William H. Lohr, 37, farmhand, attempted to save Janice E. Fuller, 7, from drowning, Higginsville, New York, May 24, 1946. Janice with her three younger brothers went to the bank of Drum Creek, and Janice in some manner got into water 10 feet deep in a hole that extended 20 feet from the bank. The children informed their mother, who appealed to Lohr and another man 1,500 feet from the creek. Lohr, who was blind, went to the creek in a truck. He got out of the truck and guided by verbal instructions from the driver, ran 20 feet to the water. Wading in a zigzag course toward the opposite bank in search of Janice, he accidentally stepped into the hole. He was briefly submerged, regained footing, and continued to wade to the bank. Two other men then were searching in wadable water. Lohr dived into the hole, groped on the bottom, and swam to the surface. Four times he lowered himself head first, each time groping on the bottom and finally getting hold of Janice close to the bank and swimming to the surface. One of the men lifted Janice to the bank. Lohr climbed onto the bank and tried to revive Janice, but she was dead. 40936-3490
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