Richard R. Mehrhof saved Linda Jo Heher and Evelyn Knobloch and attempted to save Dorothy P. Heher from drowning, St. Augustine, Florida, July 9, 1955. Linda Jo, 10, who was a poor swimmer, and Evelyn, 8, a nonswimmer, were playing in the surf at Vilano Beach with three others, including Linda Jo’s mother, Heher, 43, who was a fair swimmer. All five were caught by a wave and swept beyond the breaker line into deep water 100 feet from shore. Linda Jo floundered at the surface, and Heher attempted to help Evelyn as the other two persons swam to shore and summoned Mehrhof, 31, sales manager, and others. After two men refused to help because of the undertow, Mehrhof obtained a life preserver and swam 100 feet to Linda Jo, who took hold of the preserver. He swam 50 feet farther to Heher, turned her onto her back, and began towing her toward the shore while pulling the preserver to which Linda Jo was clinging. Gasping for breath and weakening steadily, he was 15 feet from the breaker line when he noticed Evelyn floating in the water, near a second life preserver. After regaining some strength by treading water, he swam to the second preserver and looped the rope over his shoulder. Without releasing his hold on Heher or the first preserver, he lifted Evelyn to a position across the second preserver and then towed all three victims toward the shore. With extreme effort and suffering a chest pain, he reached the breaker line, where a wave carried all four to within 75 feet of the beach. Others helped take Heher, Linda Jo, and Evelyn ashore. Linda Jo suffered no ill effects, and Evelyn was revived and recovered three days later. Heher could not be revived. Mehrhof was nervous and near complete fatigue, but he recovered. 43647-4043
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