William R. Deasey, Jr., saved Larry Belhumeur from drowning, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1979. Belhumeur, 34, was piloting a helicopter that crashed into the Schuylkill River, broke up, and sank in deep water. Belhumeur suffered a broken back but escaped from the aircraft and surfaced. Deasey, 30, marketing analyst, entered the river and, swimming through fuel-polluted water and around debris from the helicopter, reached Belhumeur. With some difficulty, Deasey moved Belhumeur to a high wall at the nearest bank and supported him there. A rescue boat arrived and removed Belhumeur; Deasey climbed a ladder lowered from atop the wall.
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