Wade McDonald died after attempting to help save Brandon A. Clayton and Jermaine Cohen from drowning, Rockaway Park, New York, June 5, 2005. Brandon, 15, and Jermaine, 16, were in wadable water of the Atlantic Ocean when they were pulled by a strong current away from the beach. People on shore, including McDonald, 40, boilermaker, saw the boys in difficulty. McDonald ran into the water and began to swim toward them, as did a man on a surfboard. Jermaine submerged, and McDonald began to struggle to stay afloat. At a point about 300 feet from the beach, Brandon, exhausted, was secured by the surfer then was returned to shore. McDonald, who had been nearby, submerged. He was pulled, unconscious, from the water by city harbor police and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead of drowning. Jermaine’s body was recovered 21 days later.
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