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In ‘Freakish Miracle’, Man’s Change of Fishing Spot Results in Rescuing 18-Month-old From the Ocean

By
McKinley Corbley
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A New Zealand camper came to the rescue of an 18-month-old boy after he spontaneously decided to go fishing from a different spot on the beach.

Two weeks ago, Gus Hutt woke up in the early hours of the morning so he could set up his fishing lines on Matata Beach in Whakatane.

Though he usually walks directly to the shoreline from Murphy’s Holiday Camp site, he decided to set up his fishing poles 350 feet (100 meters) away from his normal spot on the sands.

As he was monitoring his lines, however, he noticed something floating about 50 feet (15 meters) away from his rod. At first, he thought it was a doll – but as he pulled it from the water, he realized that it was a child after it “gave a small squeak.”

RELATED: Watch Good Samaritan Teenager Revive a Squirrel With CPR After it Ran Into His Car

“He was floating at a steady pace with a rip in the water. If I hadn’t been there, or if I had just been a minute later I wouldn’t have seen him,” Hutt told the New Zealand Herald. “He was bloody lucky, but he just wasn’t meant to go; it wasn’t his time.”

According to BBC, it had been the boy’s first time at the beach. In his excitement to explore the area, he had unzipped his parents’ tent while they were asleep and crawled out onto the sands. Fortunately, his distance from the shoreline suggests that he wasn’t in the water for very long before Hutt saw him.

Shortly after he was rescued, he was taken to the hospital for treatment, where he was deemed to be in good health. Emergency response services alerted the parents to their son’s escape – and though they were “horrified” by the news, they were relieved that he was okay.

MORE: Man Bought School Bus to Rescue Shelter Pets During Hurricanes –He Just Saved 64 During Florence

“It came as a shock to everyone. It was a very, very lucky result… it could have been a very tragic incident,” the camp’s owner told BBC. “It’s a freakish miracle.”

The parents made sure to thank Hutt before leaving the beach, and the fisherman remarked on how the boy seemed unaffected by the dramatic incident.

“He was wriggling trying to get down to have a look at everything, he was just a lovely, cheeky little fella,” he told the Herald.

Be Sure And Share The Incredible Story With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by GNN

Swiss Businessman is Contributing $1 Billion Towards Protecting 30% of the Planet

By
McKinley Corbley
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A Swiss businessman is taking it upon himself to ensure the planet’s survival by contributing $1 billion to an astonishing international conservation effort.

In a recent op-ed that he published through the New York Times, Hansjörg Wyss announced that he will be using the money to launch the Wyss Campaign for Nature: an ambitious collaborative mission to protect 30% of the world’s surface by 2030.

The money will be distributed through his foundation over the course of the next decade in partnership with the National Geographic Society, the Nature Conservancy, and Argentinian environmental group Fundacion Flora y Fauna.

“This money will support locally led conservation efforts around the world, push for increased global targets for land and ocean protection, seek to raise public awareness about the importance of this effort, and fund scientific studies to identify the best strategies to reach our target,” wrote Wyss.

LOOK: Historic Pacific Cleanup Vessel Has Been Successful With Trials at Sea And Will Soon Hit the Patch

This is not the billionaire’s first contribution towards natural landscapes, either – his foundation has already spent $415 million on preserving roughly 40 million acres around the world.

With scientists estimating that half the world needs to be protected in order to save essential plant and wildlife species, however, Wyss’s latest goal could make a huge difference for the Earth’s future.

“We need to embrace the radical, time-tested and profoundly democratic idea of public-land protection that was invented in the United States, tested in Yellowstone and Yosemite, and now proven the world over,” says Wyss. “For the sake of all living things, let’s see to it that far more of our planet is protected by the people, for the people and for all time.”

Protect Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends – Photo by Oceana, CC

People From All Faiths Are Forming Protective ‘Rings of Peace’ Around Synagogues

By
McKinley Corbley
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Hundreds of people from different faiths are standing in support of their Jewish neighbors by forming protective “rings of peace” around Toronto synagogues.

Following the recent synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, the National Council of Canadian Muslims orchestrated the event as a means of showing solidarity for Jewish communities during Jewish services that took place on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Though they specifically worked in partnership with Islamic mosques to facilitate the gathering, they also welcomed and invited people of all faiths to join hands and stand shoulder-to-shoulder around 9 city synagogues.

“It’s about the sanctity of life,” Farhad Khadim, one of the founding directors of the Islamic Institute of Toronto, told HuffPost Canada by phone. “For everyone on earth, whether you are part of a certain religion or do not practice religion at all, a right to safety is paramount.

