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This is the dramatic moment an officer saves a man from a sinking vehicle after he apparently drove his car into a canal. The rescue reportedly took place in the city of Sunnyside, in Yakima County, Washington State, USA, on Monday, 17th April. Body-worn footage shows the officer - identified only as Christensen - smashing up the rear windshield with what seems to be a gardening hoe to help the trapped man escape. The officer then grabs hold of the man and the two toss the man's electronics to the ground before entering the water and later getting to dry land. The Sunnyside Police Department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "Yesterday [Mon], Deputies and the Sunnyside Police Department were sent to 500 Snipes Canal Rd for a report of a vehicle floating in the canal. "While en route, we learned the vehicle started sinking and a person was trapped inside the car. "Sunnyside Officer Christensen arrived before us and rescued the man from the sinking vehicle with the help of the fire department. "This video shows him saving the man's life. "Thank you Officer Christensen for your heroic efforts and for being a bright spot in your community."

This is the dramatic moment a woman gets airlifted via a UK Coastguard helicopter after she fell and injured her ankle while hiking with a friend. Footage obtained by Newsflash shows the moment the hiker - identified as Cari Ormerod, 47 - gets pulled up onto the chopper. Cari's ordeal reportedly began after she headed towards the village of Pendine, Wales, with a friend, when she fell and broke her ankle during a walk near Marros Beach, Carmarthenshire coast, on 25th March. Having realised that she could not move, she then called the HM Coastguard for help. Rescue teams from the town of Tenby and the village of Llansteffan and the Coastguard helicopter from the village of St Athan were quickly sent to the scene. Cari said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "It was really scary, I just knew straight away my ankle was broken. I went into a hole where it twisted and then I heard it crack. "I knew we were miles from the road, from anywhere, but there was no way I could walk." Cari was later transferred from the helicopter onto an ambulance and taken to hospital. She added: "All I felt was relief, the teams take over and you can just relax. You feel safe when you see and hear them. "There was no way I could get down to the beach so the helicopter was called and within no time it had arrived. I was so scared but I had no choice. "I'm so grateful we were directed to the Coastguard, we didn't know who to go to. Words cannot express how grateful I am."

An alligator that was captured by wildlife experts got revenge by terrifying a police officer when it turned its snout towards her. The six-foot-long reptile was caught in a drainage ditch in the 3300 block of South Shore Boulevard in League City, Texas State, USA, by a wildlife expert. Aided by two cops from League City Police Department a trapper from Texas Parks and Wildlife and LC Animal Care then began tying a rope around the gator's legs, after previously bounding its snout. But a video shared by the department shows the alligator terrifying an officer near its head as it suddenly lunges towards her. In the footage, the officer can be heard saying: "It scared the crap out of me." Police revealed that the animal was relocated after the successful capture. The department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "LCPD just helped in relocating a six-foot-alligator from the drainage ditch in the 3300 block of South Shore Blvd." Meanwhile, shocked Facebook users did not restrain from commenting on the video that reached more than 32,000 views since Tuesday, 18th April. Facebook user 'Toyya Braskey' said:" I'm glad ya'll got that suspect in custody." And netizen 'Timothy Boggs' commented: "Did ya'll read him his Miranda rights?" While another user named 'Mary Knight Cheng' added: "Wow, great job! Thank you for all your hard work!" Emergency services often have more to do dealing with the big reptiles at this time of year as they leave their regular habitats in search of partners during the mating season.

A man who fell into a water-filled cistern and was stuck there for five days looked as if his skin had started to decompose when he was finally treated by medics. The man was only rescued after managing to work out how he could swim from one cistern to the next where neighbours heard his calls for help on Thursday, 20th April. The neighbours, who lived in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico, which is the capital of the state of Jalisco, called police after they were able to locate the person calling. When the police arrived, he was pulled from the water and said he had been stuck there for five days and medics confirmed his skin was in a terrible state. Police officer Miguel Castellanos Camacho said: "Once had been the rescue carried out by our colleagues, the Municipal Medical Services were requested, and when we arrived, we had to provide immediate treatment because the skin had already h started to fall away as if it was decomposing. "This is presumably from being in the water for such a long time." He confirmed that the man had been carrying out maintenance work when he slipped and fell and was stranded inside with just his head poking above the water throughout the entire five-day ordeal. A study in 2021 from Binghamton University in New York confirmed that long-term immersion in water can cause permanent skin damage, going against an early belief that skin eventually recovered. PhD student Niranjana Dhandapani and Associate Professor Guy German found that after 12 hours of immersion, the skin loses plasticity because of reduced ability to hold water. It also depletes both lipids and natural moisturizing factors, which can lead to long-term problems.

