The Daily: November 2
Teacher saves life of teenager who died for 7 minutes after collapsing in college
A teenager who collapsed after running up the stairs at college to get to a hospital appointment died for seven minutes, but was miraculously brought back to life by his teacher Matt Harwood. Matt heard Dan Edwards, 17, collapse and at first put him into the recovery position, thinking he’d fainted. However, when he realised Dan had no pulse, he began CPR until paramedics arrived and restarted his heart with a defibrillator. Having been technically dead for 7 minutes there was a chance that Dan would badly suffer from brain damage, yet despite the fact that he was in an intensive care unit and in a coma for four days, he made a miraculous recovery. His parents were told by doctors that Dan was incredibly lucky to have survived the ordeal. He has since been fitted with an implant to regulate his heartbeat, and says he is ‘so thankful to the people who saved me – it hasn’t really sunk in yet how serious it was’.
Skeleton of WWII carrier pigeon found in chimney – with secret message still attached to its leg
Bletchley Park are currently attempting to crack the code of a secret message found on the skeleton of a WWII carrier pigeon, that was found 74 year old David Martin behind his fireplace when he began to restore the hearth. Pigeon messages were normally in longhand, so the fact that this pigeon was carrying a code means that it is likely a top-secret message, and if it can be deciphered it could provide some unique insight into the war. It is believed that the pigeon was flying back from Nazi-occupied territory hundreds of miles away, possibly heading for General Montgomery headquarters in Reigate, Surrey, or Bletchley Park, Bucks. It is likely that it stopped atop of the chimney to rest, and was overcome by the fumes, causing it to fall from its perch with the vital coded message still attached to its leg. Mr Martin, who found the skeleton, says that ‘it will be amazing if we discover an unknown detail from such an important part of British history’.
Farmer dyes his sheep orange in attempt to thwart thieves
A farmer on the tiny Scottish Isle of Mull has taken desperate measures in an attempt to stop thieves from stealing his sheep. With the price of meat rising rapidly, alongside the rate of rural thefts, this farmer has dyed the coats of his sheep an incredibly bright orange. The dye is non-toxic, so it causes no harm to the sheep and wears off eventually, but it does the job of preventing thieves from making off with any other flock – with a coat so noticeable, it is easier for the farmer to keep track of each sheep, and for neighbours to spot any potential crimes happening. This Scottish farmer is not the first to be so imaginative, however – John Heard, from Devon, lost as many as 200 sheep last year to thieves selling them to abattoirs. He says the orange dye is very effective, and that he hasn’t lost a single sheep this year: ‘It works because they are so easy to distinguish making it easier for me and my neighbours to keep a wary eye out for them. Plus the rustlers are obviously nervous about stealing such easily distinguished animals’.
Historian builds 60ft long WWI trench in his back garden
With Remembrance Day approaching, Andrew Robertshaw, a historian from Surrey, has built a WWI replica in his garden – a 60ft long trench that is barely distinguishable from the ones soldiers lived in almost 100 years ago. Along with 30 helpers, including soldiers recently returned from Afghanistan, Mr Robertshaw used a JCB to shift 200 tonnes of earth in order to build the trench, which he aims to use to teach people how bad the living conditions for soldiers in the Great War were. He has since spent 24 hours in the three room trench, which includes a kitchen, infantry room and officers’ dugout, as part of an overnight re-enactment of trench warfare. Mr Robertshaw acted as a military advisor on Stephen Spielberg’s epic film ‘War Horse’, and also runs the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in Deepcut, Surrey. He hopes the trench will help bring history to life for children studying WWI at school.
Chinese conservationists celebrate the birth of 7 baby pandas in just 3 months
The conservationists of Chengdu Panda Base in Sichuan are celebrating quite a feat – 7 baby pandas born in the short space of 3 months. The eldest, recently named Oreo after an internet poll, was born on the opening day of the London Olympics, and when he is bigger there are plans to release him into the wild. The cubs bring the number of pandas in the centre up to 113, making it one of the most successful breeding programmes in the world. The names of the other pandas are Xiao Qiao, Si Yi, Yuan Run, Miao Miao and a set of twins named Cheng Shuan and Cheng Dui.
