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Passersby notice Barrie house on fire, help family escape - Barrie | Globalnews.ca

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'They were alerted to the fire by two passersby who had knocked on the door and said the back of your house is on fire,' said fire officials in Barrie, Ont., of a fire Tuesday.

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helping strangers is good because it can make friends. Anthony

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Florida strong: Strangers helping strangers | WNT

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On April 7, 2010, Julien Duret was strolling New York’s South Street Seaport with his girlfriend when he saw something fall into the water. At first he thought it was a doll, but then realized it was a baby. In an instant he stripped down and dove into the filthy, freezing East river. Reaching her first, Duret handed the unresponsive child to her father, who was then lifted to safety. Once out of the water, young Bridget Anderson opened her eyes. Anderson’s father praised Duret as ‘the first man in the water’.

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The mysterious man who leaped into the East River to rescue a toddler who fell in has been found. And he says he didn't even think twice before diving into the chilly water to help save the child's life.

Julien Duret, 29, of Lyon, France, is the man who vanished after the rescue on Saturday, according to the Daily News.

He plucked 2-year-old Bridget Sheridan out of the water after she fell off a gangplank at the South Street Seaport museum. He handed the little girl to her father, who dove in right after him.

"The emotion took over," Duret told the News. "I didn't think at all. It happened very fast. I reacted very fast ... I've never done anything like that before."

Duret, a European engineer vacationing in the Big Apple, told the paper he and his girlfriend had been strolling along a pier at the seaport when he saw something fall into the water. At first he didn't realize it was a child, he said. But once he did, he peeled off his coat and jumped into the frigid water.

By the time Duret surfaced with the blonde baby, whom he described as immobile when he first scooped her up, the child's father, David Anderson, was in the water next to him. The Frenchman handed the child to Anderson, who hauled himself and the girl out of the water. The father and foreigner never got a chance to speak after the rescue.

Said Duret: "I don't really think I'm a hero. ... Anyone would do the same thing."

Anderson said his daughter slipped through guardrails when he averted his eyes to adjust his camera.

In the blink of an eye, she was 15 to 20 feet below, about to drown in the East River.

"I guess instinct took over and I said, 'Look over the side of the railing,'" said Anderson, in his first interview, with NBC's The Today Show.

"And I looked over and there she was. This is the tough part. And she was laying on her back, eyes wide open laying in the water, looking up at me. And the terror in her eyes."

But the terror turned into tears of joy. As father rescued daughter. A videographer was nearby, and in the age of Twitter, within a short while, it seemed as though the whole world has seen the rescue.

Daniela Ullman, visiting from France, said the happy result is heartwarming. "He saved her, that's the important part. She's going to be ok."

Chiniqua Davis of Far Rockaway, walking along the Seaport with her boyfriend, said it was hard to shake what could have been a sad story. "Something else could have happened, you know? What if he didn't jump in? Her life would have been lost."

Anderson, who divides his time between California and Brooklyn, made sure that wasn't the case.

Copyright AP - Associated Press

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French Hero Who Helped Save Tot in East River Plunge Found

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The mysterious man who leaped into the East River to rescue a toddler has been found.

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Elgin County OPP thanks Good Samaritan for helping find missing toddler

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Elgin County OPP thanks Good Samaritan for helping find missing toddler

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There is good news for one Elgin County family whose three-year-old missing child was located by a Good Samaritan on Saturday afternoon.

Chiamanda

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Stranger Helping Strangers is a non-prophet organization of music fans dedicated to be holding food drive at concerts throughout the nation.  

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Hayat

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Driver Meets Good Samaritans Who Saved Her Life: ‘I Am So Grateful’

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Good Samaritan Tackles Suspect Fleeing From Cops

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She’s from Ukraine. He was a refugee. They became dedicated to helping people flee war – and saved 11

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Orhan Veli was a refugee as a child. As he watched the war in Ukraine unfold, he was compelled to help.

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Amanda :)

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When she heard the woman she'd seen around the building whistling in lobby, Jane Vatcher was curious.

"She's always so positive and I'm not always positive," Jane says. "I thought, she has a secret that I would like to know."

So, when Margaret Spark stopped whistling and started inviting Jane to their condo building's music room for a sing-a-long, she accepted.

"It was my first time there," Jane smiles. "And we had a lovely time."

So lovely, the neighbours became fast friends, and Jane started learning the secret behind Margaret's perpetual positivity.

"You can choose to be happy or sad," Margaret says. "And I've never been a 'poor me' type."

