A British adventurer whose tent was destroyed in a storm in Iceland called his father in the UK for help, the Coastguard said.
Alex Hibbert was involved in an expedition to the Vatnajokull icecap with a friend when the pair got into difficulties. The 25-year-old used a satellite phone to contact his father in Portsmouth, Hampshire, who alerted Solent Coastguard.
The case was passed on to Falmouth Coastguard, which has an international liaison role. It contacted the Icelandic authorities and a successful rescue mission was launched. The drama was played out on Twitter, with Mr Hibbert providing sparse accounts of the trouble he was facing.
Tea party with extra bite
An aquarium has hosted a tea party with extra bite in a bid to challenge perceptions of sharks.
Three scuba divers took their places at the underwater table surrounded by five sharks. The stunt marked the launch of a new display at the Sea Life London Aquarium, which aims to dispel myths about sharks.
Deputy curator Jamie Oliver said: “We wanted to challenge the terrible – and undeserved – reputation sharks have as bloodthirsty killers.” What better way of doing it than by joining all of them for tea.
“The team was very excited to throw the party and the sharks didn’t blink an eye.” The species in the tank included black tip reef, nurse, brown, sand tiger, zebra and a bowmouth guitar shark.
The Shark Reef Encounter, which opens on Sunday, features more than 15 sharks. There is a 5m long glass walkway allowing guests to see sharks swim inches beneath their feet, a large tank and interactive touch screen displays.
Glass effect on champagne
Different shaped glasses really do affect the experience of drinking champagne, a study has shown.
Bubbly poured into a long narrow flute provides more of a nose-tingle than when served in a wide and shallow “coupe”. The reason is that much higher levels of carbon dioxide, released by bubbles in the glass, collect at the top of a flute, because carbon dioxide irritates sensory nerves in the nose.
Scientists from the University of Reims used sophisticated gas-analysis technology to test the effect of either pouring champagne into a flute or a coupe. The effect of bubbles was an essential part of the champagne drinkers’ experience, the French researchers wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Hamster’s chilly ordeal
An abandoned hamster dumped in freezing conditions with a note saying “I cannot afford to look after her any more” has been named Snowball by vets.
The Blue Cross is looking for a new home for the unwanted pet as the charity warns of growing evidence of owners abandoning animals as economic pressures mount. The one-year-old albino, a female, was found by a commuter by bins in the Pimlico area of central London.
The Blue Cross said there was a 28 per cent rise in animals being dumped or abandoned last year – an increase it puts down to financial pressures on pet owners.