Nathan Douglas Adlen 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. Adlen,20, teacher, who was driving on the bridge, ran to the scene as traffic stopped. He saw Cathrea, face down and unconscious, at a point about 20feet from the bridge, in water about seven feet deep. Removing his shoes, Adlen jumped the 20-foot distance into the bay, not knowing its depth or that it was near low tide. He struck the bottom of the bay, but surfaced and swam to Cathrea, whom he then grasped around the chest. Adlen towed Cathrea back to the bridge, where another man jumped into the water and 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. Adlena nd the other man were removed from the bay in the same fashion. Cathrea was hospitalized eight days for treatment of injuries. Adlen sustained rope burns to his waist and lacerations to his knee and hand; he recovered.
66237 – 7666
66237-7666