Earlier this week, on Wednesday November 21st, a fire broke out in an apartment building in Northeast Dallas, Texas. More than 40 people were displaced thanks to the damage caused by the flames, and three individuals - one of them a firefighter attending the incident - sustained injuries.

Thankfully, nobody was killed or seriously injured in the flames, and that's partially down to the quick-thinking actions of a mother and a heroic passerby.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: YouTube/CGTN]]

Shuntara Thomas, who has a one-year-old daughter, was on the third floor of the building when the fire broke out at some time around 7am. All the exits were blocked by the flames, meaning the only way out of the apartment was through one of the windows.

Thomas was terrified, of course, but she needed to do whatever she could to get herself and her baby to safety.

From the ground, Byron Campbell - a stranger who happened to be passing at the time of the fire - instructed Thomas to drop the infant from the window. And, after a little persuading, she complied.

"It was terrifying," she said. "I didn’t know if I was going to come down with her or if that would be the last time that I was holding my child."

"I didn’t want my daughter to lose her life. He told me: ‘Just trust me. I got her, I got her.’ So, without even thinking, I just dropped her."

You can see video footage of the incident here:

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTOSniklAac]]

"I just told the mom I wouldn't drop the baby," Campbell said. "Then she let go and I caught it. I held on like a football and didn't let go."

Speaking to Fox 4, the hero said: "I went straight towards the window and saw a lady hanging her baby out of the window. After she dropped the baby, I hurried up and curled him up and caught him real good, and I hurried up and took him away from the fire and got him to the fire department lady."

It was also Campbell who alerted people on the third floor of the building about the fire, so he may have saved more than just one life.

Other quick-thinking people helped by bringing a mattress to the site, which they used to catch Thomas and four other people who had to jump to safety.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

It is not yet known what started the fire, and it is unlikely that the root cause will ever be found now, as the building had to be torn down over fears about its structural integrity.

Firefighters "extinguished the fire on Ferguson Rd, but the real heroes did their work beforehand, as civilians and @DallasPD worked together to get residents to safety," the fire department tweeted.

Those who were injured in the fire were taken to hospital, and are all expected to make a full recovery.

A base jumper can consider himself very lucky after his parachute didn't open after he jumped from a 120-meter tower - and lived to tell the tale!

Some people - naturally - have a fear of heights meaning that even standing on top of a tall structure can cause dizzying effects and the need to cry.

However, others will defy all fears and force themselves up the tallest points they can find, just to jump off them as they chase an adrenaline rush.

But this video might make some adrenaline junkies think twice after it shows a Russian man jumping from a 120-meter tower and his parachute failing to open.

As he stands atop the great height, it's clear that the young daredevil is feeling anxious about the jump, but he moves towards the edge.

Regardless of the anxiety, he leaps off the tower in Konakova, Russia but his friend is left watching helplessly as he plummets toward the ground with no sign of a parachute.

Miraculously, the man survived the enormous drop as the snow on the ground below appeared to cushion his fall, and according to the Daily Mail, he was up and walking three months later after fracturing his vertebrae, pelvis, and legs.

Base jumping is a high-risk activity. Credit: Bryce Hughes / EyeEm / Alamy

While his injuries were pretty severe, this base jumper can nonetheless count himself incredibly lucky that things didn't go worse for him and he was able to live to tell the tale of what had happened.

Sadly, not everyone is so lucky. As reported by the Guardian, a British base jumper died after his parachute failed to open when holidaying in the south of France.

The group decided to jump from the Bournillon cliff and into the Bourne gorge. An alarm was raised when eyewitnesses did not see a parachute open, and a search was started for the individual.

He was found unconscious and in cardiorespiratory arrest as two rescuers were winched as close as possible to the man, who was dangling from his parachute on the cliffside.

A base jumper in Italy. Credit: Bossemeyer, Klaus / Alamy

He was immediately taken to hospital where he, unfortunately, passed away as a result of his injuries.

It goes without saying - when taking part in high-risk activities, make sure that all safety procedures have been adhered to. However, even with the best safety protocols, there is always room for error or something malfunctioning - so base jumping is definitely not an activity to take part in lightly.