This is the dramatic moment a father and his teen daughter get rescued from the water after floating adrift for nearly an hour after their jet ski sunk. The rescue mission reportedly took place in the area of Thonotosassa, in the US State of Florida, on Saturday, 15th April. Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) were alerted to the emergency when the two boaters failed to return to the dock after taking their jet ski out earlier that evening. Police say Christopher Snow, 31, and Alexis Snow, 13, went out on their jet ski from Baker Creek Park at around 6.50 pm. But about an hour later, Christopher's girlfriend came to search for them since they had not returned home and were not answering calls. She then found HCSO Deputy Kevin Reich conducting routine surveillance and asked for his help. Soon after, a local man and his family offered to take Deputy Reich out on their boat to search while waiting for assistance from marine and aviation units, police said. They were able to locate the missing boaters approximately 40 minutes after beginning the search. They found them floating around, after which they pulled them onto the boat and to safety. Sheriff Chad Chronister said: "The swift response of our deputy and the assistance provided by the community played a crucial role in the successful rescue of Christopher and Alexis Snow. "We are relieved that they were returned to shore safely and without any injuries. "It is scary to imagine what could have happened had this father and daughter not been wearing their life jackets." "I want to thank both the boaters that helped and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for being on patrol and noticing something wasn't right. "My life jacket wasn't sized properly, so this is a good reminder to make sure yours is fitted correctly."

This is the touching moment sailors aboard the USS Nitze are welcomed by friends and family as they return home from an eight-month deployment. Reports revealed that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) arrived at Naval Station Norfolk, in the US State of Virginia on Wednesday, 5th April. The vessel was deployed for eight months in support of maritime security operations and theatre security cooperation efforts in the 2nd, 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. Commander Katie Jacobson said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "I am incredibly proud of my crew and the excellence they achieved while conducting high risk, high visibility mission sets during this extended deployment. "Our officers and crew advanced maritime security at sea, served as ambassadors ashore, and seamlessly integrated with our allies and partners. "They embodied our mantra of 'Better Every Day' and reflected superbly on the United States and the US Navy."

This is the out-of-this-world moment a US Reaper drone records a spherical UFO whizzing below it in the Middle East. US military officials - who will not say where exactly the footage was filmed - have admitted they do not know what the object was or where it came from. The now-declassified footage - shot from an American MQ-9 Reaper drone - appears to be monitoring a group of people in a desert setting. But just seconds into the footage a flying orb comes hurtling towards the USD 28 million drone, passing underneath it at high speed. The movement is picked up by the drone's hi-tech camera, which switches targets and begins following the mysterious globe. The orb appears to be a dead ringer for some of the small UFOs used in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The footage was obtained from the US Department of Defense, who says it was filmed somewhere in the Middle East on 12th July 2022. It was declassified and made public on Wednesday, 19th April. The US DoD said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "In an open hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 19, Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), shared a video that depicts an apparent silver, orb-like object cross the sensor’s field of view. "This clip was taken by an MQ-9 in the Middle East, and while AARO assesses the object in the clip is not exhibiting anomalous behavior, the object remains unidentified. "This video is a representative example of many of the cases AARO receives where there is limited data surrounding the observation. "These cases are retained in AARO’s active archive pending the discovery of additional information/data that may lead to case resolution." The case remains unresolved due to a lack of data, with the US DoD saying "the object remains unidentified".

