Floyd R. Smith, 30, truck driver, saved Alaine L. and Robin L. Buckmaster, 7 and 5, respectively, from drowning, Zionsville, Indiana, January 11, 1958. Alaine and Robin, neither of whom could swim, broke through the ice on a creek which was 50 feet wide and floundered in water eight feet deep at midstream. Informed of the accident by an eight-year-old boy, Smith ran 750 feet to bridge over the creek. He saw Alaine floating face down in a 12-foot hole in the ice and feared he did not have time to descend the snow-covered bank and climb over a barbed wire fence six feet high, which extended across the creek between the bridge and the hole. Without delaying to remove his heavy boots, Smith ran to the end of a wall extending from the bridge to within nine feet of the fence two feet above it and dived into the water in the hole eight feet below, barely clearing the fence. He surfaced near Alaine and took hold of her jacket. Towing Alaine, he swam to the edge of the hole and, breaking the thin ice ahead of him, continued 12 feet farther to the bank. After lifting Alaine onto the bank, Smith swam back to the hole and made several surface dives, looking for Robin. He finally located him by probing with his hands under the ice around the hole. Smith drew Robin from under the ice and then swam towing him to the bank. He lifted Robin onto the bank and, noticing that the boy had swallowed his tongue, drew it to normal position. The children’s father and another man arrived and began to give the children artificial respiration as Smith climbed from the water. Robin responded quickly, but Alaine did not revive until removed to a hospital. Smith was winded, chilled, and tired. All recovered.
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