Latest news with #emergencyrescue
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Car crash shuts down parts of US-50 in Northern California
( — Some parts of US-50 in Northern California are shut down after a car crash, according to the California Department of Transportation. Around 4:16 p.m. on Monday, Caltrans reported that Eastbound US-50, west of Prairie City in Sacramento County was impacted by a vehicle collision. Some lanes are blocked off. Emergency rescue underway at Sacramento River amid Memorial Day observances The cause of the crash is unclear and there is no estimated time of reopening. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Groundbreaking new contact lens lets people see even in dark
Scientists have created contact lenses that enable wearers to see in the dark using infrared vision, an invention that could lead to advances in emergency and rescue operations. Unlike traditional night vision goggles, these lenses don't require a power source and enable wearers to see infrared and visible light simultaneously, according to a new study published in the journal Cell. 'Our research opens up the potential for non-invasive wearable devices to give people super-vision,' study senior author Tian Xue from the University of Science and Technology of China, said. The lens uses tiny nanoparticles that absorb infrared light and convert it into wavelengths that are visible to mammalian eyes. These particles specifically enable detection of 'near-infrared light', which has a wavelength range of 800-1600 nanometres. This is just beyond what mammals perceive, which is a fraction of the wavelengths corresponding to visible light, typically in the 400-700 nm range. Previous research in mice showed that these particles enabled infrared vision when injected into the retina but the Chinese scientists set out to design a less invasive option. To develop the new lenses, they combined the nanoparticles with flexible, non-toxic polymers used in standard soft contact lenses. Researchers then tested the lenses in both humans and mice. They found that when given a choice of a dark box and an infrared-illuminated box, contact lens-wearing mice chose the dark box, whereas those without the eye gear showed no preference. The pupils of contact-wearing mice also constricted in the presence of infrared light and scans of their brains showed infrared light causing their visual processing centres to light up. In humans, participants wearing the lens could accurately detect flashing Morse code-like infrared signals. 'It's totally clear cut: without the contact lenses, the subject cannot see anything, but when they put them on, they can clearly see the flickering of the infrared light,' Dr Xue said. 'We also found that when the subject closes their eyes, they are even better able to receive this flickering information, because near-infrared light penetrates the eyelid more effectively than visible light.' Currently, the lenses are only able to detect infrared radiation from an LED light source. The researchers are working to increase the particles' sensitivity so they can detect lower levels of infrared light. 'In the future, by working together with materials scientists and optical experts, we hope to make a contact lens with more precise spatial resolution and higher sensitivity,' Dr Xue said. 'This technology has a wide range of practical applications, including infrared information encoding and transmission, enhanced vision in poor visibility conditions like foggy or dusty conditions, and integration into smart devices for rescue and emergencies.'
NHK
21-05-2025
- General
- NHK
Mount Fuji climbers could be charged for helicopter rescue
The government of Yamanashi Prefecture, which has a trail to Mount Fuji, has begun studying charging climbers of the mountain for emergency rescue operations using the prefecture's helicopters. The official climbing season for the mountain is usually set between early July and early September. A council of the central and municipal governments and others prohibits climbers without sufficient preparations from going up at other times. But a number of accidents are reported every year as some people attempt to climb when trekking trails are closed. Last month, a Chinese university student was rescued twice in a week on the Shizuoka Prefecture side. Yamanashi officials say they plan to study issues related to collecting the fee, looking at the case of a prefecture that already has an ordinance allowing the government to collect such fees. They include the period for charging fees, whether to collect fees from climbers of other mountains and how to handle cases in which climbers are rescued by other public helicopters, such as police ones. The burden rescue efforts put on the public purse is becoming an issue. Earlier this month, Mayor Horiuchi Shigeru of Fujiyoshida City at the foot of Mount Fuji on Yamanashi side asked the prefectural government to consider charging fees, pointing out that rescue operations are extremely expensive. Yamanashi officials say they will work on the plan to prevent reckless climbing although they are aware of the challenges involved in charging rescue fees.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hongkongers left outraged after clip shows hiker removing MacLehose Trail marker
An online video showing a man removing a distance marker from Hong Kong's MacLehose Trail has sparked anger among internet users, who have warned that the act could have put hikers in need of emergency rescue at even greater risk. Advertisement The 21-second clip was circulating widely on Chinese social media platform RedNote and shows the man pulling up marker No 148 on a section of the trail at Tai Mo Shan. Speaking in Mandarin, the individual can be heard making light of the situation and saying something that roughly translates to 'easily handled MacLehose Trail' as he hoists the pole onto his shoulder and jogs a short distance. The man in the video also says: 'Goodbye to this 148, don't even think about taking photos here; I'm taking it away.' Later in the clip, he returns the marker to its original position and says: 'that was too tiring'. Advertisement The social account features content about camping in locations across mainland China.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Man seriously hurt in Shropshire valley fall
Man seriously hurt in hill fall The man was moved back up the hill on a stretcher before being flown to hospital A man has suffered serious injuries after falling 50ft (15m) down a hill. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the Cardingmill Valley on Sunday. It found the 20-year-old had hit rocks and hard ground on the way down and received severe head injuries, along with concussion, a broken wrist and a shoulder injury. He was moved back up the hill on a stretcher before being flown to hospital in Shrewsbury for treatment.