But that was tested at an early age, when Margaret's husband died unexpectedly, leaving her with three young daughters to raise, and night classes to attend so she could qualify for a better job to support them.

"A kindly neighbour looked after the girls in the evenings," Margaret says. "So I could have all day to study and be home with the girls."

Ever since, Margaret's never forgotten to be a kindly neighbour too.

"I remember when people were kind to me," Margaret says. "And I want to see that on others' faces."

Which is why - when Margaret's not making scones from scratch and delivering them to neighbours up and down their building's 21 floors, "just because" - she's leaving thoughtful cards and gifts to surprise people on their doorsteps.

"Margaret always has a smile," one neighbour says.

"When you see Margaret, it's definitely an uplift of your spirit," another neighbour smiles.

"She's worth her weight in gold," yet another proclaims.

Accompanied by a cheery soundtrack of whistling, Margret rides the up and down the elevator, en route to look after pets while their owners are away, check-in on neighbours who require round-the-clock health care, and give daily hugs to others who've recently lost loved one.

"She just creates a spark wherever she goes," Jane smiles. "And she just lights up the world."

And the "secret" to her enduring joy, Jane has learned and Margaret agrees, is simply focusing on being kind to others.

"Just get on with it and do it," Margaret beams. "And you'll feel so good afterwards."

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82-year-old fills 21-storey building with acts of kindness

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When a Victoria senior is not making scones from scratch, and delivering them to neighbours up and down their building's 21 floors, "just because" - she's leaving thoughtful cards and gifts to surprise people on their doorsteps.

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Cayden presents: Horia The Good Samaritan

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Cayden presents: Horia The Good Samaritan

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Horia Cretan was working when he heard a scream from a nearby building. Looking up, he saw smoke in a window, but couldn’t see much else. Something clicked inside him, so he ran to the fire escape, pulled down the ladder, and began to climb. On reaching the window, he encountered a man sitting there in shock. While pushing him out to safety, Cretan learned someone else was in the apartment.

He entered the burning room, scarcely able to breathe or see. Firefighters broke into the apartment moments later and handed him a 4-year old boy. Cretan wrapped the child in curtains and carried him back down the fire escape to safety, stopping only to perform CPR. The child survived the ordeal with no lasting injuries. Cretan recounted the story on the talk show “Good Morning America”, where he also proposed to his girlfriend (she accepted).

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Good Samaritan: Boy Rescued From Fire 'Lucky'

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Logan M

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Helping Strangers With Anything and Everything

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grace

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Calgary woman hopes to pay it forward after Good Samaritan returns lost purse - Calgary | Globalnews.ca

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It was a random act of kindness that went above and beyond. Two strangers who are familiar with how it feels to be victims of crime ended up crossing paths to help one another.

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Calgary family rescued after hitting a ditch

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Calgary family rescued after hitting a ditch

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Abigail

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On August 1, the Mirza family was heading home to Calgary after being at a wedding. They were just outside Olds, Alberta on the QE 2 when their eldest son, 18-year-old Humza, started getting a bad migraine, got dizzy and started to lose control of their SUV.

"We were swerving and I was hard correcting but the momentum pushed us and we hit the ditch and rolled and I hit my head on the steering wheel," Humza said.

His younger brother, 14-year-old Imaad was traveling in the passenger seat.

"We flipped a couple of times and then I turned to my brother and saw where he hit his head and I was screaming 'stay calm,'" Imaad said.

Their mom, Gulnaz and younger sister Aleeza were in the back seat.

"I remember waking up 10 seconds before it happened and I saw Humza swerving and my mom yelling his name," Aleeza said. "I might have blacked out and I woke up upside down."

The three siblings, along with two other family members, were in shock. Their father, Mohammed was driving separately about an hour behind them.

"It felt like an intense dream. Was this real and I was thinking, is this actually happening?" Aleeza said.

"My life flashed before my eyes and I was thinking about the kids and didn't know what was happening," Gulnaz said.

"We were upside down and all I could think, where are my kids?"

When they came to a stop upside down, they were in shock and within moments they heard a voice.

"He said, 'I'm a paramedic, I can help you. We will get you out,'" Gulnaz recalled.

In the chaos, they didn't take down his contact information, only remembering the responder said his name was Ben and they said he had an Australian accent. The off-duty paramedic never left their side.

"I will never forget him and I just want to say thank you," Gulnaz said. "It was so comforting to have him there."

Another stranger who showed up at the roadside was a nurse.

"It was truly a blessing, almost fate," Aleeza said.

"There was so many people there, bringing us water and it amazes me there are genuine good people in this world," Aleeza said.

