Current Event #1

Family Survives Australian Wildfire

Summary:
                     Tim Holmes recounted his terrifying experience as he, his wife, and five grandchildren           escaped "tornadoes of fire" in Tasmania, Australia.  After realizing that the flames from a nearby fire were coming closer, Holmes described how there was nowhere left to go except for the jetty a short walk from the house.  Seeking shelter, Holmes led the group into the cold water in which they stayed in for a total of two and a half hours.  Holmes was photographing the whole ordeal to send pictures to the children's parents in case they all perished.  They were saved when Holmes captured an escaped boat and rowed them all to safety.
                  Leaving her five children with her parents so she could attend a funeral, Bonnie Walker described how she had to brace herself for the worst.  However, upon hearing of their survival, she and her husband were overjoyed and estatic.  Unfortunately, the Holmes' house was entirely burnt down, like the hundreds of other homes in their community and in Tasmania.

Significance:
                  Even though this story was a local story, the iconic picture of the family huddling under the jetty has gone viral and news stations accross the world have been broadcasting and commenting about this story.  I saw it a couple of days ago on the news and decided that it would be a good story to write about.  I think that it is significant because it shows the over-repeated phrase of "never giving up".  However, this story is a true example of this.  Even when the family was faced with "tornadoes of fire", the grandfather bravely led them into the chilling water where they sat for a considerable amount of time. 

Reaction:
                 When I saw this picture and read the news article, my first thought was how could the family have withstood the heat from the fire for so long.  My second thought was how could the family have withstood the chill from the water for so long.  I could not have done what the grandfather did when he took pictures in case they did not survive.  That would have drove me insane and I don't think that I could have kept my cool.

Link