Real Survival Stories - Flash Flood on Family Hike: Father’s Nightmare

Episode Date: January 9, 2025

In 2014, the Greenbergs are enjoying a restorative family holiday on Kauai - a wild and stunning Hawaiian island used as a location for the Jurassic Park films. And it’s here that the Greenbergs suddenly find themselves in a terrifying ordeal worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. On a leisurely hike, a flash flood throws the family into turmoil. Father Rich will find himself battling the most brutal of conditions, with the lives of his children in peril… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For more on this story read Rich's book Surviving a Miracle. 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 [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get groceries delivered across the GTA from real Canadian Superstore with PC Express. Shop online for super prices and super savings. Try it today and get up to $75 in PC Optimum Points. Visit superstore.ca to get started. It's April the 6th, 2014, 11.15 a.m. Deep in the lush green forests of Kauai in Hawaii, a storm is raging. Rain torrents down as an unstoppable wind howls through the thick canopy of trees. Rivers and creeks crash through the undergrowth, their banks threatening to burst. Conditions like these are treacherous.

No one wants to be caught out in them. But that's exactly where the Greenberg family now find themselves, navigating a fast-flowing river on the Kalalao Trail. Forty-two-year-old Rich Greenberg leads his three children across the water. With baby Marla on his back, he clutches onto his nine-year-old daughter Samantha and instructs her to take her big brother Zach's hand for extra stability. Their knuckles, wiped from the cold, they grip onto each other with everything they've got, sloshing through the rising, raging water and clambering over slick rocks.

In a line, taking careful steps, they're making good progress. Rich calls out instructions to his kids, trying to keep them calm. As they finally near the riverbank, 12-year-old Zak places an unsteady foot between two semi-submerged boulders, and then the unthinkable happens. Right between that gap, the undertow that's flowing right between the boulders touches my foot and drags me into the river down below. Without hesitation, Rich lets go of Samantha and reaches out to grab his fallen son. But the rapids are too unpredictable, twisting and turning Zack one way and the other.

Fumbling and flailing, Rich can't get a firm grip, and Zack slips away. Almost fully submerged in the river himself, Rich is helpless against the current. As baby Marla's screams of terror fill his ears and water fills his lungs, he watches as his son gets dragged downstream, away from the relative safety of land and towards who knows what. All three of Rich's children are in mortal danger. It's beyond the worst nightmares of any parent. I called to God and I said, God, I don't want to die. I don't want my children to die. Help us.

And I decided I was going to fight with everything I had. Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to real survival stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced a fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Rich and Zach Greenberg, a father and son from Salt Lake City. In 2014, while enjoying a restorative family holiday in Hawaii, the Greenbergs embark on a hike to the breathtaking Hana Kapi'ai Falls. But seconds after reaching their destination, a flash flood turns their pleasant hike into

a battle against the most terrifying forces of nature, tearing the family apart and leaving one of them in a hopeless situation. There was no fighting. It was almost like a big monster grabbed my foot and just yanked and can't really hold on. I definitely shouldn't be alive. While Zack holds on for dear life, unexpected heroes will come to the fore, and Rich will have to dig deep to keep any hopes of a family reunion alive. Even though I recognized that we all may die, I was far from willing to give up that fight, especially for my children, because there's nothing more important to me in my life than my children. I'm John Hopkins from the Noiza Network. This is Real Survival Stories. It's April 5th, 2014 on Kauai, the oldest and northernmost island of Hawaii.

It's a gorgeous green and brown haven in a vast blue sea. Used as a filming location for the Jurassic Park movies, much of the island is defined by its dramatic, untouched natural splendor. Verdant valleys and tropical rainforests are divided by forking rivers and elegant waterfalls. Flocks of colorful birds dart between trees, and dolphins and whales swim in its surrounding waters. Here, life certainly did find a way. On one of Kauai's golden sandy beaches, surrounded by palm trees and coastal flowers, the Greenberg family are enjoying a relaxing afternoon.

