Police said the couple had been traveling Saturday evening from Hope Town toward Elbow Cay when the woman, whose identity has not been released, ended up in the water.

Her husband later told investigators she had been holding the boat’s keys at the time.

When she fell overboard, the engine had stopped running. Unable to restart it, he spent hours paddling the small 8-foot vessel on his own until he finally reached land early Sunday morning.

At some point after she went into the water, he could no longer see her and continued paddling toward shore.

The pair had set out around 7:30 p.m. from Hope Town, but during the trip the woman was pulled away by a strong current, officials said.

He finally reached the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4 a.m., where he told someone what happened; they subsequently contacted police.

Police on Abaco have started looking into what happened, and search teams, including the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and local fire and rescue crews, are out trying to find her.

U.S. officials have not provided immediate comment.

The State Department confirmed it is coordinating with Bahamian authorities to assist, though further details have not been released at this time.

The Bahamas is currently listed under a Level 2 travel advisory by the U.S. State Department.

Travelers are urged to stay alert in popular areas where crimes like theft and robbery can occur and to use caution when operating or riding in boats, as safety regulations may be limited and past incidents have resulted in injuries and fatalities.

This isn’t the first time a tourist has gone missing in the area.

Back in June 2024, 41-year-old Taylor Casey from Chicago vanished while attending a retreat in the Bahamas. A few days later, her phone was discovered on the ocean floor.

Her mother, Colette Seymore, later said she wasn’t happy with how authorities handled the case and had concerns about how the retreat responded to her daughter’s disappearance.

She felt the retreat had a controlling vibe and felt that some people may have been pressurized follow the leaders, even if it meant staying quiet instead of sharing important information.

There have also been several shark-related incidents in the Bahamas in recent years.

One such case involved a 10-year-old boy from Maryland, who was bitten while inside a shark tank at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

Another incident happened in 2022, when a 58-year-old American woman died after a shark attack during a cruise stop. She had been snorkeling with family members when a bull shark attacked her.

The post American Woman Missing After She Falls Overboard During Bahamas Trip appeared first on Gazette Review.

Ryan Jennings had been at Juno Beach with his family. His wife, Emily, was on the sand making sandcastles with their youngest daughter and niece, while their older two children, a 9-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, were out in the water.

Out of nowhere, a rip current pulled them in.

Their son, Jax, immediately ran back to shore, shouting that his dad and sister were in trouble.

Ryan quickly acted; he pushed his son toward safety and lifted his daughter above the water to keep her from going under.

According to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue, lifeguards responded to the scene around 3:25 p.m. near Juno Beach.

Four swimmers had been in the water in an area without lifeguards on duty; all were brought back to shore and transported to a nearby hospital.

An official report confirmed the Jennings family had been rescued. The children later told officers they were struggling to stay afloat when their father came in to help them.

By the time Ryan was pulled from the water, he had lost consciousness and wasn’t breathing.

First responders immediately began CPR and other lifesaving efforts before rushing him to the hospital. Sadly, he was later declared dead at Jupiter Medical Center.

What Is a Rip Current?

A rip current is a strong, narrow stream of water that moves quickly away from the shore. It’s not the same as a rip tide – that term refers to water flowing through inlets or the openings of harbors and estuaries, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

On average, about 100 people lose their lives to rip currents each year.

Officials from the rescue team said this situation is a reminder of why it’s so important to swim at beaches with lifeguards present; trained professionals can spot dangerous conditions like rip currents and step in before things escalate.

Ryan Jennings’ mother, Gail Toti, also expressed her gratitude to the emergency crews who worked to save her family.

The post Father Drowns While Saving Children From Rip Current During Vacation appeared first on Gazette Review.

The tremor struck at around 6:48 a.m. local time at a depth of about 22 miles; its epicenter was located roughly 79 miles west-northwest of Ternate, an island in North Maluku province.

At first, officials issued a tsunami warning, warning that dangerous waves could impact areas within about 620 miles of the epicenter, including coastlines in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Early estimates suggested waves might climb up to around 2 miles higher than normal tide levels in some areas.

A couple of hours later, authorities said there was no longer any tsunami threat.

Indonesia’s disaster agency said people in Bitung, a coastal city on the northern edge of Sulawesi, felt strong shaking that lasted around 10 to 20 seconds; similar tremors were also reported in nearby areas and in Ternate.

Tsunami activity was later picked up at five different sites. The largest wave, measuring about 0 miles high, was recorded in North Minahasa in North Sulawesi province.

Officials also tracked 11 aftershocks following the quake; the strongest reached a magnitude of 5.5.

In North Sulawesi’s Minahasa district, a 70-year-old woman later died from injuries linked to the quake; one other resident was injured.

Photos from the scene showed damage at a sports complex in North Sumatra, with pieces of metal framing and wall panels scattered across the ground outside.

