David C. Leonard saved Alton J. Garman from drowning, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1936. While wading in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Garman, 29, school teacher, stepped into water seven feet deep, and he swam and drifted to a point 50 feet from wadable water, tried to touch bottom, and then threshed and bobbed up and down in fright. Two youths awkwardly paddled a flatboat from the nearer bank toward him and then paddled back to the bank. Leonard, 19, laborer, waded from the bank and then swam 575 feet to Garman, who was nearly exhausted. Turning on his back, Leonard had Garman place his hands on Leonard’s shoulders; and both were submerged by Garman’s weight. Leonard broke free from Garman, who reached once or twice to take hold of his arms; and both rose. With one band under Garman’s chin Leonard tried to hold Garman’s head above the water, but he dipped under the surface several times. Leonard then dipped under the surface to avoid a hold, and Garman also went under the surface briefly and became limp. Then from behind Garman, he lowered himself under the surface, took hold of Garman’s hips, pushed Garman’s head above the surface as he trod water, and then rose for air. Leonard repeated this movement three or four times, then lost his hold, and with his left hand quickly took hold of Garman’s hair. He then swam and drifted 125 feet at an angle to the current, became too weak to swim farther, and trod water. Soon afterward a rowboat reached Leonard, Garman was supported by a man in the boat, and the boat with Leonard hanging to it was rowed to wadable water. Leonard waded toward the bank, fell from weakness in shallow water, and was aided to the bank. Garman was revived.
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