Martin Z. Kaplan helped to save Thomas Donlon and Burton Gilman from drowning, Sarasota, Florida, March 26, 1994. Donlon and Gilman, both 65, were wading in the Gulf of Mexico off Siesta Key with another man when they were caught by a strong rip current that pulled them out into deeper water. They struggled against the current to try to reach shore, but only the third man was successful. Alerted to the situation, Kaplan, 76, retired physician, immediately responded from the beach. He waded and swam to Donlon, who was closer to shore, and aided him against the current to where a swimmer had responded with an inflated tube. As Donlon was then taken to shore, Kaplan turned and swam out to Gilman, who was about 750 feet from shore. He established a hold on Gilman and began to tow him in. Swimming against the current taxed Kaplan’s strength, and he changed his hold on Gilman. In wadable water, others helped Gilman to shore. Donlon, Gilman, and Kaplan were exhausted, but they recovered.
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