Two Brave Children Saved Their Father Off Pelham Shores in 1886

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By all accounts, little Walter and George Rahtjens of the Town of Pelham were bright little boys who lived in the tiny settlement of Bartow-on-the-Sound in 1886.  Walter Rahtjens was the youngest.  He was ten years old but was so tiny that he looked like a six-year-old child.  George was his older brother and was twelve years old.  

In 1885, the two little boys and their parents moved into a "neat little cottage" that overlooked the shore of Long Island Sound in the little settlement of Bartow in the Town of Pelham.  The following summer of 1886, the two tiny lads learned to swim.  It was a good thing that they did. . . . 

On Sunday, August 29, 1886, the boys and their father decided to go for a swim in Long Island Sound.  The three left Mrs. Rahtjens with the family's new baby in the little cottage on shore.  They rowed a little boat out into the waters and shed their clothes which they left in the boat.  The older brother, George, dove into the water and swam for shore.  The younger brother remained in the boat with the boys' father.

Mr. Rahtjens took his time to enjoy the day.  As his older son swam toward shore, he shed his own clothes and dove into the refreshing waters.  No sooner did he enter the water than he suffered a debilitating cramp and sank beneath the waves.  He struggled to get back to the surface and, for what seemed an "interminable period," he struggled to surface for air.  He made it to the surface, gasped for air and sank again without shouting for help.  Again he struggled beneath the waters until he could surface again when, this time, he shouted "lustily" for help.

Mrs. Rahtjens heard the shout from the cottage.  She put the baby on the floor and ran to the water's edge where she saw her husband fighting for his life.  According to numerous accounts, there Mrs. Rahtjens "stood wringing her hands, terrified beyond speech."  

Tiny little Walter Rahtjens also heard his father's cry for help.  Without hesitation, the little fellow plunged headfirst into the water and swam to his father.  At the same time his older brother, George, heard the cry.  George had nearly reached shore.  He turned and swam furiously back toward the boat to help his stricken father.

Little Walter reached his father first.  He grabbed his father by the chin and began kicking furiously to keep his father's head above the water.  Agonizing moments passed before the older boy, George, reached the struggling pair.  When he arrived, he grabbed his father by the arm and began kicking furiously to propel the threesome toward shore while his little brother held his father's face out of the water.  In the meantime, Mr. Rahtjens was doing all he could to quell his instinctive impulse to clutch at the two youngsters and drag them to their watery deaths with him.

Mrs. Rahtjens watched in terror for five agonizing minutes as the two youngsters struggled to get their father to shore.  Finally, the pair dragged their exhausted father onto land as Mrs. Rahtjens raced to the three.  According to a number of reports, "A little family thanksgiving took place right there" on the Pelham shore.

Soon the entire settlement of Bartow-on-the-Sound was aware of the heroic deed.  Everyone in the settlement was talking about it.

The New York Herald was among the first to report on the boys' heroic feat.  Soon, however, newspapers throughout the country were extolling their virtues and describing their rescue.  Newspapers Connecticut, North Carolina, Montana, and elsewhere told the story of the rescue off the waters of Pelham.  

The two little boys, however, were nonplused by the attention.  As the New York Herald put it, "The young life savers have borne their honors lightly.  They seem to think their deed the most natural one in the world."

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"BOYS TO BE PROUD OF.
-----
TWO YOUTHFUL SWIMMERS TOW THEIR DISABLED FATHER TO THE SHORE.

Two bright little boys of Bartow, on the Sound, have won for themselves the deserved commendation of their old and young friends by a display of courage and intelligence.  The whole village does nothing but talk about the heroism of the youngsters who last Sunday saved their father, Mr. George Rahtjens, from death by drowning.

The boys are named Walter and George, and are respectively ten and twelve years of age.  The family have lived in a neat cottage near the water's edge since last year, and the boys have this summer learned to swim.  Walter, the younger, is a smart lad, but in appearance is not more than six.  Sunday morning Mr. Rahtjens went down to the beach for a bath.  He took the boys with him, and together they divested themselves of their clothing, leaving it in a boat, which they had hauled off some distance from land.  George took the first header, and then swam ashore. 

Mr. Rahtjens jumped from the boat, but had no sooner struck the water than he was seized with a cramp and sank.  After what seemed to him an interminable period he rose to the surface.  For some reason he was unable to shout.  A second time he went down and then came up, and this time he called lustily for help.

