Jet Skiing, a storm blew in and created dangerous conditions that ultimately stalled the craft her and her friend were on and engine stopped. They were stranded on the lake for most of the day all through the afternoon into the night but most of that time Lori was in the 63 ...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 42
Leslie Hubrich, what an inspiration of incredible power and upbeat attitude that came fiercely from this small super strong 5 foot nothing human being! Leslie Hubrich was out for the day doing what she loves and that is extreme sports with her husband Dan in southern California. Suddenly the Powerglider she was flying had mechanical failure and she plummeted 60 feet approximately to the ground! Leslie survived this near death experience but the impact broke her back and fractured her hips and pe...
Nov 22, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Wayne Roberts. Miracle. It was mind blowing to meet Wayne. I was told he had a tragic ski accident just a couple of months prior to a meeting with him and he was walking, talking, and mixing with a group of people without much physical impairment or any mental impact. Wayne looked normal as can be and yet, Wayne had wrecked while skiing at Solitude Ski area on an icy double black diamond run and even being a ski instructor, he went down hard! Wayne hit so hard on his face that it broke his neck ...
Nov 14, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 40
This episode is a true miracle where the Mathis family was engulfed in flames when the trailer they were sleeping in while camping and deer hunting had a slow propane leak and filled the space with explosive gas. It took three clicks of Mike Mathis's lighter to cause a huge explosion that burned the whole family leaving Mike, Amie and their three children on fire and later fighting for their lives at the University of Utah Hospital Burn Unit for over a month in ICU. Mike induced into a coma to s...
Oct 31, 2022•52 min
Abigail Ward, Abby, survived a terrible fall while climbing to Lisa Falls in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah with her 15 year old brother. Abby survived this 70 foot fall down the granite lined spout into only 6 inches of ice cold glacier water and rock resulting in afterwards being in a coma for nearly three months! This is only the epic most tragic close call with death as Abby has also been hit by a distracted driver at age 5, again hit by a car in her early teens, and having a bout with can...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 38
This episode is interesting sitting down with a young man age 22 Ulrick Humes who was in Utah for just a week and then going back to his homeland Belize where he grew up as a boy with 8 siblings and a single Mother who had to leave them in an orphanage to gain the care they needed to live. Ulrick is a shy, happy, kind young man who had the determination to get out of a crime infested country and find a new life here in the USA. Ulrick is turning his life around and looking for a very bright futu...
Jul 29, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 37
This episode is an incredible conversation with Kacey McCallister who is a 32 year old Spartan Athlete and international motivational speaker who, as a 6 year old, was struck down by a semi truck resulting in him losing both of his legs. Kacey has proven to himself and all those who come to know him, that he can do anything he puts his mind to. Kacey's mother always told him that he can do everything and anything he ever wants to and he didn't need legs to live and thrive. Kacey helps us underst...
Jul 11, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 36