This is the moment a man treats himself to a taste of the high life as he breaks his Ramadan fast with a snack as he paraglides through the sky. High flyer Abdulbari Al Abdullah filmed himself soaring over Saudi Arabia with a special tray fixed to his harness so he could tuck into his in-flight meal. The flight - above the Asir region mountains - has clocked up nearly 40,000 views since it was posted online on Sunday, 16th April. As he chats to his selfie stick he can be seen pouring a cup of water before tucking into a snack. Abdulbari - who works as a tour guide - was eating 'Iftar', a meal eaten by Muslims at sundown to break the daily fast during Ramadan. He can be heard saying in the video in Arabic: "An acceptable fast and a delicious Iftar... Praise Allah." This year, Ramadan began In the UK on the evening of Thursday, 23rd March and will end on Friday, 21st April.

A huge T-Rex skeleton has fetched GBP 5 million at auction in Switzerland in what has been described as a first in Europe. The Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, understood to be between 65 and 67 million years old, has fetched CHF 5.5 million (GBP 4.93 million) at the auction in Zurich, which took place on Tuesday, 18th April. It is currently unclear who bought the skeleton but a spokesperson for the auction house said that it would "remain in Europe", without providing further details about the anonymous buyer. The huge skeleton, dating back to the Cretaceous period, can be seen in the footage being installed before the auction. The images show a timelapse of the preparations, with the skeleton being assembled on a metal frame. Other footage also shows close-up images of the assembled skeleton of the massive apex predator, dubbed 'Trinity' by its previous owner due to the fact that it was assembled using bones from three different skeletons. Newsflash obtained a statement from the Koller auction house on Tuesday, 18th April, saying that the event was the first of its kind in Europe and only the third time in the world that "a skeleton of an entire T. rex dinosaur of exceptional quality" was put up for auction. The statement also said: "Mounted in a dynamic, scientifically accurate and modern pose, it is among the finest specimens of one of the largest terrestrial predators ever to inhabit the Earth. "With an astonishing length of 11.6 metres (38 feet) and a towering height of 3.9 metres (12.8 feet), Trinity is one of the most spectacular T. rex skeletons in existence, a well-preserved and brilliantly restored fossil." The Koller auction house said that the Tyrannosaurus skeleton is made up of "more than 50 per cent original bone material" and that they come from "three Tyrannosaurus specimens excavated between 2008 and 2013, from the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming." The auction house added that both sites are "known for two of the most important Tyrannosaurus discoveries". These include ‘Sue’, which sold at auction for USD 8.4 million (GBP 6.7 million) in 1997, and ‘Stan’, "whose world-record hammer price of USD 31.8 million [GBP 25.6 million] in 2020 catapulted dinosaur fossil prices into a realm usually reserved for the most sought-after works of art." The auction house explained that each of Trinity’s 293 bones was "painstakingly excavated, cleaned and restored before it could be assembled." They added: "For an entire dinosaur, this process often takes between seven and ten years – an enormous effort for a team of palaeontologists, preparators and conservators. "Trinity’s rarity and importance is in large part due to its incredibly well-preserved skull, which comes from a single specimen." Scientific advisor and fossil expert Nils Knoetschke is quoted as saying: "Dinosaur skulls are very rare; they are among the most valuable components of fossil skeletons." He added: "In fact, most dinosaurs are found without their skulls. But here we have original Tyrannosaurus skull bones, all from the same specimen. "In all three specimens, the preparation was done very well, and the whole is very well preserved’. "I was particularly surprised that not only the vertebrae, but also the filigree spines of the dorsal and cervical vertebrae are present. The very fine bones from inside the skull are usually lost, and these are also preserved in Trinity." And Dr Hans-Jakob Siber, a palaeontologist and the director of the Dinosaur Museum in Aathal, Switzerland, said: "I was impressed when I saw it, because it all seems to fit together so nicely." He added: "It’s one of the most impressive mounts I’ve seen. The quality of the restoration plus the quality of the mount sort of breathes life again into the specimen, which lived millions and millions of years ago. TRX-293 TRINITY would certainly be an astonishing attraction in any museum in the world.’

A huge T-Rex skeleton has fetched GBP 5 million at auction in Switzerland in what has been described as a first in Europe. The Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, understood to be between 65 and 67 million years old, has fetched CHF 5.5 million (GBP 4.93 million) at the auction in Zurich, which took place on Tuesday, 18th April. It is currently unclear who bought the skeleton but a spokesperson for the auction house said that it would "remain in Europe", without providing further details about the anonymous buyer. The huge skeleton, dating back to the Cretaceous period, can be seen in the footage being installed before the auction. The images show a timelapse of the preparations, with the skeleton being assembled on a metal frame. Other footage also shows close-up images of the assembled skeleton of the massive apex predator, dubbed 'Trinity' by its previous owner due to the fact that it was assembled using bones from three different skeletons. Newsflash obtained a statement from the Koller auction house on Tuesday, 18th April, saying that the event was the first of its kind in Europe and only the third time in the world that "a skeleton of an entire T. rex dinosaur of exceptional quality" was put up for auction. The statement also said: "Mounted in a dynamic, scientifically accurate and modern pose, it is among the finest specimens of one of the largest terrestrial predators ever to inhabit the Earth. "With an astonishing length of 11.6 metres (38 feet) and a towering height of 3.9 metres (12.8 feet), Trinity is one of the most spectacular T. rex skeletons in existence, a well-preserved and brilliantly restored fossil." The Koller auction house said that the Tyrannosaurus skeleton is made up of "more than 50 per cent original bone material" and that they come from "three Tyrannosaurus specimens excavated between 2008 and 2013, from the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming." The auction house added that both sites are "known for two of the most important Tyrannosaurus discoveries". These include ‘Sue’, which sold at auction for USD 8.4 million (GBP 6.7 million) in 1997, and ‘Stan’, "whose world-record hammer price of USD 31.8 million [GBP 25.6 million] in 2020 catapulted dinosaur fossil prices into a realm usually reserved for the most sought-after works of art." The auction house explained that each of Trinity’s 293 bones was "painstakingly excavated, cleaned and restored before it could be assembled." They added: "For an entire dinosaur, this process often takes between seven and ten years – an enormous effort for a team of palaeontologists, preparators and conservators. "Trinity’s rarity and importance is in large part due to its incredibly well-preserved skull, which comes from a single specimen." Scientific advisor and fossil expert Nils Knoetschke is quoted as saying: "Dinosaur skulls are very rare; they are among the most valuable components of fossil skeletons." He added: "In fact, most dinosaurs are found without their skulls. But here we have original Tyrannosaurus skull bones, all from the same specimen. "In all three specimens, the preparation was done very well, and the whole is very well preserved’. "I was particularly surprised that not only the vertebrae, but also the filigree spines of the dorsal and cervical vertebrae are present. The very fine bones from inside the skull are usually lost, and these are also preserved in Trinity." And Dr Hans-Jakob Siber, a palaeontologist and the director of the Dinosaur Museum in Aathal, Switzerland, said: "I was impressed when I saw it, because it all seems to fit together so nicely." He added: "It’s one of the most impressive mounts I’ve seen. The quality of the restoration plus the quality of the mount sort of breathes life again into the specimen, which lived millions and millions of years ago. TRX-293 TRINITY would certainly be an astonishing attraction in any museum in the world.’

This is the moment officers in Canada nab three fleeing youngsters suspected of vehicle theft in a joint operation with the air crews. Aerial footage shows the final moments leading up to the arrest of the suspects - two of whom were identified as Zoe Korn, 22, Ibrahima Traore, 18, and a 17-year-old boy who was not named - in King Township, Ontario Province, Canada, on 8th April. The incident began as patrolling police noticed an idling vehicle with no front plate attached. The gang sped away travelling southbound on Highway 27, as cops approached the vehicle. Officers in Air2 were able to respond quickly and safely track the suspect vehicle from above. Cops on ground managed to deploy a tire deflation device, which successfully disabled the passing suspect vehicle. The three suspects, then exited the vehicle and ran in different directions, but they were located and caught by police dogs later. All of them were arrested, as police subsequently seized several master keys for vehicles. Korn and Traore were held for a bail hearing and are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in the town of Newmarket on Friday, 5th May. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old boy is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Thursday, 4th May.

