Latest news with #lifesaver
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Gruesome new details emerge of the horrific injuries teenage boy suffered in a terrifying shark attack - as hero rescuer reveals how young surfer was savaged as he tried to fight it off
One of the heroes who raced to the aid of a teenage boy savagely mauled in a shark attack has revealed the horrific scene they found as they pulled him from the surf. The 16-year-old had his arm almost ripped off by the two-metre shark as he surfed at Cabarita Beach on the NSW far north coast near Byron Bay on Sunday afternoon. Brazilian Thiago Collel has revealed how he raced down to the shoreline to help after he heard the youngster's screams when the suspected bull shark attacked. But as rescuers tried to pull him to safety, the shark followed the injured teenager into the shallows to continue its attack until one rescuer punched it and it finally swam off. Mr Collel, who had been watching a seal in the water nearby, revealed the shocking extent of the boy's gruesome injuries that left his arm dangling by a thread of sinew. 'When I got to the shore, he had been dragged in by a group of people including an off-duty paramedic who happened to be walking on the beach at the time,' he said. 'His bicep was destroyed - you could see all the muscle, flesh and bone,' he said. 'He lost a scary amount of blood. I was covered in it.' Mr Collel, 39, said they took the teenager to a nearby car park where the off-duty paramedic applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding and saved the teen's life. The volunteer surf lifesaver at nearby Rainbow Bay said his training immediately kicked in during the life-threatening emergency. 'We were just trying to keep him calm, holding his head and making sure he was okay,' he added. 'I just kept talking to him and he told me how he fought off the shark by kicking and punching it away. 'It was full-on but wasn't so scary because I think I knew what to do and was so focused on making sure he was stable.' The boy suffered injuries to his right upper arm, wrist and right leg, with rescuers stalked by the creature as they tried to carry him out of the water. A video of the moments after the attack shows another brave rescuer racing into the water and punching the shark as other beachgoers fled. 'Oh my God, that's the shark,' a shocked onlooker was filmed screaming in the clip. A female added: 'Oh f***. That's really scary!' A surfboard was used as a makeshift stretcher to carry the teen to safety. The teen was airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Mr Collel, who has lived in Australia for several years, said he hoped to be reunited with the shark survivor once he is in a stable condition. 'I would like to go visit him in hospital in the coming days,' he added. 'He should be proud of how calm and strong he remained throughout it all - he was covered in lacerations to his arms and legs.' NSW paramedic Ben Mumford praised the brave bystanders who rushed to the boy's aid. 'There were a few brave people in the water that helped him out of the water,' Mr Mumford said. 'There was also a couple of off-duty paramedics on the scene that assisted him until we arrived.' A second helicopter was deployed to locate the shark, but the aerial search was unsuccessful. The species of shark involved remains unknown, but locals believe it was a bull shark, although some feared it was a two-metre great white. NSW Shark Smart had tagged and released a tiger shark at the same beach three days earlier. Yesterday's incident has rattled locals, who have been urged to stay out of the water. Cabarita Beach will remain closed for 24 hours. In 2020, locals were 'traumatised' after a surfer was forced to boot a 'four-metre shark' as it took a bite from his board off the Tweed Coast. Terrified witnesses saw 'hardcore splashing' as up to 30 surfers raced out of the water after the man tried to flee as the shark left what appeared to be a tooth embedded in his foilboard off Cabarita's Headland.
Malay Mail
14-06-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
O+ hero: Chin Jeck Leng donates blood 580 times, becomes first Malaysian woman to win ‘Medal for Life'
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — The struggle of finding O+ blood donors for her mother, who needed a transfusion after undergoing abdominal surgery nearly five decades ago, was a turning point for Chin Jeck Leng to become a dedicated blood donor. Driven by the determination to prevent others from going through the same ordeal, the 65-year-old does not mind making the trip to the National Blood Centre in Jalan Tun Razak every two weeks, all in the name of saving more lives. The former head of Human Resource Management at a local bank has donated blood an astounding 580 times, an extraordinary achievement that not only earned her widespread recognition but also made her the first woman in the country to receive the prestigious Medal for Life award. 'I was still a child during that surgery in 1980 and not eligible to donate. It was challenging to find donors among family and relatives, as not many were willing to give blood. 'And the only person willing to donate was my neighbour, who asked for payment. That was when I realised how vital the sacrifice of a blood donor truly is, as it offers hope to those in need. After all, blood is something money can't buy,' she said. She spoke to reporters after receiving the award at the national-level World Blood Donor Day appreciation ceremony and the silver jubilee celebration of the National Blood Centre, which Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad officiated. The Kuantan, Pahang native, who began donating blood at 18, said she remains in good health and free from any illnesses to this day. She expressed hope that more people, especially the younger generation, would come forward to become blood donors. Meanwhile, Anugerah Delima recipient Norhasri Mohamad Jadi, 44, has been donating blood since he was 28 due to a traumatic childhood experience. He was involved in a road accident at the age of three and suffered severe blood loss. He recalled that his family was returning to Kuala Lumpur from their hometown in Teluk Kemang, Negeri Sembilan when the vehicle skidded while trying to avoid a lorry. 'That's why I decided to become a blood donor. I realised just how life-changing a donor's contribution can be,' he said, adding that the crash left his right arm and leg permanently impaired. The O+ e-hailing driver has donated blood 99 times and was the only blood donor with a disability to receive an award at the ceremony. The Anugerah Delima is awarded to individuals who have made between 76 and 100 apheresis donations, where only specific components of the blood are collected, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor's body during the same session, or 31 to 40 whole blood donations. — Bernama
