Panic Rising: True-Life Survivor Tales from the Great Outdoors

The people in Panic Rising are far from the extreme sportspeople happily outrunning an avalanche or blithely bungee-jumping into the Grand Canyon. Brett Nunn tells the story of people who would never try to cheat death — a mother and daughter whose playful tobogganing down a winter hillside plunges them into the terror of a treacherous crevasse; a carefree backpacker whose world suddenly changes when he realizes he's lost in a vast wilderness; two buddies whose fun day of snowmobiling becomes a nightmare when they're suddenly pursued by an avalanche. These stories lay bare the humanity and emotions of people on the edge of disaster and remind the reader of nature’s sometimes lethal power. Based on interviews with the participants in these terrifying scenarios, along with their friends, families, and others whose lives were changed by these events, Panic Rising is filled with gripping stories of ordinary people suddenly brought to the brink of death.

Geologist-turned-writer Brett Nunn is a regular contributor to national newspapers and magazines including Audubon. He lives in Port Townsend, WA.