The world can often feel like a discouraging place, but there are many people who are willing to go above and beyond for others, both those sworn to protect and serve and ordinary citizens.
Here are some examples of law enforcement officers and good Samaritans who have taken heroic actions over the past year.
Arkansas state trooper rescues boy who fell through ice on pond
Last January, police officers began life-saving efforts after a boy fell through the ice of a frozen pond in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Body camera footage shared by the department showed Officer Troy Ellison running through the snow, jumping over a fence and getting on all fours to help the boy.
Heroic police officer rescues frightened boy from frozen pond
Police officers in Jonesboro, Arkansas, rescue a child who fell through the ice into a frozen pond. (Jonesboro Police Department)
“Okay, okay,” he can be heard saying in the video.
Other police and fire personnel arrived shortly afterward and helped Ellison pull the boy out of the pond using a rope.
The boy was taken to the hospital to be checked for cold-related injuries.
A Facebook post from the Jonesboro Police Department, which shared the video, said: “Thank you for your 'great job' to one of the officers who responded to a call regarding a child falling through the ice on a local pond.”
“Officer Troy Ellison sprang into action as soon as he arrived on the scene. He quickly located the child, crawled across the ice, and with the help of Lt. Shon Morris and members of the Jonesboro Fire Department rescued the child. I pulled him to a safe place.”
clock:
Arizona state trooper rescues baby held hostage
In May, a team of police officers in Surprise, Arizona, entered a barricaded home where a 7-month-old infant was allegedly taken hostage by his father and shot.
“I thought going into the house one or more of us was going to get hurt,” Surprise Officer Carlton Williams told “Fox News at Night” in October. “The fact that the gentleman had already fired at officers multiple times left us with no doubt that we had to enter the home.”
Police received a report that a woman and her baby were being held hostage by the baby's father. The mother fled, but the child was still inside when a team of police officers heard gunshots and forced their way in.
After finding the baby behind the house, one officer took the baby to safety while other officers provided backup, but no shots were fired.
The baby was taken to the hospital, where she recovered and was reunited with her mother. The father then barricaded himself in the house, set it on fire, and died.
“This is as close to a perfect operation as you can get,” said law enforcement expert Aaron Cohen. “They have to get to the end of that structure and get to that kid, but they have no idea what's on the other side of that door.”
Arizona body cam hero rescues injured baby held hostage in home
California police officer rescues choking boy
In June, a police officer in El Monte, California, saved the life of an 8-year-old boy who had choked on candy and lost consciousness.
“I just saw him turning purple. He was already unconscious so… the neighbors and I compressed his chest and tried to breathe through his mouth but , nothing seemed to be working,” said the boy's mother, Vanessa Becerra Aguayo. He told “Fox News@Night.” “He was unable to talk to me and remained unconscious until the police arrived.”
Police officer Raul Vega said he used a Lifevac “anti-choking and rescue device” to open the boy's airway.
“It's basically like a plunger, it's like a foam plunger, and you put the device over a person's mouth, you push it down, you draw suction, you push it down and then you pull it up, and it dislodges the object and opens up the airway. “He will,” he said.
After two tries, the candy came out of the boy's throat and he woke up in an ambulance.
Heroic police officer saves child who choked on candy: he was 'purple'
Indiana police officer saves autistic boy from drowning in pool
In September, an Indiana police officer was hailed as a hero after rescuing a 3-year-old autistic boy from drowning in a local pool.
Fort Wayne Police Officer Evan Myers and other officers searched the area after the boy's parents noticed he had left the door unlocked and the boy was reported missing. It started.
She saw the boy swimming in a nearby above-ground pool and ran over to take him out.
“He's breathing and he's conscious,” Myers can be heard saying in the body camera footage. “Are you okay, buddy?”
“I am personally very grateful that we were able to find my son,” the boy's mother, Savanna Ybarra, told local station WPTA.
WATCH: Heroic Indiana police officer saves missing 3-year-old autistic boy from drowning in swimming pool
clock:
Georgia passerby saves homeowner from house fire
In October, a Winterville, Georgia, homeowner awoke from a nap to find his home engulfed in smoke and flames by passersby.
David McConnell said FOX5 Atlanta He was almost blind and tried to leave the house through the front door, but the storm door (an auxiliary door installed above the door) was locked.
Dylan Betts, who was driving home from work, saw the smoke and ran to McConnell's house, “stealing it and kicking it,” he said.
Betts said he walked into the house through a “thick wall of black smoke” and started screaming.
Georgia passerby saves man from burning down house by kicking down storm door
On October 29th, David McConnell's house went up in flames. (Athens-Clarke County Fire Department)
“Luckily, Mr. David heard me and came to me right away,” Betts told FOX5.
When the outlet asked Betts why he would risk his life to save a stranger, Betts replied, “Why not? That's America.”
McConnell said his family called Betts “our hero” and even gave him tickets to a Georgia-Tennessee football game as a small thank you for saving his life. That's what it means.
Oklahoma state troopers and good Samaritans save sleeping man from falling off bridge
In November, quick-thinking police officers and good Samaritans worked together to rescue a man who had fallen asleep on the guardrail of a 40-foot bridge spanning the Oklahoma River.
An Oklahoma City Police Department officer, identified as Officer Reyes, went to check on the man who was sleeping on the guardrail of the bridge when he turned and slipped.
Reyes grabbed the man's hoodie as it dangled over the water below.
A good Samaritan speaks out in dramatic video as police rescue a sleeping man from falling off a bridge.
clock:
A good Samaritan jogger then ran up and Reyes grabbed the man's arm and pulled him to safety.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The man was not injured in the incident.
“It's really heroic to see a police officer step into action, save someone's life with the help of the public,” Oklahoma City Police Sergeant Gary Knight told News9. he said.
Fox News' Michael Dorgan, Maria Lencki, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
