In December 2006, elite endurance athlete Danelle Ballengee slipped on black ice near Moab, Utah, fell 60 feet, and shattered her pelvis while unknowingly bleeding internally. With only eight ounces of water, two energy gels, and a shower cap, she crawled a quarter mile in five hours, then endured roughly 52 hours in a freezing canyon, rationing snowmelt, doing crunches for warmth, and developing severe frostbite while unable to signal for help. Her dog Taz repeatedly ran the five miles to the trailhead and back until search and rescue followed him to her just before dark on the third day, leading to an airlift, major surgery, and a remarkable recovery. Ballengee later walked and raced again, and renamed the area Taz Canyon in her dog's honor. 00:00 Welcome to Crux
00:28 Cold Open Crisis
01:48 Meet Danelle
04:05 Trailhead Routine
05:51 Black Ice Fall
08:42 Crawling for Survival
10:41 Night One Decisions
12:48 Realizing She Needs Rescue
14:21 Missing Person Alarm
16:03 Second Night Breaking Point
17:57 Search Team Mobilizes
19:57 Taz Leads Them In
22:38 Rescue and Airlift
24:18 Why Taz Left
26:29 Surgery and Recovery
28:56 Aftermath and Reflection
31:15 Closing and Call to Action Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ References – Crux Podcast: Danelle Ballengee Episode

ESPN – "Dog Comes to Racer's Rescue" (December 2006) Primary news report from just after the rescue, including quotes from Marshall and details on her athletic record. https://www.espn.com/outdoors/general/news/story?id=2704879
Summit Daily – "Miracle in Moab: The Stunning Rescue of Danelle Ballengee" (December 2006) Detailed account of the search and rescue operation, Dorothy Rossignol, and John Marshall's quotes. https://www.summitdaily.com/news/miracle-in-moab-the-stunning-rescue-of-danelle-ballengee/
Snowshoe Magazine – "Screams of Pain: The Danelle Ballengee Story" First-person account written by Ballengee herself. Confirms Taz's full name (Tasman) and details of the fall. https://www.snowshoemag.com/screams-of-pain-the-danelle-ballengee-story/
Triathlete Magazine – "The Ultimate Test of Endurance" Covers her survival tactics, the shower cap, the puddle, crunches, and the Taz Canyon naming. https://www.triathlete.com/culture/ultimate-test-endurance/
Deseret News – "About Utah: Near-Fatal Fall on Moab Trail Changes Runner Danelle 'Nellie' Ballengee's Life" (2012) Confirms Sports Illustrated 2003 quote, Pikes Peak wins, Primal Quest wins, Milt's diner ownership (BC Laprade), and Taz's Canyon. https://www.deseret.com/2012/4/2/20404197/about-utah-near-fatal-fall-on-moab-trail-changes-runner-danelle-nellie-ballengee-s-life/
iRunFar – "Danelle Ballengee and the Art of Suffering" (Interview) Direct interview with Ballengee covering her athletic career, the accident, and life afterward. https://www.irunfar.com/danelle-ballengee-and-the-art-of-suffering-an-interview-with-a-mountain-legend
Colorado Running Hall of Fame – Danelle Ballengee Profile Confirms athletic stats: four Pikes Peak wins, three Primal Quest wins, six Athlete of the Year awards. https://corunninghalloffame.com/2013/01/31/danelle-ballengee/
Endurance Town – "Faces Behind the Races: Danelle Ballengee" Confirms kinesiology/biology degree from CU Boulder, coaching since 1993, and 50+ events organized. https://endurancetownusa.com/faces-behind-the-races-featuring-danelle-ballengee/
Colorado Triathlete – "Documentary Portrays Danelle Ballengee's Extraordinary Tale of Survival" (2010) Confirms the I Shouldn't Be Alive episode and the 52-hour rescue timeline. https://coloradotriathlete.com/documentary-portrays-danelle-ballengees-extraordinary-tale-of-survival/
IMDb – I Shouldn't Be Alive, Season 3, Episode 1: "Trapped in the Canyon" (2010) Confirms rescuer name as Bego Gerhart (note: not "Beo" as written in the script — worth correcting). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1575882/
Backpacker Magazine – "Profiles in (Dis)Courage: Danelle Ballengee" Additional survival account details. https://www.backpacker.com/survival/profiles-in-dis-courage-danelle-ballengee/

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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.

Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast
Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/
Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/
Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!

3 Nights Trapped in a Canyon With a Broken Pelvis

The Crux True Survival Stories

3 Nights Trapped in a Canyon With a Broken Pelvis