Evening star., 1938-06-27
TRIO LOST IN BAY
ALL NIGHT SAVED
Cheap Safety Cushions Keep
Two AfIoat Until
Rescuers Arrive.

Some s5-cent cushions meant the
difference between life and death to
two Arlington (VaD youths who we're
rescued from Chesapeake Bay yester-
day after spending whole night be-
ing tossed around by waves
A third member of their party,
adrift in a disabled outboard motor
boat with one oar, was brought to
safety later, not knowing his COM
panions had been saved.
Figuring in the near-tragedy were
Joseph Ambrogi, 20. of 2729 North
Washington boulevard: Richard D. Sc
bastian, 20. of 3112 First road North.
and his brother, Leonard Sebas-
tan. 3S
Leonard Sebastian said they learned
later that the cushions, which they
had bought from an automobile supply
store before going fishing. were guar
anteed to float only "a hours.
The three were returning to Plum
Point. Md, about o'clock Saturday
night, after day of fishing. when the
eutboard motor on their l4-foot row.
boat broke down. They took turns
at the oars for while until one oar
slipped over the side.
Carried Away by Tide.
Mr., Ambrogi. fair swimmer. leaped
In. when attempts to retrieve the oar
from the boat failed, but he was car
ried away by strong tide. One of
the cushions was thrown to him. but
1t fell short.
, Selling another cushion. Richard
Sebastian, who weighs nearly 800
pounds, dove in and swan to the side
of his friend handing him the pre-
server he had been unable to reach
The tide then made 1t impossible for
either of the youths to get back to
the boat and Leonard Sebastian was
helpless in his efforts to propel the
craft with q single oar.
In the darkness the two swimmers
became separated each believing the
other had drowned, and the plight of
brother in the boat was little better.
Hoarsely, the older Sebastian, re-
called today how he felt: Boy he
said. lit was terrible I yelled all
highland don't think l didn't get
on the bottom of that boat and pray
! was worried to death. I never want
to see that water again When they
finally got me ashore, l gave the mo-
tor away. l didn't give the boat away
because it wasn't mine
Battered Loose Frsm Holds.
Before they were parted. the drift
ing men were able to cling for time
to poles stuck in the bay bottom to
support fishing nets. but the waves
battered them loose from their holds
Stripped to his shorts and numb
from the cold. Richard Sebastian was
rescued about $50 am. yesterday and
Mr.. Ambrogi. also near exhaustion,
was found two hours later.
Both were taken aboard Capt L. P.
Kelley's three-masted schooner, which
was returning from a trip down the
bay with a group of members of The
Marinas." a girls organization. Capt
Kelley searched for the swimmers after
he had drawn abreast of the founder
ing rowboat and had been told by
Leonard Sebastian what had occurred
Both swimmers were three miles
from shore and had been carried
about IS miles down the bay when
they were found The boat containing
the older Sebastian was full of water
and about to sink when it was towed
ashore by another boat manned by
J. L. Windsor of Deals. Md.
Suffered Chills.
Mr. Ambrogi, apparently little the
worse for the experience, said today
he was scared bad the first couple
OF hours in the water. 1 thought of !
my wife and everything else When
daylight came. 1 felt better" Neo-
dawn, he said. heavy dew, which he
thought was rain. made him so cold
he had chills and thought he would
sink
A painter, Mr. Ambroei was over
joyed to see his wife again. She had
just about given him up as lost, hav-
ing been informed by morning news
paper that he and Richard Sebastian
we're believed drowned.
The Sebastian brothers also were in
fair condition today Richard, an un-
employed printer. was sleeping sound |
ly, while Leonard. an electrician at |
Woodward & Lothrop's. was up and |
around, but vowing his fishing days
were over