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Showing posts from January, 2024

Cruise ship damaged after striking San Francisco pier while docking

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A Ruby Princess cruise ship sustained heavy damage after it collided with a pier while docking from a trip, officials said. A Ruby Princess cruise ship startled sleeping San Fransico residents Thursday morning after it hit a pier while docking , damaging it and the vessel, officials said. None of the 3,328 guests and 1,159 crew members on board were injured during the incident, according to Princess Cruises. The ship was returning from a 10-day cruise to Alaska that left last week, according to the cruise line. The Ruby Princess cruise ship hit Pier 27 while docking Thursday morning, July 6, 2023, in San Francisco. KGO The Coast Guard is investigating the incident, according to police. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Bar Pilots group told ABC News in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation. MORE: 1 dead, 2 missing after barge crashes into boat on Ohio River Nearby residents told ABC affiliate KGO that they could hear the impact and they were awoken by the sounds

How to escape from life-threatening rip currents

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If you're heading to the beach this summer, it's important to be aware of the dangers of rip currents. If you're heading to the beach this summer, it's important to be aware of the dangers of rip currents. A rip current , which flows out toward the ocean, can quickly pull a swimmer away from the shore. Rip currents usually reach a speed of 1 to 2 feet per second, but some can clock in at 8 feet per second, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A rip currents safety sign at Punta Rassa Park, Fort Myers, Fla., Nov. 7, 2013. Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE MORE: Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett dies in apparent drowning in Gulf of Mexico If you're caught in a rip current, the first step is to flip to your back and float. Staying calm and not exhausting yourself by fighting against the current is essential to avoid drowning, NOAA said. Next, you want to swim parallel to the sand until

Drones sweep for sharks along New York's coast during rise in encounters with beachgoers

Drones are sweeping over the ocean off the coast of New York’s Long Island to patrol the waters for any danger possibly lurking WANTAGH, N.Y. -- Off the coast of Long Island, drones sweep over the ocean, patrolling the water for any danger that might lurk below the surface as beachgoers grow more vigilant because of a recent spate of shark encounters. Over two days this week, five people reported being bitten by sharks at some of New York's most popular beach es, leading to heightened surveillance of the area's waters. The sighting of a 10-foot (3-meter) shark on Thursday prompted officials to keep people out of the water at Robert Moses State Park, the same Long Island beach that delayed its opening July 4 after a drone spotted a group of 50 sand sharks off the coast. “We are now more vigilant than ever,” said George Gorman, the state's park director in Long Island. “We have drones in the sky that watch over the waters. We have lifeguards on WaveRunners that watch over th

CBP rescues 2 people suffering from heat stress in southern Arizona

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Two people suffering from heat stress had to be rescue d via helicopter in a remote area of southern Arizona this week, officials said. Two people suffering from heat stress had to be rescue d via helicopter in a remote area of southern Arizona this week, officials said. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release Thursday that its Border Patrol Station in Tucson was contacted by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon for help responding to two U.S. citizens requesting immediate medical assistance near Montana Peak, which is nestled along Arizona's border with Mexico. One person was falling in and out of consciousness, while the other was suffering from extreme heat stress, according to CBP. Border Patrol agents were dispatched to the area and ascended Montana Peak on foot. They eventually found a man and woman and, due to "the critical nature of the situation," the agents "began field expedient cooling measures," C

El Paso Walmart gunman Patrick Crusius given 90 life sentences in federal trial

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Patrick Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty in February to dozens of federal hate crimes and firearms charges. The El Paso Walmart gunman was formally sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences for the racist 2019 massacre that killed 23 people and injured nearly two dozen others, according to El Paso ABC affiliate KVIA. Judge David Guaderrama handed down the sentence on Friday after hearing two days of emotional impact statements from victims and the family members of victims. The gunman , 24-year-old Patrick Crusius, pleaded guilty in February to dozens of federal hate crimes and firearms charges. El Paso Walmart shooting suspect Patrick Crusius pleads not guilty during his arraignment in El Paso, Texas, Oct. 10, 2019. Briana Sanchez/AP Crusius allegedly told investigators following his arrest that he set out to kill as many Mexicans as he could after driving from his home in Allen, Texas, about 650 miles east of El Paso, officials said. Twenty-two shooting victims died within days of the

Hiker killed, 2 others injured in California mountain avalanche

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An avalanche in July struck three hikers in California, killing one, according to investigators. A summer avalanche took the life of a hiker and injured two others in California, investigators said. The unidentified hiking party encountered a wet slide avalanche while descending Split Mountain on July 2 around 4:30 p.m., the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday. The hikers had reached the summit of the mountain , located above Red Lake, near Big Pine, California, earlier in the day, according to investigators. Pictured in this undated stock images is Red Lake and Split Mountain, in the Sierra Nevada range in California. STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images None of the hikers were buried in the avalanche; however, it was strong enough to sweep the party onto rocky terrain, the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center said in a statement. All three were hurt and one of the hiker's wounds were fatal, according to the avalanche center. MORE: Man dies in 'serious incident' at California s

