‘I’m super proud of him’: father of teen lifeguard recounts dramatic ocean rescue; The Guardian, July 29, 2026

Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Guardian; ‘I’m super proud of him’: father of teen lifeguard recounts dramatic ocean rescue

"A rookie, teenage California lifeguard who saved a young boy from drowning amid massive waves – while a bystander recorded dramatic video – has spent his whole life preparing for such a moment, according to his father.

Ryder Williams, 16, said he refused to let go of the child because he knew the boy would almost certainly die if he did, the lifeguard’s father, Shane, recounted on Tuesday, three days after the pulse-pounding rescue.

“He told me: ‘I just was not going to let that happen,’” Shane Williams said during a telephone interview. “I almost started crying because how determined he was to save that boy’s life makes me so proud.”

Shane Williams’s comments lent a unique perspective to a rescue off Seabright beach in Santa Cruz that local authorities say unfolded when a child lost his balance, got knocked down by a wave and was swept into the Pacific Ocean about 15 yards offshore on Saturday afternoon.

An on-duty, California state parks lifeguard who was later identified as Ryder saw the boy in distress and ran to help him, officials said in a statement."

He thought he was too old to be an EMT. At 76, he’s saved countless lives.; The Washington Post, August 1, 2025

Kyle Melnick, The Washington Post ; He thought he was too old to be an EMT. At 76, he’s saved countless lives.

"The day a man collapsed in a parking lot in Bethesda, Maryland, EMT Ed Levien rushed in an ambulance to the scene, where the injured man repeatedly called for Jesus.

“Jesus isn’t here,” Levien recalled telling him. “You’ve got to put up with me.”

The man looked at Levien’s mustached face, his thinning gray hair and his round glasses and replied, “Okay, Pops.”

That’s how Levien, one of the oldest EMTs in Maryland, got his nickname a few years ago in the volunteer job that — to his surprise — has become an unintended second career and reshaped his identity.

“I never had an impact on anyone until I started doing this,” Levien, who previously worked in advertising, told The Washington Post.

Levien began working as a volunteer EMT when he was 65 years old, far surpassing the age of his colleagues at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. After recovering from an unexpected injury — with the help of strangers — he decided to help others for as long as his body would allow."

From killing machines to agents of hope: the future of drones in Africa; Guardian, 7/27/16

Zoe Flood, Guardian; From killing machines to agents of hope: the future of drones in Africa:

[Kip Currier: A few weeks ago I posted a story about the use of drones to drop vaccine-infused M&Ms to highly endangered black-footed ferrets in the U.S. Here's another article about drones being used for benevolent, humanitarian purposes.]

"Some are killing machines. Others are pesky passions of the weekend hobbyist. As such, drones have not always been welcomed in our skies.

Across Africa, however, projects are being launched that could revolutionise medical supply chains and commercial deliveries, combat poaching and provide other solutions for an overburdened, underdeveloped continent...

“This technology has the potential to erase barriers to access for countless critical medicines and save lives on a scale not previously possible,” says Keller Rinaudo, Zipline’s chief executive, which is staffed by experienced aerospace engineers including those who have worked at SpaceX, Boeing and Nasa.

“While there are a number of potential applications for this technology, we’re keenly focused on using it to save lives.”"