It is not only the protagonists of science-fiction films who perform spectacular feats. There are people in every country who have acted in unforeseen and even critical circumstances. They have shown incredible strength, courage and ingenuity at precisely the moment when it was vital.
Blind woman saved by blind man
Blind man Jim Sherman saved the life of 85-year-old Annie Smith. As soon as the man, who lived in a trailer, heard her scream coming from a private house, he made his way to the burning building by touch. He then climbed into it and carried the woman in his arms to an area safe from the fire.
A parachuting instructor gave his life for a student
The plane with trainer Robert Cook and trainee Kimberley Deer on board stopped working during a climb. But the man manoeuvred quickly: he put the girl on his lap and fastened her seatbelts to his. Only the instructor was injured when he hit the ground.
An ordinary fighter saved four fellow soldiers during a battle
During the Second World War, Joe Rollino carried four wounded soldiers off the battlefield at his own weight of 68kg. This happened under constant enemy fire. Joe lived 104 years, won the title of the strongest man in the world and became famous for many other feats.
A son escaped the jaws of a crocodile thanks to his father
Joseph Welch, who hails from Florida, rushed to the aid of his 6-year-old son when he saw a huge alligator pulling him into a pond by his hand. The father lost all fear and attacked the crocodile, using everything he had learned in his boxing training. The reptile eventually released the terrified boy from its mouth.
Father rescued by daughter who lifted entire car
While repairing his car, a Virginia resident lifted it with a jack and positioned it under the underside. Suddenly the equipment broke and several tons collapsed on the man’s chest, witnessed by his daughter. She lifted the vehicle, moved it to the side, called the paramedics and gave her father medical attention before they arrived.
Whole school bus stopped by one woman
While driving a school bus in New Mexico, the driver’s health deteriorated sharply and he lost control of the vehicle. The mother of a student who was at the bus stop with her daughter saw this and started running towards the vehicle, gesturing for the young passengers to open the doors. Once inside, the woman took control of the bus in time to save the children from an accident.
A young man pulled a man out of a car which was threatening to fall over a cliff
A lorry and its trailer slid off a motorway at night in New Zealand and over a cliff. An 18 year-old teenager who was passing by decided to help and, without wasting a second, smashed the rear window of the car, pulling the driver through it with multiple injuries. Three years later Peter Hanne was awarded a medal for his bravery.
The private returned to the war after being wounded
The US soldier Robert Ingram was injured three times in a row while fighting in Vietnam. As a consequence of one of them, a bullet damaged his head, and the man not only went blind but also lost hearing in one ear. Despite this, Robert continued to fight, assisting his fellow soldiers and keeping a close eye on the most dangerous spots.
Professional swimmer rescued 20 passengers from a drowned trolleybus
In the morning of 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, diving champion, went for a morning run with his brother, and witnessed an accident. A trolleybus with passengers hit the water and started to sink. Shavarsh was pulling passengers out of the vehicle when it was 10 meters deep. The swimmer managed to save 20 people out of 92, then lost consciousness himself from hypothermia.