Hazard D. Adams, 41, farmer, saved William W. Shannon, 30, assistant manager, Gertrude M. Shannon, 31, Dora C. Chase, 30, and two others from drowning, Greene, New York, July 8, 1935. Heavy drift in flood waters of the Genegantslet Creek wrecked Shannon’s cottage, and in darkness Shannon and his wife and their four-year-old son and Mrs. Chase and her husband drifted in water eight to ten feet deep to a wooded area and got onto trees. Shannon, who had hold of his son while drifting, placed his son in branches above him and stood on a branch with his feet in the water; and Mrs. Shannon climbed into a sapling 20 feet from him. Mrs. Chase drifted to a tree 30 feet from him, and Chase got to a tree 400 feet from him. At the edge of the flooded area a half a mile north of the wooded area Adams removed his outer clothing and shoes, entered a rowboat, and in eddy water rowed 150 feet toward the trees. He then maneuvered the boat in a current of two or three m.p.h. to the main current, which flowed southwest at a speed of six to eight m.p.h. and was 250 feet wide. Rowing with all his strength to keep his course and with the bow at times to the northeast and at other times to the east, the boat moved southeast across the current and then southwest in a current of four m.p.h. toward the trees. Some debris was against the tree where Shannon and his son were. Adams permitted the boat to drift a few feet past the tree, then rowed against the current, got hold of branches, and pulled himself in the boat to the tree. Shannon placed one foot in the boat, gave his son to Adams, and got into the boat. Adams permitted the boat to drift a few feet and then rowed northeast to open water, then southeast to a table-land, and landed the boy. He had rowed 600 feet from the tree. Shannon remained in the boat, and Adams rowed to a point northeast of the wooded area and rowed with great effort against a current of four m.p.h. as the boat drifted to the sapling. Mrs. Shannon was taken in the boat to the table-land, Adams following his former course. During the trip Shannon took one of the oars and aided in rowing for 20 feet. The boat got nearly broadside in the current, and Adams got control with great effort. Although unnerved and showing emotional effects, Adams made two similar trips to take Mrs. Chase and her husband, respectively, to the table-land. When he finally left the boat, he fell from exhaustion.
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