Mark S. Clemente, 11, schoolboy, saved John P. Gottbehut, Jr., 13, schoolboy, from drowning, Gloversville, New York, December 29, 1957. While attempting to save his dog which had broken through the ice on a pond, John also broke through the ice and was submerged briefly in water eight feet deep 120 feet from the bank. John, who was on his first day out after a recent illness, tried unsuccessfully to climb back onto the ice, which broke off , causing him to he submerged again and enlarging the hole to ten feet in diameter. Mark, who had been skating with John on the safe ice near the bank, moved to within five feet of the hole and got to his hands and knees on the ice. At John’s suggestion Mark removed his leather jacket and extended it toward John, but the garment did not quite reach the hole. Crawling cautiously to within three feet of the hole, Mark again extended the jacket to John, who grasped the sleeve. Mark then assumed a sitting position, dug the heels of his skates into the ice, and pulled on the jacket. As he drew John, who was heavier than he, from the water, the ice sagged beneath Mark; and water an inch deep ran over it, but it did not break. Mark and John crawled to safe ice, and John’s dog climbed from the water unaided.
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