Siblings Samantha and Zach splash happily in the shallow azure waves. As their parents, Carrie and Rich, watch on with little Marla. It's a welcome break. Rich juggles fatherhood with a full-on career as a doctor. Life was busy. Zach was 12, Samantha was 9, Marla was 3. So life was busy and we really felt like we needed some time to get away

and just have family time because it didn't seem like we had enough of it. So we had planned this vacation to go to Hawaii and really make amazing memories. Each Greenberg has a part of the trip they're most looking forward to. For Carrie, it's simple moments like this, relaxing on the sun-soaked beach with her young family. Samantha can't wait to go horseback riding while Zach is desperate to fly in a helicopter.

For Rich, who visited Kauai as a child, he's excited to take the whole family on a hike to the beautiful, island-famous Hanakapiai Falls. I'd done it with my dad as a teenager. And it was truly one of the most beautiful places in the world that I had ever seen. The hike along the coast is to me the most picturesque place in the world. And then you hike to this waterfall and it is just absolutely serene and gorgeous.

And I very much wanted to share that beautiful spot of God's creation with my family. Growing up in the mountains and canyons of Utah's Salt Lake City, the Greenbergs are an outdoorsy bunch. They've all hiked before. Even baby Marla, who despite medical conditions slowing her development, is starting to learn to walk. Regardless of their experience, though, and Rich's knowledge of the trail, the trek to the falls will be challenging. It's an eight mile round trip through the beaches and forests of Kauai.

In places the terrain is rocky and steep, and sheer cliff faces border many of the paths. That's why Rich and Carrie have spent the past year diligently planning the journey. My dad, he is very safety conscious and wants to make sure we as a family are safe. So he checks the weather beforehand, makes sure there's no flash flood warnings, as he's heard that this area can have flash floods occasionally. He makes sure it's not even going to rain. There's no forecast for any rain. It was a beautiful day, clear sky. The next morning, the Greenbergs are up bright and early. Forecast checked, route mapped and lunches packed,

they leave their condo at 6.45am and reach the trailhead at K.A. Beach half an hour later. There they meet up with family friend Uncle Steve. Like Rich, Steve is a medical professional and the ideal companion for this trip. An extra pair of hands to help out with the kids, to keep them entertained and to keep an eye on them. Toddler Marla requires particular care. them. Toddler Marla requires particular care. Our youngest Marla is about one of the most special individuals that I know. She has significant special medical needs. She came to our home as a foster child at age 19 months and had a lot of developmental delays and a lot of medical

problems and has really had to fight for many things in life that most of us take for granted. Marla's condition requires her to be fed through a feeding tube, and though she's able to walk, an eight-mile hike is obviously off the cards. Instead, they've brought a baby carrier, and Marla is fitted snugly onto Rich's back. By 7.30am, they're ready to begin what promises to be the hike of a lifetime. The Kalalau Trail begins at the northernmost point of the island. The route the Greenbergs have planned winds through the hills of Kauai for four miles, sometimes through dense vegetation, other times along narrow

shoreline paths until it reaches the Hanakapiai Falls. There, they hope to swim in its waters and picnic on the lush grass before heading back. With easy terrain underfoot, the morning sun warming their backs and clear blue skies stretching for miles ahead, the setting couldn't be better. The family starts to climb into the upper reaches of the isle. The first two miles is rather uphill, kind of rocky, dirt path, not too strenuous, but definitely a fair amount uphill.

And within about a quarter to a half mile, all of a sudden you get to see down the coast and you see those sheer rock cliffs and the beautiful greenery and it's absolutely spectacular. With Marla on his back, Rich leads the way through the beautiful scenery, Zach and Samantha alongside him. They pause every mile or so to wait for Carrie and Steve, who are going at a more leisurely pace. After two miles, they reach the Hanakapiai stream. It's the first of four river crossings they'll have to navigate.

