Latest news with #heroic
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Hero off-duty firefighter rushed to save kids when school trip bus overturned leaving 1 dead & 21 injured
A HEROIC off-duty firefighter who was driving behind a school bus that tragically crashed yesterday immediately rushed to help. One child sadly died and two others were rushed to hospital after the coach veered off the road and slid down a 20ft bank. 6 6 Some 21 casualties were taken to hospital by land and air after the accident. The bus came off the A396 between Wheddon Cross and Timbercombe in Somerset shortly before 3pm yesterday. Emergency crews worked tirelessly to rescue trapped passengers. It later emerged that a heroic off-duty firefighter was travelling behind the coach and was able to start freeing passengers straight away. Gavin Ellis, Chief Fire Officer for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We were mobilised to a major incident to a coach that had overturned onto its roof and slip approximately 20ft (6.1m) down an embankment. "I'm grateful to the off-duty firefighter who was travelling behind the coach at the point of the collision who was able to start taking immediate [action] to start releasing those casualties from the bus." He added: "Our crews carried out a number of extrications and rescues in extremely difficult circumstances, and he also supported our ambulance colleagues with casualty treatment. "This was a very complex and technically difficult incident for our crews to deal with, and I'm grateful for the tireless effort and actions of the crews in doing everything they could for those who were trapped as quickly as safely as possible." Two people were left seriously injured following the crash, which saw the coach filled with pupils from Minehead Middle School leave the road. It is thought that the year five pupils were returning from a trip to Exmoor Zoo in nearby Devon. Minehead Middle School's website states that pupils in that year group (aged nine to 10) were due to visit the zoo as part of the school's "Enrichment Week" activities. Three helicopters, deployed by Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Devon Air Ambulance, joined police air crews. Some casualties were then taken by air ambulance to hospital in Bristol. Gavin Ellis, the chief fire officer for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said the coach "overturned onto its roof and slid approximately 20ft down an embankment". In a press conference outside Minehead Middle School, cops confirmed that they were called at 2.58pm to the "very complex and technically difficult scene". Parents - who had been summoned to the school by police - were seen visibly upset as they waited outside the building. Police confirmed that 21 casualties had been rushed to hospital, although the "large majority of passengers" were taken to a rest centre in Wheddon Cross. Eight fire engines, two specialist rescue appliances and around 60 firefighters were deployed to the scene. South Western Ambulance Service deployed 20 double crewed ambulances, three air ambulances, a command team and two hazardous area response teams. Cops estimate around 60 to 70 people were onboard the coach when it left the road. Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute after the tragic death of the child, saying: "A heartbreaking update on the school bus crash in Somerset. "There are no adequate words to acknowledge the death of a child. "All my thoughts are with their parents, family and friends, and all those affected. "Thank you to the emergency workers who are responding at pace — I'm being kept up to date on this situation." 6 6 6
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
We finally know how a 5-year-old girl fell from a Disney cruise ship
After weeks of speculation, Florida officials have confirmed exactly how a 5-year-old girl fell overboard from the Disney Dream cruise ship last month — and the story is as dramatic as it is heroic. According to a newly released report from the Broward Sheriff's Office, the child had been climbing on a railing on the ship's fourth deck on June 29 when she lost her balance and fell backward through a porthole into the ocean. Her father, who hadn't seen the fall, jumped into the water moments later after her mother sounded the alarm. The case drew intense public interest — and harsh online criticism — after rumors circulated that the father had placed the girl on the railing to take photos. But investigators now say those rumors were entirely false. The child climbed up on her own while her parents were nearby playing shuffleboard, and a strong gust of wind may have contributed to the fall, according to a witness on board. 'The girl's mother alerted her husband, who didn't see the incident, and he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter,' the sheriff's office confirmed, as reported by the Daily Mail. Read more: Disney cruise dad jumps overboard after 5-year-old daughter falls into the ocean Onlookers described a harrowing scene, with the mother screaming that her daughter was just five years old and couldn't swim. Her father, 37, leapt overboard and treaded water with his daughter for about 20 minutes before they were both rescued by the Disney Dream's onboard team. Cruise officials say the crew responded within minutes and praised the team's quick thinking. 'We commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship,' Disney Cruise Lines said in a statement. The incident occurred while the ship was sailing between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale. The Disney Dream, one of the line's most luxurious vessels, can carry up to 4,000 passengers. The girl and her father were both safely brought back on board, and the captain later addressed the passengers with an update. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders hosts event supporting residents after apartment explosion