Early checks by officials found what they described as minor to moderate building damage in parts of Ternate, a city of roughly 205,000 people.

There was also damage reported at a church in the Batang Dua Island district; two homes on Ternate Island were also affected.

The United States Geological Survey first estimated the earthquake’s strength at 7.8.

Japan’s meteorological agency said there might be small changes in sea levels along some coastal area, but there was no concern about tsunami damage.

In Manado, North Sulawesi, a journalist said the tremors woke him suddenly and left him rattled.

He said lots of residents were also rushing out into the streets.

He mentioned the shaking lasted for quite some time, though he didn’t notice any serious damage nearby.

Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people, sits along the “Ring of Fire”; this makes it especially vulnerable to earthquakes.

Back in 2022, a 5.6-magnitude quake struck Cianjur in West Java and claimed over 600 lives; it was the deadliest earthquake the country had seen since a 2018 disaster that killed more than 4,300 people.

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A baby is considered premature if they arrive before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In the United States, roughly one out of every ten babies is born early.

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that babies who survive premature birth can face a range of health challenges.

For example, they may experience breathing issues, delays in development, trouble feeding, as well as hearing or vision problems, and conditions like cerebral palsy.

The study focuses on two substances, DEHP and DiNP, which belong to a group of man-made chemicals known as phthalates.

These chemicals are known to disrupt hormones in the body. They can interfere with the endocrine system and have been linked to problems involving reproduction, immunity, brain development, and overall health.

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences note that even slight changes in hormone levels can lead to serious biological and developmental effects.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande, one of the study’s senior authors, described phthalates as a particularly harmful group of chemicals.

The American Chemistry Council’s High Phthalates Panel says the US Environmental Protection Agency carried out a full risk review of DiNP under the Toxic Substances Control Act and found it does not present an “unreasonable risk” to human health.

The group did not comment on DEHP.

About Phthalates

Phthalates are often referred to as “everywhere chemicals” because they show up in a wide range of everyday items. For example, they can be found in food containers, kids’ toys, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, medical equipment, and even garden hoses.

They’re also used in personal care products, where they act as lubricants and help scents last longer in things like deodorant, perfume, shampoo, and hair gel.

You can also find them in plastic wrap commonly used for packaging food.

Some research has linked phthalates to reproductive issues, including undescended testes and genital abnormalities in baby boys. In adult men, they’ve been associated with lower testosterone levels and reduced sperm counts.

Other studies suggest possible connections to asthma, obesity in children, heart-related conditions, and even certain types of cancer.

The good news is that phthalates have a short half-life; they tend to leave the body within a few days.

If you’re trying to cut back on exposure, a simple step is to go for personal care products labeled “phthalate-free.” It’s also a good idea to steer clear of ingredients like dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP).

Having said that, labels aren’t always straightforward. Some products don’t list these chemicals clearly. For example, they may be grouped under general terms like “fragrance” or “parfum,” which can make them harder to see.

The post Plastic Additives Tied to Millions of Premature Births and Thousands of Infant Deaths appeared first on Gazette Review.

Trish Harris was living in a multi-unit place on 34th Avenue NE in Highland Park, where several people were forced out after what looked like an explosion early on March 23.

She said it was total chaos; the blast blew out the windows and doors, with glass flying everywhere.

Officials with the Calgary Fire Department are still working to determine what sparked the blaze.

Since the incident, Harris says she’s been overwhelmed, adding that the fire is just one more hardship in a string of losses she’s gone through recently.

Over the last five months, Harris has been hit with one loss after another; she lost her home in the fire, and before that, she lost both her boyfriend and her 28-year-old son, who died in February.

She also lost her boyfriend’s ashes in the blaze; he had passed away last fall after a brief fight with cancer.

At this point, she’s hoping things finally settle down so she can start over.

Her daughter, Samantha Ramsey, said the family was still trying to cope with her brother’s death when the fire happened. The loss of his ashes was particularly hard for everyone.

Since the fire, Harris has been moving between hotels, and for a few days she even had to sleep in her car.

She said she didn’t have renters’ insurance and was doing the best she could financially at the time.

Ramsey says it’s been tough watching her mom deal with all of this without a stable place to stay.

She wants to support her, but says she doesn’t have a home to offer or the money to cover everything.

The post Grieving Mother Loses Everything In House Fire, Including Late Son’s Ashes appeared first on Gazette Review.

Researchers say it’s the most in-depth global study on meningitis so far; it shows that about one-third of the deaths are children, with many cases happening in parts of Africa.

Published in The Lancet Neurology, the study follows recent news of an outbreak in the United Kingdom, where two individuals died after contracting the illness at a nightclub in England earlier this month.

Meningitis is a condition involving inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord; it can result from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.