This one is fairly straightforward. Zach hops across the boulders and encourages the others to do the same. The eldest Greenberg child is full of energy and curiosity. He's one of the smartest individuals that I've ever met. He's an amazing young man. He's got a tender heart and he's so bright. By 9 a.m. they arrive at a beach where they pause to catch their breath and enjoy some well-deserved snacks.

As they eat, Zack's attention is grabbed by a small wooden sign. He pointed out to his sister. It reads, Danger! Flash flood. Be alert! Water may rise without warning. Fast moving water in this stream has killed people. Zack stares at the shallow nearby stream in disbelief. Surely they don't mean that this has killed anyone.

At this time I commented to my sister like, they're probably just trying to scare us to make us not want to do this hike just so we go back and don't see the beautiful waterfalls. There's no way a stream like this could take anyone away. But looks can be deceiving. Streams just like this one can become deadly. A flash flood occurs when rain falls so fast that the ground saturates and cannot drain the water away with the required speed. Roads and paths turn into rivers in an instant. Cars, trees, houses, and people can be swept away.

As global temperatures and sea levels rise, throwing weather patterns into disarray, tropical regions like Hawaii are becoming more prone to flash flooding. In 2014, when the Greenbergs visit, the amount of annual flood days in Hawaii has risen from four to around 20. Having done his research, Rich is aware of the dangers of hiking in Kauai's hills. However, with the weather calm and the scene picturesque, he, like his son, thinks little

of the ominous sign. We weren't unaware that, you know, there could be potential risks, but we felt like we did our due diligence. We checked the weather. We live in Utah where there are flash floods when you're in canyons. We knew we were hiking up a canyon. We definitely checked the weather forecast previously, and on that day there were no forecasted storms. It called for a sunny day, and it was absolutely

spectacular. The minutes stretch into hours as the Greenbergs continue on their hike. By the time they reach the third river crossing, two local hikers watch Zach and Samantha hop across the boulders like stepping stones. They kindly point out that it might be easier to wade through the shallow water. This way they won't risk slipping on the rocks. The Greenbergs comply and wind their way up muddy slopes, lush forests to one side, and crashing ocean to the other. There's just one river crossing left before they reach the Hanna-Kappi-Ai Falls, where, after over three hours of hiking, they'll be able to take off their packs,

swim in the clear waters, and enjoy a picnic. There's just something to me that's magical about that place. And I really wanted my kids to experience it because I had experienced it before. And when I went there the first time, I was in awe. The waterfall is really long and tall and it hits this shelf and then kind of cascades off the shelf

and people all the time swim under the waterfall and go and there's a little shelf you can stand behind. And you're just looking out, it's almost like it's surreal. Like, is this pinch me? Could this really be happening? I'm in one of the most beautiful places in the world. When they reach the fourth and final river crossing, they have mere minutes left of the hike.

The water in the stream is ankle deep, and there isn't a current to speak of. Following the advice of the locals, the Greenbergs splash through the shallow trickle and clamber onwards. Zack and Samantha call out to Rich, excitedly saying they can hear the crashing of the waterfall. They must be getting close now. Rich can hear it too, though it's perhaps a little louder than he remembers. As they round a bend, it becomes clear why. We were hiking and we start to come around this corner. We just feel this wind blowing at us and with like the water pulting at us almost like horizontally.

We recognize that it's from the waterfall. And at that point, it was like a switch had been flipped and everything changed. At that point, the wind just all of a sudden picked up and it was like sheets of water were being blown in your face very strongly and you kind of had to put your hands in front of your face and even then you were being pushed backwards by the wind and the water that was being blown from the waterfall was very powerful.

Their idyllic day has been interrupted by a vicious storm. They're so close to their destination, but it's immediately obvious that it's too dangerous to linger. The wet, wild winds pirouette all around them. Just keeping a steady foothold is suddenly an immense challenge. It's time to get out of here. When Carrie and Steve catch up, Rich quickly turns to his family. It's unsafe here.

