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Fairfax Co. first responders recount ‘human chain’ rescue of woman in sinking car

By Anna-Lysa Gayle

Fairfax County, Virginia, first responders said they had to move quickly Sunday after a car went into a pond in Chantilly.

The rescuers, including Fairfax Police Battalion Chief Randy Bittinger, formed a human chain to pull a woman from the car as the vehicle continued to sink.

“Just so thankful that we were all able to work together. And it was truly a thing. We were at the right place at the right time,” Bittinger said.

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Officer Mohammed Suleiman said he happened to have a sharp object that pierced the glass on the driver’s side and cut the seat belt.

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world, just having that driver out, and after being there trying to get her out,” Suleiman said.

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Breaking the silence around suicide: A Virginia mother shares thoughts on prevention

By Kate Ryan
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Betsy Stephenson, an Alexandria, Virginia, resident and a mother who lost her son to suicide, wants people to talk about it. "By not talking about suicide, we are not going to make it go away. In fact, I think that we could inadvertently give it a little more power than it deserves," she told WTOP. One of the things that Stephenson wants families to know is that people who are struggling can appear to be doing well. "You can be very high-functioning as a depressed person or an anxious person," she said. "You can be connected socially. You can be doing well at school or work. You can be making plans, smiling, laughing, engaged, but still be struggling deeply, you know, cosmically, inside."
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