RELATED: Christians Protect Mosques on Fri., Muslims Guard Churches on Sunday

“It could be a mosque or a synagogue or a nightclub. It doesn’t matter. Life is sacred.”

This is not the first time that the Jewish and Muslim communities of Toronto have come together in opposition of tragedy; after there was a mosque shooting in Quebec City last year, Khadim said that he was given the courage to continue attending his religious services after Jews, Christians, and other non-religious participants formed protective rings around mosques across the country.

MORE: Muslims Raise $250,000 for Pittsburgh Synagogue: ‘Whatever you need … let us know, we’ll be there’

Since those simple gestures gave him the “peace and confidence” to continue attending services, he says that Canadian Muslims are now more than happy to return their favor.

Muslim-Americans are stepping up to the plate as well. Earlier this week, Islamic groups managed to raise over $200,000 for the shooting victims and their families. They have also volunteered to form similar “rings of peace” and they offer their supportive presence for Jewish individuals who may feel anxious about going out in public by themselves.

Protect Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photos by Mamoun Hassan / Islamic Institute of Toronto

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “Nonviolence means avoiding not only physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo: by Joakim Jardenberg, CC license

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Frantic Woman Dials Wrong Number, But it Becomes the Perfectly Right Number (Podcast)

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Good News Network
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A frantic woman was trying to contact her brother’s social worker to get him a ride to the hospital, but accidentally called the wrong number, leading to a chain of kindness. Hear The Good News Guru serve up the inspiring story (from the November 2, 2018 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5 radio in Los Angeles).

READ the full story on GNN…

Subscribe to our Good News podcast on iTunes, or for Android devices on Podbean.

(Featured courtesy of Jimmy John’s)

UPDATE: Jimmy John’s Founder Delivers New Car to Driver Who Rescued Ailing Vet After Wrong Number

By
McKinley Corbley
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LISTEN to this story in our podcast, told by The Good News Guru (the GNN Founder) on Friday’s radio broadcast with Ellen K on KOST-103.5 — Or, READ the story below… (Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean)

The Jimmy John’s delivery driver who went above and beyond the call of duty to help a fellow veteran in need has been rewarded for his kindness by the restaurant chain’s CEO whom he’s never met.

Jimmy John Liautaud, the founder of the sandwich empire, flew from Chicago to Columbus, Nebraska, so he could personally deliver a thank-you gift to Zach Hillmer after a wrong number—dialed out of desperation—became the perfectly right number.

Hillmer made international headlines last week after a woman accidentally dialed Jimmy John’s in a frantic attempt to call her brother’s case worker. Not knowing she had dialed the sandwich restaurant, the desperate woman went on to say that her brother was very sick and couldn’t afford an ambulance or taxi. Without hesitating, Hillmer volunteered to bring the ailing veteran to the hospital.

After being successfully treated for his ailments, his sister made a Facebook post praising Hillmer for his compassion during their time of need. As the story was picked up by news outlets in the aftermath of the incident, Hillmer mentioned that he drives a 27-year-old Chevrolet Cavalier in need of repairs.

CHECK OUT: Dad Confronts Bully by Treating Him Like a Son – Now the Homeless Boy Has Money and Friendship

As a means of rewarding Hillmer for his good deed, Liautaud presented the 38-year-old employee with a brand new Ford Escape.

The new automobile was decorated with Jimmy John’s decals, which Hillmer was free to remove, but the delighted driver says he’ll definitely be keeping them on.

“I don’t even have the words to say really,” Hillmer told the Columbus Telegram. “It was an amazing thing when Jimmy called and told me what he was going to do. It’s pretty emotional for me—I’ve only ever seen pictures of him, interviews on TV.”

LOOK: Guy Hitchhikes for the First Time Only to Get a Ride From Chris Hemsworth in a Helicopter

It hasn’t only been emotional for Hillmer. Employees at the company’s corporate headquarters say they’ve been moved almost to tears from all the phone calls from veterans across the country praising Zach and his manager, Jason Voss, for making that very special delivery.

Deliver This Inspirational Story To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by Jimmy John’s

When Radio Station Hears About Mom Struggling to Care for Sick Son, They Give Her Surprise She Will Never Forget

By
Hillary Taylor
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Rebecca holds her son close as relief floods through her.

Got A Good News Story Of Your Own? If You Send It To Us, You Might End Up Seeing It On The Website – Like This One!

