James P. MacNeil attempted to save Marion Vaine from drowning, Niagara Falls, New York, May 16, 1969. When MacNeil, 29, police patrolman, saw Mrs. Vaine, 59, floating in the Niagara River in an area of rapids about 500 feet from the brink of Niagara Falls he ran to the water’s edge and jumped into the river without removing any of his attire. He made his way to 15 feet from the bank, where the water was about four and a half feet deep. MacNeil then was within three feet of Mrs. Vaine. He stretched out one arm in an effort to grasp her, but he missed; and she was carried rapidly downstream by the swift current. MacNeil managed to make his way back to the bank where he grasped an overhanging bush and was able to climb out of the water. Mrs. Vaine was swept over the falls and drowned.
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