11-year-old Daniel Tussey is already in rescue boat as Dennis Kelly (St. Patrick's jacket) reaches for hand of rescuer.
As shared by: Wilmington Morning News
Saturday, April 17, 1965
Two young boys who were stranded for 20 minutes yesterday on a rock in the middle of the Brandywine River got off with little more than wet feet.
A city fireman who sought to rescue them got soaked to the skin.
Dennis Kelly, 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Kelly of 105 W. 18th St., and Daniel Tussey, 11, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Tussey of 128 W. 29th St., were taken to shore by a fire rescue squad.
The boys' predicament was the result of an interrupted canoe ride. They said they and two other boys were being taken from the south side to the north side of the river near the West Street dam by Ross Faison, 19, of 200 block Landers Lane, Swanwyck.
After their rescue, they gave this account:
The canoe began to swamp in the strong current, and Faison let them off on the large rock. He then continued across with the other two boys, Robert Craner, 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Craner of 1908 Tatnall St., and John Foote, 11, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Foote of 113 W. 19th St.
Faison deposited the other two boys on the north side of the stream and turned the canoe to go back for the stranded pair.
Meanwhile, park police had seen the boys standing ankle-deep in water on the rock and thought Faison might have additional difficulty with the current. They called the fire rescue squad.
Firemen James Hayes and William Kirlin arrived, fied a rope to a tree and started to wade toward the boys. Kirlin was swept off his feet three times by the strong current and thoroughly soaked.
Kirlin and Hayes returned to shore, while Capt. Francis Malloy and Fireman Jerome Donohue launched an aluminum rescue boat. They maneuvered the boat around the rocks in the stream, reached the stranded pair and took them safely to shore.
"My feet got numb,” Tussey said when asked about his ordeal. Kelly said they stood quietly on the rock, their hands in their pockets, “and prayed.”
The boys' predicament was the result of an interrupted canoe ride. They said they and two other boys were being taken from the south side to the north side of the river near the West Street dam by Ross Faison, 19, of 200 block Landers Lane, Swanwyck.
After their rescue, they gave this account:
The canoe began to swamp in the strong current, and Faison let them off on the large rock. He then continued across with the other two boys, Robert Craner, 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Craner of 1908 Tatnall St., and John Foote, 11, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Foote of 113 W. 19th St.
Faison deposited the other two boys on the north side of the stream and turned the canoe to go back for the stranded pair.
Meanwhile, park police had seen the boys standing ankle-deep in water on the rock and thought Faison might have additional difficulty with the current. They called the fire rescue squad.
Firemen James Hayes and William Kirlin arrived, fied a rope to a tree and started to wade toward the boys. Kirlin was swept off his feet three times by the strong current and thoroughly soaked.
Kirlin and Hayes returned to shore, while Capt. Francis Malloy and Fireman Jerome Donohue launched an aluminum rescue boat. They maneuvered the boat around the rocks in the stream, reached the stranded pair and took them safely to shore.
"My feet got numb,” Tussey said when asked about his ordeal. Kelly said they stood quietly on the rock, their hands in their pockets, “and prayed.”
Fireman William Kirlin slips in rushing water, right, as he and fellow fireman attempt to reach boys stranded on rock.
Dennis Kelly smiles after ordeal, explaining that he is none the worse for wear although "my feet got numb."
My parents took me and my brother John along with Dennis Kelly to Lums Pond to go swimming. We were youngsters about 11 – 12 years old. Dennis and I decided to practice our life saving skills . So I pretended to be drowning and Dennis was saving me and dragging me back into the shore. Next thing we knew we were being yanked out of the water , my Mom was screaming, Lifeguards were grabbing me. We got into alot of trouble over that one. We were Boy Scouts together. Went to school together. Dennis Kelly was one of the strongest men I ever knew.