I know nothing of this NFL player, KJ Osborn, other than that he was in the right place at the right time…and did the right thing!
KJ risked his life to save a man from a burning car in Austin, Texas. Read all the details here about KJ (and his Uber driver) coming to the rescue!
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Oorah!
Yorkie Avery returned home safely!
From Daily Mail:
“A former Marine Corps intelligence operator who helped capture al-Qaeda insurgents in Iraq used his skills to track down a Maryland dognapper after a Yorkie’s sudden disappearance left a family devastated.
Rick Machamer, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, learned Raquel Witherspoon’s beloved pet had been stolen after watching the local TV news and believed he could help.
Witherspoon was sent texts together with a video of her dog, Avery, a Yorkie, locked in a cage together with a ransom demand for $1,200.
Despite filing the case with the police, she was told that it would be a week before officers could even begin looking at the case, so she went to the local media noting how the dog was an emotional support animal for her 12-year-old daughter, Semaj.
Machamer, who owns a Norwegian elkhound and a Pomeranian was troubled by the thought of someone stealing his beloved pets and got in contact with the family. ‘I couldn’t fathom my reaction if someone took one of my dogs, especially if they sent a picture of one in a cage,’ he said to the Washington Post.
The former military man’s skills lay in tracking and gathering information. His skills were such that he was honored for taking part in operations that saw him help capture al-Qaeda leaders in al-Anbar province in Iraq. Machamer, a United States Marine Corps veteran completed three combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Hero Marine Rick Machamer
He offered to help Witherspoon track down her dog and she quickly accepted. Avery was dognapped in June, with Machamer’s involvement in rescuing the pet only coming to light this weekend.
Machamer, who runs a corporate intelligence firm that carries out opposition research for political campaigns, first used his resources to trace the phone number of the dognapper.
He ran the suspect’s phone number through an online database and used software to extract geolocation data from the video of Avery in her cage but it yielded no clues.
He then searched through customer reviews of local salons near Witherspoon’s home, hoping he might find the perpetrator thanks to her distinctive dyed red hair that could be clearly seen on doorcam video. Once again, no useful information could be gleaned.
Machamer then decided to run the dognappers number through his personal Instagram account in an effort to see if any profiles were connected to the number.
Incredibly, Machamer found a lead through the social media platform, which linked him to a body piercing business near Witherspoon’s home and a post that also linked to the owner’s personal Instagram account.
Machamer discovered that the owner had posted about another dog that had gone missing in Witherspoon’s neighborhood before Avery was taken.
A little bit of Googling saw him come up with a social media post about the missing dog.
There was even a picture of the family speaking to police about the dog together with someone that looked distinctly like the dognapper from Witherspoon’s doorbell camera. The photograph even displayed the address of the home.
Four days after Avery went missing, Witherspoon also received a tip that someone in the same house that had just been pinpointed by Machamer was indeed behind the dognapping.
Together the pair gave the information to police and Avery was recovered two days later after a Prince George’s County Police detective went to the home and retrieved the dog.
‘I was like, “They got him back!” said Witherspoon’s daughter, Semaj. ‘I didn’t want to face the reality of not seeing my dog again.
A 16-year-old girl was charged with stealing and admitted to being involved in the theft together with an attempt to extort Witherspoon in return for the pet. She pleaded guilty before trial.”
Read the whole story here.
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Hero Jay (behind woman in wheelchair) with people he saved.
From Daily Mail:
“A Buffalo man has been praised for his bravery after saving 24 people from a deadly blizzard that ripped through western New York dumping up to 50.3 inches of snow on the region.
Jay Withey, 27, feared he was going to die entombed in his car where he had been forced to sleep with two strangers after his truck got stuck in the brutal snowstorm.
After a series of rejections to seek shelter, Withey returned to his truck which quickly ran out of gas, it was then the unsuspecting hero identified others stranded and decided to break into a nearby school.
Dubbed ‘Merry Christmas Jay’ Withey and his crew, including seven senior citizens, waited out the storm which has so far taken the lives of at least 40 people, that number set to rise.
‘I walked to the houses to see if I could find shelter, any house that had lights on. I had $500 that I was offering, to sleep on their floor,’ Withey told WBEN. ‘It’s the only time in my life I actually thought I was going to die.’
It was around 6am on Christmas Eve that Withey’s truck ran out of gas and the group had no other choice but to break into Pine Hill Primary Center.
‘Off to the left, I could see there was a school about 600-700 feet away from us. I knew the power would be on, there would be heat in there and I was guaranteeing there would be food in there,’ he said.
According to Cheektowaga Police Department, the group respectfully set up what they needed in the main area of the cafeteria, helping themselves to food to survive the treacherous weather system.
As the storm began to break late Christmas Day and everyone was ready to leave, ‘Merry Christmas Jay’ found the school’s snow blower and cleared all the vehicles that belonged to his group.
Withey then fixed the broken window they had used to get into the school using cardboard and duct tape leaving a note behind apologizing for breaking in.
‘To whomever it may concern, I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window and for breaking in the kitchen,’ the letter states.
‘Got stuck at 8pm Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers just trying not to die. There were seven elderly people also stuck and out of fuel.
‘I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom. Merry Christmas Jay.’
School officials and the police department were notified of the window breaking and after the roads were safe a police officer checked out the school and found the note which led them to view security camera footage.
Authorities posted a tweet thanking Withey for his ‘heroic actions.’
Read the rest of the story here.
Great job, Jay!
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Posted in inspirational, Nature
Tagged #heroes, Buffalo, Cheektowaga Police, New York, snow storm
Great job, guys!
DCG
Thank goodness for that toxic masculinity!
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Saturday morning a fire brokeout at a NYC apartment building. Christina Foti, on the 20th floor, said smoke filled her apartment so badly that she had no choice but to climb out the window.
Fortunately the men of FDNY had rope-rescue training and were able to get her down and into the apartment below her via the window. Watch this amazing rescue (Foti is blurred because her bum was exposed as her pants fell down):
Great job by these brave firemen!
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged #heroes, babies choking, Cecilia Morales, first aid, Heimlich maneuver, TSA