Sunday, July 06, 2014
Hiker in a predicament rescued from cliff face by helicopter crew
The dramatic helicopter rescue of a man who was stranded on a cliff face has been caught on camera.
The hiker, who was stuck on a cliff above Melakwa Lake in Washington state on 30 June, feared he would not be able to cling on until the rescue teams met him. He was told that teams from Seattle Mountain Rescue and King County Explorer Search and Rescue were on their way, but would take several hours to reach him.
In the end, the rescue was carried out by King County and Snohomish County Search and Rescue. The successful mission was caught on camera, beginning with the rescuer, clad in a bright orange suit, securing his harness and lowering himself down from the helicopter.
Vimeo link.
The sheer vertical cliff face is in full view, with the hiker, sporting a grey jersey, black shorts and a green rucksack, clinging on to the edge. He was strapped into a harness by the rescuer and hauled up to the helicopter. It is not known how the hiker, who appeared unharmed after the ordeal, became trapped on the cliff face.
The hiker, who was stuck on a cliff above Melakwa Lake in Washington state on 30 June, feared he would not be able to cling on until the rescue teams met him. He was told that teams from Seattle Mountain Rescue and King County Explorer Search and Rescue were on their way, but would take several hours to reach him.
In the end, the rescue was carried out by King County and Snohomish County Search and Rescue. The successful mission was caught on camera, beginning with the rescuer, clad in a bright orange suit, securing his harness and lowering himself down from the helicopter.
Vimeo link.
The sheer vertical cliff face is in full view, with the hiker, sporting a grey jersey, black shorts and a green rucksack, clinging on to the edge. He was strapped into a harness by the rescuer and hauled up to the helicopter. It is not known how the hiker, who appeared unharmed after the ordeal, became trapped on the cliff face.
Firefighters rescued pet parrot stuck in tree
Firefighters in Florida were called to a home to rescue a pet parrot that had got itself stuck in a tree.
The owner of the macaw named "Sweetie" called Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue after the bird escaped the home and became stuck in the tree as a storm approached on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Heiser says that according to the owner, the bird can fly around the house but it has trouble when flying higher in the trees outside. A ladder truck was called to the home in Wilton Manors and a firefighter climbed up to the bird.
Heiser says that the bird was rescued unharmed after a few minutes, though Sweetie did bite the firefighter's hand a few times.
The owner of the macaw named "Sweetie" called Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue after the bird escaped the home and became stuck in the tree as a storm approached on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Heiser says that according to the owner, the bird can fly around the house but it has trouble when flying higher in the trees outside. A ladder truck was called to the home in Wilton Manors and a firefighter climbed up to the bird.
Heiser says that the bird was rescued unharmed after a few minutes, though Sweetie did bite the firefighter's hand a few times.
Four-year-old boy asked to leave restaurant as his Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt violated dress code
A 4-year-old boy was asked to leave a restaurant at Phipps Plaza, Atalanta, because his shirt violated the dress code.
Lewis Roberts thought the outfit he picked out, which included a green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sleeveless shirt, looked great.
But when he and his family tried to sit down for lunch at the Tavern at Phipps, he was told he didn't meet the "Gentlemen's Dress Code." After Lewis' family explained that he was only 4, the hostess told them they still had to leave. When they asked to speak to a manager, the manager told them the dress code extended to "gentleman of all ages," and they were again asked to leave.
The message was clear: the restaurant didn't want a little Ninja Turtle in the dining room. "If we would have thought for a minute that he was inappropriately dressed, we would have gone to a different restaurant to save the embarrassment," said the boy's aunt. Amber Stewart, a company spokesperson, later issued a statement saying: "The rule does not apply for children and ladies - for gentleman only.
YouTube link.
"It was an embarrassing misunderstanding on our part. She's a manager in training who had a gross misunderstanding of our policy. We apologize and are reaching out to the family. After talking to the restaurant, Lewis' family says apology accepted, and they plan to go back to the restaurant.
But when he and his family tried to sit down for lunch at the Tavern at Phipps, he was told he didn't meet the "Gentlemen's Dress Code." After Lewis' family explained that he was only 4, the hostess told them they still had to leave. When they asked to speak to a manager, the manager told them the dress code extended to "gentleman of all ages," and they were again asked to leave.
The message was clear: the restaurant didn't want a little Ninja Turtle in the dining room. "If we would have thought for a minute that he was inappropriately dressed, we would have gone to a different restaurant to save the embarrassment," said the boy's aunt. Amber Stewart, a company spokesperson, later issued a statement saying: "The rule does not apply for children and ladies - for gentleman only.
