Evening star., 1950-06-07

COmaC ike q DOCK taSL 0lgQg COM
bined efforts with nearby rescue
squads to save a swimmer who had
been marooned on rocks below the
ledge Of Little Falls for more than
four hours.
Joseph Todt. 26, Of IS M street
NV, a member Of an evening
swimming party. found himself
drawn toward the rocks shortly
after pm. by the heavy current.
On noticing Mr.. Todt's predica-
ment, friend. Alexander F. Wat
kins. 43, Of 211 Indiana avenue
NV. called for help. The Be-
thesda. Chevy Chase and Glen
Echo Rescue Squads responded.
But hour after hour of concen-
trated rescue-effort went by with
no result. Mr.. Todt was at the
bottom of an 8-foot waterfall,
thus making it almost impos-
sible for him to grasp at life
lines thrown to him from boats or
shot by line-throwing guns on
shore.
Several efforts actually to reach
him by rowboat failed as the cur
rent prevented the tiny craft from
approaching the rocks, situated
about 800 yards from the Mary
land shore. In one instance, q
rowboat capsized in the swirling
waters. tossing Rescuemen Bob
Sigwald, Laddie Loomis, Jack
Warner and Jerry Wearhle into
the water. They reached shore
safely.
Waves to Rescue Crews.
Meanwhile. with searchlights
playing on him from shore, Mr..
Todt was seen in the eerie light
waving to the large crowd on
hand. Several times he was re-
assured Of ultimate rescue by the
shouting of those on shore:
We see you! We see you!"
But still every effort to get
line to him failed, and every try
to get a boat to him failed, until
about II pm.
At that time firemen and spec
tators ashore noticed three men
surprisingly wading across the
top of the falls, seeking to rescue
the marooned man. All from
nearby Brookmont. they were
Robert Greimel. %, and Harry
Blanchard, 10. both of Broad
street, and Charles Robie, II, of
Ridge drive.
They got within 20 feet of Mr..
Todt. The three men yelled to
shore for a line to be thrown or
shot to them. but the rush of the
falls prevented their cries from
being heard.
Mr.. Robie then swan upstream
and toward the shore. where the
rescue squads were situated. The
squadmen hauled him In,
With some firemen, Mr.. Robie
then waded downstream to a
waterway feeding the Chesapeake
& Ohio Canal. From there, he
and Nelson Bennett, 27,. of Ridge
road, Brookmont, swan the feeder
with a rope, to an abutment about
so yards from Mr.. Todt.
Treated at Hospital.
Mr.. Bennett remained on the
abutment. and Mr.. Robie waded
to where young Blanchard and
Greimel were waiting. water up
to their hips. One of the latter
men threw the line to Mr.. Todt.
and the fnarooned man grabbed
it. Mr.. Greirnel then signaled to
shore: "All okay."
At about this time, the rescue
squad men also managed to send
line to the Brookmont rescuers
for relay to Mr.. Todt. but this line
was abandoned as being unneces-
sary.
Brought to shore. Mr.. Todt was
treated on the scene by DR.. Ronald
Strong of the Bethesda Chevy
Chase squad and sent to Mount
Alto Hospital for further treat
ment of bruises, shock and ex-
posure. He was later released.
DR.. Strong also treated a few
other men who had fallen into
the river during the rescue.
Among those suffering minor in
juries were Harry Lever. Wash
ington Star reporter. and william
Lochte, 80. of the Glen Echo
Rescue Squad, who jumped in to
assist the newspaperman in reach
ing shore. MIR. Lochte suffered
possible fractured ribs. Mr.. Levers
chest was scraped against a rock.
Maryland State police. under
Sergt. w. Frank Soper, kept the
crowds behind the rescue lines.
The whole rescue operation. which
included the use of walkie-talkies.
was directed by Assistant Chief
Robert E. Wood of the Glen Echo
Rescue Squad.