The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

From CNN


DEAL ISLAND, Md. (WMAR) -- A 46-year-old man swam for more than 5 hours in order to get help for his family that had been ejected from their boat near Deal Island.

At about 7:00 p.m., the boat that John Riggs, 70, was driving with 4 others onboard was swamped by waves during a storm about 3 miles off shore. The 16 foot Carolina Skiff was swamped by waves inside the vessel and over the stern.

When the boat took on water all occupants put on their life jackets. The water in the boat caused it to partially sink and roll over, sending everyone into the water. All five held onto the boat.

At about 7:30 p.m., John Franklin Riggs, 46, decided to swim for help and finally reached the shore at about 1:00 a.m., and knocked on the door of the closest home for help.

Emergency personnel were able to locate the vessel at about 3:00 a.m. All subjects were treated at the scene.

The occupants of the boat are family members and range in age from 70 to 3-years-old. Life jackets and a quick response by multiple jurisdictions are being credited for the safe rescue of all involved.

[cassiesmom]

I love stories like this ...

'Are you kidding?' Last request leads to $500 tip for waitress
By Michelle Manchir

Tribune reporter

8:08 AM CDT, July 12, 2013

Vanessa Goldschmidt said it had been a slow night at the pod of tables she was in charge of serving at Pequod's Pizza in Lincoln Park on Thursday.

The night quickly became a memorable one when, after cashing out one $45 tab, she was handed a $500 tip.

She was the latest unsuspecting restaurant server to experience Aaron Collins' last wish.

The Collins family began distributing $500 tips last year after the 30-year-old committed suicide in his hometown of Lexington, Ky.

The last line of the will that his brother Seth Collins, 33, found on Aaron's desktop computer made clear what he wanted: "Leave an awesome tip (and I don't mean 25 percent. I mean $500 on a (expletive) pizza) for a waiter or waitress."

In Chicago, the gesture unfolded at the pizzeria after Seth Collins had taken the last bite of his tomato and basil deep dish, and Goldschmidt, 34, was ready to cash him out.

"Actually hang on just a second," Collins said, launching into a story about his brother's untimely death and last request.

He handed her a stack of $20 bills along with a printed postcard he made featuring Aaron's name and photo.

"I'm like shaking right now. Are you kidding?" Goldschmidt said, lunging toward Collins for a hug. "Oh, my gosh. I'm shaking right now. That's amazing."

It was the 56th time since Aaron Collins' July 7, 2012, death that Seth Collins fulfilled the request from his brother's will.

Seth Collins had posted a video online of what happened when they made the first surprise tip in Kentucky last year. It inspired a wave of donations, and Collins made it his goal to take the experience out of Kentucky and give extravagant tips in all 50 states before Christmas, thus bringing him to Illinois this week.

He set up a nonprofit in Kentucky that he said holds about $60,000 from donors all over the world. To memorialize his brother, Collins said, he wants all the money to go toward gratuities for waiters and waitresses at local restaurants, many of whom are recommended by Facebook users who are following Collins' journey.

Sometimes Collins' parents and sisters attend the big-tip dinners with him, but he's going alone on this road trip, hoping his '99 Altima will keep up with him for 17,000 miles, he said. He has raised $5,600 so far to fund the trip through an Indiegogo campaign online.

Aaron Collins, who constructed homes in Kentucky and fixed computers, was a man who struggled in his life, said his mother, Tina Rae Collins. She wasn't in Chicago this week but said she has attended the tippings 15 to 20 times.

After his death, the family reacted to all the requests they found in his will. One example: They gave the $70 Aaron left behind to homeless people.

The $500 tip request made sense to the family. Taking friends out to dinner and leaving big tips behind was something Aaron Collins did often, his brother said. He got a kick from picking up a big tab at meals, and other random acts of kindness, Seth Collins said.

At family celebrations out, "he would reach down in his own pocket if he didn't think we had left enough," said Tina Rae Collins.

For her, distributing the tips is a way to find comfort in her loss.

