James Davies saved Bobbie Jean Davis from drowning, Hagerstown, Maryland, February 7, 1963. Bobbie Jean, 11, and an 11-year-old boy, both non-swimmers, broke through the ice on City Park Lake 30 feet from the bank and fell into water three and a half feet deep above silty muck three feet deep. When they attempted to climb out, the ice broke off, enlarging the hole to six feet in diameter. Bobbie Jean’s feet became caught in the muck as she tried to hold to the ice. James, 13, schoolboy, who could not swim, moved cautiously on the ice to within three feet of the hole. The ice then gave way beneath him, and he dropped into the water, where he sank into the muck. The boy climbed out and made his way to the bank. James obtained leverage on the ice, drew his legs from the muck, and crawled out of the hole. Meanwhile Bobbie Jean had pulled her feet from her shoes, which remained in the muck, but still was unable to obtain a secure hold on the ice. James moved to opposite her and extended his hand. She grasped it and was drawn onto the ice as James backed away from the hole. James then carried her to the bank.
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