'She was just praying': Driver miraculously rescued as semi-truck dangles off bridge over Ohio River



Kentucky firefighters made a death-defying rescue of a truck driver who had veered off the Clark Memorial Bridge due to an accident, causing the cab of the semi-truck to dangle off the bridge over the water.

A Louisville firefighting crew made the rescue of a Sysco truck driver as the vehicle hung over the Ohio River. The truck crashed through the bridge's guardrail and was wedged between two steel beams that were thankfully secure enough to hold the truck in place for more than half an hour.

The truck reportedly crossed a traffic lane, Fox News noted, with firefighting officials stating that two other vehicles had been involved in the accident.

Dramatic video was captured from multiple angles as a rescue worker was lowered down on a harness to the truck driver, still in the driver's seat, as the semi was suspended some 70 feet above the water.

\ud83d\udea8#UPDATE: Additional footage from a different angle reveals the truck left dangling hundreds of feet above the Ohio River. As First responders successfully rescued the semi-truck driver.
— (@)

"This is a once-in-a-career type of thing," Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill told reporters in a video posted by WLKY. "[It was] a pretty serious wreck that included two vehicles plus the semi. The two vehicles were in pretty bad shape, the semi was dangling off the edge of the second-street bridge," O'Neill added.

One crash victim was escorted to hospital immediately, fire officials stated, and the only other hospitalized person from the incident was the truck driver, for precautionary reasons.

Fire Chief O'Neill explained that it took his crew about 40 minutes to set up a rope system and rappel down to the driver.

"She was just praying, she was praying a lot, so I prayed with her," said Bryce Carden, the firefighter who made the rescue.

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Sysco, a food distribution company, released remarks in regard to the incident.

"Sysco is enormously grateful to rescue services and law enforcement who quickly and safely resolved the accident on the Clark Memorial Bridge today," a spokesperson told Fox News. "We are thankful our Sysco colleague is safe and thank the first responders for their courageous efforts rescuing our driver. Safety is a priority at Sysco, and we are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation."

Early reports have been unclear as to how or why the truck crossed lanes before crashing through the guardrails. The bridge is closed at the time of this publication and repairs will need to be made to the bridge's structure.

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Junior officer hears screaming while off duty and bolts into action, saving baby who was figured for a goner: 'Everybody has their time. It just wasn't his.'



Mohamed Hacham, an officer in training with the Melvindale Police Department in Michigan, was off duty Tuesday evening when he heard someone screaming.

Hacham, who at the time had been relaxing in his East Dearborn home with his police radio nearby, told WJBK-TV, "It was like a disaster going on. The yelling from the corner ... was so loud with the windows closed, and I was like 'this is something big.'"

Having quickly surmised that the yelling corresponded with a dispatch over the radio concerning a baby in trouble, the young officer bolted outside along with his brother. Together, they raced up the block to a group that had gathered around a panicked mother.

Hacham told WDIV-TV that at the center of the fearful group was a baby who had fallen unconscious after choking on food: "His eyes, when I seen them, were rolled back."

The officer immediately seized control of the situation.

"Whole time I’m just telling the little boy, 'Come on, come on, come on, let’s wake up.' ... My whole goal was 'this kid’s not dying in my arms,'" recalled Hacham.

The young officer relied upon his training and performed livesaving measures to get the boy breathing again, which he indicated amounted to flipping the baby over and administering a few blows to his back.

Mo Zughayar, Hachem's neighbor, who saw Hacham resuscitate the child, told WWJ-TV, "I don't know what could've happened. If he didn't know what he was doing or wasn't the one helping, then I don't want to say it. The child probably wouldn't be with us any more."

Hacham, who has only been on the job for a few months, later emphasized he was at the "right place at the right time," and that it "wasn't that kid's time. Everybody has their time. It just wasn't his."

The MPD said in a statement on Facebook, "Great job to one of our newest Officers. Officer Hacham was off duty and heard the call[,] saving a lifeless child in his neighborhood. Well done Officer Hacham, well done. You make all of us very proud to have you on our team."

