Lot 828

Description

Royal Humane Society of Australasia, award medal in bronze (38mm) with certificate, mounted, framed and glazed (35cm x 49cm). Extremely fine.

Harold David Eastwood, North Fitzroy (Vic), labourer, aged 30 years, who rescued Alfred Gardiner from drowning in the River Yarra on May 1, 1933. The two men were crossing the river in a small boat and when in mid-stream, about 250 feet from either bank, Gardiner, who could not swim, overbalanced and fell into the water. Eastwood, fully clothed and wearing heavy boots, jumped in and swam to Gardiner, who struggled violently, and Eastwood had great trouble in dealing with him. A strong westerly wind was blowing and the water was rough, with a strong current. Eastwood began to swim with Gardiner towards the wharf; Gardiner was still struggling and when 90 feet from the wharf Walter Tullberg jumped into the river and swam to them with a rope and pulled them to the wharf.