James R. Rand saved Mary Jane Santosuoss from drowning, Pinecrest, California, February 28, 1959. While walking on an ice?covered lake, Mary Jane, 15, and a 17-year-old youth broke through the ice 200 feet from the nearest bank and, in water 10 feet deep, clung to the ice at the edge of a hole six feet in diameter. Approaching the hole from different directions, James, 16, schoolboy, and Billy C. Carnes started across the ice, dropping to prone positions when it sagged. They crawled close to opposite ends of the hole. The ice then gave way under them, enlarging the hole to eight feet as they fell into the water. James surfaced and then pulled Mary Jane, who had started to sink, to the surface by her hair. She struggled, striking James on the head with her elbow as he towed her to the edge of the hole. Carnes, who had surfaced beside the youth, thrust him to the edge of the enlarged hole, where he held to the ice. After James had lifted her partially onto the ice, causing himself to be submerged briefly and to swallow some water, Mary Jane crawled away from the hole and got to her feet. The others then climbed onto the ice. James and Carnes aided Mary Jane 25 feet toward the bank as her companion followed. The ice then gave way under them over an area eight feet in diameter, and all fell into water six feet deep. James and Carnes lifted Mary Jane onto the ice, climbed out and, with the youth following, aided her to within 25 feet of the bank. All broke through again, but waded to the bank in shallow water. 44981-4379
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44981-4379