Curtis H. Baer, 42, radio installer, rescued James L. Peters, 51, aircraft mechanic, from the intake duct of a jet airplane, Middletown, Pennsylvania, February 25, 1964. Testing a jet airplane on the ground, Peters, Baer, and another man were outside the craft while a fourth man at the controls increased the speed of one of the two engines to near full power. As strong currents were drawn into the air duct leading to the turbine, air filled the hood of the parka which Peters was wearing and pulled him headfirst into the opening, which was about three feet wide, 27 inches high, and four and a half feet above the ground. Baer knew that if Peters was drawn to the turbine he would encounter a vacuum strong enough to cause fatal injuries. Running to the intake duct, Baer grasped the ankles of Peters, who by then had been drawn into the opening to his knees. Baer threw his weight downward to prevent Peters from being pulled completely into the duct. Keeping his face toward the intake duct lest the hood of his parka trap air and pull him in also, Baer clung to Peters for about a minute until the operator, at a signal from the other man, shut off the engine. Peters was hospitalized for his injuries, including internal damage to his eyes.
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