The gale is turning a peaceful waterfall into an angry torrent, which is hammering them with spray. It's not supposed to be like that. So as we recognize that he says okay we need to turn around and get back before anything bad happens. We need to get to somewhere safe before we get trapped here. Though they'll be retracing their footsteps, in a storm as unpredictable as this, there's no telling what lies ahead. What's in this McDonald's bag?

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The rain is coming down in sheets, and a fierce howl fills their ears. To make matters worse, the trail is now slippery with mud. If they take a wrong step, they risk tumbling over the cliff edge into the turbulent deep green waters below. At 11.15 a.m., Rich, Zach, Samantha and Marla arrive at the first river crossing. Steve and Carrie lag a few minutes behind. Though they splashed through this stream just half an hour ago, it could have been a different lifetime.

The once ankle-deep water is now at waist height and crashes through the undergrowth, dragged by a powerful swirling current. With Marla securely in the pack on his back, Rich grabs Samantha's hand and instructs her to take Zaks. They'll cross the river in a chain, making sure they stick together. At first, their progress is slow. The strong current prevents them from taking more than a few strides a minute.

It feels relentless as the water slaps their bodies and their feet hunt for grip on the riverbed. Finally, the bank is in sight. They've almost made it. But then, as Zack places a foot between two large rocks, the Greenbergs are thrown into sudden turmoil. Right between that gap, the undertow that's flowing right between the boulders catches my foot and drags me into the river down below.

It's almost like a big monster grabbed my foot and just yanked and can't really hold on. Scared of taking his sister Samantha with him, Zack shows bravery and quick thinking beyond his 12 years. I remember letting go of my sister's hand so I didn't drag her down into the river with me. Because I knew that even if I held on, they'd just drag them with me. And it was pulling me pretty powerfully. Seeing the action unfold in his peripheral vision, Rich responds at once. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zach slip. And naturally, being a parent and wanting

to help, I let go of Samantha's hand and I kind of turned and reached to try and grab him. But he's no match for the force of the flood. He grabs onto Zack once, twice, but the grip is too weak. Their hands are too slippery from the rain. Rich can only watch in horror as the river crashes over his son's body and drags him away. Zack is tossed back and forth in the water. Each time he forces his head up to the surface to gasp for air, the current sends another wave crashing overhead. While I was in the river, like, you just can't control what you're doing.

You're bobbing up and down, gasping for air when you hit the chance. But it's almost like you're going in slow motion. The water isn't Zack's only concern. In a flood like this, everything is swept into the river. Trees, branches, rocks and stones. His body is being battered by the debris. But he cannot resist. He has no choice but to take the blows and to go where the current drags him.

A few meters back upstream, Rich, Marla and Samantha are also in real trouble. Samantha's been able to maintain her balance and grab hold of a boulder, but her dad hasn't been so lucky. Now with my back to the current, Marla and I and Marla within the backpack were forcefully shoved. It was like someone went behind me and just shoved me really hard. Rich tries his best to fight the water, determined not to be swept away by the current that's just stolen his son. and just shoved me really hard. Rich is pummeled through the water, unable to control his body. A puppet, mastered by the elements.

I was essentially flat on my back with my head buried underwater, which I knew what that meant for my daughter Marla, who was on my back, that she would be submerged underwater. Initially, when we got thrown into the river, I heard Marla cry, and then I heard her scream, and then shortly thereafter there was silence. And that was a really hard and terrifying moment as a father to be helpless, to be able to help your child, especially such an angel with special needs. So at that point, I had the realization that my two kids and I were likely going to die. But at the same point, I was unwilling to give up.

And with everything I had in me, I knew I had to fight for especially the lives of my children. especially the lives of my children. Rich clatters downstream, his arms and legs flailing. He does his best to keep Marla out of the water, trying to turn and twist his body in the swirling froth. Every chance he gets, Rich blinks the water from his eyes and looks around for Zach. When his eyes flip towards the riverbank, he catches sight of a blurred figure.