Lt. Robert Kennaley of the MPD indicated to WXYZ-TV that Hacham "is a very kindhearted individual. He's a go-getter and that's what he does: helps the community."

The 2-year-old's father has expressed gratitude to his neighbor in blue, indicating that the boy is doing well.

Video of the incident was captured on domestic surveillance cameras:

Off-duty Melvindale police officer saves 3-year-old boy who nearly choked to deathyoutu.be

For those outside Hacham's vicinity, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health has recommended following these steps for treating a choking child, which are to be pursued in conjunction with calling emergency services:

  • "Stand behind the child. Wrap your arms around the child's waist";
  • "Make a fist with one hand, thumb side in," then place your fist "just below the chest and slightly above the navel";
  • "Grab your fist with the other hand";
  • "Press into the abdomen with a quick upward push. This helps to make the object or food come out of the child's mouth";
  • "Repeat this inward and upward thrust until the piece of food or object comes out"; and
  • Upon the ejection of the obstruction, "take your child to the doctor. A piece of the object can still be in the lung. Only a doctor can tell you if your child is OK."

The British Red Cross has published a short video demonstrating the techniques for saving a choking baby under the age of one:

Baby First Aid: How to save a choking babyyoutu.be

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Videos emerge of brave men reportedly rescuing others caught in Hurricane Ian



Amid videos of powerful winds, torrential rain, and disastrous flooding caused by Hurricane Ian, several videos have also emerged showing brave men who risked their own safety to rescue others caught in the storm.

For example, Fox News reported on a group of "Good Samaritans" who aided an elderly man trapped in his vehicle in Bonita Springs, Florida.

"We saw an elderly man struggling in his car," said one man identified only as Benny, "and we knew he needed help."

When Benny and others, possibly affiliated with the group the Collier County Cowboys, reached the man's car, however, the realized that the door was wedged shut and the driver himself was too much "in shock," Benny said, to help himself escape.

"The guys all maintained to grab the door and pry it open," Benny continued. "[The man] was a bit in shock, so he didn’t want to let go. So we assured him we were there to help him."

Several men then carried the man through waist-high water to safety, while another man appeared to collect some of the man's personal effects from the car.

The Instagram account @colliercountycowboys_ shared a video of the daring rescue:


The name of the man whom they rescued is not known.

Another woman in nearby Bonita Beach allegedly filmed a video of her boyfriend, whose name appears to be Michael, rescuing a cat which was either a stray or had been abandoned by or otherwise separated from its owner.

"My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers," tweeted user Megan Cruz Scavo.


\u201cMy boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers\u201d
— Megan Cruz Scavo (@Megan Cruz Scavo) 1664381514

The tweet has nearly 200,000 likes, while the video itself has racked up over 3.5 million views.

There are also several videos of first responders helping others caught in Hurricane Ian. In one video, a member of the Naples Fire-Rescue Department used an axe to pull an unidentified woman out of her car, which was trapped in the flood.


"Please let this be a lesson to stay off the roads when flooding is possible," a Facebook message accompanying the video reads in part.

Members of the National Guard have likewise performed "dozens" of rescues since Hurricane Ian hit, according to Fox News.

Eight hospitalized after explosion tears through top floor of Chicago apartment building



At least eight people were injured Tuesday morning when an explosion tore through a residential building in the South Austin neighborhood of Chicago, authorities said.

The Chicago Fire Department said eight people were taken to the hospital, three of whom were in serious condition after an explosion caused a "mass casualty" event at an apartment building at the 5600 block of West West End Avenue, WGN-TV reported.

"This is a confirmed explosion but source of explosion not known," the fire department said.

\u201cUpdate. Unit 8812 mass casualty EMS bus now heading to Washington and Central. This is a confirmed explosion but source of explosion not known. ATF is on scene to assist. As is CPD bomb unit. Six transports so far searches underway. Three victims serious to critical. 7\u201d
— Chicago Fire Media (@Chicago Fire Media) 1663686787

Officials said that several residents of the building were displaced. Additionally, the building next door was evacuated. Deputy Fire Commissioner Marc Ferman told reporters 10 ambulance vehicles were sent to the scene to respond to the collapsed building.

