Carroll S. Stroupe, 16, schoolboy, saved James D. Comer, 50, sheet metalworker, from drowning, Shenandoah, Virginia, March 9, 1968. At a bay of the Shenandoah River alongside a power plant, Comer fell into the water and lost consciousness. He floated at the surface and, 55 feet from the nearest bank of the bay, was caught and held by a slight eddy in water 17 feet deep. Carroll, who never had learned to swim, was among a number of persons at the scene. Seeing that no one was preparing to give aid, Carroll waded 15 feet into the bay and reached water beyond his depth. By a treading action, he managed to move 40 feet farther, keeping an erect position with his head above the surface. He drew Comer out of the eddy and retained a hold on him as the current carried them about 20 feet toward the bank of the bay while also moving them toward the main channel of the river. Using the same treading action as before, Carroll then managed to move Comer 20 feet directly toward the bank, reaching wadable water. He took Comer 15 feet farther to the bank, where he forced water from him. Comer was removed to a hospital and revived.
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