From the Latvian National Fire and Rescue Service,Translated by Google...

"During the weekend, the VUGD received a call to a multi-apartment building where there was a suspicion that a person was going to jump through the fourth floor window. When arriving at the scene, firefighters rescuers realized that if they were trying to get into the apartment, one would most likely jump over the window. Thanks to the support of the neighbors, firefighters were able to enter the steep lowk in the apartment and prepare to grab this person in the fall. While one firefighter rescuer was waiting for a fall at the window, the other ensured that the interceptors could rescue the falling person firmly. Meanwhile, firefighters with mountaineering equipment tried to access people on the sill from the roof of the building, but the rescuers noticed that human hands had fallen and dropped. The firefighters below were able to catch the fallen people behind their feet and safely pass through the window. "
https://www.facebook.com/Latvianfirefighters/videos/2200601706622336/

I read on reddit, that the news reported, that the firefighters were on the third floor.

That one scene gave me a lifelong fear of traveling across the country on a premonition to rescue some snowbound people from a Colorado hotel. I was okay with it until then.

I saw this movie in Denver when it came out and people were laughing out loud in the theater because it was so bad and so far removed from the book.

I was taught to:
1) drill or chop holes close to shore first to check thickness
2) Carry a long pole/piece of wood (6 feet plus) so that if you fell, you wouldn't go under the ice (the idea of being swept under ice and not getting back to the hole you fell into...)
3) If going to rescue someone, tie off/get a line around yourself, and spread your body weight out by crawling/using a saucer/pan/kid's plastic sled...and offer them a line, pole, or thrown sleeve of a garment, not your hand.

anyway, looks like it was pond--they just lost some dignity.

What about where there aren't police? Where I live, we only have highway patrol, and they can take 15-30 minutes if none are near, longer if they're busy. If I catch my meth head neighbor breaking into my house (and my neighbors have), I'm not waiting to see if he chooses fight or flight before grabbing my 12 gauge. Even here in Humboldt we have home invasions...meth is a hell of a drug, and it's everywhere these days.
I'm not living in constant fear of home invasion, but I do think it's enough of a possibility, and the possible consequences of being unprepared so dire that it's prudent to be able to protect yourself and not just expect a timely rescue.

...but i am in America, and you did say no CIVILIZED country, so maybe I'm exempt? ;-)

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Not just throwing rocks, but---what is the practical application of this? As a pleasure craft, maintaining all those extra hydraulics would drive maintenance expenses through the roof from the perspective of a recreational boater.
I'm also concerned about reliability, elevation of center of gravity, response to being sideways in a seaway... the second half with the outrigger "sled' maybe would have application in military stuff? Air/Sea rescue?

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*blocked in Canada, YouPak to the rescue.

https://www.youpak.com/watch?v=f5d8pVg3Qtg

*blocked in Canada, but YouPak to the rescue.

https://www.youpak.com/watch?v=jVhlJNJopOQ

You Pak to the rescue.

https://www.youpak.com/watch?v=00wQYmvfhn4

They weren't making it out, they were going downhill in the same direction the water was backflowing from...

Seriously people, if you see flooding like this (and I hope you never do), if you have an 'uphill' to go to (ie. behind the white building following the red pipe), go that way. You can't get to your family in time, so ring them up on the mobile and get fucking safe. Even if you do survive by some miracle, some poor rescue worker has to come try to save you.

That guy sounds like Scooter from Borderlands. I hope when they rescued people he yelled "Catch a Riiiiide!"