What if no one told you the war was over for 29 years?This week, Lizzy and Kevin explore the unbelievable story of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who kept fighting World War II well into the 1970s. Living in the jungle, dodging imaginary enemies, and refusing to surrender—because no one officially told him to.Is it loyalty? Delusion? He just missed the memo? Either way, this is one of the most bizarre and committed close calls in history.
Jul 22, 2025•54 min
Kev and Lizzy dive into the unbelievable (and downright bizarre) story of Ricky McGee—the man who survived 71 days lost in the Australian outback.Ricky woke up buried in a shallow grave... only to spend the next two months drinking from puddles, eating bugs, and catching frogs like some kind of Mad Max wilderness guru.
Jul 18, 2025•54 min
This week on Close Calls, Kev and Lizzy dive into the wild story of Matthew Reum—a man who survived six days trapped in his truck at the bottom of a ravine in rural Indiana.After swerving to avoid what he thought was a deer, Matthew’s truck tumbled off the highway, leaving him injured, alone, and completely out of reach. With no food, filthy rainwater, and one leg pinned, he relied on survival tactics from Man vs. Wild and sheer mental resilience to hold on until two fishermen stumbled across hi...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Send us a text Kevin tells Lizzy the story of a family that gets stranded at sea. Will the killer whales eat them? Will they kill and eat a turtle? Can a shark bite you even if its literal head is cut off? Listen to find out! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the story of Frane Selak, the Luckiest Unlucky Man EVER. Whether crashes by bus, train, or even airplane—Frane keeps living to tell the tale! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Apr 22, 2025•56 min
Send us a text Lizzy tells Kevin the story of Rachel and Jeremy, whose casual mountain-climbing first date turns into a stormy, freezing near-death, classic Close Callsian experience. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Send us a text Kevin and Lizzy take a walk down memory lane and live to tell the tale! Enjoy this speed run of all our INSTANT CLASSICS and thank you for being a part of the Close Calls family. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Send us a text Lizzy tells Kevin the story of how she de-escalated a dicey situation...which required her to jump down into the subway tracks in New York City. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Send us a text In part two of our 100th episode celebration, Lizzy tells Kevin her true story of surviving a terrifying medical issue as a child. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jan 14, 2025•59 min
Send us a text To celebrate almost 100 episodes of the pod, Lizzy and Kevin tell their own close calls stories! Buckle up, today is all about car accidents. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Send us a text We're back with a really fun one to kick the year off right: Kevin tells Lizzy the story of Larry Walters a.k.a. "Lawn Chair Larry" a.k.a. the man who defied the world and took flight by strapping balloons to a lawn chair. It's total balloonacy! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to...
Jan 02, 2025•56 min
Send us a text Following our own failure to launch part 2 WE ARE BACK IN ORBIT! Kevin tells Lizzy the exciting conclusion of the Apollo 13 mission. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Nov 22, 2024•46 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the story of the Apollo 13 mission. Tune in next week to hear the exciting conclusion! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Send us a text Sonia and Marnie's mountain climbing story continues as an NONSTOP ROCK BLOCK! They're LIVIN' ON THE EDGE! They're RIDIN' THE STORM OUT! And they wanna know WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN! Listen to hear how our New Zealand gals get outta this one. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake C...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Send us a text Lizzy tells Kevin the first half of how Lizzy and Marnie survived getting trapped on a cliff of ice in New Zealand. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)
Oct 29, 2024•54 min
Send us a text This week we've got another MAILBAG with near-death experiences submitted by YOU, the listener! Stories involve moms, cheese, and everything else you could ever want! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Send us a text On part 2 of the story of the French cave divers who are trapped in a flooded cave, Kevin tells Lizzy how they...get out of the flooded cave! Oh la la! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Oct 01, 2024•55 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the story of when some French cave divers get...you guessed it: trapped in a flooded cave! Who could have seen this coming? Sacrebleu! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Send us a text This week Lizzy finishes telling Kevin the story of how Shelly and her family survived multiple days and nights of being lost in the deserts of Arizona—following the cliffhanger standoff between her, shotgun in hand, and a mysterious, threatening vehicle. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all...
Sep 17, 2024•52 min
Send us a text This week Lizzy tells Kevin the first half of how Shelly and her family survived multiple days and nights of being lost in the deserts of Arizona. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the next part of Scott and Marybeth's survival story, after they jumped into a river with their cat to escaped a raging forest fire. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Aug 13, 2024•49 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the story of Scott and Marybeth, an Oregon couple who escaped a raging forest fire. Part 2 of their story next time! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text Terrence Hartnett is a comedian and cancer survivor who joins Lizzy and Kevin this week to tell his story. His multiple bouts with cancer are recalled in today's episode, as well as in his incredible standup shows 1 Ball Show , 1 Ball Show 1 Lung Less , and his upcoming Fringe show 1 Lung Run . To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy the story of Chris Lemons, a saturation diver who was stranded in the ocean 700 meters below the surface. Let that sink in! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Send us a text This week Lizzy tells Kevin the miraculous story of a corn farmer who survives being buried alive. Our protagonist survives thanks to a single kernel of hope! Lend us your ear, unless you're a husk of your former self. Don't worry though: this story isn't corny (but clearly the description is). To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo...
Jul 02, 2024•53 min
Send us a text This week Kevin tells Lizzy about Rick Allen, the drummer for rock band Def Leppard who famously lost his arm in an accident. Listen to how he survived his horrific accident and returned to his music career. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Jun 25, 2024•54 min
Send us a text In case you missed the first ever Close Calls live stream, you can listen to the audio right here! Kevin and Lizzy listen to listener voicemails and comment on YOUR close calls! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
May 21, 2024•54 min
Send us a text Following some travel and an actual close call , Kevin and Lizzy are back! Listen to hear about their recent trip to Missouri for DeForeFest, and why Kevin's stomach has a new hole in it. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
May 14, 2024•55 min
Send us a text Kevin tells Lizzy the story of a French sea captain who did a bunch of terrible things and made a bunch of terrible decisions, including getting himself and a bunch of innocent people shipwrecked for years. To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme song it's all thanks to Jake Crown (@catsongs)...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text Lizzy tells Kevin the story of two self-described athletes who may or may not know how to kayak. Will these men reach Doe Island (an island full of naked babes)? Or will they suddenly suffer from Testosterone Poisoning? Listen to find out if Bros come before Doe's! To tell us YOUR story, give us a call at 470-NOT-DEAD or write in at CloseCallsPodcast@gmail.com Shoutout Tyler Snodgrass (@tyler_snod) for editing these dang things and for making our logo. And if you dig our theme son...
Apr 09, 2024•56 min