Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-13
LIFE CREW SAVES
3 FROM BREAKERS;
LAUNCH CRIPPLED
Los Angeles Woman Sights Little
Craft in Distress Off
Venice
RESCUERS DEFY HUGE WAVES
Victims, When Engine Is Disabled,
Battle Against Heavy Seas
with Only a Single Oar
7ESCUERS DEFY HUGE WAVES
Especial to The Herald

lSpeclal TO The Herald
VENICE, July 12.-Drifting helpless
ly in a launch to their probable death
in the breakers here, three Redondo
Beach men were rescued by five mem
bers of the Venice volunteer life saw
ing corps at 6:9O o'clock this evening
miles in an open boat through heavy
sea. The engine of the launch had
stopped and the swells were rapidly
driving the boat, with anchor drag
ging, into the surf where it would
have been practically impossible for
the men to have escaped drowning.
With single oar the frightened oc-
cupants of the boat kept it's head to
the sea for their lives and were almost
exhausted when taken into the lifeboat.
The men owe their lives to the keen
eyesight of Mrs. C. G. Desmond, of Los
Angeles, who, after hearing the pro-
longed footing of horn, spied the
little craft in its plight by the use of
powerful field glass and notified the
chief of police, J. H. Parent.
ENGINE BREAKS
John Baker, Ralph Meyers and Hor-
ace Ferguson came to Venice this af-
ternoon to get the launch You and
and run her to Redondo Beach. They
started from here at o'clock and made
for the open sea- Suddenly, when the
launch was about mile off shore from
the foot of Salt Air avenue in the
southern part of Venice, the engine
stopped and despite persistent efforts
on the part of all three they could not
induce it to run. Then the launch be-
gan to drift shoreward A light fog
fell about this time and the situation
3 k,,o lS. y,
they worked on the engine without ef-
feet. They began signalling their dis
tress to the shore with a foghorn.
After a quick run to the scene Chief
Parent ordered the life saving alarm
to be sounded and in a very few min
utes the lifeboat was lowered and on
the way to the rescue. In the boat were
Lieut.. George Wilde. Alexander Gray,
Harley G. Yarnell, David Moreno and
Adolph Toenjes.
RESCUE PERILOUS
As rapidly as the powerful strokes
of the life savers could be made the
boat was sent cutting through the wa
ter. Whitecaps were in evidence and
frequently a heavy wave dashed over
the gunWale and soaked the rowers to
the skin. Another rowboat containing
Eugene Estoppey, Albert Romaro, Cliff
ford Bowes and w. c. Tuchell followed,
while Chief Parent in his automobile
hurried Harold MarcouX and Harry
Klein, also members of the life saving
corps, to a point on the beach near the
drifting launch, where the men were
ready to pull its occupants from the
surf if their boats f1oundered.
A crowd gathered along the beach
and on the pier to watch the thrilling
race against death. AS the lifeboat
hastened toward the launch those on
,LO haI fhai,s breath anYinIISIU IF
was feared they would be too late.
When the lifeboat, with final squirt.
came alongside the launch the crowd
broke into cheers, for the life savers
had accomplished feat that far out
shines any of their previous brave
attempts at rescue. Leaving the launch
to the mercy of the breakers, Meyers,
Ferguson and Baker entered the life
boat and were rowed back to the sta
ton at the end of the Venice pier. Here
a great crowd had assembled and the
arrival of the brave boys was the sig
nal for another spontaneous outburst OF
applause. A more spectacular rescue
has not been seen in Venice since
the founding Of the resort.
PRAISES LIFE SAVERS
Baker, who was spokesman for the
rescued crew of the You and I, was un-
limited in his praise for the work Of
the Ire Savers.
"Why, L wouldn't have gone into that
sea in a rowboat like they did for a
big sum of money" declared Baker.
ut was bad enough for our twenty
four foot launch to be tossed about by
the waves and I don't see how they
got through so we'll with their little
boat. We were in bad fix and would
certainly have gone on the beach in a
few minutes If they hadn't arrived just
when they did. For one, am glad the
boys were on hand. I don't know what
was the matter with the engine, but 1
know that we were getting ready to
desert our boat when the life savers
came in sight"
In the opinion of those who saw the
difficult rescue it proves the necessity
of equipping the life saving corps
with a power boat, so that distance IN
case of need should be a second con-
sideration. To reach the launch today
much valuable time was lost which
might have proved disastrous to both
life savers and the men in the launch
1t is thought that a power lifehoat
could have made the run in one-third
the time. Attempts have been made
to raise funds for the proper equip
ment of the corps, but so far the
amount necessary to purchase launch
has not been forthcoming.
In regard to this matter Captain
Wilde of the corps said:
ST hope this will have some bene-
ficial result for the life savers in the
way of getting them proper equipment
to work with. Only a few hundred
dollars are required for this purpose
and I would like to see some philan-
thropic person come through"