arf , ▁Ott awa ' s ▁former ▁Ch ol era ▁Wh arf . ▁L ett , ▁by ▁then ▁ 6 2 ▁years ▁old , ▁dove ▁in ▁fully ▁cloth ed ▁and ▁gra pp led ▁with ▁the ▁pan ick ing ▁youth ▁in ▁a ▁dangerous ▁current ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁stern ▁of ▁a ▁flat - bottom ed ▁bar ge . ▁When ▁they ▁sur fac ed , ▁a ▁b arg eman ▁ha u led ▁them ▁on ▁to ▁a ▁boat ▁before ▁they ▁were ▁su ck ed ▁beneath ▁the ▁bar ge . ▁New sp aper ▁head lines ▁declared ▁N arrow ▁Es cape ▁From ▁D row ning ; ▁Gall ant ▁Res cue ▁by ▁our ▁City ▁C ler k ▁– ▁The ▁L atter ▁Near ly ▁Me ets ▁a ▁Wat ery ▁Gra ve ▁and ▁L ett ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Hum ane ▁Society ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁and ▁death ▁ ▁W id ower ▁L ett ' s ▁wife , ▁Maria ▁H inton , ▁was ▁killed ▁on ▁Saturday , ▁ 3 ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁a ▁month ▁sh y ▁of ▁fifty - three ▁years ▁old . ▁The ▁rear ▁box car ▁of ▁a ▁train ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁& ▁Ott awa ▁Railway ▁( SL & OR ) ▁struck ▁her ▁ph a eton ▁while ▁it ▁was ▁being ▁driven ▁north wards ▁across ▁the ▁tracks ▁at ▁the ▁intersection ▁of ▁Ott awa ' s ▁Dal h ous ie ▁and ▁Mc Tag gart ▁Stre ets ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁company ' s