Very sad. A true hero dies after saving a four year old girl from drowning.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. That's exactly how my father died...

In 1968, we went boating on Cayuga Lake in CNY. My 5 year old sister fell out of the boat and my father jumped in and saved her, only to be then caught in the dense seaweeds. He became entangled and was pulled under.

The Sheriff's Dept divers pulled his body out about two hours later. My sister, now 50, still feels like she caused my father's death. In reality, he failed to put life jackets on us all (in 1968, such life-saving devices were optional).

I was just under 3 years old and have no recollection of it. Thankfully, I guess.