Stephen W. Ovans helped to save Dwayne E. Beggs and assisted in attempts to save two others from drowning, Ormatown, Quebec, June 18, 1971. Dwayne,12, and two other boys, 9 and 10, were swimming in the Chateauguay River when the current began carrying them downstream. Stephen, 13, and another youth, 15, undressed to their underwear and swam to where the 10-year-old boy had submerged in deep water 100 feet from the bank. Stephen and the other youth dived twice but could not find the boy, who drowned. Swimming about 75 feet, Stephen and the other youth reached Dwayne and the 9-year-old boy, who were floundering. They towed the two boys to atop a submerged rock; and when the 9-year-old was carried away by the current, Stephen swam after him. He took hold of the boy, who then was inert, and towed him 50 feet toward the bank. Stephen then went under briefly, took in water, and lost his hold on the boy, who sank and drowned. Stephen continued to within eight feet of the bank, to which point the other youth had towed Dwayne. Together, Stephen and the youth took Dwayne nearer the bank, from where adults aided them in climbing out of the water.
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