Life is already difficult as a single mother, but for Rebecca Polston, every day is a battle of strength and courage.

Her 2-year-old son, Rhylon, has been on dialysis since he began his fight against kidney disease at just one month old; he undergoes this process for ten hours every night and Rebecca is with him for every moment of it.

Until he receives the kidney transplant he needs, she is unable to work due to his medical condition, but she still relies heavily on her car because emergencies happen a lot.

RELATED: Watch Joy on Restaurant Workers’ Faces When Guy Tips Them Thousands of Dollars for Bringing Two Glasses of Water

Devastation struck this summer when Rebecca’s car was totaled by a hit and run driver. With only liability insurance and no job, Rebecca had no way to scrape money together for new wheels. For this small family, the future was uncertain—until a radio station heard about her story.

Rebecca and Rhylon were treated to dinner at a restaurant in Roanoke, Texas, unaware of what KLTY 94.9 had in store for them. They finished their meal and were brought out to the parking lot, where they were greeted by Bonnie Curry and the #SpeakLove team: a group of staffers from the station who are dedicated to doing good deeds for people in their community. A check for $1,000 was presented to them, as well as brand new toys for Rhylon—but the kindness didn’t stop there.

George Grubbs, the owner of a local INFINITI dealership suddenly revealed himself and handed over a set of keys and a brand new car—silver, topped with a red ribbon, and completely paid for.

MORE: Woman Pays for Stranger’s Coffee Only to Receive Heartfelt Letter in the Mail the Very Same Day

Since then, Rebecca has been able to fully meet Rhylon’s needs, which have included at least one emergency hospital visit.

The 94.9 KLTY team made a video and posted it on Facebook, which resulted in a flood of support that has poured in for the Polston family.

(WATCH the emotional video below) – Photo by Matthew Vancil

Remind Your Friends That Businesses Can be Good Guys, Too – Or Submit Your Own Good News Story To Our Blog Page

Customers Keep Buying Up All of Donut Shop’s Pastries So He Can Go Home Early to Be With Ailing Wife

By
McKinley Corbley
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The only thing sweeter than the donuts at Donut City is the community’s love for the restaurant owners.

Almost every day for the last 28 years, John and Stella Chhan have opened up their donut shop in Seal Beach, California at 4:30AM. They’re always greeting customers with a smile, and they barely ever take a day off.

So when Stella stopped showing up behind the counter, the customers asked John about her absence – and they were shocked by his response.

Since Stella suffered a brain aneurysm last month, she has been recovering at a nursing care facility. Though she has slowly regained some of her strength, she was in bad shape after being taken to the emergency room.

RELATED: This Entire Town Became Autism-Friendly After Every Business Agreed to Apply Four Specific Measures

John was devastated by the incident, but grateful when she finally started to show signs of recovery. He has continued to run the shop by himself (with some help from Stella’s sister), and always returns to her side once he is done with the day’s work.

One of the Chhan’s regular customers at Donut City heard about their situation and came up with an idea: if everyone in the community bought more of the restaurant’s donuts, then John could close the shop early and spend more time with his wife.

After posting her idea to a community social media page, locals immediately stepped up to the plate. People started buying donuts, croissants, and muffins by the dozen.

MORE: Teen Wanted to Auction His Pig to Help a Teacher – But These Four Bidders Had Better Plans

Over the course of the last few weeks, John has sold out of pastries several hours earlier than usual—sometimes he can even close the store at 10AM.

He’s also been quick to express his overwhelming gratitude for the support. “We are so thankful,” he told the OC Register with hands over his heart.

The people of Seal Beach are more than happy to help out their favorite donut shop proprietors. They even tried to set up a GoFundMe page for the Chhans, but John said that he already has enough money – he is just happy to spend time with Stella.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by KABC

Share This Sweet Story Of Community With Your Friends On Social Media…

New 24-Hour Vending Machine Dispenses Clothing and Blankets to the Homeless for Free

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Good News Network
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As winter approaches, this new vending machine is being stocked with warm blankets and clothing for the homeless – and all of it can be accessed for free.

The vending machine is readily available to the 200 homeless people who are currently living in Muncie, Indiana. All they have to do to access the supplies is register with local community services.

Once registered, they are given vending machine tokens that can be used to take the goods for free.

RELATED: Simple Solution Provides the Homeless With Housing and Jobs in One Fell Swoop

All the machine’s contents were donated by local residents who want to offer their support to the needy.

“We know that they are out there. Some are in shelters, some are in different living situations,” Karee Buffin with the Bridges Community Services Fund told RTV6.