\u201chttps://t.co/IKAkwhJICS\u201d
— Chicago Fire Media (@Chicago Fire Media) 1663684958

Several witnesses described hearing a sound like a bomb went off at around 9:00 a.m. They said the building shook with the force of the blast.

“I was asleep, and all of a sudden there was a loud booming,” building resident Lawrence Lewis told WGN. “I woke up to my windows gone, my front door blown open. I just saw smoke, and I ran out of the house. I was asleep. I’m shook up right now.”

Otis Manning, a resident of the building across the street, told the Chicago Sun-Times he was getting ready for work when the explosion destroyed the top floor of the neighboring structure.

“All of a sudden, I hear boom,” he said. “My heart almost shot out of my body. I saw windows busted open, I saw debris.”

Other witnesses who had left the building not long before the explosion reported a strange smell in the hallway.

People’s Gas told WGN there is no reason to believe it was a gas explosion. The fire department has not determined the cause of the blast and is still investigating.

“Our first concern is the health, well-being and safety of our residents,” building owner Roman Viere said in a statement. “We are doing everything we can to cooperate with emergency services, and we are ready to do whatever we can to support our residents.”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued the following statement:

“I am closely monitoring the events and both the Chicago Fire Department and the Department of Buildings are onsite at the collapse. We will provide updates as the situation develops. My thoughts are with those who were injured and displaced in the building collapse in the Austin neighborhood. We must also thank the brave men and women of the Chicago Fire Department who are working to abate the dangerous conditions.”
No further information has been provided.
United We Still Stand | Mic Drops Out at Jets-Ravens Game

United We Still Stand | Mic Drops Out at Jets-Ravens Game

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says NYPD would not repeat Uvalde police mistakes during school shooting



New York City Mayor Eric Adams asserted Tuesday that in a school shooting event in his city, NYPD officers and other first responders would not hesitate to intervene, in contrast to the reported police response to the deadly mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last week.

"That is not going to happen in New York. We go in with an active shooter," Adams said Tuesday morning on "Morning Joe."

"Not only would the police go in with an active shooter, but the FDNY, EMS, they’re trained to go in with an active shooter,” he continued. “It appears as though this was treated more like a barricaded armed person or a hostage negotiation scenario instead of an active shooter."

Adams also said that he intended to reach out to Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin to discuss what local leaders can do to address gun violence.

“I’m going to call him today, because this is a mayors’ battle,” Adams said. "Mayors are being impacted by that.'

Police in Uvalde, Texas, have faced mounting criticism over their response to last week's shooting at Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered by a gunman.

At a press conference Friday, Texas Department of Public Safety Chief Steven McCraw told reporters that during the shooting, police had come to believe the gunman had barricaded himself in a classroom and was no longer an active shooter threat. Several officers had waited for backup in the school hallway as children were trapped in the classroom with the gunman.

Some of the children were speaking with police dispatchers over the phone and begging for police to rescue them. Instead, officers waited nearly an hour before the classroom was breached and the gunman incapacitated.

“Obviously, based on the information we have, there were children in that classroom that were still at risk,” McCraw said Friday. "From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision. Period.”

ABC News reported Monday that the Uvalde Police Department and the Uvalde Independent School District police force have ceased to cooperate with the Texas Department of Public Safety's investigation into the massacre. The decision to end cooperation with the investigation came shortly after McCraw said that police had made the "wrong decision," ABC News reported.

The Biden administration announced Sunday that the Department of Justice will open an investigation into the police response in Uvalde, in response to a request from Mayor McLaughlin. The department said the review "will be fair, transparent, and independent."

“The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” the Justice Department said.

Firefighters conduct dramatic rescue of teen trapped in a 40-foot well



Heroic firefighters rescued a 14-year-old South Carolina boy after he fell into a 40-foot well.

The teen, WBTW-TV reported, likely survived by treading water and clinging to pipes inside the well.

What are the details?

Members of the Gaffney City Fire Department rushed to the scene on Saturday evening to find a teen trapped inside the well.

In a Facebook post on the rescue, a spokesperson for the department said, "At 7:57pm on Saturday May 7, 2022, our department responded to the report of a person that had fallen into a well off of Pacolet Hwy in Gaffney."

