Norman C. Van Arsdalen, 27, school physical education instructor, saved Joyce E. Humphrey, 15, and Ruth D. Walsh, 15, from drowning, Normandy Beach, New Jersey, September 2, 1954. While swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, Joyce and Ruth were caught in a strong, irregular undertow and swept into deep water at a steadily increasing speed. Van Arsdalen ran to the shore where he obtained a cylindrical wooden buoy two feet long with a five?foot line attached and entered the water. Swimming 375 feet from shore through rough, whitecapped surf, he overtook Joyce. Van Arsdalen held Joyce against the buoy and towed her 200 feet to wadable water. A man aided her to shore. By then Ruth had drifted beyond a line of breakers 500 feet from shore. Although he was tiring rapidly, Van Arsdalen swam to the breaker line and thence parallel to it for almost 1,000 feet. He located and lunged through an opening in the breakers, continued 1,300 feet through waves 10 feet high, and reached Ruth, placing her against the buoy. After resting for five minutes, Van ArsdaIen began towing Ruth toward shore, swimming at an angle to the waves to try to escape their full force. Repeatedly they were buffeted and submerged by the waves, Van Arsdalen several times losing his hold on Ruth. Crossing the breaker line with difficulty, he swam towing Ruth to wadable water and carried her to shore. Joyce was nervous, and Ruth and Van Arsdalen suffered from shock and nearly were exhausted. All recovered. 43268-3951
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