Theodore Henderson, Sr., 39, truck driver, saved Carol Baisden, 19, from drowning, Yeehaw, Florida, August 17, 1953. A two-door sedan in which Miss Baisden was riding plunged from a highway into a canal 25 feet wide, settling to the bottom upside down in water 12 feet deep. The muddy water, covered with hyacinth leaves, contained decayed vegetation, and the canal was inhabited by alligators and poisonous snakes. Miss Baisden fell to the roof beneath the rear seat and lost consciousness as the sedan filled with water. Henderson, who had been repairing a tire of his truck, ran to the bank in time to see the wheels of the sedan disappear beneath the surface. Three other men standing on the highway had observed the accident but declined to enter the water because of the presence of the reptiles. Fully clothed, Henderson swam to the sedan. Taking a deep breath, he submerged himself and groped to a door. With one hand he tugged hard at the door and opened it three inches. As he moved his other hand to the doorframe to obtain a better hold, the door slipped from his grasp and closed with force, pinning two fingers. Seated on the bottom of the canal, Henderson braced his feet against the sedan and wrenched loose his hand. One finger had been fractured, and the nail and tip of the other finger had been torn off. Suffering intense pain, Henderson rose in urgent need of air and swam eight feet to the bank. He obtained a tire-iron at his truck and reentered the water. As he again swam to the sedan and gained footing on it, an alligator eight feet long appeared at the surface 10 feet from Henderson. Submerging at the opposite side of the sedan from the alligator, he located a rear window, which he broke out with the tire-iron. He groped inside the sedan but could find no one and swam to the surface. The alligator had submerged. Discarding the tire-iron, Henderson waded across the top of the sedan, again submerged to the door, and with great effort opened it wide. Extending his body into the sedan to his waist, he found Miss Baisden and drew her outside. As he rose with Miss Baisden, Henderson called to the other men for assistance but received none. With difficulty Henderson towed Miss Baisden to the bank. She had revived partially and was removed to a hospital. She was treated for shock and bruises and recovered in two weeks. Henderson’s injuries healed in three weeks. 42943-3942
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