The natural impulse of a small boy would be to run for help.  Not so with the ten-year-old son.  Into the water he plunged without a moment's hesitation.  He swam to his father, who was once more sinking.  Catching him under the chin with one hand, the little hero put the other around the exhausted man's neck and kicked with his feet to keep them afloat.  No far behind him was his brother George, who struck out from the shore at the first cry of distress.  George took hold of the father's arm.  

Mr. Rahtjens said he had to exert all his will power to refrain from clutching the boys and dragging them down to their death.  

Not a word was spoken.

Valiant little Walter, with tears coursing down his cheeks, did his utmost to keep his father's head above water, while the older son, his teeth hard set, struggled vigorously to tow him ashore.

Mrs. Rahtjens was tending the baby in her parlor when she heard the cry from her husband.  Leaving the child on the floor, she ran to the shore, and stood wringing her hands, terrified beyond speech.  Five minutes dragged their slow lengths along before the boys reached land with their burden.  A little family thanksgiving took place right there.

The young life savers have borne their honors lightly.  They seem to think their deed the most natural one in the world."

Source:  BOYS TO BE PROUD OF -- TWO YOUTHFUL SWIMMERS TOW THEIR DISABLED FATHER TO THE SHORE, N. Y. Herald, Sep. 6, 1886, p. 6, col. 4.  

"George and Walter Rahtjen, aged respectively ten and twelve years, saved their father from drowning in the Sound on Friday afternoon.  They were bathing off Bartow, when Mr. Rahtjen was taken with cramps and sank.  The two little fellows dove and raised their father to the surface and both held his chin out of water while they swam and floated him to the shore, about twenty-five feet distant.  The boys were almost exhausted."

Source:  [Untitled], Hartford Courant [Hartford, CT], Sep. 6, 1886, p. 3, col. 6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"TWO BRAVE BOYS.

Two bright little boys of Bartow, on the Sound, have won for themselves the deserved commendation of their young and old friends by a display of courage and intelligence.  The whole village does nothing but talk about the heroism of the youngsters who last Sunday saved their father from drowning.  

The boys are named Walter and George, and are respectively 10 and 12 years of age.  The family have lived in a neat cottage near the water's edge since last year, and the boys have this summer learned to swim.  Walter, the younger, is a smart lad but in appearance is not more than six.  Sunday, Mr. Rathjens went down to the beach for a bath.  He took the boys with him, and together they divested themselves of their clothing, leaving it in a boat, which they had hauled off some distance from land.  George took the first header, and then slowly swam ashore.  

Mr. Rahtjens jumped from the boat, but no sooner struck the water than he was seized with a cramp and sank.  After what seemed an interminable period he rose to the surface.  For some reason he was unable to shout.  A second time he went down and came up, and he called for help.  The natural impulse of a small boy would be to run for help.  Not so with the 10-year-old son.  Into the water he plunged without a moment's hesitation.  He swam to his father, who was once more sinking.  Catching him under the chin with one hand, the little hero put the other around the exhausted man's neck and kicked with his feet to keep them afloat.  Not far behind them was his brother George, who struck out from the shore at the first cry of distress.  George took hold of the father's arm.  

Mr. Rahtjens said he had to exert all of his will power to refrain from clutching the boys and dragging them down to their death.

Not a word was spoken.  

Valiant little Walter, with tears coursing down his cheeks, did his utmost to keep his father's head above the water, while the elder son, George, with his teeth hard set, struggled vigorously to tow him ashore.

Mrs. Rahtjens was tending the baby in the parlor when she heard the cry from her husband.  Leaving the baby on the floor, she ran to the shore, and stood wringing her hands, terrified beyond speech.  Five minutes dragged their slow length along before the boys reached land with their burden.  A little family thanks-giving took place right then and there.  The young life-savers have born their honors lightly.  They seem to think their deed the most natural one in the world."

Source:  TWO BRAVE BOYS, Goldsboro Messenger [Goldsboro, NC], Nov. 18, 1886, p. 6, col. 1 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  See also Two Brave Boys, Great Falls Tribune [Great Falls, MT], Nov. 13, 1886, p. 2, cols 1-2 (same text; paid subscription required to access via this link).  

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