Tag: rescue

Raw footage: Coast Guard rescues dog that fell 300 feet from cliff

A dog that fell 300 feet from a cliff in Oregon has been reunited with its owners, thanks to a heroic helicopter rescue by the United States Coast Guard.

A dog that fell 300 feet from a cliff in Oregon has been reunited with its owners, thanks to a dramatic helicopter rescue this week by the U.S. Coast Guard.

USCG Air Station Astoria was involved in the rescue, which entailed an airlift of the injured dog, named Leo, at Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach.

The accompanying footage shows Leo – appearing injured and scared, but alert – being comforted by one of the rescuers before being hoisted with the rescuer to the helicopter.

The footage also shows Leo, wrapped in a blanket, being reunited with his owners after the helicopter had landed.

One of the crew commented during the touching reunion: “Aw, hugs! Hugs all the way around.”

Leo’s condition was not immediately known.

Baby rhino rescued via helicopter after poachers kill its mother

A rhinoceros calf that was left to fend for itself after poachers in South Africa killed its mother has been rescued via helicopter and taken to a rhino orphanage.

When poachers kill rhinos for their horns, calves that are left behind are almost certain to perish. But for one newly orphaned calf, there’s hope for recovery and, eventually, a return to the wild.

According to the nonprofit, African Wildlife Vets, a ranger and veterinarian for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa spotted the de-horned rhino carcass this week while conducting an aerial search for buffalo.

Wandering nearby was the 6-week-old male rhino calf.

African Wildlife Vets described what happened next on Facebook:

“Dr. Rowan Leeming immobilized the small calf and they placed it on the back seat of the helicopter. The calf was rushed to the Zululand Rhino Orphanage where he was given a drip to rehydrate him and rhino plasma to strengthen his immune system.

“The experienced team at the orphanage will do everything they can to ensure his recovery and then his well being until he is old enough to be released back into the wild.”

Zululand Rhino Orphanage has shared photos and videos via Instagram showing the baby rhino, blindfolded to keep him calm, receiving care from staff.

Rhinos are poached for their keratin-rich horns, which are sold in Asian markets and used largely for medicinal purposes.

Rhinoceros populations have been decimated – about 27,000 wild rhinos exist globally, down from 70,000 in 1970 – and few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves.

The intentional removal of rhino horns by conservations inside reserves is now a common method designed to keep the animals safe from poachers.

Watch: Deer with plastic bottle on snout tranquilized, rescued

A deer with part of its snout stuck inside a Gatorade bottle has been tranquilized and rescued by Georgia wildlife biologists.

A deer with part of its snout stuck inside a Gatorade bottle has been tranquilized and rescued by Georgia wildlife biologists.

The accompanying footage shows the doe approaching biologists on a road, and the successful darting effort. Images show the tranquilized deer, biologists at work, and the bottle after it was removed.

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The Georgia Department of Natural Resources stated Tuesday via Facebook that the bottle, stuck to the top portion of the doe’s snout, had been cutting into the animal’s skin.

“With the assistance of a resident putting out corn for a number of days to draw the doe back into the area, staff were able to dart the deer, remove the bottle and treat the doe’s wounds,” the DNR stated.

“The deer was released on site and was last seen headed back towards her fawn.”

Watch: Diver rescues shark trapped on reef by fishing gear

A dive instructor in Hawaii capped a recent expedition by saving the life of juvenile shark in a dramatic rescue that was caught on video.

A dive instructor in Hawaii capped a recent expedition by saving the life of juvenile whitetip shark in a dramatic rescue that was caught on video.

The accompanying footage, captured by Rachel Gillis, shows the shark tethered to a coral head by fishing line, with the hook attached to a steel leader in its mouth.

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David Prutow, of Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures, spotted the shark resting on the sand next to the coral at Horseshoe Reef off Hawaii’s North Kohala Coast.

Prutow hoped to remove the hook, but the shark became aggressive during the effort.

“Initially I thought I could try and unhook the shark as it was obviously in distress and not moving,” Prutow told FTW Outdoors. “It was tangled and pinned to the coral head with wrapped line. I wasn’t too thrilled with that [first] attempt so I had to back off and wait for it too settle to try and cut the line as close to it’s mouth as possible.”

Prutow added: “It was a little sketchy, but I was confident I could help without getting hurt.”

In the video the shark swims away after the leader was cut. Prutow said he expects the hook to work its way from the shark’s mouth over time.

Kate and Jaycee Butler are the divers observing the rescue in the video.

