i'm contessa brewer. >>> here we go. i'm going to take you on a ride. >> stunts too insane to believe. >> it's just crazy. that must be fake. >> do not try this at home. >> i would like maybe to crash this car. >> animals acting like humans. >> not once does the bear hit himself in the face. that's really impressive. >> it's impossible not to join in. >> and pranks that push the limit. >> it took my breath away. >> we were both really scared. >> i'm like, oh, this is bad. >> millions of clicks, but what is the truth? >> you sort of gasp that can't be real. >> we've got the answers. >>> "caught on camera: viral videos fact or fix." >>> hello, i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." hundreds of thousands of videos hit the web every day. but only a select few really grab the public's attention and go viral. if you watch like me, sometimes these videos seem a bit suspicious. in this hour, we'll watch some of the web's most popular videos and uncover if they're works of fact or fiction. >> hey. sherri here, obviou

i'm contessa brewer. in a split second, a routine event can escalate into a life or death drama leaving folks to wonder what went wrong. it can happen at work or at play or as these people found out, during a leisurely day at a horse show. an official at a horse competition gets trampled by an out of control horse. may 2nd, 2001, springfield, illinois, at the arabian breed finals, they compete in a class called country pleasure driving. videographer rick is there to capture the event. >> it's a very neat class. it should look like a pleasure to drive. >> one of the riders here to compete on this day is paul hyman. >> riding a horse, you sit on top of the horse, on the saddle. and you really control the horse with your legs and with your arms. it's much easier to control them that way. when you drive, you only have reins and the horse is way up in front so you really don't control as much as when you are riding. >> the competition begins as planned when paul drives his horse into the ring with the others.

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." u.s. troops in the wars in iraq and afghanistan have had some of the most high tech fighting gear, but they've also brought something else to the battlefield like never before. their cameras. the images cam tured have changed the way people back home see and hear what the troops are going through. thousands of miles away. a terrifying ied attack. >> combat patrolling at that time was hours upon hours of complete boredom punctuated by single moments of sheer terror. >> in the wars in iraq and afghanistan, by far the most common and deadly weapon against u.s. troops has been the improvised explosive device or ied. also known as roadside bombs, ieds have claimed the lives of 65% of all u.s. casualties in both wars. >> the improvised bomb is the signature weapon of both the iraq and of the afghanistan war. it's the number one killer of soldiers. it's the number one weapon of insurgents. they're also as scary as hell. >> whoa! holy -- >> sometimes the difference between life and death is just s

i'm contessa brewer. a police officer's working day may include violent confrontation, touching human dramas and even comic relief. for an officer in a patrol car, the dashboard camera is the silent witness capturing the action and preserving some hair-raising stories. our first video begins in new mexico with an amazing high-speed chase and a shootout caught on multiple dash cams. with their dash cams rolling, police cruisers chase after a 22-year-old man through highways and country roads in northern new mexico. the pursuit is not only dangerous, it's violent. >> shots fired. shots fired. >> i started hearing we have an officer injured. that was when i noticed sergeant faulk had blood coming from an area of his face. >> in may 2007, sergeant jackie budd in aztec, new mexico, is the first to respond to an incident that begins in a nearby town. that's where lionel claw gets into a confrontation near a laundromat and local police are called. >> he and his party were trying to leave in a vehicle. a bloomfie

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." from an early age we're told never to play with fire. maybe that's why we're so fascinated by people who dare to get close to the flames. our first story is about a fire breathing performer. as you'll see years of training aren't enough to avoid a terrifying accident. we want to warn you about everything in this hour, from beginning to end. don't try any of it at home. or anywhere for that matter. a fire breather performs a move she's done hundreds of times before, but this time, in the midst of her act, she sets herself ablaze. hudson, quebec, is 40 miles from the french canadian city of montreal. it's also home to a summer music festival that draws thousands. >> the hudson festival is very, very popular with the town. everybody comes out. it's a very festive atmosphere. >> the best place to watch the performances is the stage by cunningham's restaurant and bar. >> we luck out every year. we get the stage right in front of our pub. >> july 31th, 2010, i

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> chaos in the streets. >> the crowd was chanting burn it up, burn it up. >> a bridal alteration, altercation. >> he is the guy who throw us out. you need to kill this guy. >> a video vigilante confronts a cop in a no-standing zone. >> what are you doing? >> you can't touch me. >> i can do whatever i want. >> and -- >> show me which one. >> bullies scared straight. >> i'll [ bleep ] you up. >>> and a case of sticky fingers. devastating day care and a battle for the space. >> she managed to actually move the car completely out of the space. >>> "caught on camera: bad behavior." welcome to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. bad behavior can sometimes seem like an epidemic, from road rage to bullying over the internet to fist fights on reality tv. our first video is a prime example of bad behavior. a mob erupts in violence, and not out of anger or frustration, but to celebrate the home team's victory. [ chanting ] >> mayhem in th