CTV News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Soccer player's life saved by opponents after suffering cardiac arrest during a game
Watch A Minnesota man is lucky to be alive after going into cardiac arrest during a game, with two members of the opposite team jumping into action to give him CPR.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Incredible footage captures moment drowning young girl caught in rip current is saved by fisherman's drone
This is the incredible moment a Florida fisherman saved a young girl from drowning in a riptide by using a drone to drop a life preserver. Andrew Smith, of Pensacola, was scouting the water off Fort Pickens Beach for sharks with his SwellPro Fisherman Max drone when he spotted a young girl, who was not identified, caught up in a riptide, Fox 4 Now reported. 'There was this girl screaming: "Can anybody swim?"' he recalled to the outlet. Smith, who cannot swim, was desperate to help her when he noticed several life preservers on the beach on Thursday. Using his drone, he grabbed one and flew it to the girl. 'I flew it out there and I missed really bad on the first drop,' he told Fox 10. 'A lady grabbed another one for me. I was pretty nervous, we flew it out there and we got it down to her.' Video footage, shot by fellow beachgoer Robert Nay, showed Smith's second attempt of getting the floatation device down to her. The drone can be seen dragging the device through heavy wind and gray skies as it drops to nearly water level for the girl to grab onto. 'She got it, woo!' a bystander yelled. 'She was way out there. If I didn't get her with that one, I don't know if she would have made it any longer,' Smith told Fox 10. First responders arrived shortly after and were able to pull the girl to safety. The young girl was swimming with two other girls when she got caught in the riptide, Nay wrote on Facebook. A single red flag was flying on the beach that day, indicating that beachgoers should avoid going into the water. No lifeguards are currently stationed at the beach and won't be until Memorial Day. '[Smith] literally saved her life and bought time for fire and rescue to get there!' Nay said. The fisherman's drone is designed to be used while fishing and has the ability to hold up to two life jackets. 'The drone has two releases on the bottom and can be used for fishing, and you can carry two life jackets on it and get to people fast. It has a camera on it too, so I could see the girl's head on the camera,' he told the outlet. No lifeguards are currently stationed at the beach and won't be until Memorial Day. The girl's father contacted Smith after the event, 'actually crying and thanking me,' he told Fox 4 Now. Smith hopes in the future he won't have to use his drone to save another life, but is grateful to have been able to help.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man Reunites with 14-Year-Old Boy Who Saved His Life After He Became Paralyzed at Sea While Paddleboarding
A man in Devon, England, was reunited with the 14-year-old boy who saved him after he became temporarily paralyzed while paddleboarding in rough waters on April 25 Gavin Bowden, 60, lost feeling in his arms and legs after getting hit on the head with his board The teen, Oscar, who is a junior lifesaver, pulled Gavin back up onto his board and kept him calm and stable for 30 minutes until help finally arrived A man was recently reunited with the 14-year-old 'little hero' who saved his life after he was injured at sea. Gavin Bowden, 60, was paddleboarding in Saunton Sands, a beach in Devon, England, on April 25, when a large wave knocked into his board, causing it to collide with his head and rendering him temporarily paralyzed in rough waters, per the BBC. That's when Oscar, 14, a junior surf lifesaver, appeared, per the outlet. Acting entirely alone, Oscar pulled Gavin back onto his board and signaled to shore for help. He then kept Gavin calm and secure for 30 minutes while they waited for aid to arrive. "I saw someone had been injured on their board and just instinctively went over to them to see if they were okay, which they weren't and then I helped them,' Oscar told the BBC. He added, "I was quite scared at the beginning that I wouldn't be able to lift him because he's quite a big guy but I just had the determination to help him." Related: Olympic Kite Surfer Saves Drowning Woman in Dramatic Video: Watch Oscar then explained that he had made the calculated decision to pull Gavin further away from shore as opposed to attempting to bring him closer to land, due to the fact that they would have had to face a rough section of water. "I knew he had a big board strapped to his leg and if I tried to go in and a wave came and he gets hit off, he'd get dragged in and I might lose sight of him — it could've just got so much worse," he explained. While speaking to the BBC, Gavin recalled that he found himself face down in the water without feeling in his arms or legs after the blow to his head, but he somehow managed to flip himself over onto his back before Oscar arrived. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I called 'help' three times and then Oscar was there and said, 'I'm here.' He was trying to hang on to me and trying to wave and I was saying, 'Don't leave me kid, don't leave me,' and he was saying, 'I won't leave you, I won't leave you.' " Help eventually arrived, and Gavin was taken to the Royal Devon Hospital in Exeter for emergency treatment. Gavin — who said he still has some numbness in his hands due to his injury — was ultimately released from the hospital. He soon reunited with his young savior, per a BBC follow-up piece. In a video of the special reunion, Gavin can be seen thanking Oscar and giving him a big hug. 'They sent me a guardian angel that day," he told the outlet in the follow-up piece, calling Oscar 'my little hero.' Related: Surfer Rescues Man Who Nearly Drowned in N.C. While Spreading Daughter's Ashes in Ocean Gavin also recalled that Oscar expertly adhered to his junior lifeguard training. "He started trying to reassure me, asking me my name and about my family and whether I was married, all the stuff he's obviously been trained to do, he was really good,' he said. Neil Phillips, a coach at Saunton Sands Surf Life Saving Club, told the outlet that Oscar achieved a "textbook rescue." "Oscar talked to Gavin, he protected him, he got him up on his board, he kept giving him reassurance all the time and he wasn't tempted to bring Gavin in through the break, which would have been a disaster with a neck injury,' he said in the follow-up. "He was just amazing, absolutely fantastic,' Phillips added. Read the original article on People
