Meredith G. Farr saved Arthur D. Chang from drowning, Sunset Beach, Hawaii, December 31, 1960. While swimming in the Kauai Channel of the Pacific Ocean, Arthur, 15, schoolboy and another youth, both good swimmers, were caught by a strong tidal current and carried rapidly away from shore. A police sergeant arrived in a patrol car and radioed for firemen and a helicopter. He then changed to swimming attire and on a surfboard made his way to the youths three quarters of a mile from shore in an area in which there was danger of sharks and where swells were 10 to 12 feet high. Arthur and his companion were nearly exhausted. The sergeant took the other youth, who was suffering intermittent cramps onto the surfboard with him, while Arthur held to the board. Meanwhile Farr, 39, fireman, and other firemen had arrived and learned what had happened. Fearing the youths might be drowned Farr changed to swimming attire and entered the water on a surfboard, taking with him a rubber life-tube. He paddled 50 feet from shore and three times was thrown back by breakers eight to 10 feet high. He nearly lost the surfboard, which struck and bruised him. He then went under a wave, paddled to beyond the breakers, and thence to the two youths and the sergeant. Farr took Arthur onto his surfboard and put the life-tube around him. Because the swells were increasing in height, Farr and the sergeant paddled about a quarter of a mile toward the open sea with the youths. A helicopter then arrived and took them to shore one at a time.
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