John H. Andresen, Jr., saved Edward M. Hitchcock and Daniel W. Barrow, Jr., from exposure and drowning, Greenwood Lake, New York, November 29, 1958. When Hitchcock, 36, airplane mechanic, accompanied by Barrow, 34, assistant office manager, landed his small pontoon equipped airplane on a lake after dark, strong winds caused it to overturn a quarter of a mile from shore. In near freezing water 40 feet deep the two men clung to the pontoons of the submerged plane and called for help as heavy snow began to fall. Andresen, 42, consulting engineer, who lived on the far shore of the lake a half a mile away, was attracted and went to the aid of the men in an old and patched 16-foot canoe, the only craft available. Guided by the men’s voices, Andresen paddled a zigzag course in order to keep the canoe always at an angle to wind as much as 35 m.p.h. and waves nearly three feet high. Although the canoe shipped some water and the 18-degree cold numbed his hands, Andresen located the plane. He carefully directed Hitchcock and then Barrow in boarding the canoe. Unable to tell which bank was nearer, Andresen paddled another quarter of a mile and reached the opposite shore after having been on the lake about 40 minutes. Andresen suffered frozen fingers but recovered. 44761-4371
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