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The Sun
14 minutes ago
- The Sun
Passenger planes left buried in FOAM in hanger with suds spilling over runway after giant fire extinguishers go wrong
A FLEET of passenger planes got an unplanned clean after dodgy fire extinguishers drenched them in foam. At least four Spirit Airline jets were doused with the bubbles in farcical scenes at the company's maintenance hangar in Detroit - and techies think they know why. 3 3 3 Footage shot from another plane passing overhead shows a giant puddle of foam oozing from the yellow hangar onto the tarmac. Two planes are completely surrounded by the bright white substance. Photos from inside the hangar show the multi-million-pound planes buried in meters of foam to halfway up the fuselage. Subs are slipping down their sides - after foam evidently filled the air. The huge foam discharge is an automatic fire extinguisher feature. When a blaze is detected, the dispensers are programmed to spurt huge volumes of foam both inside and outside the hangar. But in the incident on July 4, there was no fire. Technicians believe that a powerful lightening bolt which struck in the area was to blame. Unaware that it was a false alarm, emergency responders rushed to the hangar. Upon inspection they were able to confirm that there was no active fire. At least 18 people injured after fire in Ryanair plane at Majorca airport as passengers abandon jet by clambering over wing Happily, neither were there any injuries associated with the foam spill. The mess was promptly cleared according to protocol to avoid any further bubble-based chaos. The mishap led to a delay in some maintenance work, but passengers and company stakeholders were reassured that there would be no major disruption to flight services. Spirit Airlines explained what happened: "On July 4, the fire suppression system at our Detroit (DTW) maintenance facility was inadvertently activated, which we believe was caused by lightning nearby. "There was no fire, and no injuries were reported. Two aircraft parked inside the facility and one aircraft parked outside the facility were removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team. "We have engaged a contractor to assist with cleanup efforts, and we thank first responders for their quick response and assistance. "There is no impact to our flight operations." A spokesperson added: 'We take safety and operational efficiency very seriously. 'While this was an unfortunate event, we are grateful that no one was harmed, and our teams are already taking steps to ensure that our hangar operations return to normal as soon as possible.'
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
An Alabama elementary student and a camp director among those killed in devasting Texas floods
A beloved director of Texas summer camp for girls. An Alabama elementary student away from home. A woman found dead after an intensive search. These are a few of the dozens of victims lost in devastating flooding in Texas. The flooding in central Texas originated from the fast-moving waters on the Guadalupe River on Friday, killing more than 50 people, including 15 children. Authorities say search and rescue efforts are still underway for dozens missing from a summer camp for girls. JANE RAGSDALE Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O'the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country. She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt. 'She was the heart of The Heart,' the camp said in a statement. 'She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.' Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose. The camp's facilities, directly in the path of the flood, were extensively damaged and access to the site remained difficult, according to camp officials. The camp has been in existence since the 1950s. Camp officials said Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom. 'We are heartbroken. But above all, we are grateful,' the camp said. 'Grateful to have known her, to have learned from her, and to carry her light forward.' In a 2015 oral history for the Kerr County Historical Commission, Ragsdale, whose first name was Cynthie, but went by her middle name Jane, talked about how her father was also a camp director and how much she enjoyed her experiences. 'I loved every minute of camp from the first time I stepped foot in one,' she recalled. Videos of Ragsdale strumming a guitar and singing to campers during a recent session were posted in a memorial on the camp's Facebook page: 'Life is good today. So keep singing 'til we meet, again.' SARAH MARSH Eight-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama had been attending Camp Mystic in Texas, a longtime Christian girls camp in Hunt where several others were killed in the floods. Several dozen children were still missing early Sunday. Marsh was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in suburban Birmingham. 'This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community,' Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said in a Facebook post. 'Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her." He said the community — where about 20,000 people reside — would rally behind the Marsh family as they grieved. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama also noted the girl's tragic death. 'We continue to pray for the victims' loved ones, the survivors, those who are still missing, and our brave first responders as search and rescue efforts continue in Texas,' she said in a post on social media platform X. TANYA BURWICK Tanya Burwick, 62, had been reported missing early Friday and was last seen driving in the San Angelo area, which was also affected by rising floodwaters. Police investigating her disappearance found her unoccupied SUV fully submerged in floodwaters later that day. When search efforts became too dangerous by evening, police suspended operations until the following morning. That's when Burwick's body was found just blocks from her vehicle. 'Our hearts are heavy as we extend our deepest condolences to Ms. Burwick's family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,' the San Angelo Police Department said in a Facebook post. 'We ask that the public continue to keep the Burwick family in their thoughts and prayers as they navigate this heartbreaking tragedy.' Police in San Angelo said more than 12,000 houses, barns and other buildings have been affected by the floods in the community of roughly 100,000 people.
