As a luxury cruise ship sinks, unlikely heroes come to the rescue.
Rose-Marie Howe was shocked when her cruise was interrupted by a blackout. But she soon realized the loss of power was the least of her concerns. The ship was sinking, and no one seemed to know what to do.
Moss Hills, a guitarist in the ship’s band, decided to go to the lounge to investigate. He found instruments thrown about the stage and realized he couldn’t hear the ship’s engines. He also couldn’t find the captain or any of the senior crew. This is the story of how a guitarist, a bass player and two magicians saved hundreds of lives.
We also talk to marine historian Mallory Haas about what we can learn from disasters at sea.

Rose-Marie Rowe maintains a blog dedicated to the disaster.

Moss Hills is still working on cruise ships and is currently a cruise director for Silversea Cruises. He maintains a webpage dedicated to the disaster.

Mallory Haas is the director of The SHIPS Project, a volunteer non-profit organization that undertakes research and exploration of maritime historical sites and events.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

A simple drive home becomes a life-or-death struggle.
The weather wasn’t great, but Bryan Pederson was just a few blocks from home on a street he had driven a thousand times. Still, the wind was howling and rain was pouring down. Sitting at a traffic light, he heard a loud crack. Instantly, he was trapped in a car being crushed by a tree.
Ten cars drove past the scene, peering through the rain at the crumpled SUV and the tree blocking the road. Nine of them turned around and drove away. This is the story of the driver who didn’t: a single mom with three kids in the car. Later, Bryan would have an opportunity to thank her in an unexpected way.
Also, we talk with David Bennett, a driving safety expert who explains the importance of your tires when it comes to making your vehicle “road ready.”

Bryan Pederson and Veronica Marin have remained close friends.

David Bennett is the manager of repair systems for AAA.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.

From a crowd of onlookers, one person steps forward to help.
A teenage girl named Maddie walked to a highway overpass and stopped. As dozens of cars sped past, she climbed a railing, looked over the edge and considered stepping off. A few cars stopped then and people began to gather, but only person, David Johnson, sat down and talked to Maddie. That conversation led to a scream, a laugh and eventually a hug. This is the story of how someone was saved and someone else was changed.
We also speak with Martha Thomas, the mother of a young woman who took her own life and the co-founder of an organization called “The Defensive Line.”

Maddie is now in college and wants to work in the mental health field to help people who find themselves in a situation like hers.
David Johnson is now a mental health counselor. (https://yourmindinmyhand.com/).
Martha and Chris Thomas and their son Solomon Thomas, a defensive lineman in the NFL, have founded The Defensive Line. (https://thedefensiveline.org/) It is an organization focused on reducing stigma and creating connections to save young lives.

For more about the series, check out https://www.onstar.com/podcast.