Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-08-16
MAN DIES TRYING
To RESCUE GIRL
Swimmer browns in Attempt to.
Save Bather Caught in
Tide Rip Off Venice
HIS BODY IS NOT. RECOVERED
Woman in Distress Saved-Wife
of Victim Had Fremont
ton of Casualty
HIS BODY is NOT RECOVERED

VENICE, Aug. 15.-John H. Ridge
way, a clerk in the Los Angeles offices
of the Salt Lake railway, who lived
with his wife and family at 80 Virginia
avenue, this city, was drowned in the
ocean off here this morning in an at
tempt to rescue Bertha F. Hartnal or
Pasadena, who, while in bathing, was
caught in a tide rip and was oelng
carried out to sea. She was saved
from death by C. A. Glougie, al mer-
chant of Camden. Cal. Ridgeway's
body has not been recovered.
1t was while Ridgeway was making
Roadway in the direction of the drown
Ing young woman that he disappeared
beneath the breakers and was lost TO
sight His body was seen later by
life savers, who dove into the break
ers in the hope Of recovering 1t. NO
trace of the body has since been seen
and it is thought to have been carried
to sea by the outgoing tide.
Ridgeway and his wife entered the
surf at the foot of Virginia avenue
this morning shortly after o'clock,
as was their daily custom. Neither
one could swim, and 1t was their prac-
tice to remain on the land side of the
breakers Miss Hartnal, her mother,
Mrs. w. e. Hartnal, and Frank Snort
an attorney and politician OF Fresno,
gle was in the surf at a point further
down the beach.
Unaware of the strong tide that
was ebbing, Short and Miss Hartnal
ventured outside the line of the
combers, and soon found themselves
becoming exhausted by their struggles
to return to land. Despite his exerttng
every possible ounce OF strength Short
was unable to al dMiss Hartnal and
wa Shaking for the short to get assist
ance for the girl.
The roar of the surf prevented those
on the beach from hearing shorts
cries for help. Glougie and Ridgeway
discovered the predicament of Miss
Hartnal and both rushed into the surf
only a short distance from where she
could be seen stretching her arms to-
ward her friends for help
A crowd of women gathered on shore
at the cries. No one seemed to possess
sufficient presence of mind to notify
the life-savers and members of the
corps did not appear on the scene until
some time after Miss Hartnal had
been removed to n place of safety.
Ridgeway was missed and Gloughie
and other bathers made vain attempts
to find him. Mrs. Ridgeway stood on
the shore wringing her hands and call
ing on all TO aid in the search for her
husband. Knowing that he could not
swim, friends of the Ridgeways said
she asked her husband not to risk his
life in the breakers, but at the call or
distress he went to the rescue of the
woman bather. Ridgeway was known
to be Venturesome in time of need, and
on previous occasions he is said to
have aided others materially at great
risk to himself.
Following the accident Mrs. Ridge
way declared that only last week a
fortune-teller warned her husband to
remain away from the water. intimat-
ing that he would be in great danger
of death. Mrs. Ridgeway said that
when she and her husband donned
their bathing suits and walked toward
the beach this morning she felt an in
explicable dread of the water and ex-
acted a promise from Ridgeway to re-
main close in shore.
Glougie, who is So years OF age and
a powerful swimmer was almost eX-
hausted when he got to shore with
Miss Hartnal, who rested unconscious
in his arms. He reached her side
lust as she had given up the struggle
and was sinking. 1t required several
hours work to revive the half drowned
woman.
During the search for the body of
Ridgeway Captain Tom Wilde and
Dan Null of the life saving corps,
came within few feet of the drowned
body of Ridgeway, but because of the
tidal currents were unable to reach
it before 1t disappeared.
Ridgeway came here with his family
from Detroit, where he held a re-
sponsible position in the general Of
fees of the Michigan Central railway
for 20 years A married daughter,
Mrs James Belford, resides in that
city. Ridgeway was actively identified
with Y. NJ. C. A. work in the Michigan
metropolis. The family was prepar-
ing to move to Los Angeles tomorrow.
The drowned man leaves a mother,
a 2O-year-old daughter and young
son.