Ann Rothpletz saved Billy D. Waugh from drowning, Jeffersonville, Indiana, July 7, 2017. Waugh, 49, and a friend were fishing from a rock shelf that was submerged in several feet of water in the Ohio River when they were swept into deeper water of the river’s main channel and struggled to stay afloat in the swift current. Rothpletz, 46, university faculty member, was nearby and saw Waugh being carried downstream, waving his arms and shouting. Realizing he was in trouble, Rothpletz entered the water and swam about 300 feet to Waugh, who was unconscious. Rothpletz grasped Waugh, and turned him onto his back. Grasping his collar and towing him, she swam about 300 feet to the bank. Unable to fully remove Waugh from the river, she pulled his upper body out of the water and held his head upright so that he could breathe. Rescue personnel arrived, and Waugh was taken from the scene. He was monitored in the hospital for two days and released; he was not injured. Rothpletz was tired and shaken after the rescue; she recovered. Waugh’s friend drowned. 90807-10147
90807 – 10147
90807-10147