Samuel A. Stipelcovich, 19, fisherman, saved Sidney D. Pelas, Jr., 11, schoolboy, and Velma F. Bowers, 13, and attempted to save Alda C. Bowers, 18, and Gwendolyn A. Pelas, 13, from drowning, Empire, Louisiana, August 7, 1949. While playing in a lagoon, Sidney and Alda, who were poor swimmers, and Velma and Gwendolyn, who could not swim, got into deep water. Their screams attracted Stipelcovich, who was wading on a sandbar nearby. Stipelcovich made a surface dive and swam toward Sidney, who sank as Stipelcovich approached. Stipelcovich dived and took hold of Sidney four feet beneath the surface. They rose, and Sidney grasped Stipelcovich around the neck with both hands. Without breaking Sidney’s hold, Stipelcovich towed him 30 feet to the sandbar, Sidney becoming unconscious. Stipelcovich carried a brother of Sidney to the sandbar from water three feet deep and then swam 40 feet to Velma, took hold of her, and towed her 30 feet to the bank. She was unconscious. Although fatigued, he swam 40 feet to where he had last seen Alda and dived repeatedly to a depth of ten feet in search of her and Gwendolyn but could not find them. After diving for 10 minutes, Stipelcovich became almost exhausted and swam with difficulty to the side of a motorboat which arrived at the bank. A man pulled him into the boat. The bodies of Alda and Gwendolyn were recovered five hours later. Sidney and Velma were revived. Stipelcovich recovered. 3654-41789
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