"On arrival firefighters found a 14 year old male has fallen appropriately 40 feet into a well," the post continued. "The patient was treading water and able to hold on to pipes in the well to hold himself above water. Crews were able to make voice contact with the patient while crews began to set up for a technical rescue."

A firefighter was lowered into the well at that point and was able to pull the child to safety approximately 30 minutes after the first response time.

"The patient was transferred to EMS and subsequently transported to the hospital for what appeared to be non life threatening injuries," the post concluded.

"Our firefighters train often for these scenarios, that are not routine but they do happen. We’re proud of the professionalism showed by our crews."

What else?

The teen, identified by WSPA-TV as Jaylen Byers, said that he "just fell" into the well while playing with his brother.

“I just fell,” he explained. “While I fell, I just remembered being underwater.”

He said that he was standing on the top of the well, which was covered by a slab of concrete, when the lid crumbled and he fell through.

“I was shocked. I was scared. I was like, ‘What’s going on? How did I just fall down here?’ I didn’t expect it to be a well," he said. "I tried my best to swim back up. I saw a pipe and was hanging on it the whole time.”

Jaylen's brother was the one to rush to the rescue to tell their father what happened.

“I think that is a parent’s biggest fear – not being able to help their child when they need help,” Jaylen's mother, Amy Gordon, told the station. "He said, ‘Momma, my arms and legs are getting tired. I’m scared. Please just hurry.'”

The teen said the next thing he remembered, a firefighter was pulling him to safety.

“I’m a little sore," he said, "but I’m grateful to be here living another day.”

1 dead, 2 rescued after US Navy plane crashes near Virginia shore



One person is dead and two others were injured after a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in waters near the Eastern Shore boundary of Virginia and Maryland on Wednesday night, military officials said.

Lt. Cmdr. Rob Myers, a spokesman with Naval Air Force Atlantic, said an E2-D Hawkeye plane cashed just north of Chincoteague Island in Accomack County, Virginia, while doing a routine exercise around 7:30 p.m.

Three people were on board the aircraft. Two were injured and rescued by U.S. Coast Guard, and one was found dead, Myers said.

The plane was an advanced tactical airborne early warning aircraft based out of Naval Station Norfolk and assigned to an East Coast Airborne Command and Control Squadron.

Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs said the two injured crew members did not have life-threatening injuries, WAVY-TV reported.

The identity of the deceased crew member will be released after next of kin have been notified. The Navy said the accident is being investigated.

Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic region confirmed to WAVY that crews responded to a downed aircraft in the water near Wildcat Marsh, just north of the town of Chincoteague, near Virginia's border with Maryland.

Ryan Whittington, a spokesman for Maryland’s Ocean City Fire Department, told the Associated Press that first responders were on the scene shortly after the plane crashed in Chincoteague Bay near the community of Stockton.

Whittington said that a volunteer fire department in Stockton was the first to respond to the crash.

He said waters in the bay were relatively calm as rescuers dove into the bay to recover the two injured crew members. WRIC-TV reported that the two people rescued had broken legs. The deceased crew member was last seen strapped in for flight and went down with the plane, which was partially submerged.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issued a statement on the crash Thursday.

“Last night, the First Lady and I were devastated to learn that a Navy E-2D aircraft operating out of Naval Air Station Norfolk crashed in the vicinity of Chincoteague, Virginia. We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our great Navy service members in Virginia," Youngkin said.

"Our hearts go out to the Naval crew members, their families as well as the members of Naval Air Force Atlantic. This serves as a reminder that our great servicemen and women risk their lives every day to serve our country,” he said.

Biden says cops, first responders should be fired if they refuse COVID vaccination, mocks Americans' 'freedom' — and receives raucous applause



President Joe Biden on Thursday said he believes police officers and first responders who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 should be fired over the decision.

What are the details?

During a CNN Town Hall event Thursday night , Biden told moderator Anderson Cooper that it's unacceptable for emergency services workers to remain unvaccinated.

