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100 years ago in the Inland Northwest: A drowning boy’s rescuer was herself only 9 years old

Little Stuart Strader, 4, wandered into Hauser Lake and was drowning in 10 feet of water when Helen Lawrence saw him from the dock.
She dove in, grabbed him and pulled him safely to shore. Remarkably, Helen was only 9.
Yet she was no ordinary 9-year-old.
Luckily for Stuart, Helen was a “star pupil” in Miss Margaret Mahoney’s YWCA swimming class. Helen had won prizes in many local swimming contests. She had also recently earned her lifesaving certificate.
Those who saw the rescue reported that the boy “fought hard,” but Helen stayed calm throughout the incident.
“I’m sure he would have gone down without Helen’s help,” said the boy’s mother. “He has never been taught to swim and probably thought he was all right in the toolies (reeds), but the lake drops off suddenly there. We will always believe she saved his life, and owe her a deep debt of gratitude.”
From the court beat: The Washington Supreme Court granted W.J. Van Skike a new trial in his manslaughter case.
Van Skike had been convicted of running over an elderly Spokane woman and failing to stop while she was dragged for blocks underneath his car.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled that one bit of testimony in the trial should never have been allowed. An acquaintance of Van Skike testified that Van Skike had bragged that if he ran into anybody “they would have a hard time catching me.”
This testimony was misleading, because Van Skike had said this a year before the accident happened.
The justices determined that this was prejudicial.