Kate described the encounter: “Our group of four divers were about five minutes from the end of the dive when we came across this juvenile whitetip shark. It took a moment to register why it was not swimming off. Once I realized what I was looking at, my heart sank. It was entangled and could barely move.

“Dave didn’t hesitate and immediately went to work.  At one point in the process, the shark came back to life and it looked like Dave might get bit as he worked to remove the hook and cut the line.  It was a huge sigh of relief when we could see the line was finally cut with no injury to Dave or the shark, and the shark had enough energy to swim off towards the deep.

“That shark would surely have died had we not come across it.”

‘Griswold’ family’s Christmas tree search ends in dramatic rescue

A Washington family has been ridiculed after driving into the wilderness in severe weather to look for a Christmas tree, resulting in a dangerous search-and-rescue effort.

A Washington family was ridiculed after driving into the forest in severe weather to look for a Christmas tree, prompting a dangerous search-and-rescue effort.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police on Friday titled its news release, “Griswold Family Rescue.”

The reference to “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” a 1989 comedy film starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, might be understandable to some.

The unidentified family ventured into the Blue Mountains despite a weather forecast calling for up to 18 inches of snow. A prominent road closure sign was ignored. The family did not pack suitable clothing or tire chains.

The Asotin County Sheriff’s Office received the emergency call Saturday evening and requested assistance from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The WDWF’s “Sergeant Mosman” led a rescue operation that involved volunteers and the use of snowmobiles.

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“They were able to use WDFW snowmobiles to locate the vehicle containing the family of five, along with their large dog,” the WDFW stated. “They also found another family member and his truck buried in a drift, about halfway to the location who had attempted to rescue them as well but had gotten stuck.

“They spent about two and half hours shuttling the family out of the area in whiteout conditions.”

All ended well, except that both vehicles had to be left behind, perhaps until spring, and the frightened dog peed on Sergeant Mosman’s lap during the snowmobile ride.

The news release was posted to Facebook, where most comments were mostly congratulatory toward the agency, although not everybody appreciated the Griswold analogy.

Rescued deer has new look, hunters ask if buck can be shot

A mule deer rescued in mid-October after its head became ensnared in string has a new lease on life and a sporty new appearance.

A mule deer that was rescued in mid-October after its head and antlers became ensnared in string has a new lease on life and a sporty new appearance.

“Remember the mule deer that got tangled in some string a couple weeks ago? Well, look at him now with his all-new bling (GPS collar),” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources wrote Friday on Facebook. “Check out this wildlife before and after!”

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The deer was tranquilized and fitted with a collar after residents of Parowan reported seeing a buck “with an unidentifiable mass of string caught in its antlers,” the UDWR stated on Oct. 13. “The buck was not able to see through what we suspect was a tangled hammock.”

Reaction to Friday’s post, showing a side-by-side, then-and-now image, might not be what some expected.

While some comments were congratulatory, others were from people wondering whether it’s OK to shoot the buck during hunting season.

“So if we do shoot a collared deer & report it, we won’t be harassed?” one person asked. “I mean you collar a big deer like that, that may be one in a lifetime for me. Ima shoot it!”

The UDWR responded with an answer that might surprise some of its followers, stating that the collared buck is fair game during hunting season.

“We encourage hunters not to shoot collared deer,” the agency wrote. “But if you do just make sure to report it so we can pick up the collar and reuse it.”

–Image courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

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‘Stunned’ researchers rescue 4,000-pound sunfish from net

A sunfish estimated to weigh more than 4,000 pounds – it was too heavy for the scale – has been rescued from a fishing net off the Spanish enclave of Cueta. The colossal sunfish, believed to be of record size for the region, was pulled from the …

A sunfish estimated to weigh more than 4,000 pounds – it was too heavy for the scale – has been rescued from a fishing net off the Spanish enclave of Cueta.

The colossal sunfish, believed to be of record size for the region, was pulled from the water with cranes and briefly studied before it was set free (see video below).

According to the Estrecho Marine Biology Station of the University of Seville, the entangled sunfish was discovered off Cueta, on the north coast of Africa, on Oct. 4.

 

“We tried to put it on the 1,000-kg (2,204.6-pound) scale but it was too heavy. It would’ve broken it,” the station’s Enrique Ostale told Reuters. “Based off its corpulence and compared with other catches, it must’ve weighed around 2 tonnes (4,409 pounds).”

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Two cranes on different vessels were used to hoist the sunfish, according to the university. The fish measured 10.5 feet and was nearly as wide between its fins. (Sunfish have truncated bodies, giving them an unusual appearance.)

https://www.facebook.com/UniversidaddeSevillaoficial/posts/10159817041426383

DNA samples were collected but the fish is believed to be a Mola alexandrine, or southern sunfish. They’re closely related to the more widespread Mola mola. Both species are docile and prey mostly on sea jellies.