A meow-meow mephedrone dealer who used a cat dressed in baby clothes as a disguise while she made her deliveries has been seized by police. Officers in Russia arrested the woman as she was dropping off packages of M-CAT to her customers in Nizhny Tagil. When they searched her and found nothing, they looked at the baby in her arms, and were astonished to see the cat's furry face peering out from under a baby's bobble hat. It was then that they discovered the confused cat dressed in baby-grow and fleecy papoose coat. And inside the papoose the officers found bundles of several packages of the cocaine-like drug. Police photographs of the arrest show the car dressed head to tail in smart baby clothes and the woman even wearing a hat with cat ears. A video shows the officers removing the puss from the papoose as they search for the drugs. Then they start to strip search the cat which is even wearing a nappy to make the disguise complete. A search of the woman's apartment found scales, plastic bags and a further 170 grammes of mephedrone. The stimulant is better known by its street name 'meow meow', apparently for its links to the East African khat plan. A spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Irina Volk, said: "The cat was wrapped in warm clothes for newborn babies, and she was carrying in her hands as the police approached. "On closer examination and realised it was a domestic cat. "After they removed the cap from the clothing, they discovered five bundles with a white powder inside which turned out to be N-methylephedron.” Local media reports that the dealer is in custody and her real-life daughter and the cat are staying with relatives.

A Florida man has been arrested after he reportedly filed a false complaint claiming he had been abused by officers during a traffic stop. Suspect Breion Brown was taken into custody by deputies with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and was charged with Making a False Official Statement. Brown was arrested after he filed an administrative complaint accusing an officer of using excessive force and conducting an illegal search during a traffic stop taking place in Jacksonville, in the US State of Florida on 5th April. Brown claimed the officer choked him with his vehicle's seat belt, but body camera footage showed his allegations were false. The Sheriff's Office initiated an Internal Affairs investigation, and detectives from the Integrity and Special Investigations Unit reviewed the evidence. They found no criminal or policy violations by the officer, leading to Brown's arrest. He now faces criminal prosecution by the State Attorney's Office. Sheriff T.K. Waters emphasised the importance of holding individuals accountable for false complaints, stating that victimising officers to push an agenda will not be tolerated. He reaffirmed the department's commitment to maintaining community trust and serving with integrity, transparency, and respect.

A motorcyclist in Florida, Matthew Price, was arrested after attempting to elude a traffic stop by K-9 Corporal Calvin Batts in Ocala, Florida on the 7th of April 2023. Price was initially pulled over due to a missing license plate, which he later admitted to removing to avoid paying tolls. Instead of stopping, Price tried to drive away from Corporal Batts, weaving through traffic and striking the officer with his motorcycle as he tried to cut him off. Price was arrested for trying to elude a law enforcement officer and now faces a third-degree felony charge. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, a mandatory driver's license suspension, and a mandatory adjudication of guilt.

A man who stole a refrigerated semi-truck with more than GBP 150,000 worth of food has been jailed after he was caught by a couple of police dogs. Police in the city of Ocala, Florida State, USA, arrested Alain Marti-Rosell, 39, after they were alerted about a stolen semi-truck at around 10.40pm on Sunday, 9th April 2023. Since the vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracker, officers located Marti-Rosell through the Berkshire Oaks Plaza, more than two miles from where he had stolen the truck. But when officer Barker attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the 39-year-old got out of the vehicle and ran into a walled retention pond area. Cops then brought in police dogs Brinkley and Diesel to track him down. Soon after the dogs spotted Marti-Rosell waist-deep in the water near a dense thicket of trees, who police claimed had his back turned towards them. The Ocala Police Department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "With his hands hidden from view, Officer Brinkley commanded K-9 Diesel to take action, leading to a swift and successful apprehension. "The stolen semi-truck and refrigerated trailer contained fresh seafood and meats worth over USD 200,000 [GBP 159,850]. "Officers also discovered the lock on the trailer had been cut and a box of tuna fish opened." The offender - who police discovered was not a US citizen - was taken to the hospital where he was treated for a dog bite, after which he was transported to Marion County Jail. He was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of cargo valued at USD 50,000 (GBP 39,957) or more, grand theft, dealing stolen property, and resisting without violence. The Ocala Police Department thanked everyone involved in the operation for the successful mission.

