Terrance L. Hahn saved Joseph E. Vorwald from drowning, Bloomington, Wisconsin, February 28, 1965. Heavily clothed Joseph, 6, and his brother Fredrick, 8, waded into the floodwater of a creek and stepped into deep water. They were submerged briefly and carried downstream by the swift current, which contained pieces of ice as much as four feet long. Hahn, 18, student, and Miss Kathleen Sue Bailey, a poor swimmer, were attracted and ran 175 feet to the creek. Fully clothed, Hahn waded 16 feet and grasped Joseph. The current pulled Hahn downstream, and he was submerged briefly but maintained his hold on Joseph, who kept squirming. Meanwhile Miss Bailey had removed her coat, waded 16 feet in the water, and grasped Fredrick as the current carried him to her. He was flailing but became calm as she held him. They also were swept downstream. Several large pieces of ice passed near them, and numerous small pieces inflicted cuts on all four persons. Miss Bailey twice was submerged briefly. Joseph continued to squirm, and Hahn several times almost lost his hold on the boy. All were numb from the cold water by the time they reached a bend in the creek where the water was six to eight feet deep. After having been swept 370 feet downstream, Miss Bailey, still holding Fredrick, was carried to a tree trunk extending into the water and grasped it five feet from the steep bank. Hahn barely was able to grasp one of its branches. Soon afterward a large piece of ice struck Hahn on the back, causing him to lose his holds. He and Joseph were submerged briefly, and the chunk of ice scraped Hahn’s leg. He regained his hold on Joseph and supported him as the current carried them 30 feet farther downstream to a small inlet at the nearly vertical bank. Firemen arrived and aided all four persons from the water.
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