Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about rescue, curated daily by BrightWire.
After 11 hours trapped in their flooded motorhome, Hank and Stacey Wills and their five pets were hoisted to safety by a Colorado National Guard helicopter crew. The dramatic rescue near Pagosa Springs shows the power of coordination between emergency responders who refused to give up.
An 18-year-old fisherman from Papua New Guinea was found alive after drifting at sea for 41 days when his boat's engine failed. Kiribati fishermen spotted him severely dehydrated but responsive, 2,000 kilometers from where his journey began.
A barefoot hunter stranded overnight in New Zealand's dense Warawara Forest was rescued after a coordinated search effort involving helicopters, ground teams, and some clever technology. The man walked out safely at daybreak, reunited with his worried family.
ABC journalist Will Murray didn't hesitate when he saw a driver trapped in a sinking vehicle during record-breaking Queensland floods. Within seconds, he dove into churning floodwaters and pried open the passenger door just in time to save a life.
Two European women, both in their late 60s and 70s, have been released after being held captive in Niger for up to 21 months. The Austrian and Swiss nationals are now safe in Libya after a successful rescue operation.
When two teenagers became trapped on a pontoon suffering from hypothermia, a New Zealand police officer stripped down and swam out to comfort them until help arrived. Both boys made full recoveries thanks to the quick-thinking response.
A base jumper was dramatically rescued from the 23rd floor of Auckland's Hotel Indigo after his parachute caught on the building. Firefighters smashed a window to pull him to safety as crowds cheered below.
A skilled coastguard crew brought four young men to safety after their jet ski adventure turned dangerous off New Zealand's coast. Thanks to quick thinking and teamwork, everyone made it home safely.
When a boulder crushed a man against an excavator in California's Feather River Canyon, his coworkers refused to let a remote location stop them from getting him the help he needed. Their quick action and teamwork turned a potentially tragic accident into a successful rescue.
A teenager separated from their school hiking group in New Zealand's Ruahine Forest Park was found safe after an overnight search. Rescue teams, including a helicopter crew, worked through the night to bring the student home.
A Cuban man stranded alone on a small raft in the Atlantic Ocean was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after being spotted 16 miles from shore. The swift rescue Monday brought the exhausted traveler to safety after his dangerous ocean journey.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force crew found three people stranded in a tiny boat after six days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. The successful rescue shows international cooperation saving lives across vast distances.