MRS. ROSCOE HOLLEY SAVED FROM
DROWNING AT SULLIVAN'S ISLAND
Detailed
information has reached Augusta relative to the near drowning of Mrs. Roscoe Holley of
this city, which occurred at Sullivan's Island last Friday afternoon. Mrs. Holley was in
the surf, which was exceeedingly rough. The tide began to ebb and she was being rapidly
taken out to sea. Several attempts at rescue were made and given up because the parties
attempting were not expert swimmers and realized the hopelessness of their efforts. There
were no surfboats available, no life guards on the spot at the time.
Finally, when all
hope of rescue seemed gone, a young Charleston lady, Miss Barbara Muller, with courage and
bravery unsurpassed, started out in a last ditch attempt to save the drowning girl. At
this point, 'Jimmy' Dyess, an Augusta boy who had been bathing further down the beach,
came upon and realizing the situation went immediately to the rescue without pause to
consider the danger involved in such an attempt in such a heavy sea.
Both he and Miss
Muller reached Mrs. Holley after she had been carried perhaps, two hundred yards out.
While both the rescuers were expert swimmers, it looked for what seemed to be an
indeterminate time to observers, who stood in breathless suspense on the beach that the
trio was doomed to certain destruction. Finally, it could be seen, as they appeared from
time to time at the crest of the huge waves, that they were gaining slowly and after about
thirty minutes they reached beach and safety, where Jimmy's training in the Boy Scouts was
of further service in aiding the resuscitation.
When seen by a
Chronicle reporter, 'Jimmy' said, "Huh, that's nothing:what else could a man do? If
there is any credit, it is due Miss Muller, the bravest girl I ever saw. It looked for a
time that we were all gone for a long stay but luck was with us."
Onlookers gave high
praise to Miss Muller for a display of bravery and self sacrifice seldom equalled and
never surpassed and add that but for the strength and cool headedness of Jimmy Dyess both
girls would undoubtedly have been lost. |