Robert P. Cotter helped to save George W. Lewis from drowning, Monroe, Michigan, July 21, 1992. George, 6, was fishing from his family’s boat in Lake Erie a few miles from shore when the railing he was leaning against gave way and he fell into the water. He struggled to stay afloat as the boat drifted away. George’s grandfather, Cotter, 60, business consultant, who also was fishing from the boat, immediately jumped into the water and swam to him. He grasped George and began to swim back toward the boat as it continued to drift away. Tiring, he positioned George on his back so that he could swim with both arms, but he became exhausted, lost consciousness, and began to submerge. George’s father had by then swum to them from the boat, and he held onto George and Cotter. Another boater arrived at the scene shortly and helped to remove the three from the water. Cotter was revived en route to the hospital, where he was detained four days for effects of nearly drowning.
67047 – 7739
67047-7739