A teenager who collapsed after running up the stairs at college to get to a hospital appointment died for seven minutes, but was miraculously brought back to life by his teacher Matt Harwood. Matt heard Dan Edwards, 17, collapse and at first put him into the recovery position, thinking he’d fainted. However, when he realised Dan had no pulse, he began CPR until paramedics arrived and restarted his heart with a defibrillator. Having been technically dead for 7 minutes there was a chance that Dan would badly suffer from brain damage, yet despite the fact that he was in an intensive care unit and in a coma for four days, he made a miraculous recovery. His parents were told by doctors that Dan was incredibly lucky to have survived the ordeal. He has since been fitted with an implant to regulate his heartbeat, and says he is ‘so thankful to the people who saved me – it hasn’t really sunk in yet how serious it was’.
Skeleton of WWII carrier pigeon found in chimney – with secret message still attached to its leg
Bletchley Park are currently attempting to crack the code of a secret message found on the skeleton of a WWII carrier pigeon, that was found 74 year old David Martin behind his fireplace when he began to restore the hearth. Pigeon messages were normally in longhand, so the fact that this pigeon was carrying a code means that it is likely a top-secret message, and if it can be deciphered it could provide some unique insight into the war. It is believed that the pigeon was flying back from Nazi-occupied territory hundreds of miles away, possibly heading for General Montgomery headquarters in Reigate, Surrey, or Bletchley Park, Bucks. It is likely that it stopped atop of the chimney to rest, and was overcome by the fumes, causing it to fall from its perch with the vital coded message still attached to its leg. Mr Martin, who found the skeleton, says that ‘it will be amazing if we discover an unknown detail from such an important part of British history’.
Farmer dyes his sheep orange in attempt to thwart thieves
A farmer on the tiny Scottish Isle of Mull has taken desperate measures in an attempt to stop thieves from stealing his sheep. With the price of meat rising rapidly, alongside the rate of rural thefts, this farmer has dyed the coats of his sheep an incredibly bright orange. The dye is non-toxic, so it causes no harm to the sheep and wears off eventually, but it does the job of preventing thieves from making off with any other flock – with a coat so noticeable, it is easier for the farmer to keep track of each sheep, and for neighbours to spot any potential crimes happening. This Scottish farmer is not the first to be so imaginative, however – John Heard, from Devon, lost as many as 200 sheep last year to thieves selling them to abattoirs. He says the orange dye is very effective, and that he hasn’t lost a single sheep this year: ‘It works because they are so easy to distinguish making it easier for me and my neighbours to keep a wary eye out for them. Plus the rustlers are obviously nervous about stealing such easily distinguished animals’.
Historian builds 60ft long WWI trench in his back garden
With Remembrance Day approaching, Andrew Robertshaw, a historian from Surrey, has built a WWI replica in his garden – a 60ft long trench that is barely distinguishable from the ones soldiers lived in almost 100 years ago. Along with 30 helpers, including soldiers recently returned from Afghanistan, Mr Robertshaw used a JCB to shift 200 tonnes of earth in order to build the trench, which he aims to use to teach people how bad the living conditions for soldiers in the Great War were. He has since spent 24 hours in the three room trench, which includes a kitchen, infantry room and officers’ dugout, as part of an overnight re-enactment of trench warfare. Mr Robertshaw acted as a military advisor on Stephen Spielberg’s epic film ‘War Horse’, and also runs the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in Deepcut, Surrey. He hopes the trench will help bring history to life for children studying WWI at school.
Chinese conservationists celebrate the birth of 7 baby pandas in just 3 months
The conservationists of Chengdu Panda Base in Sichuan are celebrating quite a feat – 7 baby pandas born in the short space of 3 months. The eldest, recently named Oreo after an internet poll, was born on the opening day of the London Olympics, and when he is bigger there are plans to release him into the wild. The cubs bring the number of pandas in the centre up to 113, making it one of the most successful breeding programmes in the world. The names of the other pandas are Xiao Qiao, Si Yi, Yuan Run, Miao Miao and a set of twins named Cheng Shuan and Cheng Dui.