Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
HAppy News

Woman Pulls Stranger From River Then Watches Him Say I Do

Rachelle Ruffing and her family were paddleboarding on Idaho’s Snake River in 2020, trying to ease the pain of losing their beloved dog the day before, when she spotted an empty kayak pop through Pillar Falls and start to sink. What she didn’t see in that terrifying moment was Brendon Lease, a visitor from Michigan on a road trip with friends, fighting for his life underwater after his kayak capsized. Ruffing sprang into action, pulling the unconscious man from the freezing water and performing CPR until paramedics arrived, while his dangerously low body temperature actually helped preserve his brain and organs. Doctors kept Lease in the hospital for extra days to treat bacteria in his lungs from the drowning, and when he was finally released, Ruffing embraced him and told him he had something important left to do on this earth.

Five years later, Brendon Lease got married, and Rachelle Ruffing was there to celebrate the miracle she calls him, but the wedding invitation meant so much more than just witnessing a joyful occasion. Ruffing had lost her father in the same hospital where Lease was treated, watching helplessly as CPR couldn’t save him from a sudden heart attack, making her successful rescue of Brendon feel even more miraculous. Attending the wedding became a healing journey for Ruffing, who needed to see that even though tragedy exists, beautiful moments still happen and lives can be saved. The connection between the woman who saved a stranger’s life and the man who now helps her heal defies explanation, proving that sometimes helping others leads to healing yourself.

PrevPrevious12 Year Old Endures Taunts To Change Another Child’s Life
NextMessage In Bottle FOUND after 109 YEARSNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

Rockstar Proves Compassion Matters More Than Secrecy

February 4, 2026

Rockstar Games has reportedly granted early access to Grand Theft Auto 6 for a terminally ill fan who was given only six to twelve months to live after battling cancer, proving that even one of gaming’s most secretive companies will make exceptions when compassion calls. The heartwarming story began when

Read More
Happy News

Cat Finally Came Home After FOUR YEARS

February 4, 2026

Four years after losing her beloved cat Tinsel in December 2021, Maggie DeGreenia from Vermont was lucky enough to find her again through a local shelter’s website thanks to her cousin recognizing Tinsel’s distinctive mustache marking that everyone knew right away. The 27 year old had tried everything when Tinsel

Read More
Happy News

This Artist Covered Rent For His Grandmother’s Building

February 4, 2026

ASAP Rocky covered rent for every tenant living in his grandmother’s Harlem apartment building on 140th and Lennox following the release of his fourth album Don’t Be Dumb, partnering with payments rewards program Bilt to give back to the community that shaped him into who he is today. The rapper

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.