Russian Soldier Rescues Cat... But Barely...

This video is apparently a classic in Russia.

It occurred in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod in 2001, where a cat named Barsik got stuck on a tree. In stepped soldier Igor Novikov to perform the rescue.

I recommend turning the closed captions (cc button) on in this one, so that you can understand what is being said (although what is happening in the video can be followed without them too).





The cat was probably trying to avoid him in the first place...

(source)

Baby Elephants in Distress

Filmed in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
A young elephant fell into a waterhole and couldn't get out.
It would have certainly died if these guys (ATE, Amboseli Trust for Elephants) hadn't been there.

From the video "about" section:

"We rescued this young eight months old calf early this week. Luckily the report came in early in the morning and we were able to get there quick before the mother was forced to leave by herders arriving to water their cattle. It was a happy ending as we were able to reunite the calf with her mother, Zombe."





Look at it run!


In a somewhat less distressing video, this baby elephant got into some trouble at the Zurich Zoo.
The response by the adults was extremely prompt.





Look at them run!


(source & source)

The Roof, the Roof, the Roof is on Fire!

Four days ago, a fire erupted on the roof of an apartment complex that was being built in Houston, Texas. Everyone evacuated safely, except for one construction worker who was stranded on the top floor.

Here is the amazing footage of his rescue by the fire fighters.





This footage contains:

disaster (raging roof fire),
suspense (will he survive?),
action (falling to the lower level),
humour ("I was going to get an apartment over there too...", "they're cheaper now"),
obliviousness ("hey, hey,  what about this guy?", "they got him!", "oh, OK...")
and more.

Here's the fire from further away.





And a couple of photos.

And for anyone not getting the title.... click here.


(source) (news report)

Ship Cook Rescued After Spending 60 Hours Inside Sunk Capsized Tugboat

Story from Reuters:

"After two days trapped in freezing cold water and breathing from an air bubble in an upturned tugboat under the ocean, Harrison Okene was sure he was going to die. Then a torch light pierced the darkness.

Ship's cook Okene, 29, was on board the Jascon-4 tugboat when it capsized on May 26 due to heavy Atlantic ocean swells around 30 km (20 miles) off the coast of Nigeria, while stabilising an oil tanker filling up at a Chevron platform. Of the 12 people on board, divers recovered 10 dead bodies while a remaining crew member has not been found.

Somehow Okene survived, breathing inside a four foot high bubble of air as it shrunk in the waters slowly rising from the ceiling of the tiny toilet and adjoining bedroom where he sought refuge, until two South African divers eventually rescued him."

The actual depth at which the upside down tugboat settled was only 30m, but still that would have been enough to cause him decompression sickness if he came right up.

It's an amazing story. The ordeal this guy went through. For more than two days, he was in total darkness, partially immersed in cold ocean water, without food or water, inside an air pocket he had no idea how long would last, not knowing if anyone was looking for him. The things that must have gone through his mind...

Here is the amazing video of his discovery and rescue. It's worth watching from the beginning. Apparently, the diver's squeaky voice is due to the fact that they breath a mix of oxygen and helium.

(source)