Kids Survive 40 Days in Jungle Thanks to Grandmother

The four children who miraculously survived on their own in the Colombian jungle for more than a month after their plane crashed lived because their grandmother taught them how to fish, hunt and find safe food in the wild, authorities said.

But as the children lay recovering in hospitals, rescuers said their work wasn’t done: a sniffer dog who was key to helping rescuers track down the kids is now lost, according to reports. 

The siblings, who ranged in age from 1 to 13 years, were found alive and well in the Colombian jungle this week, 40 days after the May 1 crash of the plane in which they were traveling.

The siblings managed to survive because their indigenous grandmother taught the eldest how to hunt and fish, and which fruits and seeds were safe to eat in the rainforest, according to reports.

But it was a pair of pups named Tellius and Wilson who became the unsung heroes behind the month-long rescue operation, Colombian forces said Saturday.

The two dogs helped the 150 soldiers and others reach the children, according to rescuer Carlos Villegas. The dogs picked up the scent of the lost children, and one may have walked with the youngsters for a bit before leading rescuers to them.

Members the Army pose four Indigenous children found this week.
Members of the Army pose four Indigenous children found this week.

Astrid Cáceres, director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, said on Saturday that the siblings had encountered a dog in the jungle, but it was unclear whether it had been Wilson.

Lesly, the eldest sibling, “told us about the puppy,” Cáceres told news outlets.

The children recalled “the puppy that was lost, that they do not know where it was and that it accompanied them for a while,” she added.

While the country celebrates the miraculous rescue of the children, the military’s mission is not yet over.

Wilson, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been missing since Thursday, authorities said, suggesting the pup could have become disoriented during the mission due to the complexity of the terrain, the humidity and the adverse weather conditions.

“The search is not over. Our principle: we leave no one behind,” the Colombian military said on its Twitter account.

“Soldiers continue operation to find Wilson,” it added in his tweet, accompanied by photos of the canine, who led rescuers to tantalizing clues indicating the missing kids were still alive, including a pink-topped baby bottle.

Rescuers also found footprints in the mud, a brown-skinned fruit with what appeared to be a child’s bite marks, and a dirty diaper folded up as if it were to be tossed in a household trash bin.

The kids were on their way to visit their father, who had been living apart from the family over the last several months after he had received death threats from FARC guerrillas in the region, according to a report.

“I want to hug them,” said Maria Fatima Valencia, the grandmother, upon hearing Friday that the children were alive and well. “My heart sighs.”

Military rescuers had recorded Valencia reassuring the children that they would be all right if they remained in one place until rescuers arrived.

The recordings were played on loudspeakers in different parts of the rainforest during the month-long rescue operation, according to reports.

The children — ages 13, 9, 5, and 1 — are members of the Huitoto people who had been traveling with their mother from the remote Amazonian village of Araracuara to San Jose del Guaviare when their Cessna single-engine plane crashed into the jungle.

Two of the children had birthdays while they were lost in the jungle. Tien Noriel marked his 10th birthday and the infant, Cristin, turned one year old.

Their mother, the pilot, and an indigenous leader who was traveling with the group were all found dead in the wreckage on May 16.

The children survived thanks to the skills of Lesly, 13, Colombian officials said. She was taught to hunt and fish from a young age, according to her grandfather Fidercio Valencia, adding Lesly knows which fruits and seeds are safe to eat in the rainforest and which are poisonous.

“They were raised by their grandmother,” said John Moreno, a leader of the Guanano group in Vaupes, in the southeastern part of Colombia where the children grew up. “They used what they learned in the community, relied on their ancestral knowledge in order to survive.”

The grandfather of one of the survivors reacts to the rescue news.
The grandfather of one of the survivors reacts to the rescue news.

The indigenous community also believes the traditional spiritual ceremonies they held imploring the jungle to give up the children helped in the rescue, according to reports.

The children are at a military hospital in the Colombian capital, Bogota, where they are expected to remain for up to three weeks, according to reports. On Saturday, the children were visited by Colombian president Gustavo Petro and Velasquez.

“Thanks to Lesly, her little brothers and sister could survive, thanks to her efforts and her understanding of the forest,” said Colombia’s Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez.

Dad and Teen Daughter Tread Water for an Hour After Jet Ski Accident (VIDEO)

A dad and his 13-year-old daughter were stranded in a Florida lake this past Saturday, treading water for nearly an hour after their jet ski sank.

Body camera footage captured the dramatic moment Christopher Snow, 31, and his daughter Alexis were rescued by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy Kevin Reich and a group of local boaters on Lake Thonotosassa. 