YouTube link.
"It was an embarrassing misunderstanding on our part. She's a manager in training who had a gross misunderstanding of our policy. We apologize and are reaching out to the family. After talking to the restaurant, Lewis' family says apology accepted, and they plan to go back to the restaurant.
Norwegian man rescued after best-friend abandoned him on deserted island
A Norwegian man was rescued by the local sea-rescue service after his friend left him sleeping on a deserted island, stole the only boat, and rowed home.
The thirty-something male was forced to call for help after awaking to discover he had been left by his friend on Hastein island, west of Tungenes, in the sea outside of Stavanger.
Luckily, the local sea-rescue vessel, aptly named SRK "Sjømann" ("Seaman"), turned up to take him from the island and back to land.
Nils-Ole Sunde, the rescue leader on guard, said that the man was found wet, cold and without food or drink. The two 'friends' had gone to the island by boat on Thursday. No motive has as yet been given for the friend's desertion.
The thirty-something male was forced to call for help after awaking to discover he had been left by his friend on Hastein island, west of Tungenes, in the sea outside of Stavanger.
Luckily, the local sea-rescue vessel, aptly named SRK "Sjømann" ("Seaman"), turned up to take him from the island and back to land.
Nils-Ole Sunde, the rescue leader on guard, said that the man was found wet, cold and without food or drink. The two 'friends' had gone to the island by boat on Thursday. No motive has as yet been given for the friend's desertion.
Cloaked 'assassin' is stalking German town
Police in Germany are attempting to quell hysteria after reported sightings of a mysterious hooded figure near a school.
An unknown individual is said to be stalking the southern German town of Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg, dressed as an 'assassin.'
Dressed in the monk-like garb, the shrouded figure is causing alarm among younger residents.
Reported repeated sightings over the past ten days, including in the vicinity of a school, have earned the prowler the nickname "Kampfmönch" (warrior monk). Parents have taken a dim view of the presumed prankster after their children began complaining of nightmares. "You are spreading fear about going to school among primary school and older pupils," the publisher of the Neue Rottweiler Zeitung newspaper wrote in an open letter to the 'assassin,' urging the person to turn themselves in to the police.
"You have also alarmed a small town. You are all people talk about all day and many parents are busy at night too because their children cannot sleep." But police in the normally sleepy town of 25,000 residents were quick to dispel as fantasy claims that he or she was also carrying a blood-stained knife.
"There is no indication that this unidentified person presents any danger," stressed police chief Michael Schlüssler, adding that the fighting monk's costume was readily available on the internet. While he urged the mystery walker to desist, he said authorities could not take action against someone for simply wandering around in public in a costume.
Reported repeated sightings over the past ten days, including in the vicinity of a school, have earned the prowler the nickname "Kampfmönch" (warrior monk). Parents have taken a dim view of the presumed prankster after their children began complaining of nightmares. "You are spreading fear about going to school among primary school and older pupils," the publisher of the Neue Rottweiler Zeitung newspaper wrote in an open letter to the 'assassin,' urging the person to turn themselves in to the police.
"You have also alarmed a small town. You are all people talk about all day and many parents are busy at night too because their children cannot sleep." But police in the normally sleepy town of 25,000 residents were quick to dispel as fantasy claims that he or she was also carrying a blood-stained knife.
"There is no indication that this unidentified person presents any danger," stressed police chief Michael Schlüssler, adding that the fighting monk's costume was readily available on the internet. While he urged the mystery walker to desist, he said authorities could not take action against someone for simply wandering around in public in a costume.
Chinese man praised as being an 'example to everyone' after working himself to death
Chinese financial regulators say one of their staff who worked himself to death by regularly staying in the office until midnight before collapsing from the stress of trying to get a report done on deadline is "an example to everyone".
Li Jianhua, 48, worked for the Chinese Banking Regulatory Commission for 26 years and was found dead in front of his completed report after working through the night to meet the early morning deadline.
Now a statement by the regulatory commissions management committee has praised the dead man as an example that everybody else should follow. China is facing an epidemic of overwork, yet far from tackling the problem, it is seemingly being actively encouraged if one looks at the statement from the dead man's employers.
