Two Girls Stuck in a Storm drain
When two Australian girls, ages 10 and 12, got stuck while exploring a storm drain, they were darn lucky to have a cell phone with them that had reception. And so they quickly put that technology to work. No, they didn’t call 911. Rather, in a sign of the times, they updated their Facebook statuses to read “Lost under the streets.” The girls were eventually rescued when friends read the status update and called for help. (Reader’s Digest, Sept. 2000, p. 91)

Boy Gets Stuck in Chimney
In West Valley City, Utah, an unidentified 8-year-old boy had to be rescued after trying to pull a Santa Claus and slide down the chimney. The boy climbed onto the roof and tried to slide down the chimney feet first. He made it approximately 30 feet down before he became wedged. The boy ended up trapped for more than 4 hours, but rescuers eventually cut a hole in the wall to set him free, and he escaped with only scrapes and bruises. (USA Today, 8-22-2011, p. 7A) I don’t imagine he’ll try doing that again anytime soon.

Hanging from a Tree
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, firefighters were called in to rescue a runaway girl after she climbed a tree and wound up upside down in it and hanging by her ankle. A passerby heard the 10-year-old yelling for help and called the fire department. She escaped with only minor injuries. (USA Today, 8-31-2011, 6A)