Santo Giurado helped to save Nicola J. Giacobbe from drowning, Newburyport, Massachusetts, September 2, 1961. In dense fog and swells seven to 10 feet high in the Atlantic Ocean, a motor- boat containing Giacobbe, 56, pharmacist, and another man capsized in deep water 3,000 feet from shore. The other man was drowned, but Giacobbe climbed onto the overturned boat, which was held by its anchor. Giurado, 48, forklift operator, and Julius S. Kalpokis were heading for shore in a 17 foot outboard motorboat and heard Giacobbe calling for help. They changed course and proceeded 200 feet to the overturned craft. Giurado carefully piloted his boat alongside, keeping its bow headed into the swells as both boats rose and fell. Kalpokis reached over the side, grasped Giacobbe, and pulled him into the water alongside the boat. As Giurado backed the boat away, Kalpokis tied Giacobbe, who outweighed each of them, to the craft with a rope. Giacobbe, who was nearly exhausted, could not help himself as Kalpokis attempted to lift him into the boat. Giurado then held the controls with one hand and with the other tried without success to assist Kalpokis. Although fearing that the swells might turn the craft sideways and swamp or overturn it if he shut off the motor, Giurado did so. Working quickly, Giurado and Kalpokis drew Giacobbe to the stern of the boat and then heaved him aboard when it dipped with the swells. The boat already had begun to swing broadside when Giurado restarted the motor and headed into the swells again. By then the fog had become more dense, and the boat had drifted parallel to shore for a half a mile. Giurado radioed the Coast Guard, who found them within a half an hour and led them to safety. Giacobbe recovered.
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