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Tragic update on man buried alive on Bribie Island

<p>Vibrant and energetic 25-year-old Josh Taylor, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/family-of-man-who-was-buried-alive-breaks-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who found himself buried</a> in the sandy depths of Bribie Island, Queensland, has succumbed to the severe injuries sustained during the tragic incident.</p> <p>After five days of battling for his life, Josh's family made the agonising decision to switch off his life support.</p> <p>Josh's untimely demise stemmed from a seemingly innocent gathering on Bribie Island, where he and his friends were digging a sand pit to cook a pig in the traditional Maori style of hangi.</p> <p>Witnesses recalled the horrifying moment when Josh, while standing on a chair, lost his footing, and the sand beneath him gave way. He stumbled backwards into the deep hole, disappearing from view. It took a team of 15 people to pull him out.</p> <p>An off-duty paramedic and loyal friends resorted to using ropes tied to Josh's feet, pulling him free from the suffocating grip of the sand, but despite their valiant efforts, Josh had already endured significant injuries during the ordeal.</p> <p>As they pulled him from the hole, the force of the rescue exacerbated his injuries, leaving him without a pulse for a gut-wrenching 45 minutes. The nightmare unfolded before the eyes of Josh's family, who were also on the scene.</p> <p>Josh's father, Peter, was among those frantically digging to free his son.</p> <p>In their grief, following the decision to switch off Josh's life support, the Taylor family expressed gratitude for the compassionate efforts of those who helped to pull him from the sand, attempted to revive him at the scene, and provided care at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. </p> <p>“Without these people, Josh would not have had the opportunity to recover or give our family and friends these last precious days with him to say goodbye,” the Taylor family said in a statement.</p> <p>“He fought as hard as he could and is the most courageous person we will ever know. </p> <p>"Unfortunately, the injuries he received were too severe for him to overcome. We will somehow find a way to move on from this terrible tragedy.</p> <p>“He was the best son, brother, boyfriend and mate we could all have wished for. We love you Josh and will miss you every minute of every day. Goodbye mate until we see each other again.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook / 7News</em></p>

Caring

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Family of man who was buried alive breaks silence

<p>The family of Josh Taylor, 25, who was buried alive at a beach on Bribie Island on Saturday, have broken their silence as the young man continues to fight for his life. </p> <p>It took 15 people to pull Josh out of the sand pit, after he accidentally fell in head first and knocked over some sand, causing him to briefly be buried alive. </p> <p>A witness who helped rescue Josh said that the group told him they had dug the sand pit to cook a pig, similar to the traditional Maori cooking style of hangi. </p> <p>“He stood up off the chair, the sand had given away a little bit underneath him,” the witness said. </p> <p>“He stumbled back. He’d put his arms out to obviously break the fall. He’s continued going down and knocked sand as he’s put his arms out," he added. </p> <p>When the witness was called over to help, he “realised someone was head first in a hole and I was just digging, digging, digging." </p> <p>“All of his family were screaming at us, telling us to help, telling us to get rope so we could pull him out. It was pretty gruesome,” Nathan said.</p> <p>“There were like 15 men on the rope pulling and he did not budge.”</p> <p>“When I first went up to the hole, I couldn’t even see his foot. That’s how deep it was.”</p> <p>When they managed to pull him out, Josh had sustained further injuries from the force of the pull, and he was without a pulse for 45 minutes after the horrific incident.</p> <p>His friends and family took turns giving him CPR until he was flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, where he currently remains in a critical but stable condition. </p> <p>On Wednesday Josh's uncle, Barry Taylor, spoke to 7NEWS about his nephew who was “fighting hard” to stay alive.</p> <p>“He’s still critical, he’s in ICU, and we’re awaiting the results of more tests,” he said. </p> <p>“He’s fighting hard mate, he’s really fighting hard, his heart’s still beating.</p> <p>“We’re devastated — it’s really been hard for us to comprehend what’s happened to Josh.”</p> <p>Barry described his nephew as a “vibrant” and “energetic” person who “loves the outdoors, fishing and camping”.</p> <p>“We’re still able to see him now and we’re very grateful for their help,” he added.</p> <p>A family-friend has started a GoFundMe to help relieve Josh's family of some of the costs of his medical care, with almost $58,000 raised of its $70,000 goal. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine News/ Yahoo News</em></p>

