Mary Allen, 19, saved Alice Thornmark, 20, and Charlotte Allen, 17, from drowning, Leroy, Michigan, August 3, 1911. Miss Allen, her cousin Charlotte, and Miss Thornmark were on a raft on Rose Lake. Another girl on the raft dived from it, and it tilted. Charlotte and Miss Thornmark were thrown into water over six feet deep, coming up about 10 feet from the raft. The raft was 150 feet from shore. Charlotte and Miss Thornmark, who could not swim, clung to each other. Miss Allen, who was a fair swimmer, jumped from the raft and swam to them. The girl who had dived was a short distance from the others, and she soon sank and was drowned. Charlotte grabbed Miss Allen around the neck, and Miss Allen grasped Miss Thornmark with one hand. All went beneath the surface. Miss Allen released her hold on Miss Thornmark and struggled strenuously to reach the surface, then she renewed her hold on Miss Thornmark. Charlotte tightened her hold on Miss Allen’s neck. Miss Allen trod water and kept all at the surface. Her movements carried them toward the raft, and Miss Thornmark grasped it. Three times Miss Allen broke Charlotte’s hold on her and told Charlotte to hold to the raft, but each time Charlotte renewed her hold on Miss Allen. When Miss Allen succeeded in freeing herself, she got up on the raft to look for the girl who was drowned. Miss Thornmark could just touch bottom with her toes. She left the raft and waded to the bank . Miss Allen re-entered the water and waded to the bank, pulling Charlotte after her. 7069-925
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