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The New York Times,

The New York Times, Tuesday, November 26, 2002

The New York Times, Saturday, November 23, 2002

The New York Times, October 18, 2002

Claudia Schiffer

TEGUCUGALPA, Honduras -- Claudia Schiffer has donated $2 million to build homes for Honduran victims of Hurricane Mitch.

The donation, made through the Spanish foundation Pueblos de la Tierra de Palma de Malorca, will pay for the construction of 112 homes, said San Pedro Sula Mayor Roberto Larios. The supermodel's gift "will benefit many compatriots," he said Tuesday.

The northern city of San Pedro Sula, 100 miles north of Tegucigalpa, is the country's second largest city and considered a crucial point for development.

Schiffer has invested in hotels along Honduras' Atlantic coast and acquired a $2 million mansion on Honduras' Roatan Island, a tourist center that largely escaped Mitch's rath.

Joseph J. Brisson

For Man Who Fell Into A River, Lo, An Angel

Chesapeake, VA -- (AP) When Carnell Taylor was knocked off an icy highway bridge and into the Elizabeth River, a boat captain named Joseph J. Brisson was there to play the role of angel.

Mr. Brisson, who was on a barge in the river, jumped into the dangerously cold water and spent almost half an hour in it rescuing the stranger.

"Thank God, he dived in," Mr. Taylor said from his hospital bed here. "It was just like an angel that came out of nowhere. He said, 'Don't worry, buddy, I got you.'

"It makes me cry every time I think about it."

Mr. Taylor, who was working on a paving crew, fell 70 feet into the water on Sunday morning after being hit by a pickup truck that slid on the Interstate 64 bridge, said Tammy Van Dame, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.

Mr. Brisson jumped into the 40- to 50-degree water when he realized there was no time to wait for rescuers. He helped Mr. Taylor get his face above water and encouraged him to keep talking.

He also managed to slide a piece of wood under Mr. Taylor to help keep him afloat. But the current made it impossible for them to get to safety.

When the cold caused him to lose his grip, Mr. Brisson resorted to locking his legs around Mr. Taylor's waist.

"I just held onto him with a good death lock," Mr. Brisson said. "I told him I was not going to let him go, that if he went, I was going with him. We were a unit."

Crew members from the barge eventually used a small boat to get to the men and pulled them from the water.

Mr. Brisson, 36, was treated for mild hypothermia.

Mr. Taylor, 43, was admitted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment of injuries that included a broken pelvis and broken facial bones. He was in stable condition.

Mr. Taylor said he planned to be home for Christmas with his wife and three children, ages 22, 18 and 17.

No charges will be filed against the driver of the truck because road conditions were to blame, the police said.

Mr. Brisson said he knew what he had to do when he saw the man fall.

"I have a family," he said. "I thought about how life is very important. I couldn't let anything happen to him."