This dramatic footage shows NYPD officers rescuing a stranded coyote which they initially thought was a dog after reports about it falling in the East River. The NYPD 19th Precinct's Harbor Unit responded to the scene and used a catch pole to rescue the animal from the strong currents. The female coyote was subsequently examined by a veterinarian and handed over to New York Animal Care Centers, which will return her to the wild. The precinct noted that while coyotes are common in New York City, finding one swimming in the East River is a rare occurrence.

This is the moment a special police unit frees women tricked into prostitution and drugs by female vice bosses. The shabby brothel, in Valencia, south-eastern Spain, was raided by a heavily armed National Police unit who arrested five suspects in a series of raids on 11th April. It was part of a crackdown on brothels in the tourist hot spot, according to police. Eight women were freed in the raids, who were kept in "subhuman" conditions like prisoners, according to the police. Police video footage of the raid, obtained by Newsflash, shows sex workers crammed into one bedsit with bunks and grubby mattresses covering the floor. As they smash their way in with battering rams and sledgehammers, police swarm through the building armed with handguns and body armour. All other rooms in the property were used as bedrooms where the women - victims of human trafficking - were forced to have sex. Surveillance cameras had been installed in the rooms, filming them as they had sex with clients. The police described the living conditions as subhuman. Brothel keepers - reported local media - ordered them to perform specific acts from a sex tariff depending on how much clients paid. The woman, they say, had to be available at any time day or night. The sex workers also had to take part in so-called 'white parties' where sex and drugs are given to clients. Many, say local media reports, were brutalised before they submitted to work as prostitutes and there were severe punishments for anyone who refused. Police confiscated EUR 72,000 in cash (GBP 63,300) in cash and seized stashes of cocaine and marijuana. A laptop, mobile phones and diaries - believed to contain details of punters and their appointments - were also taken away by police. Spanish police said five suspects had been arrested and eight women freed in the raids. The female gang boss allegedly told the women how to dress and forced them to hand over half of their income. Five suspects - who remain in custody - face charges of forming a criminal organisation, organising illegal prostitution and breaching public health regulations. In a statement obtained by Newsflash, the National Police said: "Agents of the National Police have arrested five people in the province of Valencia and have released eight victims of sexual exploitation who lived crowded on mattresses on the floor. "They have broken up a criminal organisation that sexually exploited its victims. They deceived them through advertisements on contact pages with false economic promises, taking advantage of their irregular situation and vulnerability. "Those involved determined what type of sexual practices their victims had to carry out, imposing economic sanctions if they refused and having to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week." Police said the gang bosses forced the girls to work by imposing "abusive conditions" on them. They explained: "The victims remained in subhuman living quarters. "The leader of the organisation gave them instructions on how to serve customers or if they were made up or dressed correctly to serve them. "It also controlled the time spent on sexual services and the money they obtained for it. "The victims were monitored with video surveillance cameras installed on the dating floors, in such a way that they captured their every movement." Investigations into the sex cartel are ongoing.