Featured image credit: Petar Dopchev Photography / Alamy

[caption id="attachment_3954" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Pixabay[/caption] Sometimes things really aren't what they seem, especially in the age of photography when it's easier than ever before to document everything. This has resulted in a lot of freaky pictures floating around the internet, often prompting heated discussions about what is really going on in them. Is it a trick of the light, or is something more sinister going on? So, in honor of these phenomena, we've compiled a list of 30 times people were left seriously freaked out by very innocent things. From pooches who, on a first glance, appear murderous and terrifying, to ghostly shadows cast by completely innocuous things. This list will make you pause and look twice the next time you see something out of the ordinary... just in case. [post_page_title]The Building is on Fire![/post_page_title] On a first glance, this scene would have any sane person calling 911. However, while their intentions might be good, they may end up getting a stern talking-to from the fire department as all is not quite what it seems... [caption id="attachment_3651" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / PeteLX[/caption] This picture was captioned: "This freaked me out. Turns out it's a sunset reflection." Well, it certainly had me fooled, and most likely you too! [post_page_title]Someone help this poor doggo![/post_page_title] While a fire is enough to send most people's hearts racing, do you know what's arguably more disturbing? A pooch that looks like it's not only been cut in two but has somehow managed to survive the ordeal. This looks like the work of a seriously talented magician! [caption id="attachment_3652" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / esquonk[/caption] Needless to say, this picture was captioned: "Had to look twice." [post_page_title]Straight out of a Stephen King novel[/post_page_title] Stephen King is famed as the master of horror the world over, and he has been keeping people awake at night since the publication of his first novel, Carrie. He's got a dark and twisted imagination, and it looks like this is a scene straight out of it. [caption id="attachment_3653" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / RoninGR[/caption] This heart-stopping picture was captioned: "Wife left the gloves to dry, I almost had a heart attack." [post_page_title]The Ghost Baby[/post_page_title] Shortly after I was born, my great-grandma died. I was the last baby she ever saw, and according to my mom, over the coming months, she'd hear me laughing from my crib - seemingly interacting with someone who wasn't there... [caption id="attachment_3914" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Facebook / Maritza Elizabeth[/caption] At first, it seems like a similar phenomenon has actually been captured in this picture, but its caption reveals the hilarious truth: "I was so freaked out, I barely slept. I even tried creeping in there with a flashlight while my son was sleeping. Well, this morning I go to investigate a bit further. It turns out my husband just forgot to put the mattress protector on when he changed the sheets. I could kill him." [post_page_title]Paprika Cat[/post_page_title] If there's one thing worse than your pet appearing to be cut in half, it's your pet seemingly playing in a pool of their own blood. This poor cat looks like it's having a seizure! [caption id="attachment_3915" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / bessiboom[/caption] But, on closer inspection, it's something much more innocent. Paprika! This disturbing-on-a-first-glance image was captioned: "Cat gave me a scare this morning. It's paprika." [post_page_title]Got Got A Bone[/post_page_title] It's no secret that dogs love bones, whether they're straight from a butcher's shop or the plastic variety, but if the bone is big enough and placed in an unusual place... well, I think this picture speaks for itself. [caption id="attachment_3916" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / erethenn[/caption] Those puppy eyes aren't so cute when you consider the possibility that this doggo went digging its local cemetery. This picture was captioned: "My dog is trying to scare the Hell out of me." [post_page_title]Surprise Gollum![/post_page_title] But sometimes when things aren't what they appear to be, it's because there is a prankster at work, looking to have a good laugh at someone else's expense. Case in point, this surprise Gollum. [caption id="attachment_3917" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / JamesPKP[/caption] "PRECIOUS!!! IS THE PRECIOUS IN THE CAR?!" Gosh, and I thought Gollum was a goner when he was pushed into Mount Doom at the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This picture was captioned: "Whoever did this gave me a heart attack." [post_page_title]The Hanging Man[/post_page_title] It's an unfortunate reality of life that some people to chose to end theirs, and one of the most common methods is hanging. This has resulted in it being one of the most feared sights on the planet, especially as it was once used as a means of public execution too. [caption id="attachment_3918" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jabrah15[/caption] This terrifying picture, like the others, has a perfectly normal explanation: "Housemate was drying his fishing waders. Almost had to add the pants I was wearing to the laundry pile I was carrying after I opened the door." [post_page_title]Eye Snail You[/post_page_title] If we've learned one thing from this list so far, it's that animals and inanimate objects have an awful habit of looking accidentally terrifying, and this office snail is no exception. This could be a scene from Pirates of the Carribean. [caption id="attachment_3919" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tyranitard[/caption] Is that... is that the skull of a member of the Flying Dutchman's crew? Nope, it's just a plain ol' snail inside a skull ornament. This picture was captioned: "The snail in our office fish tank freaked me out today." [post_page_title]Sleeping or dead?