In the video, the two are heard screaming for help as the boat moves in to rescue them. As Reich lowers a rope to pull them aboard, Alexis says, “Our jetski sunk underwater.” The two were safely brought aboard and told Reich they didn’t need medical assistance and were tired from the ordeal. 

While the two had life jackets, Snow told the sheriff’s office his “wasn’t sized properly,” according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are relieved that they were returned to shore safely and without any injuries,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the statement. “It is scary to imagine what could have happened had this father and daughter not been wearing their life jackets.”

According to the statement from the sheriff’s office, the Snows went out on their jetski from Baker Creek Park in Thonotosassa at around 6:50 p.m. When they hadn’t returned home or answered phone calls by 8 p.m., Snow’s girlfriend Carolyn Joyce arrived at a nearby dock to look for them.

“That’s where she found HCSO Deputy Kevin Reich conducting routine surveillance and sought help,” the statement read.

Local boater SamanthaJo Conover told Insider that she and her husband Jason Font offered to take Reich on to Lake Thonotosassa to look for the Snows.

“A police officer pulled up, and he was like, ‘Hey, have you seen a red jet ski?’ and I remember seeing it earlier, like just a little bit before sundown, but I hadn’t seen it since,” Conover told Insider.

Conover said they went slow around the lake’s perimeter, but considering it’s the largest natural lake in Hillsborough County, the search took some time. 

About 40 minutes into the rescue, Conover recalled it being very dark out on the water as they reached the Snows.

“We got about to the other side of the lake, and we kind of heard some screaming,” she said, adding that they “cut off the boat” to hear better before seeing the front of the jet ski poking out of the water and the Snows treading nearby. 

Snow and his daughter were brought aboard safely after treading water for about an hour. 

The Snows didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. 

Conover told Insider that after the incident, she was more than happy to help, but insisted she and her husband weren’t heroes.

“We were at the right place at the right time,” she said. 

WATCH THE RESCUE VIDEO BELOW:

Original Article

NFL Doctor Says Damar Hamlin “Will Play Professional Football Again”

Just over a month after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills safety has received an optimistic prognosis on his playing future from the NFL players union doctor.

“I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” Dr. Thom Mayer, medical director of the NFL Players Association, said on SiriusXM Doctor Radio’s “Heart to Heart” program on Wednesday.

Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle in the first quarter of the game against the Bengals on January 2.

Doctors and trainers administered CPR and used a defibrillator on the field to resuscitate Hamlin before he was taken out of the stadium in an ambulance, leaving players, coaches, fans and the TV audience in shock.

Medical officials said he went into cardiac arrest, meaning his heart abruptly stopped beating. The game was postponed and ultimately canceled.

Hamlin was admitted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center before being transferred to a Buffalo medical center on January 9 and released on January 11. The cause of his collapse still has not been determined.

Subsequently Hamlin has made remarkable progress, and he was discharged from a Buffalo medical center on January 11.

Hamlin was present at the Bills’ divisional round match-up against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 22, in which the Bills lost 27-10.

Earlier this month, Hamlin launched a campaign, in partnership with the American Heart Association, to increase CPR awareness and education.

CNN Sports anchor and former Bills player Coy Wire said the league’s ability to act quickly to administer life-saving CPR to Hamlin is the biggest positive to take away from this NFL season.

“Outside of the highlight reel players, outside of the comebacks we saw, the parity and the competition that brings excitement – 50% of the playoff teams this year were new to the playoffs – aside from that, perhaps the league’s greatest achievement this year was bringing to light the importance of CPR preparedness,” Wire said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he was proud of the league and team preparations ahead of the “Monday Night Football” game in Buffalo when Hamlin went into cardiac arrest.

“Our players are getting the best care anywhere,” said Goodell at his annual Super Bowl media conference on Wednesday.

“The work that they [health personnel] have invested in by bringing in these great professionals, by bringing in the best of the best did contribute to saving a young man’s life. And I’m incredibly proud of that.”

Hamlin stands near the sidelines during introductions prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on January 2, 2023.Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images/FILE

‘Profound dedication’

Hamlin was honored on Wednesday as he won the 2023 NFL Players Association Alan Page Community Award.

“I just want to say, ‘thank you’ and just thank God for being here and thank the other guys who was nominated for the award as well who did the work in their community,” Hamlin said.

“Giving back to my community has always been a big part of who I am. Thankful to my father who is right here behind me. Growing up just watching him do community days in our community and I just always waiting on my time when it came.

“I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach in making a difference in the community where I come from and also community across the world,” Hamlin added.

