H. Phillip Hunn, 36, yacht captain, saved Margaret A. Gardner, 47, and Zepha M. Morse, 79, and helped to save Margaret E. Mather, 65, from drowning, Daytona Beach, Florida, April 15, 1953. A two-door sedan occupied by Mrs. Mather, Miss Gardner, and Mrs. Morse plunged into a yacht basin from a retaining wall, drifted 60 feet from the wall, and settled upright to the bottom in murky water eleven feet deep. The women were stunned, although Miss Gardner was able to roll down the right rear window. The pilot of a sailboat approached, mooring the craft at a piling seven feet from where the sedan had sunk. Hunn dived from a pier, which rose six feet above the water, and swam 35 feet to the position of the sedan. By then three men who were good swimmers had arrived. Submerging, Hunn reached through the open rear window but touched no one and returned to the surface. He took a deep breath and made a surface dive to the right side of the sedan as one of the other men descended and opened the door at the driver’s side. Inside the sedan visibility was negligible. Hunn opened the door, swam gropingly into the front compartment, and found Mrs. Mathers, pushing her outside the other door. The other man brought Mrs. Mather to the surface and aided her to the sailboat, and Hunn withdrew from the vehicle and rose for air. He again submerged and swam through the front compartment but could locate no one and surfaced. Submerging erect, he reached through the open rear window and got hold of Miss Gardner, who was semiconscious. He drew her through the window opening and towed her to the surface and thence to the sailboat. Informed that Mrs. Morse still was inside the sedan, Hunn returned to the vehicle, atop which the three men were standing in chin deep water. Again submerging, Hunn extended his upper body into the front compartment. While he was groping along the floor, his clothing became caught. He freed himself, backed from the sedan, and rose briefly. He submerged to the open window, reached inside, and groped over the rear seat but could not find Mrs. Morse and rose. Hunn made another surface dive, swung forward the backrest of the right front seat, and extended his upper body inside. He groped in the rear seat without touching anyone. Withdrawing, he swam to the surface. Hunn was winded and tired. After a short rest he submerged to the open window. He reached inside and briefly touched Mrs. Morse but had to return to the surface for air. He felt he was near exhaustion but submerged erect, holding to the ankles of a man on the roof. Releasing the man, he descended to the doorway and swam into the rear compartment. He got hold of Mrs. Morse, drew her outside, and towed her to the surface. He continued to the sailboat with Mrs. Morse and lifted her aboard. Hunn clung to the sailboat as the other men paddled it to the retaining wall. The women were removed to a hospital. Hunn was aided from the water by others. He recovered in a half an hour. Mrs. Mathers was treated for shock. Miss Gardner and Mrs. Morse recovered from minor injuries. 42833-3945
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