H. Cooper Fletcher saved Howell M. Priour from drowning, Kerrville, Texas, July 2, 1932. On July 1, Priour, 18, schoolboy, was swimming across a narrow body of water that was part of the flooded Guadalupe River. He was overtaken by a rush of deep water from a broken dam and was carried to a tree at the normal bank. He climbed to a point six feet above the water, which was 24 feet deep there. Sparsely scattered logs and other debris drifted in a current of 3 m.p.h. Priour, who wore no clothing above his waist, remained all night in the tree and called for help. The water rose to within three feet of him, and it was feared that he might fall from exhaustion or that the tree would be washed away, as other trees near it had been uprooted. In the morning, men on the opposite bank made several attempts to reach Priour by swimming and by using a raft and a boat, but they were unsuccessful. Fletcher, 20, laborer, who had watched these attempts, entered the water, swam 330 feet at an angle to the current, and, slowly swimming with great difficulty and effort from tree to tree, reached Priour in 90 minutes. Fletcher took food and first aid supplies tied to his back. He gave the food to Priour, who was dazed. Two hours later, the water having receded to a depth of eight feet at the tree, Priour and Fletcher started to swim to wadable water. Alternately swimming and resting by holding to bushes, they went 175 feet to wadable water, Fletcher giving Priour aid at times. 33379-2750
33379 – 2750
33379-2750