Leslie Van Houten, follower of cult leader Charles Manson, is one big step closer to freedom

Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten is one step closer to being released from prison after California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he'll no longer fight her parole LOS ANGELES -- California’s governor announced Friday that he won’t ask the state Supreme Court to block parole for Charles Manson fol lower Leslie Van Houten, paving the way for her release after serving 53 years in prison for two infamous murders. In a brief statement, the governor’s office said it was unlikely that the state's high court would consider an appeal of a lower court ruling that Van Houten should be released. Newsom is disappointed, the statement said. “More than 50 years after the Manson cult committed these brutal killings, the victims’ families still feel the impact,” the statement said. Van Houten, now in her 70s, is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and other followers in the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary. Van Houten could be freed in a

Shark-monitoring drones to hit New York beaches amid uptick of sightings

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New shark-monitoring drones will be sent to New York beach communities amid an uptick in sightings, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. Dozens of new shark-monitoring drones will be sent to New York beach towns amid an uptick in incidents, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. The program will provide up to $1 million to buy about 42 drones and help train staff to use them, according to Dan Keefe, spokesman for New York's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. About half the funds will support Long Island beaches, and the other half will be shared by New York City and Westchester County area beaches. Keefe said the office is working to obtain and distribute the drones "as soon as possible," but he could not confirm when the program will be operational. Cary Epstein, lifeguarding supervisor, prepares a drone for a shark patrol flight at Jones Beach State Park,, July 6, 2023, in Wantagh, N.Y. John Minchillo/AP A drone is flown in for a landing after a sh

Phoenix to show compliance with court order to clear 'The Zone' homeless encampment

The city of Phoenix is going to court to prove it has met a deadline to clear a large homeless encampment, an action that has drawn pushback from civil rights advocates PHOENIX -- The city of Phoenix will go to court Monday to prove it has met a deadline to clear a large homeless encampment, an action that has drawn pushback from civil rights advocates. As part of a civil lawsuit, city officials will have a three-day trial to show they have complied with a judge's order and cleaned up the area known as “The Zone.” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney sided with business owners and residents in June and declared the tent city in south Phoenix a public nuisance. He also found that while the city was following a law against criminalizing public camping, it arbitrarily enforced others despite Health and safety risks. The plaintiffs described having to witness drug activity, lewd acts and other criminal activity in front of their door or steps away from their property. Li

Las Vegas police officer set to go on trial over $165k stolen in 3 casino heists

A Las Vegas police officer accused of stealing nearly $165,000 in three casino heists is scheduled to face a jury as prosecutors paint him as a gambling addict who grew increasingly desperate under a crush of debt LAS VEGAS -- A trial for a Las Vegas police officer accused of stealing nearly $165,000 in a series of casino heists is set to begin Monday with prosecutors painting him as a gambling addict who grew increasingly desperate under a crush of debt. Prosecutors claim Caleb Rogers, 35, carried out three robberies over a span of four months while armed with a weapon issued by the police department. Rogers' attorney, Richard Pocker, said the government's evidence allegedly tying Rogers to two of the robberies is weak. He accused the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detectives of pressuring two people, including Rogers' brother, into identifying him as the suspect in the robberies to close out the cases. Rogers made off with more than $85,000 in the first

Former US gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar assaulted in prison, sources say

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Larry Nassar, a former USA gymnastics team doctor , was assaulted in prison overnight, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Larry Nassar, a former USA gymnastics team doctor , was assaulted in prison overnight, according to two sources familiar with the situation. In this Feb. 5, 2018 file photo Larry Nassar sits in court listening to statements before being sentenced by Judge Janice Cunningham for three counts of criminal sexual assault in Eaton County Circuit Court in Charlotte, Mich. Scott Olson/Getty Images, FILE MORE: With Larry Nassar's sentencing, his accusers share their own powerful words The extent of Nassar's injuries is unknown, but he is in stable condition, according to sources. Nassar was convicted of state and federal charges for sexually assaulting members of the USA gymnastics team. He's serving his sentences, which total hundreds of years, at a prison in Florida. In this Nov. 22, 2017 file photo, Dr. Larry Nassar appears in court

Dangerous triple-digit heat baking Southwest and Southeast: Latest forecast

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Millions are on alert this week as dangerous, unrelenting heat bakes the Southeast and Southwest. More than 35 million Americans are on alert for dangerous heat that's baking the Southeast and Southwest. On Monday, the temperature will hit about 109 degrees in Palm Springs, California; 108 in Las Vegas; 110 in Phoenix; 105 in Tucson, Arizona; and 98 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ABC News MORE: Heat stroke vs. heat exhaustion: Extreme heat safety tips The unrelenting heat will stay throughout the week. By Friday, temperatures could soar to 115 degrees in Palm Springs and Phoenix. This could be the worst heat wave ever for the Phoenix area. Phoenix has reached 110 degrees or above for 10 days straight, and could reach its record of 18 days straight. ABC News In the Southeast, the heat is infiltrating cities from Dallas to Houston to New Orleans to Miami. The heat index -- what the temperature feels like with humidity -- is forecast to climb above 100 degrees for much of this week in