This heartwarming footage shows how conservationists released 86 young giant tortoises bred in captivity into their natural habitat in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger) is the largest living species of tortoise, with some specimens weighing up to 417 kilogrammes (919 lb). Its 13 extant subspecies are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from "extinct in the wild" to "vulnerable". The recently-released specimens were bred in captivity on Santa Cruz Island and introduced on Espanola Island after they reached five years old. They belong to the Hood Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger hoodensis) subspecies and are listed by the IUCN as "critically endangered". The Galapagos National Park, Ecuador, said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "The Galapagos National Park Directorate, in conjunction with Galapagos Conservancy, released 86 hatchlings of the Chelonoidis hoodensis species from Espanola Island, aged between five and six years, into their natural habitat. The specimens were from the breeding and rearing centre in captivity on Santa Cruz Island. "These tortoises were part of the captive breeding programme for the Espanola Island species, which was closed in 2021. They have now reached the ideal morphometric measurements to be safely incorporated into the ecosystem of the island. Prior to repatriation, they underwent an extended quarantine process, internal and external deworming, and each one was given an identification microchip. They were then transported by helicopter to the south-central part of Espanola with the purpose of accelerating their dispersion through the tortoises' living area so that they can fulfil their role in the environment." Danny Rueda Cordova, director of the Galapagos National Park, said: "The conservation efforts implemented by the National Government, in synergy with our strategic allies, have been fundamental to carry out successful ecological restoration programmes like this one, which has been a work of more than five decades. This captive breeding programme, combined with the management actions implemented on the island, gives us the peace of mind that we have saved a species that would otherwise have become extinct." And Washington Tapia, executive director of Galapagos Conservancy, added: "The repopulation of Espanola with tortoises has been a key element in the ecological restoration process of the island, as they are the main herbivores and contribute to clearing the areas where albatrosses land when they come to the island to reproduce and nest. Although the tortoise breeding programme for this island closed in June 2021, around 267 hatchlings remained in captivity until they reached the appropriate age for repatriation. This time, 86 tortoises were released into their habitat, and we will gradually return the rest." The Galapagos National Park said: "The group of tortoises that have not yet reached the conditions to survive on their own in their native island will remain in the Fausto Llerena breeding centre. This programme included the famous 'Diego', the male tortoise that was recovered from the San Diego Zoo (USA) and became a symbol of Galapagos conservation, as it is estimated that approximately 40 per cent of the tortoise repatriated to Espanola Island are his descendants."

This is the dramatic moment officers arrest a machete-wielding suspect who tried to flee after police responded to a commercial burglary alarm. The incident began when the alarm sounded off at a South Hill orthodontist's office in Pierce County, in the US State of Washington on 25th March. Upon arrival, the deputy saw a man exiting the business and ordered him to stop and show his hands. However, the suspect refused and walked away, revealing a machete tucked in his sleeve. The deputy followed the suspect, maintaining distance while using de-escalation tactics. When the suspect armed himself with the machete, the deputy requested a less-lethal backup and a K9 unit. Backup arrived, and the deputies fired less-lethal bean bag rounds at the suspect, but they proved ineffective. After a continued foot chase and additional less-lethal rounds, the suspect finally surrendered. The 27-year-old man was arrested and booked into jail on charges of first-degree burglary, resisting arrest, and obstructing.

This shocking footage shows firefighters battling a raging inferno that engulfed an entire house and demonstrates the dangers first responders face daily. Body-cam footage obtained by Newsflash from the Fort Smith Fire Department shows firemen trying to put out a massive house fire in Fort Smith, in the US State of Arkansas. The footage captures the challenges and risks firefighters face almost every single day, which often go unnoticed by the public. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from the fire. However, the video highlights the increased risk of cancer among firefighters. In 2022, the International Association of Firefighters added 469 names to their memorial wall, with 348 of them succumbing to occupational cancer. First responders are 14 per cent more likely to die from cancer than the general population, according to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. Many fire departments across the country have adopted protective uniforms, decon buckets for cleaning, and exhaust vents in their stations to mitigate these risks.

A naked and bloodied man in the USA has been arrested for burglary after he broke into two houses under the influence of drugs. Deputies from the Volusia Sheriff's Office in the city of DeBary, Florida State, USA, rushed to apprehend Blake Tokman, aged 34, after they received a call he had broken inside two homes at Highbanks Road. He had reportedly smashed out the windows of one house to break in, before leaving and forcing his way into another home at around 2am on Friday, 7th April 2023. Both homes were occupied at the time of the break-ins, police claimed. When officers arrived on site, they spotted Tokman fully naked in the back yard of the second house, who then took off running and jumped in the swimming pool. He then reportedly climbed out of the pool and leapt onto a trampoline where he laid flat but resisted the cop's attempts to cuff him. Police revealed that Tokman's body was covered in wheel bearing grease, peppermint oil, and blood during the incident. He also appeared to be under the influence of drugs, according to officers. Volusia Sheriff's Office said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: "It took four deputies to get him into custody, plus three more medical professionals to secure him on a stretcher for evaluation and treatment of injuries he caused himself. "During the incident, Tokman kicked or struck three of the deputies, one of whom sustained a laceration to his arm." He was later charged with two counts of occupied burglary, three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of criminal mischief, and resisting arrest with violence. After going through further medical evaluation and treatment, he was booked into Volusia County Branch Jail.