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." breaking the law is one thing. fighting the law is another. in this hour, you'll meet people who challenged authorities. some used guns. some used fists. one even used an 18-wheeler. but no matter the method, they all have one thing in common. somebody was there to capture it on camera. a desperate man takes on federal agents in a dramatic four-day standoff. >> i'm a cowboy. i'm coming out like a cowboy. >> before going down in a hail of gunfire. september 2004. bowling green, kentucky. a barn burns to the ground and four horses die. an investigation by the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms, or atf, points to arson. the main suspect, russell sublet, a 41-year-old ex-con who works tending horses in the area. during the investigation special agent david hayes learns sublet may also own a sawed-off shotgun, another possible charge against him. >> i made contact with russell sublet. he agreed to meet with us. >> on the afternoon of september 29th, sublet is at a local hospital visiting his father and tells hayes

i'm contessa brewer. just going through our daily routines, we can be surrounded by dangerous materials and equipment and not even be aware of it. usually we have nothing to worry about because compressed gases, high-powered machines and blasting materials are safe when used and stored properly. but if one little thing goes wrong, the consequences can be disastrous. a fire breaks out at southwest industrial gases in dallas, texas, on july 25th, 2007. this is no ordinary fire. on the lot are several hundred tanks filled with compressed gas, including oxygen, helium and one of the hottest burning gases of all, acetylene. >> acetylene burns at about 3400 degrees. it's used as far as what the sxhon person common person knows mostly in welding and cutting. >> local tv news cameras record the blaze as it burns out of control. >> we didn't, of course, realize the scope of what the fire was going to be. >> the fire begins during a delivery of tanks to the refilling station. >> the delivery driver comes running in

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." a day at the beach, a night out to see your favorite band, a hike in a beautiful state park. sometimes even the most enjoyable activities can suddenly take a turn for the worse. and when they do, who will come to the rescue? for one utah motorcyclist trapped beneath a burning car, the answer is not necessarily who you'd expect. a motorcyclist is trapped underneath a burning car as bystanders rush to try and save him. >> oh, my gosh! >> i did see the flame, and i thought the car had potential to blow up. >> logan, utah, is a quiet college town home to utah state university. but right outside campus on september 12th, 2011, a car and a motorcycle collide, and the bike bursts into flames. the unfolding scene is captured from the ninth floor of a nearby building by university videographer, chris garth. >> i was setting up for a lecture. i noticed smoke outside the window. that's when i started videotaping. >> flames are spreading to the front end of the car.

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." police dashboard cameras capture the ultimate reality show, vivid stories of life and death, pursuit and rescue. the dash cam dramas in this hour feature a fleeing killer, a suicidal mom, an out-of-control semi, and a host of officers willing to risk everything to keep citizens safe. a six-hour manhunt for a killer on the run comes to a dramatic end at the montana/idaho border. it's the morning of june 14th, 2003. earlier, over the radio, deputy sheriff david conway gets word that an officer has been shot. >> officer is down. >> conway races toward the scene when suddenly, a gold ford taurus crosses three lanes of traffic, nearly running him off the road. >> he tried to ram me. somebody gets a chance, take him out. >> inside the ford taurus is george davis. he not only shot an officer, he killed a man and left six others wounded the night before in a bar in ennis, montana. michael carroll was there. >> he had ran up a tab of 12 or 14 drinks, didn't have

i'm contessa brewer. highway patrol officers know to expect the unexpected whenever they stop a vehicle. our first story pits an armed felony suspect against u.s. border patrol agents. the tense situation at the mexican border grows worse when officers make a crucial discovery about who else is in the car. a burglary suspect speeds toward the mexican border with a 1-year-old child as a hostage. >> he was holding the baby to his chest and the knife to the baby's neck. he told me they were not going to get him alive. >> one lane, 89 miles an hour. >> monday morning, april 20, 1998. a car tears down interstate 5 south of los angeles, hitting speeds up to 95 miles per hour. >> okay. they're passing eltoro now. >> as it hurdles toward the mexican border, officials get a heads-up. >> we got a phone call probably from the california highway patrol letting us know there was a southbound pursuit. >> probably heading for the border. >> the suspect, eddie price, is fleeing from l.a. police who tried to arrest him fo