Noting that as many as 1 in 3 emergency responders in cities across the country are balking at city vaccine mandates, Cooper asked, "I'm wondering where you stand on that. Should police officers, emergency responders be mandated to get vaccines? And if not, should they be, stay at home, let go?"

Biden responded, "Yes and yes."

Cheers and applause broke out in response to the president's remarks.

Biden responded to Cooper's question by stating that he and his administration decided to hand down vaccine mandates because he didn't feel there was any other reasonable choice. He also added that he highly doubts there will be mass revolts against required vaccines, or that employees will stage large-scale walkouts over the requirement.

"I waited until July to talk about mandating because I tried everything else possible," he said. "The mandates are working. All the stuff about people leaving and people getting it, you have everyone from United Airlines to Spirit — all these airlines, we're not gonna get ... Ninety-six, 97% of the people have gotten the vaccine. All the talk about all these folks who are gonna leave the military if they are mandated, not true. You got about a 90-some percent vaccination rate. I mean, so the idea is that, look. The two things that concern me. One, are those who just try to make this a political issue."

He then mocked those who are against COVID-19 vaccines on the basis of personal choice.

"'Freedom! 'I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID,'" Biden joked, and was met with applause, laughs, and cheers. "No, I mean, come on, freedom."

He continued, "Number two, the second one is that the gross misinformation out there."

“...should police officers, emergency responders be mandated to get vaccines and if not should they be, stay at hom… https://t.co/KF7ctZG2dI

— The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) 1634869694.0

Anything else?

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) appeared on Fox News Friday morning, where she slammed the president for his remarks on police and first responders as well as for mocking the American public, much of which prides itself on freedom of choice.

"My reaction is this is absolutely absurd and sadly it's very typical of Joe Biden and the Biden administration to attack Americans' everyday freedoms," she said. "First of all, they're turning their backs on law enforcement officers and first responders who put their lives and their health on the line every single day, particularly during the COVID pandemic. ... These mandates are unconstitutional and it's an attack on our very freedoms in this country and to have the President of the United States mock freedom, frankly, that's un-American."

You can listen to the rest of Stefanik's remarks in the video below.

Gov. Ron DeSantis calls for police officers to come to Florida for a far better work experience: 'We'll actually stand by law enforcement'



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says that police officers are welcome to come to the state and work in what he says is a much healthier work culture for law enforcement.

What are the details?

According to a Monday report from the Western Journal, DeSantis made the remarks during a speech in Green Cove Springs, Florida.

"If you have a chance to do law enforcement in Florida versus some of these other jurisdictions, you're much better off in Florida because we'll actually stand by law enforcement," he said in his speech.

Florida Politics reported that it's a no-brainer for law enforcement officials to come to Florida because the "culture is better."

"They understand they're going to be supported much more resolutely than what they do," he said. "Make no mistake: The reason that you have such huge spikes in crime in many parts of the country is because of not standing up for law enforcement, having weak policies where you're letting people out, and you're not prosecuting people who are committing habitual offenses."

He added, "That is clearly causing disastrous consequences."

What else?

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told WBBH-TV that he's already begun to receive employment inquiries from people across the country.

"Other officers in New York and different places ask if we have any openings," Marceno said. "They want to transfer down. No one wants to work where they're not supported. ... We have some vacancies, but we're not looking to just fill a vacancy. We're looking for the right people and we're not going to lower the bar."

Corporal Phil Mullen of the Cape Coral Police Department told the station that his department's waiting list for openings is extensive.

“We have a waiting list of people we're vetting and our hiring is constant. We're always looking for job applications," he added. "No one is going to get rich being a law enforcement officer, but that is not why we do it."

For Myers Police Department Lieutenant Jason Pate told the station that his department offers relocation assistance and academy training for selected invidiuals.

DeSantis acknowledged that the pay “is not great" for police in Florida, adding that the state has done “some stuff to increase that, and obviously, you have on the municipal and county level as well," according to WBBH.

“If we're sponsoring officers to go through, you have a job with us the minute we hire you. We pay for you to go through the academy plus we pay you while you're in the academy," Pate said.

Gov. DeSantis lures out-of-state police officers to work in Floridawww.youtube.com