Larry Lee Duckett died helping to save W. Chester Taylor from suffocation, Weeks, Louisiana, September 13, 1973. When he entered a below-deck compartment aboard a barge to make repairs, Taylor, aged 48, was overcome by lack of oxygen and collapsed unconscious on a beam just above the level of water that had leaked into the compartment. Duckett, 19, deckhand, entered the compartment through a manhole in the top, taking with him one end of a rope. He descended a ladder to Taylor, tied the rope securely around him, and started to climb out. Duckett then was overcome and fell face down in the water. Taylor was removed by means of the rope Duckett had tied around him. Firemen wearing masks removed Duckett. Taylor recovered, but Duckett could not be revived.
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