The award “recognizes one player who demonstrates a profound dedication to positively impacting his team’s city and communities across the country,” according to the NFLPA.

Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation community toy drive has raised over $9 million as of Saturday.

Evolving

During his media conference, Goodell said total injuries suffered this past season were down by 6% but the league saw an 18% increase in concussions during the 2022 regular season.

NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills noted that there were 149 concussions – up from 126 last season – according to the injury data released by the NFL.

Goodell attributed the increase to the league’s “definition of concussions,” which changed during the season.

“We had more evaluations – that’s going lead to more recorded concussions,” said Goodell. “We don’t want concussions to occur, we want to prevent them and we want to treat them, but we are not afraid of having them be diagnosed.”

Goodell added: “We encourage players and coaches and everyone else to come forward when they have symptoms so we can deal with those medically and make sure that they are handled professionally.”

The NFL has been under renewed scrutiny over the issue of concussions this season, beginning on September 25 when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was injured during play but was allowed to return to the field.

One of the biggest concerns about repeated blows to the head and concussions is their association with a deadly brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The NFL’s current concussion protocol is triggered if a player receives a blow to the head and exhibits or reports symptoms or signs suggestive of a concussion or stinger – a nerve pinch injury – or key health or athletic personnel initiates the protocol.

The player is removed to the sideline or stabilized on the field and required to undergo testing.

Original Article

Ten Skiers Go Missing After Avalanche – All are Rescued in Christmas Miracle

Police said Monday they believe no one is missing after a Christmas Day avalanche that swept across a ski trail near the town of Zuers in western Austria.

First responders initially assumed as many as 10 people could be buried based on cell phone video from a witness showing the group near the avalanche that covered 500 yards of the trail near the 8,900-foot Trittkopf mountain, police in the Vorarlberg region said in a statement.

One partly buried man was recovered with serious injuries and 200 rescuers were deployed to search the snow mass for more. The Time of London said searchlights were set up in the snow and dogs were being used.

It turned out that several of the people in the video had escaped and skied on down the mountain into the valley without reporting their involvement, and it took hours to track everyone down, police said. Three people suffered minor injuries.

A search was continuing Monday to make sure, but police said that “according to the current state of information, it can be assumed that no further persons are missing.”

The avalanche followed days of heavy snow in the Alps, followed by warm weather on Christmas Day, and the mountain rescue service had rated the avalanche danger as high. The Times reported.

The head of tourism in the Zuers and Lech am Arlberg region, Hermann Fercher, said the avalanche occurred even though explosives had been set off in that area to reduce the risk, the dpa news agency reported. Police said they would be investigating how the accident came about.Searchlights were set up in the snow and dogs were being used to try to find the skiers.

The avalanche occurred in one of Austria’s top ski regions, The Times said, adding that avalanches have killed an average of about 20 people in Austria each year.

Original Article

Meet the Marine Who Jumped on a Grenade to Save His Comrades

In 2010, William Kyle Carpenter was fighting in Afghanistan when a grenade was thrown next to him and a fellow Marine. Without hesitation, Carpenter jumped on the grenade to shield his friend and saved his life. However, Carpenter had little chance of his survival. The Marine lance corporal’s body was shattered, one lung collapsed, and the blast took off his eye and most of his jaw.

But he miraculously survived and won the Medal of Honor in 2014, the nation’s highest military award. As a Marine, Carpenter was ready to sacrifice himself for peace, but this moment of selflessness speaks volumes about his character. But he also deserves recognition for what he achieved after the event.

The Youngest Recipient of the Medal of Honor

On November 21, 2010, Carpenter and another Marine, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio were positioned on a rooftop with machine guns during a firefight with Taliban insurgents. That’s when a hand grenade flew to them. Carpenter rushed toward it and took most of the hit, although Eufrazio also suffered injuries. A helicopter came to collect them, and Carpenter was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. He was revived but seemed to die again at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

Carpenter spent two and half years in the hospital after the grenade attack, his body slowly recovering piece by piece. Despite all of the pain and uncertainty, he maintained a perspective of positivity and gratitude. “I look back and I’m actually very appreciative I had those two and a half years, because those years put things in perspective more than a whole lifetime of things could if I wasn’t there,” Carpenter said in 2014.

That year, he became the eighth living veteran from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq to receive the Medal of Honor. President Barack Obama presented him with the award at a ceremony at the White House. He is also the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor, currently 33 years of age. But that is only one of his many accomplishments.

After being on the verge of death three times, he underwent over 40 surgeries to reconstruct his face and body. Part of his post-recovery involved living to the fullest. He has run marathons, sky-dived, received a degree in international studies at the University of South Carolina, and traveled around the United States to promote his book “You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For.”

