Nicholas John Evangelou saved Kurt A. Altmam from drowning, Poughkeepsie, New York, February 15, 1964. Kurt, 3, who could not swim, wandered to a creek near his home and walked on a shelf of ice to the edge of open water 40 feet from the bank. The ice gave way beneath him, and he slid into water 11 feet deep, the buoyancy of his heavy winter clothing temporarily supporting him. Evangelou, 41, accountant, who two years earlier had had surgery for a ruptured spinal disk, ran to the creek and made his way to the edge of the ice, where he also slid into the water. He took hold of Kurt, who was almost completely under water. Evangelou kicked off his shoes and trod water but was submerged briefly with Kurt. He placed Kurt, dazed but conscious, over his shoulder and swam five feet to the edge of the ice, which broke off when he grasped it. Evangelou broke a path six feet toward the bank and reached firm ice. He lifted Kurt onto the ice but was too numb to climb out. By that time others had arrived. Kurt’s father crawled to him and thrust him to others who had followed on the ice. They moved Kurt to the bank. The father and another man, each lying on a board and with their feet held by others, drew Evangelou out of the water and pulled him to the bank.
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