Jumping In, Looking Up: Courage, Currents, and Commuter Whales episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 30, 2025 · 10 MIN

Jumping In, Looking Up: Courage, Currents, and Commuter Whales

from Good Morning Wake County - Your Daily Dose of Good News · host Steve Rhode - Local Good News Podcast Host

You ever have that moment where your brain blanks and your body just moves? Today we've got two stories about exactly that kind of decision-making.First: Eddie Hunnell, a 57-year-old software engineer from Holly Springs, was at his son's wedding rehearsal when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina. When he saw 66-year-old Leslie Worth swept into the flooded North Fork New River, his Plan A with a canoe didn't work. So he jumped in himself. Now he's receiving the Carnegie Medal—North America's highest honor for civilian heroism.Then: Sydney commuters are discovering that sharing their morning ferry rides with 40,000 migrating humpback whales is just part of life now. These school bus-sized creatures are turning one of the world's busiest harbors into the gentlest traffic jam you've ever seen. It's a conservation success story happening in real-time, complete with whales who seem genuinely curious about the humans they're meeting.Both stories reveal something about what happens when the unexpected shows up and people—or whales—decide to engage instead of look away.Plus: a dad joke that might actually make you groan out loud.From Wake Forest, North Carolina, this is Good Morning Wake County—where we find stories that remind you what's possible when ordinary people decide to jump in.To sign up for email alerts visit https://tapyournews.com/podcast

You ever have that moment where your brain blanks and your body just moves? Today we've got two stories about exactly that kind of decision-making.First: Eddie Hunnell, a 57-year-old software engineer from Holly Springs, was at his son's wedding rehearsal when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina. When he saw 66-year-old Leslie Worth swept into the flooded North Fork New River, his Plan A with a canoe didn't work. So he jumped in himself. Now he's receiving the Carnegie Medal—North America's highest honor for civilian heroism.Then: Sydney commuters are discovering that sharing their morning ferry rides with 40,000 migrating humpback whales is just part of life now. These school bus-sized creatures are turning one of the world's busiest harbors into the gentlest traffic jam you've ever seen. It's a conservation success story happening in real-time, complete with whales who seem genuinely curious about the humans they're meeting.Both stories reveal something about what happens when the unexpected shows up and people—or whales—decide to engage instead of look away.Plus: a dad joke that might actually make you groan out loud.From Wake Forest, North Carolina, this is Good Morning Wake County—where we find stories that remind you what's possible when ordinary people decide to jump in.To sign up for email alerts visit https://tapyournews.com/podcast

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Jumping In, Looking Up: Courage, Currents, and Commuter Whales

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This episode was published on June 30, 2025.

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You ever have that moment where your brain blanks and your body just moves? Today we've got two stories about exactly that kind of decision-making.First: Eddie Hunnell, a 57-year-old software engineer from Holly Springs, was at his son's wedding...

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