Life and Trauma After Being a Marine

The book talks about his experiences leading up to his Medal of Honor, his gratitude for those who aided his recovery, and his inspiration for others to make the most of their lives. He has also raised money for the Fisher House Foundation, which helps provide housing for veterans and families who receive hospital treatments.

One notable section of his book discusses how he suffered from nightmares and hallucinations while on pain medication. His pain and injuries were so intense he couldn’t even eat a bowl of cereal. “Through sobs, I managed to choke out one devastating question: ‘Look at me. Who is ever going to love me again?’ ” Carpenter recalled. It’s a heartbreaking story for a veteran who is known for his enduring optimism and determination. [2]

In a 2019 interview, Carpenter relates that the Marine he saved, Nicholas Eufrazio, is close friend today. However, he adds that are many others who give “such crazy sacrifices for their country” who deserve recognition. Many of them don’t have physical scars like Carpenter. “So many, Nick included, that have traumatic brain injuries. The brain is a beautiful and delicate thing. I encourage people to know that there is trauma, there are people with mental and emotional scars that weigh as heavy as, if not heavier than, the physical scars. If I could not be here and Nick would not have a traumatic brain injury, I would make that trade in a heartbeat. But I have a platform to tell people about traumatic brain injury and encourage them to be not sympathetic, but empathetic.

The Grandest of Journeys

Carpenter is a loud advocate for mental health treatment for veterans and their families with his work with the Headstrong Project, which offers “confidential, barrier-free and stigma-free evidence-based trauma-focused treatment.” He joined the Headstrong board of directors in mid-2021. Conditions like PTSD, depression, insomnia and substance addiction are extremely common among veterans. As of now, the organization treats an average of 1,400 clients a month through 275 clinicians in the U.S.

In 2022, Carpenter spoke as the guest of honor at the San Diego Marines Foundation’s Marine Corps birthday celebration. “Our service and the legacy we helped build and maintain will never fade and will never waiver and just like our enduring legacy, so is our responsibility,” Carpenter said. “…I have learned that any worthy victory can only be achieved through hard work, sacrifice and optimism. And lastly, I learned that the smallest of steps completed the grandest of journeys.”

Man Notices 82-Year-Old Walmart Employee Exhausted at Work and Raises Enough Money So She Can Finally Retire (VIDEO)

Devan Bonagura was just a regular guy, working a day job to pay the bills and playing around on TikTok in his free time. One afternoon while on the job, he saw an elderly woman in the break room at Walmart, exhausted from working on her feet all day.

The woman was well past retirement age — Devan was touched and upset to see that she still had to work so hard instead of being able to enjoy retirement and the fruits of her labor.

He posted a video of her captioned: “Life shouldn’t be this hard…:/ I feel bad.” The video went viral and eventually garnered over 3 million views. Commenters flocked to the post, encouraging Devan to set up a GoFundMe for the employee. Devan did just that, and was stunned by the results. 

Devan continued to share his story online. 24 hours after sharing the GoFundMe he had set up for the Walmart employee, whose name tag said Nola, Devan had already raised $100,000. He was shocked and amazed.

He decided to return to the Superstore to present Nola with the amazing news. He coordinated a surprise with Nola’s daughter and told the women that TikTok had seen her story and banded together to help her. She was grateful but told Devan that $100,000 wasn’t enough for her to retire — she still owed $170,000 on her mortgage, and she would have to work until she was able to pay the whole thing off.

Not to worry — the GoFundMe was up past $200,000 in just a few days. Nola, who is 82 years old, would finally be able to retire!

As soon as Devan posted the video and the GoFundMe, he got a call from the Walmart store manager. The call wasn’t positive. The manager threatened to call the police if Devon didn’t remove the TikTok and the GoFundMe, but Devon refused.

Then, his own employer (a retailer who operates a separate business inside of the Walmart store) suspended Devon with pay while they investigated whether or not the TikToker was in violation of any policies. Devon didn’t let the corporate powers intimidate him — he continued on his path.

In the months since his amazing interaction with Nola, Devan has grown his TikTok and continued to do good deeds, raising more money and helping the homeless.

Devan’s selfless acts have helped many people improve their quality of life, and his own quality of life has improved! We should all strive to be a little bit more like Devan — if we see something that makes us feel bad, we should try to change it.

WATCH SWEET VIDEO BELOW:

@dbon973 WE LOVE YOU NOLA I HOPE THIS HELPS❤️🙏 #blowthisup #fyp #gofundme #nola #walmart #viralvideo ♬ original sound – DBON

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