The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-23
LOST HIS LIFE IN THE SURF.
DON AGOos VENTURED TOO FAR
OUT AT TYBEE AND DROWNED.

He Was Taken Unconscious From
the Water by Corpl. Starr of Fort
Screven and Died on the beach.
Hundreds of People watched the
Drowning Man but Were Helpless
to Rescue Him-His Two Children
Saw Their Father Struggle for His
life.
Don Agoos was drowned in the surf at
Tyhee yesterday afternoon. The drown
ing occurred shortly after o'clock In
front of Hotel Tybee, and was witnessed
by several hundred people on the beach
Sho were powerless 90 render aid.
The man, with his two small children
went in bathing about an hour before the
accident. With him was a friend ana
leaving the children in near the shore.
the two struck out for deeper water At
der ENJOYING the surf for awhile Agoos
told his friend 10 come along and started
still further out. The friend refused 70
30 out any further, and so the doomed
man went alone, but had been out only
short lime before he called for help, ask
ing the other man 10 come to him quick
ly. Whether he was seized win cramp
or became exhausted battling with the
rollers and realized his inability to get
back will never be known. His friend
realizing the mans danger from the dis
lance at which he was from The beach
ana nistrusting his own abilities as
sWiinmer 10 render aid, came nearer the
other bathers of whom there were about
sixty or seventy-fve in the water at the
time. end made known to them Agoos'
danger.
There was a strong ebb tide and the
surf was running high, but despite this a
number OF bathers at once started in the
direction of the drowning man while 9TH
ers ran TO the ropes used for bathers'
supports and. cutting them, carried them
out as far as they could stand in the wa
ter with the intention Of assisting the
man ashore as soon as he could be brought
within reach.
Corpl. Harry A. Starr of Battery C, who
was in the surf when the call for assist
ance was made. Immediately struck out
for the man though he was then several
hundred feet from the nearest bathers,
that he could barely be seen as his head
bobbed and sank with the tossing waves.
Corpl. Starr is an excellent swimmer and
probably never made a greater effort than
he did then in his efforts to reach the
man and get him to the bathers waiting
with the ropes This he finally did, but
not until the elapse of probably twelve or
fifteen minutes after Agoos had first
called for help. When Starr fin
ally came wi hin reach, with the aid of the
ropes both he and Agoos were drawn into
shoal water, ana then dozens of willing
hands took the limp and senseleSs man
up en- the beach.
Drs. Crowther Martin and w f. Nor
ton were found and under their direction
and with their assistance every known
means of resuscitation tried for nearly
swo hours, but all remedies failed, and
about 8 o'clock the man was pronounced
dead, and message was sent to the city
for Coroner Gostte.
During the efforts made to get the man
from the water, and later while he was
lying on the beach under the care of the
doctors and their assistants, the beach
was crowded with people, while all dis
sracted the dead mans daughter, still In
her wet bathing suit, ran along crying to
every friendly face that she saw that ii
was her father. Friends brought the two
children up on the $40 train. The body
was brought on the 1910 train.
The drowned man had several friends
and acquaintance on the beach at the
time of the accident. Several of these
came to the city on the early train, and
otter notifying Mrs. Agoos of her hus-
bands death, began making the prepara-
tions for the funeral The H. G. H. So
ciety, Hebrew benevolent organization,
OF which the deceased was member,
was holding meeting when the news OF
che drowning reached them, and they I'M
medately appointed committee of three,
Messrs George Levin. j. Waiser and S
WNenski to meet the body at the depot
and to complete the arrangements for the
funeral, at which the H. G. II. will attend
in a body
The drowned man leaves a wife and
three children, the youngest babe only
two weeks old. He has been carrying on
a general dry goods business in the "Ad-
miral" under the Union Hotel on West
Broad street. Had there been the usual
precautions observed at seaside resorts of
having life lines. boats or RATS on the
beach, and in readiness in cases of drown
ing Agoos' fiiends believe that he could
have been saved.