It seems not a week goes by without hearing about someone being rescued via ladder, either from a burning building or from being stranded at height. Here’s a short roundup of stories from the past four weeks, weeks that have seen more than their fair share of ladders and rescues.

In Glendale, Arizona, a neighbour rescued three people from a fire. Jose Magana heard screaming coming from a second floor apartment one Sunday evening in December and ran to see what the problem was. On seeing the flames licking around the balcony where the family was standing, quick thinking Magana sent his nephews for one of their ladders then stood underneath the balcony to catch the 2-year-old girl as the mother dropped her to safety. Once the toddler was safely on the ground, Magana set up the ladder and the 12 year old boy and mother climbed to safety. Magana did all this before the rescue crews arrived, and it is lucky he was there, as the fire blocked the usual escape route from the property and the building was on the verge of collapse by the time the fire crews got there.

In Mira Mesa, San Diego, another neighbour rushed to the aid of a family and five dogs trapped in their burning home. One of the family heard noises coming from the garage, which is where the fire started. She called 911, and the rest of the family moved, with the dogs, into the master bedroom above the garage. Luckily, a neighbour was awake (the fire broke out at around 1.45am) and ran to help with a ladder. The smoke was so thick that he had to call out to the trapped family to let them know where the ladder was, while his family poured water onto the flames coming from the garage to try and keep the fire at bay while the family and all five dogs escaped. Luckily no one was injured, and the family is staying with relatives while they repair the damage to their home.

A couple in Reedley, California, also used a ladder to escape their home, after a blaze thought to be caused by Christmas lights trapped them upstairs. Antonio Castaneda was woken up by the smoke and realised he could not escape down the stairs as the fire was taking over their home. He jumped into the back garden from the bedroom window, injuring his back in the process. Knowing his wife was still inside awaiting rescue, he did not let the pain put him off and went to fetch his ladder. Olivia, his wife, climbed to safety but hurt her knee in the process. The couple’s young sons were staying with family that evening, which is lucky as the fire engulfed more than 80% of the home and required 19 firefighters to put it out. Neighbours were evacuated from homes nearby, such was a ferocity of the fire.

In Kirkland, Washington, a woman in her 70s was rescued from a balcony after managing to get out of her burning house. She was on the balcony shouting for help, and neighbours heard the screams and smelled the smoke, rushing to help. Army veteran David Dodge helped get ladders to the property and pass the elderly lady down the ladder to safety, saving her life. She was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, but her daughter is grateful to Dodge and the other neighbours for saving her mother’s life.

It’s not just fire that people need rescuing from, sometimes water can be just as dangerous, as we have seen with the recent floods and storms. In New Zealand, a family of four was rescued from their 4×4 after they tried to cross a swollen river. Driver and father Scott Chapman said he did not realise how deep the water was and how strong the current was until it was too late. The family was trapped in their vehicle for 20 minutes before the emergency services arrived, and it was filling up with water. The car was also in danger of being swept downstream, so the rescue crew secured it with a rope before using a ladder to provide a stable escape route out of the sunroof. The two small children were carried to safety by rescuers, while the adults made their own way across the makeshift bridge.

In Kidderminster, UK, a man was rescued from freezing water after he was found at around 2am in the River Stour. Firefighters used an extension ladder to reach the man, who needed ambulance attention at the scene. The same technique was used in Missouri to rescue a black Labrador that had fallen through ice into a frozen pond. The ladder was slid along the ice, the dog grabbed on and rescuers pulled him to safety and a nice warm blanket.

And finally, a father in New Zealand needed to be rescued, while in the middle of his own rescue mission! Richard Goodger had climbed onto his roof to retrieve his son’s toy rocket when his collarbone popped out of place and he was unable to get down. Goodger called the fire brigade from the roof and was rescued after 10 minutes, along with the toy. Goodger is now looking to buy a ladder in case he needs to get on the roof again, rather than climb a tree and jump to the roof, which was the course of action that broke his collarbone.