"We were just very lucky a paramedic and a nurse were behind us, it could have been anyone else," Imaad said.

Together they treated the family before responding emergency crews arrived. The off duty paramedic and nurse were able to help stabilize Humza, who was going in and out of consciousness.

"I just want to say I'm thankful you guys pulled over and saved us," Humza said.

"I'm very overprotective and I panic, and in that moment, just the calmness that nurse had for me and while the paramedic held my son's head, she held my hand," Gulnaz said.

The family is recovering physically but say it would be truly healing to reunite with those health care heroes and thank them in person.

"Those reassuring words that it's going to be okay were a godsend," Gulnaz said.

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Calgary family search for healthcare heroes after long weekend roadside crash - Calgary | Globalnews.ca

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On August 1, the Mirza family was heading home to Calgary after being at a wedding. They were just outside Olds, Alberta on the QE 2 when their eldest son, 18-year-old Humza, started getting a bad migraine, got dizzy and started to lose control of their SUV.

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"When I was younger, I'd often bike through this one dangerous intersection without stopping. I was in a really dark place and figured I'd either get through it or I wouldn’t, and neither one bothered me. One day I was nearly hit by a speeding car in that intersection. If I'd locked up my brakes I'd be dead. I skidded across the road and crashed in the driveway on the other side. The elderly lady who lived in that house came running to make sure I was okay, told me it wasn't my fault, and asked if I wanted her to call my parents or anyone.

- Princess

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Abigail R

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Good samaritan saves the life of a stranger by performing CPR

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Shiloh

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The kindness of strangers: Good Samaritan comes to aid of West Island senior

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Good deed by store employee warms heart of 80-year-old senior who lost her purse while shopping in Pointe-Claire Village.

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Brave 12 year old alerts neighbours of apartment fire.

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Brave 12 year old alerts neighbours of apartment fire.

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‘Brave’ 12-year-old girl honoured for alerting neighbours to North Vancouver apartment fire - BC | Globalnews.ca

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District of North Vancouver Fire Chief Brian Hutchinson told reporters Friday that 34 residents of the building are still not able to go home.

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epic

Raf

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In a heartening display of inter-faith compassion, a German church has opened its doors to Muslims with no place to attend Friday prayers during Ramadan.

Although the nation suspended religious services back in March as a means of curbing the COVID-19 outbreaks, they recently started allowing worshippers to gather in groups of up to 50 people at a time.

The Dar Assalam mosque in the Neukölln district of Berlin typically hosts up to 1,000 worshippers at a time during the month of fasting, but due to the new social restrictions, hundreds of German Muslims have been struggling to find a place of prayer.

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Thankfully, the nearby Martha evangelical church-located just one mile away from the mosque-offered to open its doors to host the Friday prayers.

The church has now reportedly been offering two different prayer services for the Islamic worshippers, one in German and one in Arabic. Worshippers have also been required to wear masks and maintain six feet of distance during the prayers.

Representatives of Dar Assalam say that the events have helped them to double the amount of people attending their services while simultaneously raising valuable funds to support the mosque during the lockdowns.

WATCH: These Israelis Are Forging Peace on the Beach, Bringing Palestinians to the Ocean for Their Very First Visits

"It is a great sign of solidarity," mosque spokesperson Juanita Villamor told . "We are just thankful, this is a good chance of inter-religious dialog and it is wonderful that the church is doing this."
Need more positive stories and updates coming out of the COVID-19 challenge? For more uplifting coverage, click here. Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Story Of Inter-Faith Compassion With Your Friends On Social Media...

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Church Opens Up Its Doors to Muslim Worshippers So They Can Have a Place to Pray During Quarantine

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In a heartening display of inter-faith compassion, a German church has opened its doors to Muslims with no place to attend Friday prayers during Ramadan. Although the nation suspended religious services back in March as a means of curbing the COVID-19 outbreaks, they recently started allowing worshippers to gather in groups of up to 50 people at a time.

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An Australian cattle dog-Akbash mix named Sinbad was found alone and injured in a wilderness area four hours outside of Prince George, and is now healing at the SPCA's North Cariboo location.

"Sinbad was brought to us as a stray and, in addition to being underweight, his paw was bloody and swollen three times its normal size, and there were deep cuts to his paw as well as to his face, ears and neck," said Kristen Sumner of the North Cariboo SPCA.

"We don't know exactly what happened to him out there but we are very grateful to the Good Samaritan who found him and immediately brought him to us for care."