“We really want to use something like this to reach out to people. It does demonstrate that our community cares.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by RTV6

Help Your Friends Warm Up With This Wonderful News By Sharing It To Social Media

The Library of Congress Now Lets You Stream and Download Hundreds of Century-old Film Footage for Free

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Good News Network
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The Library of Congress has unveiled a new collection of historic movies and video footage that can be streamed or downloaded by the public for free.

The library’s online National Screening Room contains 299 films, commercials, news clips, and documentaries, some of which were donated by Thomas Edison.

Subjects range from 1904 films of Coney Island, scenes from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a natural ice bridge that formed over Niagara Falls, old parades, everyday people, and Teddy Roosevelt in 1907.

The library reportedly owns 1.6 million pieces of moving picture material, making it the largest collection in the world. With their currently-published selection of material spanning from 1890 to 1999—and more content added to the collection on a monthly basis.

RELATED: New Mr. Rogers Documentary is Out and It’s Incredibly Sweet How It’s Making Adults Feel

“The goal of this digital project is to present the public with a broad range of historical and cultural audio-visual materials that will enrich education, scholarship and lifelong learning,” said curator Mike Mashon, head of the Library’s Moving Image Section.

“The National Screening Room is designed to open up the Library’s collections, making otherwise unavailable movies freely accessible to viewers nationwide and around the world,” he added.

Note that it may take a minute or two to load the streaming video, and many are silent films.

Show This Story With Your Fellow Cinephiles By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by NBC’s Behind Your Radio Dial / Library of Congress

“If you had a sad childhood, so what? You can dance with only one leg and see snowflakes falling with only one eye.” – Robert Bly

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “If you had a sad childhood, so what? You can dance with only one leg and see snowflakes falling with only one eye.” – Robert Bly

Photo: by Putneypics, CC license

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Want to Pay Off Your Student Loans? If You Move to Maine, the State Will Pay Part of Them for You

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Graduates struggling to pay off their student loan debts have been given a very scenic way to ease the burden of repayment.

The state of Maine is offering to give you money toward your debt payments if, as a grad, you decide to move there.

The New England region currently maintains the highest median age in the United States at 44 years old. So, as a means of coaxing more young people into the workforce, legislators expanded their tax credit exchange program to include out-of-state students.

The Educational Opportunity Tax Credit program was first created in 2008 in order to deter young grads from moving away. The credit is also available to anyone who employs qualified graduates.

RELATED: Answering Trivia Questions With This App Can Pay Off Other People’s Student Loans

The credit works by offering a tax credit for the amount of money that a resident pays towards their student loans – so if a young grad makes a $1,800 payment towards their debt, then that exact dollar amount is subtracted from money owed for state income taxes. Better yet, students who majored in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology can be exempt from paying state taxes altogether.

The successful program could only add a limited number of graduates to the workforce, so legislators decided to make it available to graduates across the country as well.

WATCH: Instead of Paying for Advertising, Church Abolishes $10M in Medical Debt For Local Families

“This is a substantial financial investment by the state, many millions of dollars,” Nate Wildes, engagement director for the employment initiative, told CNN. “We recognize that SMS loans are a big financial and emotional burden.”

“The message to employees is: We appreciate all you’ve done to invest in yourself, we’d like to put that talent to work and award you by not only giving you a job but by alleviating your student debt,” he added.

Pay This News Forward To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by Nick Ares, CC

Man Behind the World’s Longest-Running Free Clinic Has Spent 44 Years Treating 2 Million People

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Over the course of his 44-year career, Dr. Ramana Rao has cured or treated over two million people—and he’s never charged a dime for his service.

Rao is the compassionate sage behind the world’s longest-running free clinic. After earning his doctorate in 1973, he opened the little village treatment center the next day.

Initially, he only treated a few patients per day. Now, there are sometimes up to 2,000 people lining up outside the clinic doors near Bangalore, India.

WATCH: Hundreds of People Are Being Cured of Blindness Every Day With Cheap, Minutes-Long Surgery

Rao provides everything from injections and medications to cataract surgeries—as well as dozens of services for oral health, skin care and general health. He even supplies his weary patients with food while they wait in line.

In addition to being assisted by his wife and sons—all of whom are doctors—he is also helped by a team of volunteers, many of whom are former patients of Dr. Rao.

Since broadcasting a plea for financial contributions eight months ago on the Indian crowdfunding platform Milaap, Rao’s clinic has received hundreds of donations totaling $86,000 (6 million rupees), so far.

