Tell Me What Happened

Lani Williams and her mother, Sincerity, could smell smoke, but that wasn’t rare on Maui. Brush fires happen with some regularity. This fire, they quickly learned, was different.

Five hundred miles to the south, Hurricane Dora had kicked up unusually troublesome winds. In Lahaina, Hawaii, where Lani and Sincerity lived, those winds downed power lines and whipped sparks into a full-blown wildfire that was closing in on them. They tried to escape the blaze by car, but the main roads were either closed or blocked by a crush of panicked drivers trying to leave town. They were stuck between the fire on one side and the ocean on the other.

Benny Reinicke smelled smoke that morning too and found himself in the same logjam of frightened drivers desperately trying to flee Lahaina. Amidst smoke and flames and exploding cars, he spotted Lani struggling to help her mom climb the seawall and get to safety. He took it upon himself to make sure they made it.

We also speak with wildfire expert Michele Steinberg from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) about how you can identify hazards and strategies to help protect against wildfires.

If you’d like to help the residents of Lahaina and others impacted by natural disasters, you can donate to the American Red Cross at redcross.org/donate/cm/onstar-pub.html/

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

Tell Me What Happened — the award-winning podcast about people helping people — is returning this May!

We’re hard at work on Season 3 and have more incredible, heart-pounding stories to share with you about complete strangers stepping in to help someone in need.

This series is produced by OnStar. They are committed to keeping you safe and so are we. Each episode features an expert with helpful tips for all sorts of situations.

As always, every story has a happy ending and celebrates the power of a true human connection. Join us for this exciting and heartwarming journey.

Learn more about our podcast.

Justin Downey had a choice — change his life or die. At 16, he was addicted to heroin. In his 20s, he was in and out of prison. While serving a three-year sentence, Justin’s kids were taken into state custody. He knew he had to become a new man for his family and for himself. Getting clean was the first step. But he also had to find purpose, community and a way to support himself.

Margo Walsh started drinking when she was 15. By the time she graduated from college, she was an alcoholic. After she got sober, she founded MaineWorks — a company that helps people with substance issues and felony convictions reintegrate into society. There, Justin found what he needed.

We also speak with Nancy Dauphinais, a licensed mental health counselor and addiction professional, about the signs someone is struggling with substance use and how to support them.

Subscribe or follow us on your favorite app so you will know when a new episode drops.

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

Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman was working at a job he loved, making enough money to provide for his family. At just 14, he was the father figure in his home in Honduras. One night after work he was abducted and smuggled into the United States. He was sold into sexual exploitation. For months he was tortured, beaten, drugged, starved and raped.

But he was rescued.

Sabrina Goosby took Suamhirs under her wing and taught him how to use his experiences to change the lives of others. As an adult, he has become an advocate for those suffering and was enlisted by former President Barack Obama to find real solutions.

We also speak to Dr. Minh Dang, executive director of Survivor Alliance, to hear about the types of human trafficking, how to respond to an industry that affects people worldwide, and what you should and shouldn’t do if you think someone may need help.

If you suspect someone is in a dangerous situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1.888.373.7888 or visit the website. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is accessible by dialing 988. Trained professionals are available 24 hours a day.

For more information on this episode or to learn how you can use OnStar to help others in need, click here.

Subscribe or follow us on your favorite app so you will know when a new episode drops.

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

Social media comes to the rescue.
Stacey Eno loves to travel. Her friend Mikey does too, and so they made plans to meet up and explore Bali. After settling into their hotel, they decided to take a scooter to the town of Ubud for dinner. As they returned to the hotel in the dark, they veered off the road and tumbled into a ravine.
They were left there for hours, critically injured, unable to move. Mikey was, however, able to send a six-word Facebook post. That set in motion hundreds of people trying to help. In the end, it was the unrelenting effort of a freelance writer in the Poconos that led to their rescue.
We also talk with world traveler Jessica Nabongo about what to do when things go wrong in a foreign country.

Stacey Eno has resumed teaching and still loves traveling the world.

Aimee Spevak is a freelance medical writer.

Jessica Nabongo visited every country in the world by the age of 35. She is currently writing a cookbook of recipes from her travels.

Subscribe or follow us on your favorite app so you will know when a new episode drops.

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