Paul G. Brown helped to save A. Alphonse McCullough from drowning, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 14, 1961. In dense fog, a 50-foot boat traveling up the Mississippi River struck a ferryboat and sank in deep water 1,400 feet from the nearest bank. Although his two companions drowned inside the smaller boat, McCullough, 30, boat operator, forced open a cabin door and escaped but swallowed much water and lost consciousness. From the ferryboat Brown, 36, restaurant steward, peered through the fog and saw McCullough, who was wearing a bright red shirt, floating inert 30 feet from the boat. Kicking off his shoes, Brown dived into the water and swam to McCullough, who then was two feet beneath the surface. Brown submerged and brought him to the surface. Towing McCullough, who out-weighed him by 50 pounds, Brown swam 15 feet toward the boat and by then was fatigued. Two youths, who were good swimmers entered the water with a life preserver attached to a rope held by persons aboard the boat. The youths swam to Brown, who placed the preserver around McCullough. Brown and the youths held to the preserver and with McCullough were pulled to the boat and taken aboard. McCullough regained consciousness and recovered.
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