(WATCH the crowdfunding video below) – Photo courtesy of Milaap

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Story To Social Media

Watch Barbra Streisand Pick up James Corden to Sing Carpool Karaoke and Joke Around

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Good News Network
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From the James Corden YouTube channel, 2018

She has a new album out, but we learned so much more about superstar Barbara Streisand in the new episode of carpool karaoke on The Late Show with James Corden this week.

She just renewed her driver’s license recently—after failing the written test three times— and the pair had some fun when she took both hands off the wheel to fling back her long curly locks.

At one point, we find out that she actually called Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, to ask if it were possible to get Siri to pronounce her name correctly. She also revealed that one time she called Steve Jobs to ask why Apple users can’t delete old addresses.

“He blamed it on Microsoft,” she quipped.

MORE: Watch George Clooney And Julia Roberts on Carpool Karaoke w/ Gwen Stefani

Together they crooned her blockbuster hit, “The Way We Were,” and sang several snippets from her new LP, Walls — a collection of songs related to today’s cultural upheaval, including “Imagine,” and “Wonderful World.”

WATCH the fun video below…

Watch Deaf Janitor’s Emotional Reaction to Children’s Birthday Surprise

By
Good News Network
-

James Anthony has been working in the same school district as a janitor for the last 30 years, but during one particular school day last week, he was given the surprise of a lifetime.

Two of the kindergarten classes at Hickerson Elementary school in Tennessee wanted to do something special for Anthony’s 60th birthday.

Since Anthony is deaf, the adoring students asked their teachers if they could learn “Happy Birthday” in sign language.

RELATED: Husky Saves Deaf Hiker After She Tumbled 700 Feet – and It’s Not the First Time He’s Saved a Stranger in Alaska

Allyssa Hartsfield and Amy Hershman combined their classes together so they could teach the kids how to sign the tune. Then, after lining the students up for their performance, they invited Anthony into the classroom.

Once the kids started signing, the doting janitor could barely believe his eyes – and his reaction to the song is priceless.

“His reaction was ecstatic,” Hartsfield told Good Morning America. “He cried, and of course we got emotional with him. After it was over, he said, ‘This is the best birthday present you could’ve given me.’”

(WATCH the emotional video below)

Make Your Friends Smile By Sharing This Sweep Clip To Social Media

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

Photo: by cheriejoyful, CC license

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

You Can Now Apply to Be a ‘Puptern’ So You Can Get Paid $100 Per Hour to Play With Dogs

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Dream job alert!

Do you love petting dogs? Do you also enjoy making money? Well, now you can get paid to play with puppies.

Mutts Canine Cantina is a dog park, bar and restaurant that is based in Dallas, Texas, and they are now hiring interns for their new location in Fort Worth.

The lucky candidate to land the Fall “pupternship” will be paid $100 per hour to play with the dogs in the pup park for 4 hours a week during the 6 to 8 week internship.

If that isn’t enough, pupterns are also given free food from the restaurant.

LOOK: Photos of 75-Year-Old Volunteer Napping With Cats Hauls in Funds to Run Sanctuary for a Year

Pup lovers can apply for the job by uploading a video of themselves snuggling with a dog to Instagram. The restaurant emphasizes that the more creative you are with your video, the better. Explain why you are the ideal candidate for the job, and just be sure to tag the Mutts Cantina Instagram account and use the hashtag #MUTTSpuptern.

Applicants can upload their videos through November 12th, so get videos hashtagged by Monday night. Candidates must be 18 years old, or older, and have no canine-related allergies.

Be Sure And Share This Pawesome News With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Tulane Public Relations, CC

Watch Fisherman Climb On Entangled Whale’s Back So He Can Set It Free

By
McKinley Corbley
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When this commercial fisherman saw a humpback whale in distress, he did not hesitate to leap into action – literally.

Sam Synstelien and his crewmates were on their way back to shore in Morro Bay, California last month when they saw the massive mammal swimming in circles.

The whale was entangled in a rope that was tethered to a buoy. The fishermen radioed for help, but the coast guard said that they would not be able to assist the whale for several hours.

After their boat spent an hour monitoring the whale, Synstelien then took matters into his own hands by jumping onto the whale’s back and cutting the ropes free.

RELATED: Watch Good Samaritan Teenager Revive a Squirrel With CPR After it Ran Into His Car

Before the fisherman was in the water, the whale had been desperately trying to dive into the water to escape the rope – but according to the fishermen, the mammal stayed in place during Synstelien’s rescue efforts.