I reached my head as hard as I could up above the water and on the shore down further down the stream I saw a man. And I thought to myself, you've got to try and call for help and see if there's any way this man can help you. And so with all my force, I tried to not swallow any more water and I reached my head above the water and I screamed as loud as I could help and I saw him pan towards me just with this look of sheer panic. Before the passerby has a chance to help though, Rich is gone,

the river traveling with the pace of a runaway train. He looks ahead and sees his moving straight towards an enormous boulder. It gives him a wild idea. If he can collide with a rock, his progress downstream may be stopped, and he might stun a chance of getting out. Rich allows the current to pull him in its direction, but he's moving too fast and there isn't enough time to position his body for impact. He is at the river's mercy and he hairs towards the boulder back first where three-year-old

Marla is exposed. They hit the giant rock with a devastating thud. As Rich steadies himself, the shock of the collision still vibrating through his body, he sees the man from the riverbank running to catch up. He happens to be a photographer, and in an immense stroke of luck, he is carrying his nine-foot extendable tripod with him. The man's wife also appears, and the pair thrust the tripod into the water, instructing Rich to grab onto it with all his might. He is heaved out of the river, where he shimmies off his backpack and spins it around to check on Marla.

To his utmost relief, she's breathing. As a pediatrician, Rich is able to quickly assess Marla for any obvious injuries. Other than a few cuts and scrapes, she appears fine. But this moment of huge relief is short-lived. At that point, it was very difficult because while in the river, all I was doing was trying to fight for our lives, and I wasn't thinking deep thoughts by any means. But when we got pulled to shore, the realization that Zack may already be dead

or that Zack could die was just so powerful in my mind. And so I was running with everything that I had as fast as I could, calling loud to God, please don't let him die, please God, don't let him die. Leaving Marla with the kindly couple, Rich sprints along the trail, his eyes peeled, looking for Zach. But he can't see any sign of him. As it turns out, Zach is still in the water, a few hundred meters away, fighting for his life. Again, passing strangers have spotted him and are trying to help.

There were two hikers that were running that saw me, and they were running down alongside me to make sure I was okay. And at the time I was floating down on my back, bobbing up and down on my back. And they were yelling at me to keep my feet up so that I would be able to kick away any rocks if I got slammed into a rock. Part way downstream, Zack spots a tiny ledge protruding from a rocky outcrop. It offers a chance of sanctuary. Through the barreling waters, Zach summons deep wells of strength and drags himself towards the ledge.

Somehow, with my left hand, I'm right-hand dominant, but was able to grab with my left hand while flowing through this rapid river onto this wet, probably mossy rock and climb up onto this little ledge in the almost vertical wall. I don't understand how I was able to do that. Dumbfounded by his own resilience, Zack collapses onto the precarious rock shelf. He's safe. For now. A few hundred feet away, getting closer by the second, Rich stampedes along the flooded Kalalao Trail.

He's lost his shoes in the water, and his bare feet are sliced by jagged rocks and sharp stones. But with adrenaline pumping through his veins, he doesn't feel a thing. When he spots a dozen or so hikers sheltering from the rain on the banks of the river, he calls out to them, begging them for news of his son. They explain that Zak is a little further downstream, on a ledge and out of the water. A wave of relief washes over Rich. I fully admit that when I came out of that river,

when I got pulled out of the river and I was running down the trail, that was the worst moment of my life ever, just the realization that one of my kids could be dead or would die. And when I reached that point and I saw him across the river, that was the best moment of my life.

The knowledge that Zach is safe fills Rich with a renewed energy. His attention focuses to the rest of his family. He bounds back along the trail to the first river crossing, where he suspects Samantha, Carrie, and Steve must be stranded. He finds them within minutes, sheltering with another group of hikers beneath a canopy of trees, shivering, but safe. Rich shouts the news about Zack to them, using hand signals to get his message through the storm.

