The Theocrat

TWO ZION-BENTON

FLYERS SAVED FROM

LAKE MICHIGAN

Russell Cowie of Park Avenue,
Winthrop Harbor, and
William DePew, son of Mr.
and Mrs. John DePew of 2900
Emmaus Avenue, were rescued
last Sunday evening from the
waters of Lake Michigan after
their plane had crashed into
the lake off the shores of
Hosah Beach. In making the
forced landing, the wing of
the plane touched the water
first, spinning the plane like a
top and thereby breaking the
force of the fall in its contact
with the water. The two boys
had on their safety belts,
which saved them from being
thrown into the panel. Neither
was seriously injured, and,
when they realized their pre-
dicament, they disrobed, pre-
paratory to swimming to shore
about half a mile away.

The contact with the water
was so severe that it tore a
landing wheel off, and to this
inflated tire they clung in
their effort to reach shore.

The plane's crash was not-
(Continued on Page 10)

TWO ZION-BENTON FLYERS SAVED FROM LAKE MICHIGAN
(Continued from page 1)

ed from Hosah Beach; also was seen by two sailors who were taking an evening's ride with a couple of companions in their motor boat. They raced to the spot where the boys were swimming in the water and assisted by their companions, hauled them into their boat. In the meantime, those ashore had called Everett Congdon, who responded with his ambulance. Dr. Brown also was on hand and looked the boys over.

As William DePew is stationed at Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda, Calif., Great Lakes authorities requested his mother to bring him there for examination.

A Coast Guard crew from Kenosha pulled the submerged plane to a nearby sand bar.

Mrs. DePew phoned her husband Sunday night, who was 200 miles from home on Illinois Highway patrol duty, and also intended to call her son Jack, who is in boot training at Great Lakes Monday morning. However, Jack read of the accident in the Monday Chicago paper and he called his mother for details.

Also, Mrs. DePew's sister, Mrs. Marion Sach, saw the account in the Springfield Monday morning paper and phoned to verify William's condition.

The rescuers, who were vacationing in the Patmor Cottage at Hosah Beach were: Robert Z. Flansburg, seaman First Class, and Joyce Treshman, motor machinist's mate. Their companions were, Frances Hurd and Billie McDonald, both of Bremerton, Wash.