When it comes to celebrating parenting, let’s be honest: moms (deservedly, of course) get most of the fanfare, while good ol’ dads (often unfairly so) are easily forgotten.
Yet there are many superhero dads who also go above and beyond the call of fatherly duty. The fathers below are great examples of paternal devotion.
Dad Makes a Splash in NYC
Witnesses heard a splash, followed by an ear-piercing scream. Suddenly David Anderson, a Californian visiting the city’s South Street Seaport with his family, raced down the dock, emptying his pockets and tossing off his shoes, and jumped over a fence, flying into the freezing East River after his daughter, Bridgette. The two-year-old had slipped through the railing and fallen nearly twenty feet into the freezing water below. The dad—without hesitation, according to witnesses—flew into the water and resurfaced with his small daughter safely in his arms. Bridgette and Pops were taken to a nearby hospital and released with no injuries after just a few hours. While family members have declined to comment on the situation, one thing remains clear: little Bridgette is one lucky girl.
Read the full story.
Detroit Dad Sacrifices Life for Son
David Adams, a mechanic repairing cars out of his home, died for his son. The thirty-five-year-old father found himself running outside at the sound of gunshots toward his thirteen-year-old, Joseph, who was sitting on the porch of their home as someone on the street began firing at a nearby car. Adams immediately ran outside and threw himself in front of his son to protect him, ultimately taking a fatal shot for Joseph. The police chief commented that the gunshots would easily have hit Joseph had Adams not shielded him.
Read the full story.
Australian Father Saves Baby from Runaway Vehicle
This story of a dad risking it all left me in awe. Thankfully, this one ended with all parties surviving—and it has a video to go along with it. Andrew Leach’s fatherly act of heroism was actually captured on Australian closed-circuit television as he was shopping with his elderly parents and baby near Sydney. As the family browsed, an out-of-control car smashed head-on into the storefront at nearly forty-five miles per hour—straight toward the Leaches. Heroically, the dad positioned himself to take the full impact of the vehicle, scooping his son out of the way and saving him from harm. Leach’s legs were crushed, but he was able to hold on to his son through the entire experience. “I was thinking, ‘I can take the hit,’” he explained. “‘I can repair, but there’s no way my son is going to repair.’”