For now, he insists that they stay where they are. As Rich heads back along the trail once again, he stops only to pick up baby Marla from the couple who rescued them from the water. When he returns to Zack, he is weary from sprinting, and his hopeful vigor dissipates. His twelve-year-old is perched on a narrow slippery ledge about 40 feet away from the riverbank. How can he possibly reach him? Vicious white water laps at Zach's feet and it's painfully clear their ordeal is far from over. With Rich under obvious stress, the two hikers who had earlier shouted words of advice to Zack again offer their help. They break off tree branches, which they extend into the water, holding them out for Zack.

But every branch is too short. Refusing to give up, the two men lower themselves into the water. They tell Rich they'll be on standby to try to catch Zach in case he falls in, because they know something that the Greenbergs haven't realized. 100 feet downstream is a waterfall. If Zach slips into the river again, that sheer drop awaits and there is no way he'll survive. For his part, Zack tries to remain calm. I was definitely scared. Like that's the main feeling that I felt, but the fear didn't worry me. I was able to maintain like almost a calm,

cool, composed and not fidget and not like worry and be anxious. The overhanging shrubs and branches provide Zack with some shelter from the raging storm. And he has an extra t-shirt in his backpack, which he uses to protect his head. But it's not enough to keep the cold at bay. Hypothermia starts to creep closer. He retrieves a sandwich from his rucksack and eats to restore some of his strength. When he feels the temperature slipping further, he urinates on himself to keep warm. Though Zak may be relatively calm, on the riverbank the atmosphere is anything but. More hikers, also stranded on the trail,

have gathered around Rich. Having spotted Zach's dilemma, they are determined to do anything and everything they can to help. I was in sheer amazement. Here were people who were total strangers who were willing to risk their safety to help a boy they'd never met, help a man they had never met. Two women, Jessica and Joanna, race downstream to raise the alarm, while a man named Nina sits with Rich, assuring him he won't leave his side until his son is safe. Others offer blankets, jumpers, food and drink to Rich and Marla. He feeds her through her nasal tube and sings songs to comfort her. He also keeps talking to Zack.

It's a masterful example of parental multitasking. Marla, for her part, blows her brother kisses and calls his name. The only time Zack smiles while trapped on the ledge is when he sees his little sister's affection. But the reality of the situation is crushing. The storm is showing no signs of lifting and with every minute sunset creeps closer. I knew Zack couldn't spend the night, you know, you're hiked for hours, then was exhausted from his time in the river. And if he fell asleep on that ledge at night, he would have just gotten swept in the river and that would have been it.

And then about an hour or so later, Jessica and Joanna returned and said, hey, it's too treacherous and too dangerous. We can't cross the stream. And so then my heart sunk like, you know, now it's getting a little bit later in the day. We've got to save him before sun sets because when it gets dark, it's going to be all over. And then a glimmer of hope. Another hiker, Joanna's husband, John, is prepared to put his life at risk for Zach. And as it got later, John said,

I just got to find a way to get your son help. And said, I don't want you to hurt yourself. And he said, I won't. It turns out that John is an outdoor adventurer, had competed in these outdoor extreme challenges. And so he goes down to the next river crossing where his wife and her sister Jessica couldn't have crossed. And he said to Joanna, I've got to find a way across or Zach's going to die.

And she said, if you think you can make it, I'll let you do it. Now, Zach's chances of survival rest solely on the shoulders of a complete stranger. of a complete stranger. Toronto. There's another great city that starts with a T. Tampa, Florida. Fly to Tampa on Porter Airlines to see why it's so tea-rific. On your way there, relax with free beer, wine and snacks, free fast-streaming Wi-Fi, and no middle seats. You've never flown to Florida like this before,

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will reach them before nightfall. How much longer can Zack stay like this? But just then, the noise of the rain and the wind is accompanied by a new sound, the whirring of a helicopter. John, the brave and kindly stranger who set out for help, has been successful. He managed to stumble through mud and wade through water before reaching another group of hikers further down river. He raised the alarm and the news traveled all the way to Ka Beach and to the search

and rescue team. In my work at the time as a pediatric emergency medicine physician, I was kind of one of the people who would help control the the life flight helicopter as the medical person in charge when they were going out to try and help a child. And I knew from that experience that the pilot of the life flight helicopter doesn't fly when it's too dangerous. That the pilot decides is this too dangerous? It's not worth the risk to the crew to try and even help a child who may be in need.