They said: "We can all learn from Comrade Li Jianhua, who always had firm ideals and beliefs, who showed that he was an employee who was loyal to the cause of the Party and the people, who gave an unremitting struggle to perform his best and to sacrifice everything. It was done with the goal of enhancing the quality of our work. Comrade Li Jianhua did long overtime, night and day, and put all his energy and passion into the regulatory business."
About 600,000 Chinese a year die from working too hard, with a daily death toll of 1,600. There are even words in Asia for death-by-overtime: "guolaosi" in Chinese and "karoshi" in Japanese. An employee in Li’s department said they all regularly worked until midnight or later. Li apparently had an attack of shingles, often related to stress, in the days before he died but did not go to the doctor because "he didn’t have any time."
Now a statement by the regulatory commissions management committee has praised the dead man as an example that everybody else should follow. China is facing an epidemic of overwork, yet far from tackling the problem, it is seemingly being actively encouraged if one looks at the statement from the dead man's employers.
They said: "We can all learn from Comrade Li Jianhua, who always had firm ideals and beliefs, who showed that he was an employee who was loyal to the cause of the Party and the people, who gave an unremitting struggle to perform his best and to sacrifice everything. It was done with the goal of enhancing the quality of our work. Comrade Li Jianhua did long overtime, night and day, and put all his energy and passion into the regulatory business."
About 600,000 Chinese a year die from working too hard, with a daily death toll of 1,600. There are even words in Asia for death-by-overtime: "guolaosi" in Chinese and "karoshi" in Japanese. An employee in Li’s department said they all regularly worked until midnight or later. Li apparently had an attack of shingles, often related to stress, in the days before he died but did not go to the doctor because "he didn’t have any time."
Well refreshed man who climbed 80ft crane at 5am to sing songs given a stern ticking off
A drunk man climbed to the top of an 80ft crane on his way home from a night out to sit at the top and sing songs.
The man was spotted by a passerby at 5am on Saturday morning sitting on a narrow ledge on top of the huge crane near The Rock centre in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Fearing the man was about to end his own life, they dialled 999 and emergency services including a trained police negotiator were scrambled to the scene.
But when police and fire crews arrived the man said he had simply found the crane ‘tempting’ as he walked home from a night out in Bury town centre and decided to climb up for ‘a laugh’. It was when he had got to the top and begun to sing songs that a member of the public had spotted him and alerted police. Three fire crews and an aerial appliance were also sent to the scene to try and bring the man down.
But emergency response vehicles were scaled back when the 26-year-old, who lives in Bury, said he had no intention of throwing himself off and just wanted to sing songs. Police eventually managed to get the man to climb down the central column of the crane, which is being used to build flats near The Rock shopping and entertainment centre. The man, who was still drunk when he got down, was given a stern ticking off by officers who warned him never to climb up a crane again. He was then given a lift home in a police patrol car.
A GMP spokesman said: “Police received a call at 5.01am from a member of the public who reported a suicidal man on a crane near The Rock in Bury. He was in a very precarious position on the crane singing to himself. He was able to climb down the central column slowly and taken home by officers who gave him a warning. He was not arrested.” A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fire appliances from Bury and Whitefield were sent to the scene. The aerial appliance was not needed as the man was able to climb down from the crane byu himself. It was predominantly a police operation and fire crews were there to assist them in helping to get the man down.”
But when police and fire crews arrived the man said he had simply found the crane ‘tempting’ as he walked home from a night out in Bury town centre and decided to climb up for ‘a laugh’. It was when he had got to the top and begun to sing songs that a member of the public had spotted him and alerted police. Three fire crews and an aerial appliance were also sent to the scene to try and bring the man down.
But emergency response vehicles were scaled back when the 26-year-old, who lives in Bury, said he had no intention of throwing himself off and just wanted to sing songs. Police eventually managed to get the man to climb down the central column of the crane, which is being used to build flats near The Rock shopping and entertainment centre. The man, who was still drunk when he got down, was given a stern ticking off by officers who warned him never to climb up a crane again. He was then given a lift home in a police patrol car.
A GMP spokesman said: “Police received a call at 5.01am from a member of the public who reported a suicidal man on a crane near The Rock in Bury. He was in a very precarious position on the crane singing to himself. He was able to climb down the central column slowly and taken home by officers who gave him a warning. He was not arrested.” A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fire appliances from Bury and Whitefield were sent to the scene. The aerial appliance was not needed as the man was able to climb down from the crane byu himself. It was predominantly a police operation and fire crews were there to assist them in helping to get the man down.”
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