i'm contessa brewer. throughout history humans have looked for ways to soar, if only for a little while. flying, floating and even free falling, as you will see, a lot can go wrong high up in the air. some of the stories are about dreamers who find new ways to conquer new heights and others are about daredevils who relish that trip down. but our first story is about a man at a low point in his life and the effort high above a city street to save him. 70 stories above the streets of new york, a desperate man contemplates ending his life by jumping from the top of one of the city's landmark skyscrapers. >> obviously something has brought him to the edge, and we want to figure out quickly as possible, but the job could always go very wrong. >> august 10, 2011. detectives james cole and sean solar of the new york city police department's emergency services unit are on duty when the call comes in. >> we started our shift at 3:15 that afternoon. and almost immediately as soon as we finished loading up and check

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." we all fear it, that one deadly moment of inattention, the simple but potentially fatal miscalculation, the sudden bolt from the blue we are helpless to avoid. in an instant, everything changes. but in the stories you will see this hour, situations that look like certain death end with a miraculous escape, or amazing rescue. in our first story, a rock climber nervously begins his first 300 foot rappel while his friend videotapes the achievement. then something goes horribly wrong. in a utah canyon, a man rappels down a towering cliff but loses control and falls 100 feet to the bottom. >> i thought for sure that my life was coming to an end. >> hey, you okay? >> in the summer of 2009, eric shrever and david cardona are hiking through utah's zion national park. they're both experienced canyoneers, skilled at getting through canyons by any means possible. that includes climbing, rappeling or even swimming. >> i've always loved the outdoors. i've been an avi

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> a fire breathing performance stuns the crowd. >> everybody just kind of stopped breathing for a minute. >>> a snowmobiler comes crashing off a cliff. >> it was like losing my brother right in front of my eyes. >> and a race car driver is engulfed in flames. >> my first thought was we got to get him out. >> mix a little bit of thrill -- [ screams ] -- with a dash of danger and some very bad decisions -- >> we're leaving and she's driving. i'm drunk. >> -- you may find yourself in a situation you'd never want to be in. >> no, no, no, no, no! "caught on camera -- don't try this at home." hello. i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." from an early age we're told never to play with fire. maybe that's why we're so fascinated by people who dare to get close to the flames. our first story is about a fire breathing performer. as you'll see years of training aren't enough to avoid a terrifying accident. we want to warn you abou

now back to "caught on camera." " i'm contessa brewer.rdinary people who survived some pretty extraordinary circumstances, but what happens when things go wrong in one of the most remote and hostile places on earth? in our next story we'll see one woman's frightening ordeal on a ship sinking in the middle of the antarctic. she wants to document for her family what could be her last moments. a cruise ship strikes an iceberg and is sinking in the frozen desolate antarctic ocean. >> complete absolute utter terror. >> on deck passengers scramble to survive. one of them is american lisa pysola. >> oh, my gosh, i'm so scared. i'm so scared. i knew this was it. i knew this was the end. i knew i was going to die. >> lisa is a passionate world traveler who's journeyed to all but one of the seven continents, but her vast experience in some of the most rugged places on earth was nothing compared to this trip, a 19-day expedition to antarctica, the last continent on her list. >> this ship was called "the explorer, ats and it was actually built for an

i'm contessa brewer. every day we go about our daily routines never thinking that at any moment we could suddenly find ourselves in harm's way. not much feels as ordinary as a trip to the convenience store, sightseeing in the park, or even filling up your gas tank. but as one ohio man discovered, trouble could be lurking just around the corner. a carpenter filling up his gas tank suddenly finds himself pinned to the ground, surrounded by flames. >> it was the lunch hour. so i'm more so on the cashier's desk then, and that time is kind of pretty busy. >> laura works at the sunmart gas station in munson township, ohio, and loves her job. >> we're smiling at 6:00 a.m. and smiling at 9:00 p.m. when it's time to close down. so we have a lot of regular customers. >> one of those regular customers is jim, a building maintenance supervisor. >> i come to this gas station every day for lunch during the work week. >> october 9, 2009, is as routine as any other day. laura behind the counter. jim enjoying his lunch. >

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." if you are like me from time to time you look around your home and you think what a mess. maybe dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of laundry on the floor or a big stack of papers on the counter. eventually most of us clean, fold and file our way back to at least presentable. but for hoarders clutter crosses a line from untidy to out of control. and the mess becomes a monster taking over their lives. from the outside it looks like a typical home in an ordinary suburban neighborhood. but go inside and you'll witness a shocking sight. rooms stuffed to the rafters with clutter and debris. >> it's very, very chaotic and stressful. >> in california 27-year-old jessica, who asked that her last name not be revealed, lives with her mother, an admitted hoarder. >> i would describe it as bad. it's not an environment that's comfortable to be in. >> after living on her own for more than a year, jessica moves back home to save money and help her mom with her worsening condition. the transition to su