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Why was this stranger calling me sweetheart? The benevolent ageism of ‘elderspeak'
I recently joined an exercise class for over 55s. I estimated the majority of (mostly) women in the class were, like me, septuagenarians. They all seemed familiar with the drill – chairs, weights, bands, balls – and within a few minutes I knew I was in the right class for me. It wasn't a dawdle – in fact it was decently challenging, especially the balance exercises. Our excellent instructor offered three levels of difficulty for every exercise, urging us to work out at our own pace and ability. Near me was a considerably younger woman who could well have been the baby of the group. A fiftysomething perhaps, she was steady, confident, flexible and strong. She always chose the hardest level. It was validating to share a class with her, to know that the program was designed to be accessible for my own arthritis-challenged frame but still be beneficial for a much fitter, younger person. After the class I queued up to retrieve my bag from a table. This younger, fitter member was standing by the table between me and my bag. To fetch it I would need to reach around and risk invading her personal space. So I asked: 'Excuse me – do you mind if I grab my bag? It's just behind you there.' 'Of course not,' she answered, handing me the bag. 'There you go, sweetheart.' Sweetheart? Why was this stranger calling me sweetheart? Not that I hadn't been bestowed with similar endearments before, but that was half a lifetime ago, under different contexts and gender dynamics. Back then I would sometimes find myself an unwilling darling, love, or sweetheart to a man trying his luck. But being addressed as sweetheart, even by a pleasant woman who showed no hint of malice, left me feeling patronised. The incident carried echoes of my mother's aged care facility in the early 2000s, where staff routinely addressed residents by infantilising names. At the time I thought the carers sounded warm and sympathetic and Mum didn't seem to notice or mind. But I'm not OK with it now; not for myself as an older person living independently in the community, nor for those who live in aged care. In 1986, UK researchers Gillian Cohen and Dorothy Faulkner coined the word 'elderspeak' to describe a patronising manner of speaking to older people. Dr Marlene Krasovitsky, a consultant to the World Health Organization's Global Campaign to Combat Ageism, and board member of Australia's anti-ageism advocate body EveryAGECounts, describes elderspeak as a form of 'benevolent ageism'. 'Research tells us that benevolent ageism is the most entrenched form of ageism because we tend to think of older people as frail, sick, dependent, passive,' Dr Krasovitsky tells me. 'Elderspeak diminishes and devalues. It erodes autonomy and voice and feeds the perception that older people are passive onlookers to life, basically irrelevant.' Elderspeak may involve the use of inappropriate terms of endearment, juvenile language or unnecessarily loud or slow enunciation. It can often be a vehicle for attributing ageist stereotypes to the older person, defining them not by their selfhood but by their age. As I cogitated over the sweetheart incident, I began to see it as part of a pattern that began in my late 60s. This wasn't the first time I'd been treated as someone in need of a lap rug and a cup of hot cocoa. Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Not long ago a taxi driver welcomed me into his cab with 'How are you today, young lady?' Without asking me if I wanted to listen to music, he proceeded to select a song from his playlist. 'I think you'll like this track,' he said, as the Glenn Miller band's 1941 hit Chattanooga Choo Choo bounced jauntily out of the taxi's speakers. I've been variously described as 'spry', 'sprightly' and 'good for my age'. As incidents like these have mounted up, I've wrestled with the question: is it just me? Have I entered my 'grumpy old woman' stage, blowing up trivial or imagined slights, spiralling into a morass of hopelessness? But a recent study by the University of Queensland cautions against engaging in 'self-directed ageism'; that is, adopting a mindset of self-doubt and fear of being judged on the basis of age. To embrace such thinking is to be ageist against yourself. I have come to understand that elderspeak generally originates from a place of kindness. It is comforting to know that the woman in the gym meant no ill will, but it still stings to be on the receiving end of even benevolently ageist language. Krasovitsky has some simple advice for me: 'Ask them to change the way they are speaking with you.' It won't be easy, but it stands to reason that if a person doesn't know their well-intended words can be hurtful, they will continue to use them. So the next time a taxi driver offers to play me a big band Glenn Miller number, I'll say something like, 'That music was before my time – but can you find me some Led Zeppelin?' Marcia van Zeller is the author of Be a good girl, Valerie (Ventura Press, $32.99).
