Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lauterbach, Gerhard Norman August 22, 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dorothy Strawhand https://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008405 November 20, 2021, 6:36 pm Virginian Pilot August 24, 1909 SAW BOY DROWINIG AND WERE AFRAID TO TRY TO SAVE HIM Four Men Watched Z.E. Keister's Vain Struggle To Rescue Gerhard Lauterbach--- Swam Out When Guard Came Gerhard Lauterbach, 16 years old, was drowned in the surf at Virginia Beach Sunday afternoon after Z. E. Keister of 128 Walnut Street, Berkley, had stood by him and tried with all his strength to save the lad, while four full grown humans of the male species, who knew how to swim, but were afraid to give any assistance, stood waist deep in the water a few yards away and watched the tragedy being enacted. People who witnessed the drowning say that had those four persons made any effort whatever they could have saved the lad, even if they had but joined hands and gone out to him, with the inshore one of the quartet still standing on the bottom, so close to the breakers did the accident occur. Young Lauterbach lived with his father, Reinhard Lauterbach, at 126 Charles Street. For almost a year he had been employed as a jeweler's apprentice by the Paul-Gale-Greenwood Company, Granby Street and City Hall Avenue. Gerhard was more venturesome than most of the bathers and went out beyond his depth. Near him was Mr. Keister and when Lauterbach became exhausted the Berkley man went to his side and tried to bring him into shallow water. Due to heavy easterly winds that had been blowing for several days the surf had riled up considerable force and the resultant undertow was correspondingly strong. It was too strong for Mr. Keister when he took young Lauterbach in charge and when the exhausted youth saw the vain efforts his rescuer was making he became panic stricken and grabbed Keister around the neck. Both of them went down and a desperate struggle beneath the surface ensued. Keister managed to free himself and when he came up screamed for help. The commotion finally attracted the attention of a life guard who plunged in and swam away out to sea searching for the body and behind the life guard swam the four men who were afraid. They found their nerve after the boy had sunk and the life guard appeared. And while the five of them were making a big to do far out from land, the limp body of the lad was tossed ashore by a wave right in the midst of the bathers who stood knee deep in water. Complete story of the drowning in Virginia Pilot August 24, 1909, page 3 ************** LAUTERBACH - Suddenly, Sunday August 22, 1909, at 4:30 p.m., at Virginia Beach, GERHARD NORMAN LAUTERBACH, aged 16 years, of 126 Charles Street, Brambleton. Funeral will take place THIS (Tuesday) AFTERNOON at 4 o'clock from the Frist Lutheran Church. Friends of the family invited to attend. Interment in Elmwood Cemetery. ************************************************************************** The funeral of Gerhard Norman Lauterbach, whose death occurred from drowning at Virginia Beach Sunday, was held from the First Lutheran Church, Charlotte Street, at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and was conducted by the pastor, Rev. W.H. Riser. The interment was in Elmwood Cemetery. Pallbearers: Emmett Butler, Wm. Vogler, Willie Noble, Henry Frizzell, David Paul, Fred Geese and Charles Geese. Virginian Pilot August 25, 1909 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/obits/l/lauterba1521nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb