Philip T. Loura saved Kathleen Ann Smith and Doreen Ann Nealey from drowning, Gorham, Maine, December 10, 1961. When she skated onto an area of thin ice on a pond, Doreen, 7, who had accompanied her cousin Kathleen, 12, to the scene broke through into water six feet deep 20 feet from the bank but grasped the edge of the ice. Kathleen skated to the edge of the hole and took hold of Doreen. The ice gave way, causing both girls, neither of whom could swim, to be submerged briefly. Kathleen flailed wildly and called for help. Philip, 14, schoolboy, skated to the bank and then ran along it to directly opposite the hole. He jumped onto the ice, his skates breaking it, and then broke a path ahead of him as he waded and swam 20 feet to the hole. Only Kathleen then was in sight, Philip took hold of Kathleen but because of his heavy attire was unable to make any headway in towing her toward the bank. Moving behind Kathleen, who continued to struggle, Philip submerged and pushed her toward the bank before surfacing. By submerging intermittently and pushing Kathleen ahead of him each time, Philip moved her 15 feet to wadable water. Another youth waded to them and aided in taking Kathleen to the bank. After quickly removing his jacket and skates, Philip re-entered the water and again waded and swam to the hole in the ice. Doreen was floating inert under the ice near the edge of the hole. Philip reached beneath the ice, drew Doreen to the surface, and towed her to the bank, where she was revived.
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