"As sad as I am, I can't help but be happy and excited when I see what that little seed that Aaron planted has produced," she said in a phone interview.

"I read a lot of things about grief, about the loss of a child. Pretty much everybody says the only thing that they want is to hear their child's name spoken. They want to know their child meant something. … I don't have to worry about that."

On Thursday night, Goldschmidt, of Chicago, said the money would probably be used for her rent and other bills. She works full time at the pizzeria, relying heavily on tips, she said.

"It was just like another Thursday night, coming into work, hoping for the best. It's a slow night," Goldschmidt said after receiving the cash. "I'm just taken aback. It's such an amazing gesture."

Milwaukee, St. Paul and Des Moines are the next cities on Collins' list to visit.

"It'll never get old," Seth Collins said.

[kuhio98]

From CNN:


Dog saves Cranberry Township man
Foster dog comes to aid after Chuck Weintraub suffers heart block



CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. —A Cranberry Township man who made a commitment to saving dogs said he never realized how one of those dogs would end up saving him.


Photos: Chloe the dog to the rescue A Cranberry Township man who made a commitment to saving dogs never realized how one of those dogs would end up saving his life.

Chuck Weintraub suffered a heart block while he was cutting grass at his home on Peace Street. He wasn't getting oxygen to his brain and passed out, and that's when his foster dog, Chloe, came to his aid.

"I was out cutting the grass. I don't remember anything except cutting the front yard, and the next thing I know, it was three days later," he said.


Weintraub works at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, where he met Chloe. The dog had only been with him for six weeks.


"Chloe was extremely sick when she came -- traumatized, couldn't be around people, just curled up from the world," he said.


But when Weintraub collapsed, Chloe went across the street and alerted neighbor Michael Brock. "I ran around to get a leash to collar the dog and she let me get close enough, which she normally doesn't, and she backed off in an increment of 15 or 20 feet," said Brock.

Brock said the dog backed off at least five more times, leading him to the back yard. "All the dogs backed away instead of greeting me like they normally do, and I was trying to pet them and I saw the bottom of Chuck's shoes," he said.


Neighbor Charleen Deneen, a registered nurse, administered CPR. "I had my windows still open and heard the concern in everyone's voice, and when I heard, 'Call 911,' I thought, 'OK, I have to go up the hill,'" she said.


Many people came to the rescue, but Chloe surprised Weintraub in the most unexpected way.


"And now, what you see, she's an interesting and inquisitive little girl," he said, adding that he's considering adopting her.


Considering???? Sounds like a no brainer to me.

[kuhio98]

From CNN:

Teens chase kidnapping suspect on bikes, save 5-year-old girl

Two teenage boys are being hailed as heroes after they chased a car carrying a kidnapped girl -- on their bicycles.

Five-year-old Jocelyn Rojas was playing in her front yard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when she vanished Thursday afternoon. Authorities believe she was abducted by a man who lured her by offering ice cream.

For two hours, neighbors and police scoured the area and asked if anyone had seen her.

Temar Boggs, 15, and his friend took off on their bicycles to search.

About a half-mile away, they spotted Jocelyn in a sedan. But the driver was elusive.

"Every time we'd go down the street, he'd turn back around, and then ... we'll follow him," Temar told CNN affiliate WGAL.

The two teens chased the alleged kidnapper on their bikes for 15 heart-pounding minutes. The driver apparently knew he was being followed and gave up.

"He stopped at the end of the hill and let her out, and she ran to me and said that she needed her mom," Temar said.

Jocelyn's relatives and neighbors took turns hugging Temar.

"He's our hero. There is just no words to say," Jocelyn's grandmother Tracey Clay said.

Police are looking for the suspect, described as a white male between 50 and 70 years old. He was driving a reddish-purple or maroon car with round taillights, WGAL reported. The man was wearing green shoes, green pants and a red-and-white striped shirt. He walked with a limp.

Although the suspect remains at large, Temar feels good about finding Jocelyn.

"I just feel like I did something very accomplishing today," the teen said.

The girl's family couldn't agree more.