Loyal Lab: Man's best friend saves his owner in Salzburg, Austria

Regional police in Salzburg, Austria received several calls that a dog was barking loudly and insistently in front of the Rainer Glasenbach military barracks in the city. 

On investigation, the motionless body of the Labrador Retriever's owner was discovered close by.

The dog's frantic barking probably saved the life of the 35-year-old Flachgauer man.  Had it not been for his valiant Labrador, things could have been much worse for him, lying exposed in the intense cold.

According to the paramedics, at first they were unable to get close to the man, as the dog was fiercely guarding his unconscious body.  However, when a police dog handler arrived on the scene, he was able to calm down the dog, allowing the medics to begin resuscitation techniques.

The man was alive, but unresponsive, so paramedics took him to the local hospital, where police say he is already recovering well. The man's identity was apparently easy to obtain, as the loyal dog led the police directly back to his master's home.

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Photo of a Labrador retriever CC by-SA Liabilly Wildflower

Source: The Local 

Father and son die in blast making firecrackers at home

A father and his two sons were making firecrackers in a warehouse at their home in southern Styria on Monday evening. 

Just after the eldest son, 33, left and returned to the house, an explosion destroyed the warehouse, killing his brother and their father.

According to the Austrian news website, Kleine Zeitung (in German), the warehouse, located next to the family home in Kapfenstein, was completely destroyed.  The father, 57-year-old Josef F. and 28-year-old Bernhard were most likely killed instantly.

Wiener Zeitung reports (in German) that according to police the explosion could be heard a kilometer away and the warehouse reduced to "just dust and ashes."  Police are still endeavoring to recover the remains.

The man's 55-year-old wife and her surviving son are in shock and were uninjured by the blast. A neighboring house was apparently also badly damaged by the explosion and according to the local fire service, other neighbors phoned in to say their windows had been broken by the blast.

According to neighbors, the father and his sons often experimented with explosives, and they were used to hearing loud bangs coming from the property.


Photo: Firecrackers CC by-SA G36

One, two, three, its time to waltz in the streets of Vienna, Austria (Video)

The historic and cultural city of Vienna does things a little differently when it comes to celebrating carnival, or "Fasching," as it is called in the city.  

As Vienna's Ball Season begins, with its more than 450 balls to enjoy, Vienna's 1st district opened with a traditional quadrille in the streets and everyone joined in.

Thousands of people were out in the streets, whether local or visitors, learning to dance and having a wonderful time.

Karin Lemberger-Dorner, president of the dance schools in Vienna, told The Local, “It’s sensational that we have so many people here today." 

The quadrille started at 11.11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, and included some professional dancers, with everyone in the streets laughing, smiling and joining in. This was followed by a gallop and a real Viennese waltz.

One dancer mentioned that it was great that you don't have to pay to join in, and that people from all over the world were there to participate and learn more about the Austrian culture and Vienna's waltz tradition.

Reportedly dance schools in the city will be popular as people new to the art rush to learn the basic steps before attending some of the iconic events of the festival, including the Opera and Philharmonic balls to be held in January and February, when the ball season reaches its peak.

Apparently some of the best moves to master are the Viennese waltz (of course), as well as the boogie, the foxtrot and at least one of the popular Latin American dances.

The season officially kicks off on November 21st with the Vienna Red Cross Ball in the Rathaus (City Hall).

Anyone in town on New Year's Eve can see their way into 2015 dancing in the magnificent Hofburg Palace. It all sounds like a wonderful way to pass a cold winter!