Neil Craig RUHL

RUHL, BRENNAN, NORMAN, OLSON, HOVE, KAYSER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:07:00

April 7, 1952 ----- July 20, 1961

Son Of Former Residents Drowns

Neil Ruhl, 9, son of Mr. and Mrs. Archie Ruhl of Webster City, drowned Thursday afternoon in the municipal pool at Webster City. Funeral services were held Monday at St. Thomas Aquinas church in Webster City. The Ruhl family lived in Eagle Grove for a short time a few years ago.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
July 27, 1961

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Rites Set Monday for Neil Ruhl

Funeral services for Neil C. Ruhl, 9, who drowned yesterday afternoon at the municipal swimming pool, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic church with Father Linus Rasing officiating and with burial in Catholic cemetery. Rosary will be at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Foster funeral home.

Neil Craig Ruhl, son of Archie and Madonna Ruhl, was born April 8, 1952, at Webster City. He attended the Webster City schools and would have been in the fourth grade this fall. Surviving are his parents, two sisters and three brothers, Mrs. James (Diana) Brennan of Streater, Ill., Mrs. Robert (Lois) Norman, Torrence, Calif.; Gary Ruhl, Van Nuys, Calif., Darrell Ruhl and Wayne Ruhl, both at home. Also surviving are his grandmother, Mrs. Mae Olson of Webster City and his paternal grandfather, O. D. Ruhl of Webster City.

Neil Ruhl was a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas church. He was active in the Webster City Cub Scouts. The Webster City youngster was pulled from the swimming pool by Lifeguard Nick Hove at about 1:45 p.m. yesterday and was pronounced dead by an attending physician about 45 minutes later despite valiant efforts by the pool lifeguards and members of the civil defense rescue squad. Hove, who was stationed on his chair perch at the south side of the pool's deep end, said he noticed the boy lying on the bottom of the pool. While he dove in to pull the youngster to the side of the pool, Lifeguard Larry Kayser, stationed in the other chair on the north side, ran to phone for the rescue squad. Hove immediately applied the arm lift method of respiration, and after clearing the lungs of liquid started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation which he and Kayser maintained until the rescue squad arrived. Mouth-to-mouth respiration and an inhalator were then used in the vain attempt to save the boy's life.

No Bruises
Dr. George Pascal, serving as county medical officer, said this morning that an examination showed no bruises or abrasions and that the drowning was listed as accidental. Hove said this morning that just a minute or two before sighting the boy he had been scanning the area for pipe caps which someone had torn from a nearby steel fence and tossed into the pool. Hove had been directing two girls who had been diving to retrieve some pipe caps which had been located earlier.

Daily Freeman Journal -- Webster City, Iowa
July 21, 1961