George D. Van Aken, 31, electrician, saved Frederick Chapin from drowning, New York, New York, January 4, 1915. (See case of JAMES F. MCCOLLOM, JR.) Van Aken, who could swim but two or three strokes, crawled to the hole and reached for the fingers of Frederick, who was then unconscious and under the surface, but the ice broke and let Van Aken fall in. He held to the ice and got Frederick on it but could not get out of the hole himself. Persons near shore threw a rope, and Van Aken, holding to it with his hands and to Frederick with his legs, was pulled to safety. Frederick was revived, but he got pneumonia and was sick two months. Van Aken was cut and bruised by the ice but was not disabled. 14123-1274
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