ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Risking All for Others

Failure to help out when assistance is needed is a public concern; we worry about those who won’t go to the aid of strangers or even neighbors. Fortunately, not everyone refuses to get involved.

Last week a horse ridden by a cowboy checking cattle near Crystal Cove State Park plunged into a ravine. The rider was not hurt, but the horse was wedged between walls of dirt and rock.

To the rescue went a local veterinarian, Annie Glenn. As she, the horse’s rider and an Irvine animal control officer calmed the horse, they received a disquieting notice from a firefighter preparing to help rescue the animal: “I just want to tell you that you are down there at your own risk.”

As it turned out, Glenn, the cowboy and the officer did climb out of the ravine, but only to make room for a team that managed to bring the horse to safety. The animal suffered only cut legs.

In San Juan Capistrano several weeks ago, fire broke out in a mobile home. Spectators cautioned each other against entering the structure because of the heat and flames. Luckily for the woman trapped inside, a neighbor, Dan R. Jordan, disregarded the advice.

Jordan, 76, a onetime firefighter for the Glendale Fire Department, crawled through the front door of the burning home and pulled her to safety as flames devoured the structure. Jordan was credited with saving the woman’s life.

The two rescues provide welcome reminders that acts of selflessness still can be found. When help is needed, some still are willing to step forward.