Incredible Survival Stories | Sea Rescues & Real Life Miracles
Austin Appelbee, a teenager in Western Australia, survived a terrifying four-hour swim after he and his family were swept out to sea near Quindalup.
With no way to return to shore, his mother made the painful decision to send Austin to find help as darkness approached.
Austin swam about four kilometers through strong waves, abandoning a damaged kayak and even removing his life jacket when it slowed him down.
He later told the BBC that prayer, Christian songs, and thoughts of his family kept him going.
“I don’t think it was me who did it — it was God the whole time,” he said. “I kept praying and praying, and I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized, I’ll get baptized.’”
After collapsing on shore and calling for help, Austin learned hours later that his mother and siblings were rescued alive after drifting nearly 14 kilometers offshore.
Incredible Survival Stories: Finding $5,000 in a Long Island Dump
In Long Beach, New York (Long Island), a woman accidentally threw away an envelope containing $5,000 she had set aside for a mortgage payment.
When she realized what happened, her son — a sanitation worker — rallied his coworkers to help. They traced the trash to a transfer station and searched through piles of garbage until they found the envelope.
They recovered nearly all the cash, with a small amount missing after some bills fell out along the way. When the woman offered the workers a reward for their help, they refused.
Sometimes, heroes wear gloves and carry trash bags
The Hilarious Side of Incredible Survival Stories | Swearing Parrots
Five African grey parrots from Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in the United Kingdom had to be separated after forming a “gang” dedicated to insulting visitors. The birds learned swear words during their quarantine together and, when they were put back on display to the public, they wouldn’t stop saying bad words and laughing among themselves, which forced the keepers to distribute them in different aviaries.
The goal of the separation is for them to live with parrots that have “clean language” and to learn sounds that are more appropriate for the public.