Caring

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Chris Dawson’s daughter claims to know where Lynette was buried

<p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson’s estranged daughter has spoken publicly for the first time since her father was found guilty of killing her mother Lynette and has claimed she knows where her mother is buried.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview with <em>60 Minutes</em>, Shanelle Dawson said that she uncovered memories of her father burying her mother under the family pool while under hypnosis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Dawson was four years old when her mother disappeared from their family home in Bayview.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her father told officers during his single police interview that he had dropped Lynette off at a bus stop in Mona Vale and that she had failed to meet up with him at the Northbridge Baths.</p> <p dir="ltr">For 40 years, Ms Dawson said her father told her that Lynette had run away.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Ms Dawson said she has different memories about what happened, which were uncovered during a 2013 hypnosis session led by Detective Damian Loone, who was the officer in charge of the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was like I could feel myself as a four-and-a-half-year-old child again,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could feel the feelings that she felt at the time. It was really pretty profound.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe I saw my sister and I in the back of a car, of our station wagon, and my mother slumped in the front.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe I saw him shining headlights on a spot near the pool and digging. I believe that he buried her in that spot for that night, and then the next day when he didn’t have us kids, moved her somewhere else.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While she accepted that some would question how much of her recollection was real, when asked whether she believed they were real memories, Ms Dawson said: “I think they are, yes.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Dawson also spoke of the “toxic” and “manipulative” environment she grew up in after her mother vanished.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could see that he was manipulative and gaslighting us all the time,” she said in an interview broadcast on Sunday night.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My father definitely embodies the survival of the fittest, f*** everyone else. Just do what you need to do to get what you want.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I feel a lot of anger and rage towards him for being that way, but I simultaneously feel compassion and sadness that he is that way.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynette’s death created a schism in the family, with Ms Dawson explaining that she had been cut off by her father’s side of the family and her sister, who supports him.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the last text message she sent to her father, three months before his 2018 arrest, Ms Dawson confronted him about what happened to her mother and asked him to take responsibility.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I won’t live a life based on lies, nor will I keep subjecting myself to emotional manipulation and control,” she said in the message.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You have dishonoured our mother so terribly, and also my sister and I, through all of this. No more. One day I will forgive you for removing her so selfishly from our lives.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Dawson told <em>60 Minutes</em> that her father replied and blamed her instead.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are clearly very lonely and depressed in the life you have chosen,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You know very little about what was going on in my life, or your sister’s. It is your adult life, now 41, with a child and without a partner. That has clearly caused this terrible depression.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We all, unfortunately, have to live with the choices we make. I OWN my poor choices, and you never need to remind me of them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the days after Lynette was last seen, Dawson moved JC, the family’s 17-year-old babysitter, into the family’s home.</p> <p dir="ltr">During her testimony, JC told the Supreme Court that she was groomed by Dawson, who was a teacher at her high school, from a young age.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Ms Dawson said she didn’t blame JC for what happened, she felt like the babysitter could have acted differently.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel very sad for her. I feel sad that I don’t know why she made the choices she did,” Ms Dawson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know for myself having babysat and nannies in multiple, multiple homes ... And thankfully none of those dads ever hit on me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I know as a 17-year-old, I still would’ve had the capacity, even with my background, to say, ‘no, that’s not okay. You’re a married man’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Victims of grooming are manipulated and coerced by their abusers, who are usually members of the victim’s circle of trust, such as family members and teachers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The interview comes after Dawson was found guilty of murdering Lynette by Justice Ian Harrison in August.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I heard them say, ‘Chris Dawson, I find you guilty’ and I was just in shock,” Ms Dawson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just couldn’t fathom it really. It just felt so surreal.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-55fa7768-7fff-ae9f-60bf-a6b375302cf0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 60 Minutes</em></p>

Legal

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17th-century Polish ‘vampire’ found buried with sickle across neck