And then here we are in this canyon, a narrow canyon with trees and greenery and branches everywhere, and the winds were huge, and the rain was... I didn't even think it could rain that hard. It was the most torrential downpour that I could imagine would happen in the Amazon jungle, and it kept raining harder and harder, and I thought, there's no way a helicopter gets in this canyon. But despite Rich's incredulity, there's no denying that really is a helicopter flying above the trees.

We heard this sound, and I'm like, oh my gosh, that's a helicopter rotor coming up the canyon. And I was in disbelief. My eyes didn't see it at first and I was like, are my ears playing tricks on me under this loud environment? And all of a sudden we see this gorgeous red helicopter. Dangling in a harness beneath the helicopter is a rescue worker, who lands expertly on the saturated riverbank before making his way towards the hikers. He notices the two men in the river, the pair who lowered themselves in hours ago to catch Zack should he slip.

The rescuer tries to help them first, having not yet spotted the 12 year old perched perilously on a ledge over the water. They first landed him on the opposite side of the river from me and they started to rescue and put someone in the harness thinking that oh these are the people stranded on the river. And they started to tell him, no, no, no, no, rescue him, the kid on the other side of the river. The rescuer named Aaron weighs up the situation. The helicopter pilot cannot see Zack in his current position.

This will be a blind rescue, which is as dangerous as it sounds. Every second they spend deliberating reduces Zack's chance of survival. So Aaron makes a snap decision. He'll go into the river and make his way over to Zack. He might just be able to grab him off the ledge. What will happen after that is less certain. What will happen after that is less certain. Still attached to the helicopter by a long line and a harness, Aaron carefully lowers himself into the thundering river and wades towards Zack.

But the storm's winds and the downwash of the helicopter make everything harder. Zack is slammed against the wall of the ledge while Aaron's pulled in the opposite direction. They're like two magnets, constantly repelling each other. He signaled for me to come closer to him, beckoning with his hand. And in my little mind at the time, I was thinking he was telling me to go to him. And so I thought he was telling me to go to him and so I thought he was telling me to jump to him. It's a gamble. Aaron, now holding onto a branch, is still three or four feet away. If Zack leaps into the river and falls short of the rescuer's arms, he'll be swept downstream where the sheer drop awaits.

But if he stays on the ledge, he'll remain trapped. Aaron holds out his arms. And here I am watching this surreal scene that I think they couldn't even reduplicate that in a Hollywood blockbuster movie. And here it is, I'm watching it. And not only am I watching it, it's happening to me and to my son and to my family. Taking his one shot at survival, Zack leaps.

The last vestiges of strength in his legs propel him into the air. Everything stops. And all of a sudden I'm just in his arms. I just jumped. I jumped and he let go of the branches and caught me. Unbeknownst to Zack, Aaron never intended for him to leap. He was moving slowly towards the 12-year-old so that he could lift him off the ledge in a controlled way.

But somehow it's worked out. Aaron grips Zack in a bear hug, radios to the pilot that he has the boy, and the helicopter lifts them up and away. I remember the flight over the lush valley. It was so beautiful, probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You're flying over, looking out over this beautiful valley and mountains that are gorgeous, almost like sheer, sheer spikes pointing right out of the sky that are very lush green and beautiful. Minutes later, the helicopter returns to the river and it's Rich and Marla's turn to be rescued.

Swallowing his crippling fear of heights, Rich allows himself to be carried away from the flooded riverbank, the scene of his nightmare for the past five hours. He soars above the rain-soaked trees and to the safety of the landing zone, a clearing a few miles downstream atop a 700-foot cliff. Rich sees his son. Though they've been separated by just 40 feet, it's felt like an entire universe. I picked up Marla and I saw Zach a little ways away and ran over to him and hugged him.

