Peter D. Hernandez, 40, carpenter, died attempting to save F. Rubin Ortega, 11, schoolboy, from drowning, Coyote, California, March 20, 1960. While Rubin, a very poor swimmer, was fishing at a gravel pit pond, he fell into the water, which was uniformly 20 feet deep. He was submerged briefly and then struggled to stay afloat. Hernandez, who with his 10-year-old son had accompanied Rubin and his father to the pond, ran to the water’s edge and took hold of Rubin by the hair. He lost his footing at the edge of the pond’s vertical bank and fell into the water fully clothed, including heavy leather boots. Both he and Rubin were submerged briefly, surfacing separately 10 feet from the bank. Hernandez then took hold of Rubin about the waist and supported him at the surface, but made no progress toward the bank. Rubin’s father, who also wore heavy boots, attempted to extend a long handled fishing net to them and also fell into the pond. He was submerged briefly and then barely was able to stay afloat as Hernandez with difficulty supported Rubin, occasionally being submerged briefly himself. From the bank the son of Hernandez tried without success to extend a fishing rod to them. He then ran 50 feet to a raft moored at the bank and by the rope attached to it began towing it toward them. In succession, Hernandez, Rubin, and his father then sank and remained submerged. The boy summoned help; and the three bodies were removed from the pond. 45037-4351
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