[/post_page_title] My hamster has a very odd habit: he loves to sleep on his back. Now, while I'm all for him being as comfortable, the first time he did it, I almost had a heart attack, thinking that the poor mite was dead. And it turns out I'm not the only pet owner who this has happened to... [caption id="attachment_3920" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / morisaboo[/caption] Yeah, you have to admit, this mouse does look pretty dead. This picture was captioned: "Gives me a heart attack every time, but he loves to sleep like that!" [post_page_title]The Moving Manneqiun[/post_page_title] Now, I don't know about you, but I think that mannequins are terrifying. There's something inherently off about a plastic, perfectly-proportioned human, even more so when they can get mixed up with an actual human! [caption id="attachment_3921" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / Nundee[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Scared the hell out of me when he moved." I don't blame you, dude. I don't blame you. [post_page_title]The Green Lady[/post_page_title] When I was kid, my mom told me about a ghost called the White Lady. She apparently haunts a hospital in my hometown, and I simply couldn't get the image of a woman dressed in white and floating in and out of rooms out of my mind. [caption id="attachment_3922" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tezariah[/caption] So, needless to say, if I'd ever encountered this, I would have probably died on the spot. This picture was captioned: "Emergency light in The hallway scared the hell out of me earlier. Meet the new source of my nightmares." [post_page_title]There Are No Words[/post_page_title] Sometimes an innocuous picture can be so scary, it could merit a place in even the spookiest of horror movies without editing. This looks like something from a nightmare. Everything about it - from the man's eyes to his outstretched arm - is horrifying. [caption id="attachment_3923" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / thebeesremain[/caption] But it turns out that his man wasn't a zombie, although, the real-life explanation is still pretty scary. This picture was captioned: "Son woke us up around 3 am to tell us some guy was on our porch with a stick." [post_page_title]GRANDMA[/post_page_title] If there's one thing worse than finding an animal in a compromising sleeping position, it's finding a human in one. Just like the first image in this article, this looks like the kind of scene that would prompt an immediate 911 call. [caption id="attachment_3924" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / joeltrane[/caption] But it turns out that this grandma was just napping. This picture was captioned: "My grandma taking a nap. Scared the Hell out of me at first." [post_page_title]Peekaboo![/post_page_title] As any cat owner will attest, our feline friends have a real knack for getting themselves into sticky situations around the house, and it looks like this cat could enter the "How the heck did you manage that?" Olympics. [caption id="attachment_3925" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / frex4[/caption] This picture was appropriately captioned: "That spooked the Hell out of me." Yeah, you might have noticed by now, when something appears to be something else, there's only so many ways people can put their fear into words! [post_page_title]The Sweeney Todd of dog groomers[/post_page_title] We all know the story of Sweeney Todd; a murderous barber who comes back to London to enact revenge after he's wrongfully exiled, killing people and chopping them up for Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. At first, this groomer looks like the animal version... [caption id="attachment_3937" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / BaByJeZuZ012[/caption] This picture was captioned: "My aunt got her dog groomed. The groomer only has half of his right arm. It looks like he's elbow deep into the dog, and it freaked me out when I first saw the picture." [post_page_title]Pennywise the Bacon Clown[/post_page_title] Since the dawn of time, or rather, the invention of clowns, people have been terrified of them, and with good reason. The situation wasn't helped by the creation of Stephen King's iconic character Pennywise the Dancing Clown... [caption id="attachment_3939" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jtronicustard[/caption] If you've seen the new It movies, I think you'll agree this bacon really does look like Pennywise's most recent incarnation. This picture was captioned: "These bacon slices look like an evil clown..." [post_page_title]The Staring Girl[/post_page_title] If it's not animals or inanimate objects scaring us, it's children. We might have baby monitors to keep them safe, but as we saw earlier on this list, they can often leave parents quaking in their boots. [caption id="attachment_3940" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jcmcna0733[/caption] This picture was captioned: "My cousin woke up in the middle of the night, randomly looked at the baby monitor and saw this. She said it scared the Hell out of her." A totally understandable reaction. [post_page_title]"YOU DID WHAT?!"