<p dir="ltr">The remains of a woman found in a 17th-century graveyard in Poland are believed to be an example of an ‘anti-vampire’ burial after a sickle was also found placed across her neck to prevent her from rising from the dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dariusz Poliński, a professor at Nicholas Copernicus University, led the archaeological dig where the remains were uncovered, with the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11173505/Remains-VAMPIRE-pinned-ground-sickle-throat-Poland.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em> reporting that the skeleton was found wearing a silk cap and with a protruding front tooth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The sickle was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up… the head would have been cut off,” Professor Poliński told the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/17th-century-poland-vampires-werent-boogeymen-out-town-girl-or-boy-next-door-180953476/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smithsonian</a></em> magazine, Eastern Europeans reported fears of vampires and began treating their dead with anti-vampire rituals during the 11th century.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e1199576-7fff-cba7-8161-75f5e8ce3f2a">By the 17th century, these practices were common across Poland in response to reports of a vampire outbreak, per <em><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/research-reveals-the-origin-of-poland-s-mysterious-vampires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ScienceAlert</a></em>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/skeleton-lady1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The skeletal remains, pictured from above. Image: Łukasz Czyżewski, NCU</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Poliński told the New York Post that there were other forms of protection to prevent vampires from returning from the dead, including cutting off limbs and using fire.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Other ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The skeleton’s toe was also padlocked, which Professor Poliński said likely symbolised “the closing of a stage and the impossibility of returning”.</p> <p dir="ltr">This isn’t the first time a ‘vampire’ has been discovered by archaeologists either.</p> <p dir="ltr">Matteo Borrini, a lecturer at Liverpool John Moore University, discovered the remains of a woman who died in the 16th century and was buried with a stone in her mouth in a mass grave with plague victims.</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that outbreaks of ‘vampires’ were often associated with periods where people were dying from unknown causes at the time - such as pandemics or mass poisoning.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These ‘vampires’ start to hunt and kill family members first, then the neighbours, and then all the other villages,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is the classical pattern of a disease that is contagious.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The most recent ‘vampire’ remains, which were dug up in August, are being further investigated by scientists.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c133c871-7fff-ea85-c6ce-820b4d4d2ba2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Mirosław Blicharski</em></p>

International Travel

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The shocking truth buried in your super

