One dad has stunned the internet with his catlike reflexes after a video of him saving his daughter emerged on the YouTube website.
The video, published by Viral Hog, has received over 1.2 MILLION views in the past few weeks. Although the video was published in November of this year, the description explains that the events actually took place in 2016, during a family trip to Yosemite National Park.
“We went on vacation to Yosemite in the summer of 2016. We thought we were going to pose for a daddy/daughter photo but [it] turned into a memorable video. Wife accidentally had [the camera] on video mode.”
The short 21-second clip shows Dad kneeling down with a funny expression, waiting for his wife to take an adorable photo to commemorate the trip.
As the young daughter takes a few steps back to get beside Dad for the shot, she misjudges the distance behind her and almost goes tumbling down off the bridge!
Luckily, this Dad had some seriously fast reflexes. Almost immediately, he grabs onto his daughter’s arm, pulling her back to safety and averting what could have been a very tragic disaster.
We often hear about the unbreakable bond between a mother and child. For example, Scientific American says, “Hormones, such as oxytocin, that course through a mother’s body biologically link her to the baby. Their heartbeats can even synchronize. Following birth, a mother provides a natural food source for the newborn.” Interestingly though, we’ve only just begun to study what happens to men when they become parents.
Father Andy Corbett tells Today’s Parent, “I’ve definitely noticed an increase in my reflexes since I’ve become a father. It’s a handy skill. It’s prepared me to catch the boys before they fell off climbers or slides.”
Recent research suggests that men’s brains physically change when they become a Dad.
For example, researchers at Memorial University in St. John’s, Canada, discovered that testosterone (a hormone linked to risk-taking and aggression) goes down by 33% after having a baby. Today’s Parent explains, “It’s thought that the lower levels of testosterone prepare Dad to be more nurturing and understanding, and encourage him to want to comfort his newborn child rather than compete with baby for Mom’s attention.” New dads also experience increased levels of prolactin (the hormone responsible for making breast milk in moms). Scientists at the University of Toronto have shown that Dads with higher prolactin levels are much more likely to be alerted to their babies’ cries than other men.
It’s impossible to know whether “Daddy hormones” could be contributing to this Dad’s amazing save, but it’s definitely worth a watch either way!
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