David L. Martin saved James L. Gendreau from drowning, Stanbridge East, Quebec, July 16, 1997. Gendreau, 19, and another man were thrown from their canoe after it went over a dam on the Rivière aux Brochets, which was flooded. They were caught in the boil of water at the base of the dam and then, having lost consciousness, were carried downstream by the swift current. From his home along the river, Martin, 36, contractor, saw Gendreau, face down and closer to the opposite bank, being carried away. He ran along the bank about 250 feet following Gendreau and then removed his shoes, dived into the water, and swam to him. Tiring from having nearly to cross the flooded river, which contained debris, Martin grasped Gendreau, turned him over, and revived him as they were pulled farther downstream. When they reached the point at which branches from a tree on the opposite bank extended over the river, Martin grasped a branch, ending their course of about 300 feet. Martin took Gendreau to the bank, where Gendreau was given medical treatment. He and Martin were very tired, and they recovered.
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