Michael L. Barden helped to save Harry Cathrea from drowning, Hayward, California, September 29, 1991. Cathrea, 27, was thrown from the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge into the San Francisco Bay during a highway accident. Barden,37, technical writer, who was driving on the bridge, ran to the scene as traffic stopped. He saw Cathrea, face down and unconscious in the seven-foot-deep water. After another man had jumped into the bay to support Cathrea and appeared to Barden to be having difficulty with him, Bardenr emoved his shoes and shirt and also jumped the 20-foot distance into the bay, not knowing its depth or that it was near low tide. He helped hold onto Cathrea. One end of a rope was lowered to them, and they tied it to Cathrea, who was then hoisted to the bridge deck by others. Barden and the other man were removed from the bay in the same fashion. Cathrea was hospitalized eight days for treatment of injuries. Barden recovered from scrapes and rope burns.
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