James O. Coleman helped to save Terence J. Cooney from drowning, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, January 14, 1970. When a motorboat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean in deep water 1000 feet from shore, Cooney’s foot became caught in a rope ring attached to the bow, and he was unable to free himself. Another man aided Cooney, 58, in holding to the overturned boat, beneath which the latter’s wife had been trapped. Coleman, 21, college student, and another young man noted the situation from shore and entered the water to give aid. They swam through six to eight -foot swells and were fatigued when they reached the capsized craft. Coleman, with help, freed Cooney’s foot and then supported him alongside the boat, which was rocked considerably by the swells. The other young man searched for Cooney’s wife but failed to find her. A Coast Guard cutter arrived; and when the overturned boat was towed to shore, Cooney’s wife was found beneath it, unconscious. She was revived.
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