Dozens of people rescue teen from collapsed tunnel, and more

Dozens of people rescue teen from collapsed tunnel

Seventeen-year-old Matt Mina of Virginia is lucky to be alive after a massive tunnel he and his cousin dug at an Orange County, Calif., beach collapsed, trapping him under 6 feet of sand. “I thought I was going to die,” Mina said. “I was just really scared. I didn’t know if anyone could hear me when I was screaming for help.” Mina managed to open an air pocket to breathe as dozens of lifeguards, beachgoers, and rescue workers dug frantically for about 30 minutes to free him. He later told his mother, “You have no idea how heavy the sand was.”

Police track down widow's cherished guitar

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The deepest loss for Francesca Belloise of Boynton Beach, Fla., when her home was broken into eight months ago was the cherished acoustic guitar that had belonged to her husband, Joseph, who died last year. “He used to serenade me every day,” Belloise said. “I never thought I was going to see it again.” But she hadn’t reckoned on the persistence and compassion of the local police. Detective Ace Brown tracked down the guitar at a pawnshop, and when the shop’s owner demanded $250 for it, Sgt. Paul Sheridan took up a collection among his colleagues and purchased the guitar. He presented it last week to Belloise, who said she was “overwhelmed with their generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness.”