Baby catch

New York, Dec. 16 (Reuters): A New York woman threw her one-month-old son from the third floor of a burning building and the baby was caught by an amateur baseball player standing outside, media reports said yesterday.

Local television stations aired a videotape of Wednesday’s dramatic rescue in the Bronx taken by a surveillance camera.

It showed the baby, swathed in white, tumbling some 9 metres into the arms of Housing Authority employee Felix Vazquez, one of several people waiting below.

The Daily News said firefighters rescued Tracinda Foxe from her apartment shortly after she tossed her baby to Vazquez, who plays catcher on a neighbourhood baseball team.

“I said: ‘God, please save my son,’” Foxe was quoted as saying. “I prayed that someone would catch him and save his life.”

Hearty gift

Boston (Reuters): Are diamonds really forever? An anonymous gift-giver left a $15,000 diamond engagement ring to the owner of an unlocked car in western Massachusetts with a typed note hinting at a broken heart. “Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now. Merry Christmas to you,” the note said. The three-diamond ring with a white-gold band appeared on the seat of the man’s car at a train station in Westborough, about 48 km west of Boston.

Egg slick

Dublin (Reuters): A hazardous slick of broken eggs caused traffic chaos in rural Ireland on Thursday after a truck carrying thousands of broody hens lost its load. “Chickens have begun to lay eggs on the roads and the conditions are quite treacherous at the moment, very slippy,” AA Roadwatch said on its traffic advice line.