Robert Patrick Porter saved David S. Hall from drowning, Marion, Ohio, March 20, 1993. David, 9, broke through ice on McKinley Park Lake about 40 feet from the bank and shouted for help. Porter, 32, physician, was driving nearby when he saw him. Porter ran to the bank and, after removing his boots and outer attire, began to break a path through the ice toward David. As he progressed, Porter lost his foothold in the deepening water and had to lunge upon the solid ice to break it. When he reached David, Porter grasped him around the chest and then swam back to the bank with him. Police officers who had arrived formed a chain and helped them out of the water. David was taken to the hospital for treatment, and he recovered. Porter recovered from lacerations to his chest and arms and contusions to his legs.
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