“I was stunned,” Ostale told Reuters. “We’d read about such individuals, but never thought we’d actually touch one that day.

“But it was also stressful: you’re on a boat in the middle of the water, there’s a crane moving huge weight, a live animal. We couldn’t waste a moment and had to avoid accidents.”

Cueta is one of nine Spanish territories in Africa. It borders Morocco along the boundary of the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

–Images courtesy of the Estrecho Marine Biology Station/University of Seville

Jogger runs for help after bear attacks camper

A Montana camper injured during a bear attack Saturday was rescued after receiving help from a jogger.

A Montana camper injured during a bear attack Saturday was rescued after receiving help from a jogger.

The incident occurred two hours after dawn at Mystic Lake in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

According to the Gallatin Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified victim was too injured to hike out but flagged down a jogger “who was quickly able to make it to cell service and call 911.”

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The victim, after being located by LifeFlight personnel, was treated on site before being airlifted to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.

The Associated Press reports that the person’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, improperly stored food probably attracted the bear to the camping area southwest of Bozeman. It was not immediately clear whether a black bear or grizzly bear bit the camper.

–Black bear image is generic

Fisherman warns trapped and terrified boy ‘don’t move’

Watch: A fisherman is being hailed a hero after he used his fishing skills to rescue an 11-year-old boy who was trapped atop a small ice floe.

A fisherman is being hailed a hero after he used his fishing skills to rescue an 11-year-old boy who was trapped atop a small ice floe on the Desenka River in the city of Kyiv in Ukraine.

The boy, who somehow became stranded on the ice, couldn’t swim. Richard Gorda, the angler, kept him calm by telling him, “Stand still, don’t move…Don’t be afraid…Don’t turn around. Look at me.”

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Gorda made a cast with a hookless weight to the boy, who grabbed the line, held on tight and followed Gorda’s instructions. He didn’t move.

Two videos show the rescue, one by Reuters via Twitter from the angler, the other from a bystander who posted it on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/100001614670417/videos/4030367643693685/

Ukraine’s Independent Information Agency of News (UNIAN) reported that the “terrified” boy was drifting on the piece of ice “dozens of meters off the shore.”

UNIAN also stated that Gorda directed adults present at the scene to call emergency services, as the river depth at that spot was 65-feet deep.

Turns out, emergency services were not needed because Gorda pulled the boy ashore without incident, but he admonished the youth, telling him, “It’s over now, but you deserve to get a spanking.”

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Gorda told UNIAN he doesn’t consider himself a hero and said he’s done things like this before.

“There is no feat, we just turned out to be in the right place and at the right moment,” Gorda told UNIAN. “The fact that I cast [the spinning rod] and hit at once is God’s mercy. I might have had time for another try. The ice piece was cracking under that boy. The child didn’t even get wet or anything, he’s safe and sound, but he will learn that lesson for life.”

Photos courtesy of Richard Gorda and Sergey Bulavsky.

Fishermen trapped on river ice floe rescued, but odd item is left behind

Two fishermen on a slab of ice connected to the bank of a river were sent drifting downriver when the ice broke free from the bank.

Two men were fishing on a slab of ice connected to the bank of an Illinois river Monday when the 20-by-20-foot patch of ice broke free and began slowly making its way downriver.

The incident occurred on the Rock River in downtown Rockford where the unidentified fishermen were at the mercy of the river and ice as the floe traveled some 500 yards downstream.

“Luckily, the current was moving very slowly,” Rockford Fire District Chief Luis Duran told the Rockford Register Star.

Witnesses immediately called 911 and the Rock River Water Rescue team arrived on the scene and plucked the two fishermen from the ice floe with an inflatable banana boat. Fortunately nobody was injured in the incident.

Commenters on the Loves Park Neighborhood Watch Group on Facebook made light of what the fishermen were forced to leave behind, as several commented that when rescued off any ice like this, the rescuers only take you, no gear.

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Remaining on the ice floe going downstream were two ice augers, a fishing rod, a bag of chips, a plastic water bottle with some drink remaining and a … mattress?

“My question is why did they have 2 hand augers and a casting rod? I don’t even wanna know about the mattress,” one commenter wrote.

Duran told the Star that the fishermen were fortunate the slab of ice didn’t break up. Instead it remained in one piece to keep them afloat and prevented them from falling into the river and risking hypothermia.

Photos courtesy of the Rockford Fire Department and Loves Park Neighborhood Watch Group on Facebook.

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