[/post_page_title] If you own something expensive, even more so if it's pivotal to your job, the last place you want to see it is in the kitchen sink - soaking alongside the dishes you've been avoiding to wash up all weekend. [caption id="attachment_3941" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tryenamy[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I bought my wife (who's a professional photographer) a thermos in the shape of a camera lens. It always gives me a mini heart attack when I see it like this." [post_page_title]Unexpected Passnegers[/post_page_title] There are certain activities which require the utmost attention and driving is one of them. That's why it's illegal to drive and use your cell phone. But sometimes, distractions can come from within a car itself. [caption id="attachment_3942" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Apatharas[/caption] Thankfully, once the initial shock wore off, this ma wouldn't have been too distracted by these unexpected passengers. This picture was captioned: "I didn't realize my wife left the kids' presents in the car until I checked the rearview mirror." [post_page_title]Snake Belt[/post_page_title] Clowns aside, another thing which people are almost universally terrified of are snakes. They kill their prey by asphyxiation, after all, and that's not to mention the fact that many of them have venomous bites. [caption id="attachment_3943" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / pooptime1[/caption] This picture was captioned: "When you walk in your room and have a mild heart attack. "Thankfully, despite what it looks like, this isn't an escaped house snake, but a belt. Phew. [post_page_title]The ultrasound from Hell[/post_page_title] One of the most anticipated moments in a parent-to-be's life is when they get to see their baby on an ultrasound for the first time, and the last thing they expect is to see their bundle of joy looking monstrous. But as this picture demonstrates, it can happen. [caption id="attachment_3944" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / squidills[/caption] This picture was captioned: "This ultrasound photo scared my husband." Well, all I can think now is this: why didn't it scare you too? I'd be worried that I was carrying the human embodiment of the Devil! [post_page_title]The Murder Scene[/post_page_title] It's no secret that crime scenes can be bloody. Especially if there's been a murder and not just an unfortunate accident, but sometimes, splatters of red aren't necessarily bodily fluids. [caption id="attachment_3945" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Danielmg[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Someone spilled their smoothie in class, and now it looks like a crime scene." Yeah, if I was this person, I'd have been asking the janitor for a cloth to get that sinister-looking mess cleaned up ASAP. [post_page_title]Pumpkin Butt[/post_page_title] Children's clothes, by nature, are friendly-looking, and they are often decorated with faces and characters that will appeal to the younger generation. But at night, these faces can take on a sinister guise... [caption id="attachment_3946" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / LadyJane17[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I put my son in a Halloween onesie without thinking much about it and gave myself a heart attack at 2 am." I imagine this mom will be dressing her son in faceless onesies from now on. [post_page_title]An Alien[/post_page_title] Mother nature can, at times, look alien, which makes a lot of sense when you bear in mind that the majority of the ocean floor is unexplored. [caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jahaight[/caption] Now, is it just me or does this look like an alien from War of the Worlds? One thing's for sure, it's certainly shaped like one! This picture was captioned: "Ancient whale bone over top of what used to be a well [sic]." [post_page_title]The Doll[/post_page_title] We've established by now that finding a face where a face shouldn't be and mannequins are pretty scary, but do you know what's a hundred times worse? Dolls. [caption id="attachment_3948" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Its_Obvi_PShopped[/caption] This quite frankly nightmare-inducing picture was captioned: "My wife had a mini heart attack as we drove past this house. Nobody lives there." [post_page_title]The Giant Man[/post_page_title] Anyone who has seen The Conjuring 2 will know that one of its scariest characters is a tall stick man. Well, ladies and gents and others, this is the closest I've seen to that very monster's real-life incarnation. [caption id="attachment_3949" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / bmagnusson[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I had a mini heart attack when I saw this. Spotted in NYC." Perfectly understandable. Mannequins are terrifying at the best of times, let alone when they are this tall with spindly limbs. [post_page_title]Woman in the window[/post_page_title] Sometimes when you're out and about at night, it's a good idea to keep your eyes well and truly down, resisting the urge to have a peek through other people's windows. You never know what kind of accidental horrors you might see... [caption id="attachment_3950" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / AndyWyant[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Sister just freaked out, she thought someone was in her flat. It was just some clothes hanging up in front of the window." [post_page_title]The Nun[/post_page_title] One of the scariest recently released horror movies is The Nun, and it's not hard to see why: they are draped entirely in black, and anything associated with the Catholic faith has a lot of potential to get messed up with the Devil too. [caption id="attachment_3951" align="aligncenter" width="741"] Credit: Reddit / littlefoot2080[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Scared the hell out of myself." Personally, this is one of the scariest accidentally terrifying images on this list. What makes it even worse is that the person who shared it didn't even provide a logical explanation! [post_page_title]Kiss your password goodbye[/post_page_title] Personal security is of the utmost importance online. You don't want people getting access to sensitive data like your credit card number, or potentially compromising personal information, which is why this is so horrifying... [caption id="attachment_3953" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / SJT29[/caption] This might have been a fairly innocuous security message, but as you can see, on a first glance, it's pretty startling. It was captioned: "Nearly gave me a heart attack."

