The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-05-06
FISHERMAN SAVES LIFE OF
 COMRADE IN RAGING SEA.
 BUT DIES ON SHIPBOARD

San Diego, Cal, May 5-Pacific coast Fishermen are discussing what IS said to be one of the most heroic exploits in the history of fishing fsmacks along the coast during a storm off Point Loma which cost the life of John zaberlin, an Italian, and
 m which Joe Vidovitch and Sam .Frontera, Austrians. received severe tcuts about the head and shoulders tcaused by flying glass. All three men were sailors of the forty-foot Italian FIlshlng craft at Santa Lucia.
 The battle of the small craft with the gale-lashed seas was marked with many spectacular incidents after the Intrepid little vessel had been knock ed on its beam ends by a monster icomber. Zaberlin literally gave his life to save Vidovitch.
 The Santa Lucia, bound from the fishing banks north of La Jo1ia for sSan Diego. had reached a point about lone mile northwest of the whistling Sbuoy, at the entrance to the harbor, fwhen it suddenly was engulfed by hgiant wave The surge of the seas ssmashed in the cabin windows, eshowering Frontera, who was at the swheel, with bits of broken glass; tore Ithe compass bodily from its fasten- sings and washed Zaberlin and Vido- witch, who were standing the lee Eside of the cabin, overheard, together with the nets, valued at $3, 900. These bnets were made fast to a bitt near sdhe stern, a fact to which Vidovitch,
 
 sZaberlin, owes his life.
 In Trough of Sea. 1 Zaberlin and VidDVitch were car kTied several hundred feet on the Ecrest of the froth-capped comber be Efore they were jerked up suddenly by clutching the meshes of the net EThe Santa Lucia. waIIowing in the ! swe11s, without a helmsman, F'ron- tera having been knocked partially kunconscious when the cabin was sstove in, continued 0n toward the bell fbuoy.
 LaboriousIy fighting their way Ehand over hand along the net, with tthe seas continually whipping about the1r heads and choking them with Vidovitch managed to reach the stern | Of the Santa Lucia. They had labored Ffor more than an hour and were vir- Etua11y exhausted. By a superhuman keffort ZaberIin pulled himself aboard eby digging his feet into the meshes kof the net hanging over the stern. pOnce safe on deck he turned and Ehefped Vidovitch- As the latter fell kOver the rail Zaberlin turned to him Eand said:
 Falls IdfeIess
 have helped you all could I ssam going to die now"
 Without uttering another sound the sffsherman flung up his hands and fell ito the Santa Lucia's deck, 11fe1ess.
 Too weak to offer any aid Vido- witch lay near his dead shipmate to head the smack into the channel In the meantime the net had gone sadrift from the vessel, relieving it Jgread1y of the drag and permitting sFrontera- to keep the craft from lying .fn the trough of the swe1ls. From ttera, however, failed to prevent the Santa Lucia from drifting dangerous Fly close to the breakers, and it was in this peri1ous position that Captain Andrew Castagnole of the fishing >Schooner Catherine. sighted the San fta Lucia. when he hove in view from the Southward-
 Without hesitating a second Gas stagno1e maneuvered his boat near the | Santa Lucia- succeeded in getting a |