Newton S. Gulley helped to save Arthur B. Rivers from drowning, Swansboro, North Carolina, August 13, 1931. While wading in the Atlantic Ocean at Bear Beach, Rivers, 33, lost his footing in rough water and a strong undertow and was carried to a point about 900 feet from shore. Gulley, 36, mechanic, who was not familiar with conditions, waded and then swam with a 16-year-old boy about 700 feet to Rivers, each pushing a life preserver ahead of him. After adjusting the life preserver to support Rivers, Gulley and the boy, who were about exhausted, were tossed by a wave, and they swam a few feet to the other life preserver, which had been tossed out of their reach. Feeling unable to render Rivers further aid, they then swam toward shore with great difficulty. After swimming a short distance, Gulley abandoned the life preserver because he could scarcely handle it in the waves. He swam with great exertion 700 feet to wadable water and waded to the shore. Later in the day he collapsed from weakness and was disabled for a week. Rivers held to the life preserver as he drifted closer to the shore and then was rescued by another man.
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