In Kent, a bacterial strain led to a surge in vaccinations, with more than 10,000 people receiving shots over a two-week period.

Worldwide, both infection rates and deaths have declined since 2000, due to increased access to vaccines.

Despite this, estimates suggest that over 259,000 people died from the disease in 2023.

The region known as the African meningitis belt, stretching from Ethiopia to Senegal, saw the greatest number of cases.

Countries such as Niger, Chad, and Nigeria were among those most severely affected.

Researchers also pointed to a few main risk factors, like being born prematurely, exposure to air pollution, and having a low birth weight.

The report warned that the World Health Organization isn’t on track to hit its 2030 meningitis targets – the goal is to reduce cases by half and reduce deaths by 70 percent.

Even so, cases and deaths are only dropping at about half the speed needed to hit those targets.

It emphasized that faster progress will depend on stronger action, such as better access to healthcare, wider vaccination coverage, and improved monitoring and diagnostic systems.

Researchers also pointed out that many deaths linked to meningitis are not officially recorded, particularly in lower-income countries. As a result, the true number is likely much higher than current estimates.

The post Meningitis Kills a Quarter Million People a Year, According to New Study appeared first on Gazette Review.

When Adam Naylor, a veterinarian from Auckland Zoo, arrived at a nesting site, he noticed a chick with an unhealthy purple color. Relying on his veterinary training, he began performing CPR on the fragile bird.

He carefully blew air into the chick’s mouth in an effort to get it breathing again. After roughly a minute, the chick began to breathe on its own.

Naylor said the situation was tense for everyone involved, including a ranger from the Department of Conservation. Fortunately, the chick has since made a strong recovery.

This was not the only emergency he handled during his visit to Codfish Island.

He also treated another chick, just 12 days old, named Rakiura-A2-2026, which had suffered serious injuries while still in the nest.

The young bird had a deep wound across the lower neck, cutting near the jugular vein. After thoroughly cleaning the injury, Naylor closed it using very small stitches.

By the end of that same day, the chick had already perked up and was actively begging for food. Not long after, it was able to move around and return to its nest.

Rakiura-A2-2026 later gained attention as the first chick the public watched hatch live on a Kakapo Cam broadcast on January 25.

Naming for these birds follows a specific system; each chick’s name reflects its mother, clutch, egg number, and hatch year.

Currently, the chick is being cared for by foster mothers, while its biological mother looks after another chick, Nora-A2-2026, who has also appeared on the Kakapo Cam livestream.

Whenua Hou is one of three predator-free islands used for kākāpō breeding; the other two are located in Fiordland.

Currently, there are a total of 78 females are nesting across these islands.

Earlier this week, they hit a big milestone; the 100th chick of the season hatched, making it the largest breeding season on record.

Several more fertile eggs are expected to hatch in the coming days, which means the total will easily exceed the previous high of 85 chicks recorded in 2019.

Unfortunately, not every chick will survive and reach adulthood.

Ranger Sarah Manktelow reported that seven chicks have already died, and more losses are anticipated.

In addition, five chicks have been moved to a veterinary facility to receive treatment.

Conservation teams overseeing the species are hopeful that these unprecedented numbers will contribute to increasing the overall population.

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The clip, first shared online on March 15, captures the dogs – a mix that includes a Labrador, golden retriever, Pekingese, and German shepherd – walking along a highway in Changchun, where nighttime temperatures can fall below freezing.

Leading the group was a corgi later identified as Dapang, which translates to “big fatty” in Chinese.

The video quickly spread across social media, racking up more than 230 million views.

Tong Tong, a volunteer with a local stray dog rescue, said they had been putting up missing posters and checking nearby villages; the cold weather made the situation especially worrying.

By the morning of March 18, snowfall had started, which only made her worry more. she feared the dogs hadn’t had anything to eat or drink.

Determined to find them, she later borrowed a drone to help with the search.

Not long after, reports confirmed that the dogs had managed to find their way home on their own.

Three of the dogs, including Dapang the corgi, belong to a woman living in a nearby village.

She told local media she had spent four days searching and was close to giving up; then on March 18, Dapang suddenly showed up back at her home.

After that, she went around nearby villages and located the remaining dogs, which had been taken in by local residents.

It’s still not fully known why the dogs disappeared in the first place. Some people online speculated they may have been taken for the dog meat trade, which is a delicacy in certain parts of China.

Others suggested they might have been stolen to be resold as pets or for other reasons; another possibility is that they may have just wandered off on their own.

On March 21, Jilin’s provincial culture and tourism bureau said the dogs likely followed their own instincts, drawn by a German shepherd that was in heat and known to roam for days at a time.

The story also sparked some lighthearted reactions online, with people joking it felt like something out of a movie. Others compared it to a real-life version of Paw Patrol, the popular children’s cartoon about a boy and his team of rescue dogs.

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