New-York tribune., 1910-08-18
SAVES THREE
FROM DEATH At CONEY
Fully Dressed, He Plunges Twice
Into Surf, and Is Taken Olt
Nearly Exhausted.
OWES LIFE TO AUTO TIRE
Thrown as Life Preserver When
He Was Near Giving Up
Leaped Concourse Wall
on Horseback.

Thousands of bathers at Brighton
Beach and Coney Island Yesterday sa"
a thrilling rescue of two boys and man
from drowning by Mounted Patrolrnan
John Creamer. of the Coney Island sta-
ton. who plunged into the water in full
uniform and brought the struggling trio
back to shore
Creamer vas sitting on his horse at
the Ocean Boulevard and Surf avenue
when he heard cries for help, ana
spurred his horse toward the beach He
cleared the high stone fence with
single leap and made his way TO the
waters edge.
AS Creamer was looking down Surf
avenue for signs of the man who was to
relieve him he heard loud cries for help
coming from the direction of the beach
at the foot of the ocean Boulevard
Without a moments hesitation ne
wheeled his horse about and dug the
spurs into his f1anks. The animal sprang
forward with a bound and headed
straight for the high stone wall at the
foot of the Concourse, where many auto
mobiles were pdTkeu-
without faltering an instant or lessen
ing his pace the horse took the Jagged
tnpped wall with beautiful leap.
Creamer sitting on his back like
statue The patrolman and his mount
landed in the soft sand ten feet below.
and sprang ahead. in the direction where
the crowd was thfckest. Creamer could
=, Of
Cling in the water about two hundred
feet from shore.
Plunoes Into Surf.
As his horses feet struck the edge OF
the water Creamer flung himself from
the saddle and plunged into the surf.
REGARDLESS of the fact that he was fully
dressed, even to his helmet and his
heavy riding leggings. While the crowd
on the shore cheered the patrolman, he
struck out in the direction of the drown
ing man. who by this time was being
carried out by the undertow. Creamer
found that he had a serious battle TO
wage with a strong current, impeded
as he was by his clumsy clothing
After diving three times for the ex-
hausted man. Creamer at last managed
TO secure a hold on his bathing suit and
began to fight his way back to the shore.
Several times he had almost reached a
po,nt where he could gain foothold,
only to be swept back by the surf.
Awaiting a favorable opportunity, he
managed TO half drag his unconscious
burden I'D the beach and then started
to resuscitate him.
While the patrolman was thus en-
eseed Henry Dalton, a chauffeur, of No.
300 Halsey street. Brooklyn. whose ma
chine was one of those parked at the
foot of the sea wall. ran up to Creamer
and told him that two boys were drown
ing about two hundred yards down the
beach. Although he was already ia
tigued by his efforts in rescuing the man
on the beach. Creamer ran down the
shore until he came in sight of the two
bows. who were striving desperately to
keep above water.
Makes Second Rescue.
once more the patrolHlan dove into the
ocean and was swept out toward the
HELPLESS boys. The undertow was run
ming like a niIlrace and Creamer was
carried several hundred feet up the
beach before he could swim out of range
of the current Once free from this dan
ger. he swiftly overhauled the boys and
eras asped them and then struck back
toward the shore The crowd of more
than three thousand persons was drawn
I'D on the beach. cheering the patrolman
and begging him to bear up until help
arrived
Dalton, when he saw the plight Of
Creamer, who was unable to reach the
shore. ran back to his machine and
ioosened one Of the emergency tires
from the side of his car. He then re-
far out and within reach of the patrol
man Creamer succeeded in getting a
hold on the impromptu life preserver.
and it served to keep the two boys
above the surface.
The undertow. however. still pre-
vented Creamer from reaching the
beach. and the crowd began TO fear that
the patrolman and the bathers were
doomed. Dalton saw Creamer's danger
and ran back to the parking space
for a rope At length he found
several pieces and tied them together
until he had about fifty feet OF line
With this he ran again To the water
and. calling TO Creamer. threw 1t out
like a lasso. The almost exhausted pa
trolnaan caught the end of the rope and
managed to fasten II about the tire.
Dalton and half a dozen other men then
grasped the line and pulled the three
ashore. II vas many minutes before
Continued G: second page.