Abel O. Garcia helped to save James A. Chambers from drowning, Freeport, Texas, June 4, 1984. James, 12, and his cousin were in the Brazos River near its juncture with the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing nearby, Garcia, 26, chemical technician, heard screams for help and saw the boys in the water. He immediately ran into the river and threw a rope toward them, but it fell short. Garcia then swam to James and, after a brief struggle, established a hold on him. He took James to a group of men linked arm in arm near the bank; the men removed James from the water. Garcia attempted to swim the remaining distance, but the current pulled him back out into the river. A passing boat rescued Garcia, who, as James, was exhausted but uninjured. 60451-7040
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60451-7040