It was such a joyous reunion to be able to put my arms around him and to know that he was safe and it was just just a surreal amazing amazing moment. that you'd like to put forward for the show, let us know. Drop us an email at support at noiza.com. That's support at noiza.com. Over the next two hours, more hikers are rescued from the riverbank and brought to the landing zone, including Samantha, Carrie, and Steve. From there, the Greenbergs are transported back to Kaiai Beach where their

car awaits. Miraculously, despite losing his shoes and phone, Rich has held on to his car keys. The Greenbergs are able to drive to their condo where a warm bath and a hot meal awaits. But not all of the hikers are so lucky. Darkness has forced the rescue mission to pause, and around 90 stranded hikers will have to spend the night in the storm. It's a tough pill for Rich to swallow. The biggest sensation I had, interestingly, was guilt. And I didn't recognize why.

I just had this heavy guilt feeling. And I was so blessed and grateful to God to saving our lives in this most miraculous way. I was so blessed that my family was okay, but just guilt at the way I didn't understand how it had happened, why it had happened. And that here now there were people who had given us their jackets, who had given us their shoes, who had risked their lives for us. And now because of that, here they are, they're going to spend the night under the pouring rain all night long without their gear. And here I'm going to end up going in my car and driving home and sleeping in my warm condo.

And it just didn't seem fair. And I just had this heaviness. The next morning, to show gratitude to the hikers and rescue workers who put their lives on the line for them, Rich and Zach returned to the landing zone. There they hand out bottles of water, food and warm clothing. When the rescue mission is finally completed, four hours later, it's reported that all 121 people who were stranded on the Kalalau Trail have been saved. A miraculous outcome amidst flash floods.

The Greenbergs' holiday comes to an end four less eventful days later. As they wave goodbye to the hills and beaches of Hawaii, they know it's a holiday they won't forget in a hurry. I think too much gets purported on the news of the evil and the negative, which does happen in our society. But there's a lot of good that happens

and a lot of amazing people. 12 individuals who were just strangers to our family dropped everything. Some of them said, as we saw Zach on that ledge, he became all of our son. And that just sums it up. They just looked at this stranger. They looked at this man who they didn't know.

They looked at this boy they didn't know. And they just said, we're gonna treat him as if he were our own child. And that's what they did. The moment he's back in Utah, Rich nominates Kauai's search and rescue team for an International Bravery Award. The prize money they win is enough to fund the team well into the future, so that they can continue their heroic work. For Rich, it's a small token of gratitude to those who saved his son's life and gave him a new outlook on his own.

Now I have a renewed and increased passion. I want to do everything I can to try and help others to be the best pediatric ER doctor I can, to be the best friend or colleague or whatever I can to try and help others. And I'm far from perfect. But I just had a sense that God chose to save us for some reason. Since then, I just had a joy in my life of trying to make as many memories as possible. It was a poignant reminder to me that life

is short and too fragile and you never know when it's going to change in an instant. Like his dad, Zach says he'll never forget the heroism he witnessed on that terrible day. Though he was only a child, it created deep-rooted sentiments that have never left him. Now each day is a chance for him to emulate the kindness he received. It has helped me be able to look for more ways to serve other people. I look for ways to outreach to people to help them in small ways, to smile at them, to give them a hand when they need it. This experience has definitely helped me

have a better perspective on life. Next time on Real Survival Stories, we meet Abhilash Thome. Back in 2018, the 39-year-old, a commander in the Indian Navy, takes leave from the military to compete in a unique yacht race. What sets this contest apart is that modern technology is forbidden. There's no GPS, no satellites, no computers, making it the purest test of sailing skill and the most treacherous. Only the best and the bravest dare compete. For Abhilesh, it's a dream come true, until a catastrophe in the Indian Ocean changes everything.

With a broken spine, thousands of miles from the nearest landmass, he might as well be lost in space. he might as well be lost in space. That's next time on Real Survival Stories. Listen right now without waiting a week by subscribing to Noiza Plus.