Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-09-27
RIGHT WAY TO RESCUE.
How to Prevent Drowning Persons
From Taking Swimmer Down.

From Taking Swimmer Down.
1t happened At one OF the Long ls-
land sound resorts one afternoon a
week or so ago. The day was hot, and
scores OF bathers were enjoying the
still. cool water. Suddenly there was
a CRY from the crowd OF spectators on
the wharf and cranlng Of necks.
Some distance out in the sound
swimmer who had been doing Stunts
for half an hour had suddenly begun
splashing about furiouSly.
Help. H-e-l-pw he cried in fright
ened shrek when he came to the sur
face after sinking once.
"a shark must be after him." said a
frightened woman.
"No sharks In the sound" corrected
man of the crowd. Hes got a
cramp and IS frightened to death"
"Why does not some one save him"
asked the woman as there came another
agonizing cry from the struggling man.
Even as she spoke strong limbed
youth threw Off his coat and tore away
the fastenlngs Mt his shoes. One more
glance to assure him that none Of the
men in bathing suits was going to the
rescue, and he plunged into the water.
Get n boatw cried some one. but
as usual In such cases at that particu-
lar moment there was no boat around.
The rcscucr was swimming out and
the drowning man still splashed. The
crowd cheered ana cheered again. 1t
was plain that he would arrive In time.
"That young chap Is hero" said an
elderly woman.
ole ought to have n medal for it!'
cried another.
"Where Is he?" demanded girl who
Just worshlped heroes on or Off the
stage.
Then change came over the crowd
| The rcscuer was losfing. With another
stroke he could have grasped the
drowning man. but he held back. Was
he going to let him drown after allF
The man with the crnmp struggled and
fought his way toward the rescuer and
seized his outstrctchcd arm.
The rcscucr struck out with his
clinched fist and hit the man in the
face 1t WAS an awful blow, and the
drowning man sank like Il shot.
Brute cried the crowd. Muir
derer. He's trying TO kill the poor
fellow! He ought to be hanged! Just
wait until he gets back to shore!
These and other ordinations came
from the frenzied crowd.
Then came another change. The head
OF the drowning man reappe0red. lie
had ceased to struggle The reScuer
WAS all action. Two strokes brought
him within reach of the sinking head
He grasped the hair rolled over on his
back and started FOR the shore.
The crowd which Il moment before
had been reyiling him began to cheer
again. They made for the point Of land
TO which he was heading that they
might receive him with open arms.
Some OF them worried because the
head OF the UNCONSCIOUS man occasion-
ally went under the surface. They
were told that it did not matter.
"That was the cleanest. most skillful
rescue I've ever seem" said a man
who seemed to know what he was talk
ing about. "The big fellow that was
drowning was 80 frightened over bis
cramp that he would have taken the
voungster under with him had he moi
held off. He did just the right thing
when he hit him. and now he's bring
ing him ashore In the best possible
way. He'll have to be resuscitated any
way, and a little more wator IN MI
lungs at this stage OF the game vii
not hurt him."-New York Tribune.