Tanya M. O’Donnell helped to save Kinley S. McDonald from drowning, Chatham, Massachusetts, August 31, 2008. Kinley, 10, and her father were swept from a sandbar near the entrance to Chatham Harbor into deeper water of the Atlantic Ocean. They struggled against a strong current that took them farther from shore. Tanya, 17, an off-duty lifeguard from another municipality, was among the beachgoers who observed their plight. She waded and swam to them and supported Kinley but could make no progress against the current in returning to shore. A harbor patrol boat reached them at a point about 300 feet from the beach and, leaving Tanya with a life jacket, returned Kinley’s father to shore for emergency medical care. Tanya donned the life jacket and continued to support Kinley as they were carried farther out. Another harbor patrol boat reached them at a point about 750 feet from the beach, and they were returned to shore. Kinley and her father were taken to the hospital, where Kinley was treated for hypothermia. Her father drowned. Tanya was exhausted and cold, but she recovered.
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