It's a fact that sometimes people can survive the impossible. You just never know how the human body will react to accidents or injuries, and what can kill some people outright will merely wound or stagger others. It all depends on the individual. Some of the stories of people who dodged the reaper by the skin of their teeth are outright unbelievable. Just take the case of builder and carpenter Danny Hopkins. Danny, who hails from London, managed to survive falling 20 feet through a skylight, and then made a miraculous recovery not long after.

The trouble began when Danny was at work, renovating the roof of a local school. Stepping on to a skylight, he suddenly felt the glass and scaffolding give way beneath his weight, and it shattered. He tumbled 20 feet down to an empty office below him, but amazingly he managed to land on his feet - something which probably ended up saving his life. A bystander spotted him looking dazed amid the wreckage, and they called the emergency services.

Danny was rushed to the hospital, where he was given a CT scan to assess the damage he'd suffered. Medics also phoned his wife Angela, who quickly came to his aid. Danny suffered a chipped left ankle and had sustained cuts and bruises to his left hand, where the skin had been torn off down to the ligaments. Other than that, he was remarkably well and was released from A&E that same day.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Press Association]]

Commenting on the incident, Danny stated: "I just had one last coat of paint to do. I stepped back momentarily on the skylight and, suddenly, felt nothing beneath my feet. Next thing I knew, I was looking up at the sky with paint exploded all over me. The room I’d landed in was a locked office, so my only thought was, ‘I have to get out.’ I couldn’t believe what had happened, as I’d been at that job around two weeks, going up and down the same section of scaffolding."

He added: "I still felt relatively alert and thought I could walk fine, but when paramedics arrived, they strapped me up and told me not to move, as they didn’t know the extent of the damage ... I remember saying to the nurse, ‘Is Angela here?’ and her coming in soon after. I was all strapped up with these tubes coming out of me, where they’d given me painkillers. I could tell by her face she was panicking, but I tried to reassure her that it looked worse than it was. It’s always scary to see someone in hospital like that, though."

"I’ve got three kids to look after, so I take working very seriously. But I knew if I pushed myself, I’d end up worse in the long run, so I just had to take time to properly recover. It was Angela’s birthday a couple of days later, too, but we put off celebrating until I was back on my feet. I’m absolutely fine now, which I know is miraculous. I’m very lucky to have fallen 20ft and walked away. I can’t fault the team who looked after me. They don’t have an easy job to do, but they’re absolutely fantastic. I landed on my feet like a cat, but I definitely think I’ve used up at least one of my nine lives."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Press Association]]

While in hospital, Danny ended up being filmed for the Channel 4 documentary series24 Hours in A&E, where he can be seen praising the doctors and nurses who helped him after his accident; so keep an eye on your TV screens and see if you can spot him in the future!

Panic erupted in the city of Toronto on Tuesday after a construction worker was spotted hanging from a crane above concerned citizens.

As reported by the Daily Mail, a video shows the moment the unnamed man was spotted hanging on for dear life as he clung to a crane's load at a site at Front and Simcoe Sts.

In the footage, two horrified witnesses can be seen shouting at the man, instructing him to just let his hard hat fall to the ground and yelling at those operating the machinery to "stop".

One of the men exclaims: "How the f*** did this happen?!"

Check out the terrifying footage below:

The Toronto Sun spoke to health and safety expert Phillip Ferreira about the incident, two which he explained: "The worker got his arm caught up or tangled in a tag line — a tag line is a rope that is secured to a load that helps prevent it from unnecessary movement.

"And when the crane operator raised the load, that worker went for a ride - unfortunately all the way up to the 23rd floor. So the worker sustained injuries to his arm.

"Obviously, any injuries he sustained there is better than the worst-case scenario. He survived."

After the footage was widely shared on Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter - social media users shared their shock at the footage.

"How does this happen ... I’ve been in construction for 12 years and can’t figure out how he ended up there," one Instagram user wrote.

A second added: "I have so many questions. That is so scary."

Over on Twitter, one person commented: "Worked with cranes for many years…worst nightmare right here... Holy F***!!!!"

Another person also tweeted in response: "My buddy sent me a video from the rooftop he was working on of this happening. I thought it was fake. Absolutely insane. Good thing his wrist was caught. That’s a long drop."

A spokesperson for PCL Constructors Canada revealed on Wednesday that it is the company in charge of the site, adding that the man became "entangled with a tagline after hooking a load" but was "safely lowered to the work surface and not seriously injured."

"We are working with all appropriate authorities and the incident is currently under investigation," the PCL spokesperson added.

Ferreira, who runs the health and safety consulting company S1, told the Toronto Sun that he's "never seen anything like this".

News.com.au also reports that The Ministry of Labour had also been notified and is now investigating the incident.

Featured image credit: Cultura RM / Alamy (Stock image)