Synstelien finally managed to cut the whale free, and as it swam back out to sea, the fishermen can be heard cheering wildly.

Though the dramatic whale of a tale had a happy ending, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns viewers not to undertake such risky maneuvers in the future.

MORE: Beer Deliveryman Prevents Suicide on a Bridge By Offering a Cold One—While Channeling Denzel Washington

“While we are relieved the fishermen were not harmed and the whale may have been freed, we fear this video is a very dangerous example, and may encourage others to attempt such a response in the future,” said the agency, according to the San Francisco Gate. “Even authorized, trained responders have been killed while attempting to disentangle whales using the best techniques and specialized equipment.

“Best practice for dealing with an entangled whale is to never get into the water with it, as these animals are very powerful and dangerous in close proximity. In addition, every entangled whale is not necessarily in imminent danger, meaning that there is time to wait for the authorized responders and not requiring these types of emergency actions. And cutting just the visible lines may not totally free the animal, making it harder for responders to help.”

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by FV_Persistence

It’s Not Hard To Sea That You Should Share This Story With Your Friends On Social Media

This California City is Cleaning Up Their Streets By Paying the Homeless to Pick Up Litter

By
McKinley Corbley
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San José is launching an ingenious initiative that will simultaneously beautify their city and provide jobs for homeless people in one fell swoop.

The California city is hiring 25 local homeless people to pick up litter around the city for $15 an hour.

By hiring homeless people to clean up the streets, the city hopes to provide them with a paycheck and eventually transition them into full-time work.

The workers will primarily involve cleaning up 40 different areas around town that have been identified as litter hotspots and dumping grounds. Legislators hope that – if the homeless employees find a sense of purpose with the work – they will also be able to dissuade their homeless acquaintances from contributing any more litter to the hotspots.

RELATED: Simple Solution Provides the Homeless With Housing and Jobs in One Fell Swoop

Homeless applicants will be hired and managed by Downtown Streets Team, an organization that works to end homelessness, and Goodwill. According to Mercury News, the program is currently being financed through a $200,000 litter abatement grant from the city, and if the initiative proves to be successful, then city workers are eager to see it continue into the future.

Though there is no way to predict how successful the program will be in San José, the city of Denver made national headlines back in January for publishing the results of a similar work model in which they hired homeless people to perform jobs for the city. After one year of paying the workers, over 100 of them were able to land regular jobs.

Clean Up Negativity: Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Representative photo by U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Briana Jones

Chance Photograph of Breathtaking Marriage Proposal Finally Presented to Mystery Couple

By
McKinley Corbley
-

The identity of the couple behind this magical wedding proposal has been driving social media users crazy for almost one month – but after weeks of searching, the internet has finally found the lovebirds who were perched on the mountain peak.

Michigan-based photographer Matthew Dippel had been hiking through Yosemite National Park in California on October 6th when he spotted a man proposing to a woman on top of Taft Point.

After capturing a breathtaking photo of the proposal, Dippel posted it to social media and asked his followers to help him find the couple.

As the weeks went by, Dippel started to lose hope over ever identifying the duo. Dozens of people reached out to the photographer, saying that they knew the couple – but none of the claims seemed to hold up. He assumed that the soon-to-be husband and wife had seen the photo on news outlets and chose to remain anonymous.

RELATED: Striking Photo Shows Baseball Fan Standing in the Rain to Hold Umbrella Over JROTC Member

Finally, someone put Dippel in touch with Matthew Bear and Melissa: a couple who had time-stamped photos of their engagement on Taft Point in which they were shown wearing the same articles of clothing at the exact same time as the viral picture.

“When I officially knew that it was them, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Dippel told PEOPLE. “I started jumping up and down in my basement because I had finally found them! I was so happy to get connected with them, and just to hear the gratitude in their voice was so heartwarming.”

LOOK: Adorable Little Boy Can’t Contain Emotions When Mom Walks Down the Aisle

Dippel’s followers were able to join in on the celebrations after the photographer posted his discovery to social media platforms earlier this week.

“I wish I was able to meet you in person and hug you,” Dippel wrote about the couple. “I’m glad I finally found you to share this special moment with you, thanks for being so awesome, maybe one day we will finally meet in person!”

The couple reciprocated the sentiment, with Melissa later adding on social media: “We can’t thank Matt enough for all of his efforts in trying to find us! I’m still trying to comprehend all of this and half of me still doesn’t believe this actually has gone viral online! We love you all!! Now off to wedding planning!”

Be Sure And Share The Wonderful Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Matthew Dippel

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