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Dozens of families were displaced from the Rainbow Terrace Apartments after an explosion on June 23 that caused one of the buildings to suffer major damage from the flames. Last Thursday, Cordale Sheffield, a heroic stepfather who was hospitalized after suffering burns to 90% of his body when he ran back into a burning building to save his stepchildren, passed away. It's a community that needed a distraction. Beach hazard: Swimmers warned to stay out of Lake Erie on Thursday On Wednesday, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders helped provide one. Sanders hosted an event called Garden Valley Fun Fest, which he promoted on his Instagram. An organizer, attorney Stanley Jackson, who represents the family of Cordale Sheffield, told FOX 8 the purpose was to bring people together to converse, spend time together and have fun. Sanders said at the event that he thought they succeeded in that mission. 'It was fun. Everything's fun. It's a good event for the city to bring happiness here,' Sanders said. He shared that the event was bigger than football to him, and while he's days away from reporting to his first training camp with the Browns, his only focus that afternoon was to enjoy himself with the Cleveland community. At the event where you could find food trucks, bounce houses, get a haircut and play games, Sanders did it all. Community support growing for Shaker Heights cheerleader, now leg amputee He covered the entire event area at Rainbow Terrace apartments, going from section to section blowing bubbles with kids, playing corn hole and taking tons of photos with fans. Jackson said it was a good return to normalcy for the people who have been living in temporary housing and searching for a return to normalcy since that Monday in June. 'Every day they're faced with remembering the tragedy they went through,' Jackson said. 'There are some other things that they are dealing with currently – being displaced and living in different places – and they need this to be something that people are coming out to support them. I think the main thing is for us to all come out and celebrate life together.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Heroic': Fall River first responders prevented ‘unimaginable loss of life,' Gov. Healey says
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey praised first responders in Fall River for their 'heroic' work in preventing an 'unimaginable loss of life' in a fire at an assisted living facility on Sunday night that left nine people dead and 30 others hospitalized. Fall River fire chief gives emotional update on deadly blaze at assisted living facility 'Were it not for the heroic work, brave work, of these men and women who showed up last night, particularly our fire and police and EMS, we would have seen a much greater loss of life,' Healey said during a late Monday morning news conference. Healey said everyone who was living at the Gabriel House on Oliver Street was unable to escape the building on their own. 'Thankfully, the vast majority of them were able to be taken out. Most of them were people who needed help,' Healey said. 'These are people who are not able to move themselves. They were non-mobile. Therefore, the work that the fire, police, and EMS did to get people out was truly amazing.' Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the nine victims either perished in the building or while in transit to the hospital. Their names haven't been released. Bacon said first responders rescued many other residents using ladders after people were found hanging out of windows as the fire burned around them. 'It's horrifying to think about what happened in the middle of the night, in the dark. People were just scrambling as best they could to get out through windows, firefighters coming up ladders, hauling people down in any way possible to get them out of the building, the panic, it's so heartbreaking,' Healey said. 'I'm heartbroken for the individuals who perished. I'm heartbroken for their families and their friends and loved ones.' The fire at Gabriel House prompted a massive response, with every firefighter on duty in the city attending, along with 30 off-duty firefighters who were recalled. Healey said she's grateful that the teams of first responders acted so quickly, noting that their swift action prevented an 'unimaginable loss of life.' Healey pledged to Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan that her administration 'will do everything we can' to offer support and assistance to the community. Fire investigators from the Fall River Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal's Office are working to determine the cause of the fire. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Dramatic moment unconscious woman is rescued by RNLI volunteers after being swept out to sea
An unresponsive kayaker captured on camera drifting out to sea has been dramatically rescued by heroic RNLI volunteers after 'the wind turned'. Happisburgh Lifeboat crew raced to help the woman, who has not been named, after she was spotted off the Norfolk coast near Walcott. Click to watch the hair-raising recovery footage above.