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." you see a crime unfolding before your very eyes. the law breakers are armed, so what do you do? run for help? call 911? or would you try to stop the bad guys yourself? it's one thing to get involved if you are young and able. but in the story you are about to see, one of the unlikeliest of people says not on my watch. northampton, england. it's a bold and brash robbery in broad daylight as three sledgehammer-wielding thugs wail away at this jewelry store front. and three getaway drivers on mopeds rev their engines. it appears no one can stop these helmeted hooligans from their brazen afternoon heist. that is no one except for super granny. >> i'm exceedingly feisty. i know how to smack your hand if it's in the wrong place. >> reporter: her name is ann timson. and cloaked in red, flying down the street with the greatest of ease, the 71-year-old british granny vigilante decides to take justice into her own hands. beating the armed bandits with the only weapon she has, her handbag. >> it

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to caught on camera. that's just one of the many web sites where you can view videos these days. that's a lot of funny, cute, or disturbing moments to pass on to friend. how do we know if we can believe what we're seeing. are they real or are they fake? >> imagine your wedding day has finally arrived after months, if not years, of planning. the sun's shining. your dream dress is perfectly steamed. your hair and make-up are flawless. you're staring into the eyes of the man you love and then -- >> oh, my god, oh, my god. >> a wedding disaster. >> there's always that fear that one little thing will ruin everything. >> that's what happened in this video. >> one little tumble turns it from perfect to a calamity. >> it has awesome shock value. >> if this was my wedding, my whole family would be like, that guy would be in the pool, maybe on the barbecue. it wouldn't be like, oh, is she okay? oh, charlie slipped. you know what i mean? it would be like, get the forks. we are killing charlie. >> this nuptial nightm

i'm contessa brewer.tes and thrill seekers don't just put their own skills to the test, they challenge the laws of nature, too. in the next story a kite boarder stakes his life on the fickle wind and it lets him down hard. a pro kite boarder soars into the air and slams into solid steel. >> oh! >> i just saw my life flash in front of me. i started kite boarding 11 years ago when it first started. >> dimitri lives to fly. for wings he uses a kite in a relatively new sport called kite boarding. >> the appeal about this sport is the freedom. it's just like jumping and pure power house, but you are using nature to do that. >> the greek-born dimitri also flies to live. he's a pro and owner of a company that manufacturers and sells kite boards. >> i was very lucky to get into kite boarding, for myself and got sponsored by two different companies and eventually started my own kite company. >> kite boarding combines the appeal of boarding, riding the waves, with the pleasures of flying through the air on the kite

i'm contessa brewer.tious fishermen are always pushing the limits, trying to reel in that big one, scouring the oceans for the most exotic and elusive sea creatures. in our next story, a young angler battles a giant black marlin. and what happens next is no fish tale. 30 miles off the coast of panama, a family fishing vacation turns into a desperate fight for life. >> oh, my god. oh, my god. >> i didn't really think it was happening. i thought it was a dream. and then when i woke up, i was on the ground, being pulled into the corner of the boat, spitting up blood. so then it became real. >> 17-year-old steven schultz, his dad, bob, and his sister allison are on a fishing trip in the deep blue tropical waters near panama. it's one last summer trip before both kids go off to school. >> my brother was leaving for college, so we were going to be going separate ways again, and i was excited. >> spirits are high. it's the threesome's first deep sea fishing adventure together, and it's a chance for bob to share

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera."

i'm contessa brewer. use their video cameras out in plain sight, looking for that big "gotcha" moment. but the savvy woman you're about to meet never wanted to catch anything like that. and hers is a very personal story. jackie taylor installed a security system, so-called granny cams, in her house, when her elderly father became bedridden. the cameras were meant to give her peace of mind. but what they recorded did anything but that. 90-year-old john taylor, a stroke victim, lies defenseless, as his nurse repeatedly beats him over and over again. >> she just was angry right from the beginning, shaking her finger at him, pounding him in the chest and his stomach. >> john's daughter, jackie, catches it all on a security camera, she installed on her home to be her eyes and her ears while she's away. >> of course, anger and shock immediately. >> the vicious beating sickness jackie not only because of the cruelty but this was a woman she trusted. a woman she considered a friend. >> she would say, jackie, you'