<p><span data-contrast="none">A recent review by ASIC (the Australian Security and Investment Commission) has made </span><span data-contrast="none">shocking findings</span><span data-contrast="none"> into the design of TPD (total permanent and disability) benefits within basic life insurance policies. For example, </span><span data-contrast="none">over 12 million Australians automatically pay for TPD through their super</span><span data-contrast="none"> but in the case that the TPD is an “ADL” style of coverage, it’s been found that </span><span data-contrast="none">60% of claims are denied</span><span data-contrast="none">.*</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Imagine not only having your health permanently taken away from you, but years and years of premiums as well – now down the drain. So much for a nice big super fund to help you retire. ASIC went as far as to say that </span><span data-contrast="none">Australians were still being sold “junk policies” – yes, even by superannuation providers!</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">A fast and easy way to compare TPD cover on your own terms is to use the online tool at </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">Life Insurance Comparison</span></a><span data-contrast="none">. A friendly team of experts can help you find cover so that you don’t have to rely on a default policy that may have been automatically set up and is sucking funds out of your super as you sleep.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p aria-level="3"><strong>Here’s How It Works: </strong></p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong><span data-contrast="none"><strong> </strong>Select your current </span><span data-contrast="none">age below.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong><span data-contrast="none"><strong> </strong>Once you answer a few questions, you will have the opportunity to compare quotes from up to 9 of Australia’s largest insurers. You may also be entitled to a free consultation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7832974/life-comparison-insurance-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0a4e45fd838746e595065ab90ceadaa1" /></a></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">TPD cover is supposed to provide you financial protection in the case that you ever get so sick and injured that you can never work again. It’s a reality we don’t like to think about, but it’s one that can befall absolutely anyone.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><strong>So what type of TPD cover is ADL? </strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">ADL stands for ‘activities of daily living’. This kind of policy typically only pays out in the most dramatic of circumstances, such as a permanent situation where you are unable to feed, dress or wash yourself.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">If you are permanently injured or disabled enough to no longer work, an ADL policy may reject your claim on the grounds that you’re still at least able to care for yourself.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">That means even if you’re one day put in a wheelchair unable to do your regular line of work, the TPD insurance in your super may still not pay you a cent!</span><span data-contrast="none"> Is that a safety net you’re comfortable with?</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The 60% decline rate on this narrow type of TPD insurance (ADL) is five times higher than the average declined claim rate for all other TPD claims. Other structures of TPD, however, do exist and have a much lower declined claim rate of 12%.**</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">These include: own occupation and any occupation, which are designed to cover you when you can no longer work in your own or any occupation at all. This is a much broader type of coverage that many people generally think of when they seek TPD insurance.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Insurance lawyer John Berrill recently explained to the Australian Financial Review (AFR):</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">“To be eligible for a standard TPD definition, a person needs to be permanently unfit to do their usual job or any other suitable work given their education, training or experience, perhaps with a retraining clause added.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">In contrast, to satisfy an ADL definition, a person must be unable to do two or more daily living activities such as feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, walking and transferring from bed,” he said.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Keep in mind that any TPD cover can be paid 100% through your super, although your preferred type may not be what has been set up for you when you first joined your superannuation provider.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">At </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">Life Insurance Comparison</span></a><span data-contrast="none">, we typically assist Australians with approval for own occupation TPD policies, and a range of other popular life insurance products. Comparing cover and understanding what your policy actually looks like is a crucial step to protecting yourself and your family for the future.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Not sure where to start? </span><span data-contrast="none">Leave it to the experts</span><span data-contrast="none">. Our service helps take the guesswork out of life insurance and can help set you up with quality cover that will pay out when it’s supposed to.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><strong>Compare now for policies that aren’t “junk.” </strong></p> <p aria-level="3"><strong>Get Started Now: </strong></p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong>Select your <strong>state below.</strong></p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong><span data-contrast="none"><strong> </strong>After answering a few questions, you will have the opportunity to compare quotes in your area and could be eligible for significant savings.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:420,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}"> </span></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.20516499282644px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833020/cta.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eab7b5deeeb74516807699ac980077a5" /></a></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><em>LifeInsuranceComparison.com.au's</em></a><span data-contrast="none"><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"> </a>online quote comparison tool makes it easy to get quotes from 9 Australia's biggest life insurers. </span></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://lifeinsurancecomparison.com.au/form/stepn/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=sponsoredarticle&amp;utm_campaign=lic-december&amp;utm_content=shocking-truth-buried-in-your-super" target="_blank"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833021/cta-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6fb16e715c38466a9e8b7dd4d345384b" /></a></p>

Retirement Income

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The surprising items celebrities were buried with

<p>For centuries, ancient Egyptians were buried with a number of items believed to be necessary in the afterlife. These included everyday items like bowls, combs, furniture and food plus magical/protective objects like amulets. The tombs of wealthy individuals also contained jewellery and other valuables.</p> <p>While this practice has mostly fallen by the wayside in most cultures, many people still choose to be buried with sentimental objects – even celebrities have done it.</p> <p>Here, we’re taking a look at some of the unusual items Hollywood stars chose to be buried with. To see them, scroll through the gallery above and tell us in the comments, if you could choose one thing to take with you to the grave, what would it be?</p>

Caring

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Holiday horror as father gets buried alive