This is the incredible moment an injured hiker gets airlifted out of a canyon after she fell and broke her ankle. The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team successfully rescued the girl who injured herself while on a hike at Robe Canyon Trail, in the US State of Washington on 26th April. After being notified of the incident, deputies, search and rescue (SAR) volunteers, and a USFS officer responded to the area on foot and located the young woman. The SnoHawk10 helicopter was then deployed and used a hoist to extract the patient over 200 feet into the air. The injured hiker was then flown to Providence Regional Medical Centre for further medical treatment. This successful rescue mission is just one of many undertaken by the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team in their efforts to save lives and assist those in need.

This is the dramatic moment detectives in Florida arrest a wanted drug dealer while he apparently sold drugs just minutes after dropping off his child at a nursery. Aerial footage shows the arrest of 38-year-old Wynell Pitts, 38, in the city of DeLand, in the US State of Florida on the morning of 6th April following a months-long investigation. Pitts was apprehended after dropping his child off at daycare and conducting two drug transactions from his vehicle. He was arrested on an active warrant for sale and delivery of fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a middle school. During a search of the vehicle, detectives seized various drugs, a cell phone, and USD 376 (GBP 300) in cash. Following the arrest, a search warrant was executed at Pitts' residence, uncovering additional drugs, firearms, ammunition, cash, and a drug ledger. All firearms were easily accessible to children, with no trigger locks in place. The drugs, including fentanyl, prescription narcotics, cocaine, and psilocybin, were also within reach of children. Pitts and his wife, Antiqua Pitts, were arrested on numerous charges, including armed trafficking, child neglect, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with total bond amounts set at USD 580,000 (GBP 470,000) and USD 1,090,000 (GBP 882,000) respectively.

A car thief in a stolen Dodge Charger was seized by police as he tried to pass himself off as a supermarket shelf-stacker after abandoning the 155 mph motor. The 20-year-old suspect - not named by police - had taken officers on a high-speed chase through city streets in Dearborn, in Wayne County, in the US state of Michigan on Friday, 7th April. But when he realised he could not outrun them, he abandoned the car outside a Walmart store and pretended to be a shop worker. Police followed him in and saw through his ludicrous disguise in seconds as he pretended to check stock in the warehouse. Michigan State Police said in a statement obtained by Newsflash on Sunday, 9th April: "The suspect fled inside of the store and attempted to disguise himself as a Walmart worker." They went on: "The suspect was identified by troopers in the back stockroom and the suspect ran through the store again until he was taken into custody near the front door. "The suspect vehicle was towed from the scene. The 20-year-old male from Redford was lodged." Police footage of the chase shot from a police helicopter shows the Dodge weaving in and out of traffic before screeching to a halt outside the store. The police statement continued: "While on patrol over the district, MSP Aviation (Trooper 2) observed a black in color Dodge Charger driving recklessly at a high rate of speed on the freeways and on surface streets. "A trooper saw the suspect vehicle and provided the suspect driver’s description but was unable to attempt a traffic stop. "A sergeant attempted to make a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle but the driver did not stop and there was no pursuit. "Trooper 2 continued to follow the suspect vehicle for approximately 45 minutes all over Wayne County roadways. "A sergeant was finally able to get the plate on the suspect vehicle when it slowed down due to traffic congestion. The vehicle was reported stolen. "Trooper 2 continued to follow the suspect vehicle until the suspect parked in the Dearborn Walmart parking lot." Police spokesperson Mike Shaw said: "This suspect pretty much checked all the boxes for what we have been seeing lately. "Reckless driving, failing to stop for police and having a stolen car. But again you can't outrun a helicopter, so now he is in jail."