This year saw some dramatic, nearly life-threatening moments that seemed like they were taken from a movie script because they were too surreal to believe. From massive fire evacuations, to car crashes and even a little girl saving her mom from drowning in a pool, these are some of the craziest rescues in 2016 that were all captured on video.
Car crashes, fires and accidents
Unfortunately accidents happen while you’re behind the wheel of a car, no matter how good of a driver you are. Thankfully some of the most dramatic rescues in 2016 had happy endings. Such as a firefighter saving an 87-year-old woman from her burning vehicle.
A Sante Fe, N.M. elderly woman was on her way to the hospital Oct. 8 when she got a flat tire. The women proceeded to drive to her appointment which caused friction and heat and resulted in a huge blaze.
The firefighter’s body cam, which can be viewed above, captured the moment he saved the woman from her car.
WATCH: Bystanders form human chain to save man trapped inside burning car
Back in October in Palm Bay, Fla. an SUV collided with another vehicle sending the SUV down an embankment. Shortly after the crash, the car burst into flames with a man stuck inside.
Good Samaritans formed a human chain, according to the Palm Bay police department, to rescue the disoriented man.
The victim was sent to hospital after sustaining a head injury. His identity and current condition had not been released.
WATCH: Caught on camera: North Carolina strangers help rescue man trapped in truck pinned under bus
It was a terrifying moment for the driver of a pick-up in North Carolina after his car collided with a school bus in September, pinning the truck under the bus with the man still inside.
Two bystanders and six police officers rushed to the scene to remove the shaken driver who had not been identified.
He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dogs in danger
Good Samaritans and police officials went beyond their call of duty in order to save dogs stranded after the animals found themselves in some very unfortunate situations.
Two Okanagan men in December were out by a partially frozen lake when they thought they heard a duck splashing when really it was a dog crying for help.
“The sound it was making was unforgettable,” said Dylan Cocquyt, one of the rescuers to Global News.
Both Cocquyt and Bill Varner jumped into action by canoeing to the dog who, according to Varner, “was just about spent of energy..it was doing its last swim.”
The men brought the dog to shore and called its owner.
WATCH: Amazing rescue of a dog from a frozen lake caught on tape
Dramatic video out of Louisiana showed at least two men helping to rescue a woman and her dog who were trapped in a red vehicle as it slowly submerged under floodwaters.
The men could be seen trying to break the car windows before one of the men finally jumps into the water and yanks the women out.
The unknown woman is heard asking for the good Samaritans to save her dog, who at first is believed to have disappeared under the water but then is quickly saved.
WATCH: Caught on camera: Woman and her dog rescued from submerged car
A massive 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit central Italy in September, burying both people and animals alike. More than a week later, officials rescued a golden retriever from the rubble of a collapsed building.
WATCH: Dog pulled alive from the rubble more than a week after the earthquake in central Italy
Life-saving moments
A five-year-old Texas girl was credit as a hero after saving her mother who had had a seizure while swimming in a pool.
Surveillance video shows the girl struggling, but eventually managing, to pull her mom to shore before running to get help.
WATCH: Caught on Camera: Little girl saves mom from drowning after she suffers seizure in pool
A scary moment for two Texas parents who called 911 in agony after their three-year-old son stopped breathing.
The terrifying video shows a police officer performing CPR on the boy until he began breathing on his own again.
WATCH: Caught on Camera: Texas cop uses CPR to save boy’s life after he stops breathing
Firefighters in China were able to stop a man from jumping off the ledge of a 30-storey building after he threatened to do so.
The dramatic rescue of a firefighter sneaking up behind the man and pulling him back to safety was all caught on camera.
WATCH: Firefighters pull man from ledge of 30-storey building in China
With files from: Elton Hobson, Emanuela Campanella, Aaron McArthur and Alexander Maveal