<p>A father who was playing in the sand with his wife and children on a family holiday is now fighting for his life after he was trapped under a collapsed sand dune.</p> <p>Personal trainer Lee Goggin, 35, was holidaying in Florida with his wife and three young children when they decided to visit Crescent Beach in Miami on Sunday afternoon.</p> <p>As the children Jace, four, Colton, two, and eight-month-old baby Rylee played in the sand, Lee began building a sand tunnel near some dunes.</p> <p>As he dug the tunnel it suddenly collapsed on him and he became trapped under the weight of the sand. He went into cardiac arrest before he could be freed.</p> <p>“He essentially dug a tunnel by hand,” St John’s County Fire Rescue spokesman Jeremy Robshaw told the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article197193179.html">Miami Herald</a>.</strong></span></p> <p>“He was digging alongside the dunes, which are about three to five feet (0.9m to 1.5 metres) high.</p> <p>“Apparently, the sand collapsed on him and the individual was trapped.”</p> <p>His family desperately tried to free Lee but to no avail. Even when emergency crew arrived, it took 30 minutes to free Lee from the weight of the sand.</p> <p>He was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical condition.</p> <p>Lee’s sister Rachel Burt, who was holidaying with her brother’s family, described it as a “freak accident”.</p> <p>“Our family was just starting off on vacation when we stopped in at the beach in St Augustine, Florida to let the kids burn some energy,” she said.</p> <p>“Lee was building a tunnel in the sand when it collapsed on him.</p> <p>“He has a heartbeat but he is not breathing on his own. The next 24 hours will be very critical for him and we need all the prayers we can get.”</p> <p>Lee had previously survived end-stage kidney disease, the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article3866655.html">Star-Telegram</a></strong></span> in his hometown of Dallas, Texas reported.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/kj4qju-rachel-goggin-burt" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>GoFundMe campaign</strong></span></a> has been set up to raise money for Lee’s medical expenses and it has raised $23,500, far surpassing their $5000 goal. </p>

Travel Trouble

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Dad learns son is alive 11 days after burying him

<p>It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their child, and for Frank J. Kerrigan, that nightmare came true last month.</p> <p>On May 6, the 82-year-old was contacted by the coroner in Orange County, California, and delivered the heartbreaking news that the body of his homeless, mentally ill 57-year-old son, also named Frank, had been found. He offered to formally identify the body, but was told his son had already been identified through fingerprints.</p> <p>Six days later, the family held a funeral costing over $26,000, attracting more than 50 mourners from around the country. Then, on May 23, Frank Sr.’s world was rocked once more. The body he had buried – the body he had believed to be that of his son – was in fact someone else entirely.</p> <p>“Your son is alive,” a friend told the grieving father.</p> <p>“Put my son on the phone,” Frank Sr. demanded. “He said, ‘Hi Dad.’”</p> <p>According to the <em>Orange County Register</em>, the coroner had somehow misidentified the body.</p> <p>“When somebody tells me my son is dead, when they have fingerprints, I believe them,” Frank Sr. later said. “If he wasn’t identified by fingerprints I would have been there in a heartbeat.”</p> <p>“We thought we were burying our brother,” Frank Jr.’s sister, Carole Meikle, told AP. “Someone else had a beautiful send-off. It’s horrific. We lived through our worst fear. He was dead on the sidewalk. We buried him. Those feelings don’t go away.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Andrew Foulk/AP.</em></p>

Insurance

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Why this 61-year-old man buried himself alive for 3 days

<p>Earlier this year, a man was buried alive. It’s likely you didn’t hear about it on the news, and that’s probably because he did it himself. Confused? Let’s backtrack a little.</p> <p>Decades ago, Irishman John Edwards was an alcoholic and a drug addict. He was homeless, suicidal, abused, and had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals. He had cancer twice, a liver transplant, battled hepatitis C and watched too many of his loved ones die from their addictions. That’s when he decided enough was enough.</p> <p>Now 61, Edwards is 27 years sober and spends his life giving back to the community and helping others just like him overcome their addictions. Having set up a number of rehabilitation centres, he decided to take his cause one step further, burying himself alive to raise awareness of addiction and mental illness, and to prevent others ending up in “an early grave”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjohnedwardswalkingfree%2Fvideos%2F1274367152644089%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>He spent 72 hours in a coffin, which had been expanded and modified to provide fresh air, internet and supplies. <a href="http://www.thejournal.ie/john-edwards-belfast-grave-3267928-Mar2017/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Every few hours</span></strong></a>, he would “speak to [his followers] from the grave before they get there and show them hope,” as part of his regular “GraveChats”.</p> <p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.thesun.ie/news/664621/dublin-man-who-was-buried-alive-for-three-days-speaks-about-his-freaky-experience/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Sun</span></strong></a> after coming back from the dead, as it were, Edwards referred to the moment he was lowered into the ground as “surreal” and “freaky”. “When you’re actually in [a coffin] alive and the lid goes down on it and your wife and your friends are throwing down the soil on top of it – quite enthusiastically. I might add – it’s just freaky because your life flashes before you.”</p> <p>Despite admitting to the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-39135081" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BBC</span></strong></a> the live burial is a “bit of a gimmick,” Edwards says it’s all worth it if he can change the lives of those struggling with addiction. “I'm desperate to reach as many people as possible.”</p> <p>Could you stand to be buried alive – even for a good cause and with every convenience at your fingertips – for three days? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker.</em></p>

