Michael G. Reuter, 58, farmer, helped to save Curmit Conner, 34, roofer, and Vernon Collins, 40, carpenter, and attempted to save Donald W. Wise, 44, roofer, from drowning, Sebastian, Florida, March 10, 1956. While Conner, Collins, and Wise were fishing from a motorboat a short distance within Sebastian Inlet, the anchor-line broke and the boat was carried by the strong current into an extremely turbulent area of the inlet, where it became swamped and sank, plunging the three men into water seven feet deep between breakers about 10 feet high. Reuter, who was partially disabled from war injuries to his side and spine, piloted his 14-foot outboard motorboat into the rough surf. His motor was swamped by a breaker, and he rowed the boat with difficulty to Collins and Conner, who were clinging to the projecting bow of the sunken craft. At times the waves lifted Reuter’s boat to an almost vertical position. Reuter grasped Conner, who was dazed, and lifted him into the boat as it rolled with a breaker. He then began rowing toward Wise, who had clung to a floating fuel can and had been carried beyond the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile Otto C. Weirauch piloted his motorboat through the inlet to Wise. After Wise had been aided aboard by another man in the boat, Weirauch piloted his craft back into the inlet and took Reuter’s boat in tow. As they proceeded toward the river, the smaller boat became swamped, pitching Reuter, Collins, and Conner into the water. Weirauch’s boat also listed sharply and shipped water. Reuter and Collins clung to the swamped boat, which had been released from Weirauch’s craft, and Reuter supported Conner, who was only semi-conscious. A woman aboard Weirauch’s boat became violently ill, and Weirauch decided to take her ashore . Loris L. LeFever then piloted his motorboat into the inlet to the swamped boat. A rope was thrown to Reuter, who held it while Collins made his way to the boat and climbed into it. Reuter continued supporting Conner as both were pulled to the boat and taken aboard. As the craft proceeded toward the river, a breaker swamped the motor, and the boat drifted back into the rough surf. Weirauch again piloted his boat to LeFever’s craft, taking it in tow. The tow-line broke, and LeFever’s boat again was carried into the turbulent area. Weirauch overtook LeFever’s boat and, after another rope had been attached, towed it from the inlet. Conner was removed to a hospital and revived. Collins, Wise, and Reuter were tired. Reuter also sustained bruises and experienced muscular soreness for two weeks. All recovered. 43817-4131
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