SPCA staff rushed Sinbad to a veterinary clinic for emergency treatment and he is receiving ongoing care for his wounds and is on a re-feeding program to help him get back to a healthy weight. He's believed to be about 10 months old.

"Despite the major pain that Sinbad has suffered, he will immediately cross the yard to see you and greet you," Sumner said.

Sinbad is always seeking head pats, ear scratches, and the attention of humans.

"He is one of the toughest cookies we've seen, and he will let you administer medication, and clean and examine his wounds, even when it hurts," Sumner said.

"We were strangers to him when he came in, and he still trusted us enough to let us examine his painful foot and get him the care he needed."

Sinbad's treatment is likely to exceed $3,100.

Petsecure Pet Insurance is offering $3,500 in matching funds for any donations given for his care.

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Stray puppy suffering from significant wounds found outside Prince George | Globalnews.ca

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Sinbad's treatment is likely to exceed $3,100. Petsecure Pet Insurance is offering $3,500 in matching funds for any donations given for his care.

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Muhammad

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A team of French Muslims recently spent the night standing outside their town's cathedral to symbolically protect it and show solidarity with Christian churchgoers.

When Elyazid Benferhat heard about a deadly attack on Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice at the end of October, he was sickened. Three people had died. He started thinking about what he could do to help.

He talked to a Muslim friend, "and we had this idea," Benferhat told the Associated Press. "We needed to do something beyond paying homage to the victims. We said, we will protect churches ourselves."

He and his pal gathered together other young Muslims from among their friend group, as well as through the soccer club Benferhat coaches.

On All Saints' holiday weekend-in coordination with local police-the group guarded their local church in Lodève on Saturday night and again for Sunday Mass.

The parish reverend, Luis Iniguez, said their symbolic gesture gave him hope in a difficult time.

When a local paper published a photo of churchgoers having their picture taken with their new Muslim guards, Iniguez even hung the image up in 13th-century Saint-Fulcran Cathedral.

As for Benferhat and his group? They say they'd like to make a symbolic act of protection for the cathedral again for Christmas. They think it'd be great if the movement caught on elsewhere, with other towns following in Lodeve's footsteps.
RELATED: Church Opens Up Its Doors to Muslim Worshippers So They Can Have a Place to Pray During Quarantine SHARE This Inspiring Story Of Inter-Faith Compassion With Your Friends On Social Media...
Whatever Benferhat gets up to next, he told the Associated Press, "it will come from the heart."

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Muslim Young Men Protect Catholic Church After Deadly Attacks in France: 'We will protect churches ourselves'

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Elyazid Benferhat and friends protected the 13th-century cathedral in Lodeve on All Saint's Day after a deadly attack on a Nice church.

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Evan

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Passersby notice Barrie house on fire, help family escape - Barrie | Globalnews.ca

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'They were alerted to the fire by two passersby who had knocked on the door and said the back of your house is on fire,' said fire officials in Barrie, Ont., of a fire Tuesday.

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this is a nice story : )

Cole.M

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Tamsen Vanbeest was acknowledged by Vernon Mounties this week for an act of kindness and she's hoping her good deed leads to another.

She was driving through Vernon on Feb. 1 when she saw an elderly woman, laying on the sidewalk after having slipped on the ice.

The woman's husband was with her and when Vanbeest stopped, they together tried to get her off the ground, which was very slippery, to no avail.

"She couldn't stand on her own so I went and pulled my car up and we slowly moved her to sit half into my car then tried to recline my seat so we could get her in my car to be warm," she said.

"There we found out she couldn't turn her body to get her in my car so we left her just sitting half-in and I wrapped her in a blanket as it was very cold," she said.

The ambulance was going to be an hour and a half to two hours, Vanbeest learned and when the police arrived, they tried to help her get the woman in the car one more time so she could be driven to the hospital.

The woman, however, was in too much pain and the move wasn't possible.

"I just stayed with her and kept talking to her to make sure she would stay awake and made sure she was warm. After an hour and 45 minutes the ambulance showed up with only one paramedic so the police and I helped to get her into the stretcher," Vanbeest said.

Vanbeest works with elderly people and said she's always willing to help but she's also hopeful that others can do the same.

So do the RCMP.

"After learning medical help would be delayed, she cancelled a personal appointment and remained with the injured woman and continued to comfort and care for her until medical help arrived," Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said in a press release.

"We want to commend her for her compassion and willingness to go above and beyond to assist another person in need."

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Vernon woman hopes acts of kindness are catching after RCMP acknowledgment - Okanagan | Globalnews.ca

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'We want to commend her for her compassion and willingness to go above and beyond to assist another person in need.'