Caring

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Grandpa buries $1.74 million worth of gold in his backyard

<p>A granddad in the UK, known simply by his first name Ron, has left a sizeable fortune to his children and grandchildren in a rather unorthodox way – by burying it in his backyard.</p> <p>The engineer, worried about the country’s financial situation and possible upcoming withdrawal from the European Union, invested his money gold, the price of which continues to rise despite economic fears.</p> <p>Grandpa Ron, who is in his 80s, had the gold <span>($1.74 million worth – about 29kg</span>) delivered in batches between November last year and this April and has created 18 “treasure maps”, one each for his daughters and grandchildren. According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/investing/article-3629509/Man-worried-new-financial-crisis-buries-850k-worth-gold-garden.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Daily Mail</span></strong></a>, the grandfather requested the gold only be delivered on sunny days so that he could bury it right away.</p> <p>Interestingly, Ron isn’t the only one turning to alternative commodities in order to ensure his financial future. Worried by the upcoming “Brexit”, Josh Saul of the <a href="https://thepuregoldcompany.co.uk/brexit-prompts-bankers-expats-and-engineers-to-buy-and-bury-physical-gold/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pure Gold Company</span></strong></a> says in the last four weeks there has been a 32 per cent increase in enquiries for gold. “Fear and uncertainty are powerful motivators and the gold price is the clearest indicator of how worried people are,” he explains.</p> <p>“So worried that bankers inside the financial system are turning to physical gold to hedge their bets, expats are buying up gold to safeguard their hard-earned currency, and retired engineers are burying it in their garden to leave a physical legacy instead of a potentially worthless electronic paper trail.”</p> <p>What do you think about Ron’s unorthodox inheritance plan? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/finance/retirement-income/2016/02/biggest-inheritances-left-to-pets/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 biggest inheritances left to pets</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/legal/2016/01/10-celebrities-who-cut-their-kids-out-of-inheritances/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 celebrities who cut their kids out of massive inheritances to give to charity</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/money-banking/2016/05/antiques-roadshow-mistakenly-values-high-school-art-project/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Antiques Roadshow mistakenly values high school project at $68,000</strong></em></span></a></p>

Caring

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Missing dog found buried alive 3 days later

<p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>A 12-year-old German shepherd in Missouri has been rescued after being buried in a sinkhole for a whole 72 hours.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>The hunt for the dog, whose name is Maverick, started after he wandered from his home in Parkville, north of Kansas City. Seventy-two hours later fire crews dug Lisa Valkenburgh's beloved pooch out of the roadside void in Parkville.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>Van Valkenburgh was worried the dog may have drowned, but before giving up she posted on Facebook that she was going to have one last look for her dog. As she walked down a nearby road she was greeted with a faint howl coming from below. She discovered Maverick, weakened and firmly stuck in mud about 5 feet below the surface.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>Van Valkenburgh's husband and son tried to release Maverick, but they feared the ground would completely cave in on him. So Fire Department crews were called. Together with local police officers, the firefighters spent three hours digging out the dog.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>Once he was rescued, the pooch was so weak and lifeless, according to Van Valkenburgh, they rushed him to the local emergency vet hospital.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>The injured pooch was given antibiotics and despite suffering a broken tooth, skin irritation and bladder issues, Maverick regained strength to go home and recover.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>Maverick will no longer wander out of his yard since his electric collar has been traded for a tethered leash.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p>This wasn't the first time Maverick has survived a brush with death. Before being adopted by Van Valkenburgh, he was hit by a car and survived a raccoon trap.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/5-types-of-grandparents/">There are 5 different types of grandparents – which one are you?</a></em></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/kids-crying-over-funniest-reasons/">Gallery: Kids crying over the funniest reasons ever</a></em></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/funny-things-grandkids-say-part-4/">The funniest things grandkids kids say</a></em></strong></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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