Rescued

Matthew Bryce, a Scottish surfer, was rescued after 32 hours adrift at sea. Bryce said he took his surfboard out off the Scottish coast on April 30 but began to panic when the tides and winds carried him out to sea. A group of fishing boats sailed past without seeing him, and by daylight on May 1, he says, he was fainting and falling off his board, but he continued drifting until sunset. Then a Coast Guard helicopter, part of an extensive search party, spotted him. Rescuers winched him out of the sea and brought him to an Irish hospital. Bryce says he will never surf again.

Released

The Chinese government on April 28 released Sandy Phan-Gillis, a U.S. businesswoman accused of espionage while traveling in China, and sent her home. Authorities detained Phan-Gillis in March 2015 (see “Taking prisoners,” May 13) and accused her of being a spy. For two years, they kept her in China, denying her legal protections and regular contact with her family. U.S. officials kept in touch with her and sought her release.

Died

Ueli Steck, a renowned Swiss mountaineer, died in an accident near Mount Everest on April 30 at age 40. Steck began climbing professionally as a teenager, setting several records in his native Swiss Alps. He practiced a “fast and light” technique where climbers set out with minimal support and gear. Steck earned mountaineering’s highest award, the Piolet d’Or, for his rapid ascents of some of the world’s most challenging peaks. He successfully climbed Mount Everest in 2012 and returned this year, planning to follow a route up Everest that hadn’t been repeated since 1963 and then traverse peaks to reach Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world. But, before he could start the climb, Steck fell to his death during an unexplained accident.

Died

Leo Thorsness, a Medal of Honor recipient who was imprisoned with John McCain in Vietnam, died on May 2 at age 85. Thorsness, an Air Force fighter pilot, had been protecting bombers over Hanoi during an April 19, 1967, mission when his wingmen were forced to bail out. Thorsness was low on fuel and ammunition but hovered in the area and fought off enemy planes as airmen tried to rescue the downed men, who were later captured. He passed up the chance for aerial refueling so another pilot could be saved and barely made it back to his Thai base. Eleven days after that mission he was shot down and captured by the Viet Cong. He learned in prison that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor for the April 19 mission. Thorsness survived six years as a prisoner and was tortured so badly he had to give up flying after his release.

Died

Dr. Julius Youngner, polio vaccine pioneer, died on April 27 at age 96. Dr. Jonas Salk called Youngner a vital force in the development of the vaccine that ended the polio scourge of the 1950s. Youngner suffered an almost fatal attack of lobar pneumonia as a child and became interested in medical research. In 1949, as part of Salk’s team, he discovered how to deactivate poliovirus without destroying its ability to produce antibodies. He later said he was disappointed that Salk had not given him more credit. Youngner went on to research cancer treatment and influenza vaccines.