EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 32 MIN
30 Seconds to Escape: The Sinking of the Cynthia Woods
from The CRUX: True Survival Stories · host Bleav + Kaycee McIntosh + Julie Henningsen
Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen recount the June 2008 Regatta de Amigos disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, when the 38-foot racing sailboat Cynthia Woods lost its keel, punched a hole in the hull, and capsized in 30–60 seconds about 11 miles south of Matagorda. Safety officer Roger Stone woke to rising water, warned the crew, and pushed two sleeping sailors up through the flooding companionway, but never surfaced; five others survived by lashing together, keeping a positive mindset, and signaling with a single flashlight until the Coast Guard rescued them 26 hours later, while their EPIRB and life raft were trapped below deck. The episode highlights wearing life jackets early, carrying a waterproof light, having a float plan, and mounting EPIRBs for automatic access, then covers conflicting investigations, a settlement supporting Stone’s children, and his posthumous Coast Guard Gold Lifesaving Medal. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:29 Nightmare Below Deck 02:49 Meet the Crew 07:23 Rough Night Conditions 10:42 Keel Failure Chaos 15:23 Escape Into Darkness 17:17 Staying Alive Together 19:46 No Beacon No Raft 21:46 Needle in Haystack Rescue 25:05 Recovery and Loss 25:31 Safety Lessons Offshore 29:24 Investigations and Lawsuit 33:44 Honoring Roger Stone 36:07 Final Takeaways and Outro Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ KEY REFERENCES: "Roger Stone: The TAMUG Hero You've Never Heard Of." The Nautilus, Texas A&M University at Galveston. https://www.tamug.edu/nautilus/articles/2025-Roger-Stone.html Sail-World Cruising. "Cynthia Woods Capsize — 'It Wasn't Us,' Says University." Sail-World Australia, July 18, 2009. https://www.sail-world.com/59170 Associated Press. "Texas A&M Report Blames Boat Design for Fatal Capsize." ESPN, July 18, 2009. https://www.espn.com.au/college-sports/news/story?id=4338686 Southeast Texas Record. "Mitchell Company Settles Wrongful Death Suit from Capsizal of 'Cynthia Woods.'" March 2, 2010. https://setexasrecord.com/stories/510612701-mitchell-company-settles-wrongful-death-suit-from-capsizal-of-cynthia-woods Soundings Magazine. "New Report, New Theory for Keel Failure." https://www.soundingsonline.com/news/new-report-new-theory-for-keel-failure Ocean Navigator. "Lawsuit Filed in Cynthia Woods Sinking." https://oceannavigator.com/lawsuit-filed-in-cynthia-woods-sinking/ Wikipedia. "SV Cynthia Woods." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.V._Cynthia_Woods U.S. Coast Guard. Gold Lifesaving Medal. https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
In June 2008, the racing sailboat Cynthia Woods lost its keel during the Regatta de Amigos in the Gulf of Mexico and capsized in under a minute, 11 miles offshore. Safety officer Roger Stone saved two crewmates before disappearing beneath the surface. The five survivors spent 26 hours adrift with almost nothing — no life raft, no EPIRB, one flashlight. The episode explores how they made it, what went wrong, and the complicated aftermath of Roger Stone's sacrifice.
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30 Seconds to Escape: The Sinking of the Cynthia Woods
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