 listening library presents who was Ronald Reagan by Joyce Milton read for you by Kevin Parasau who was Ronald Reagan it was already dark and the beach at Lowell Park was closed for the day Dutch Reagan the 17-year-old lifeguard was helping the park manager Mr. Graybill close up the changing rooms when they heard muffled cries and splashing a swimmer had sneaked into the park for an after-hours swim now he was in trouble caught in the fast flowing waters of the Rock River Dutch peeled off his glasses and dived into the dark water he followed the sounds a desperate man was struggling to keep his head above water the swimmer was so panicky that he tried to fight off his rescuer Dutch was afraid the man would drown them both at last the swimmer was too exhausted to fight anymore Dutch held the man's head out of the water and swam one armed back to shore pulled from the jaws of death screamed the headline in the Dixon Illinois evening telegraph the paper called Dutch a hero adding that he had saved 25 lives so far Dutch Reagan worked as a lifeguard for six summers for the most part the job was not glamorous early every morning Dutch had to stock the snack bar there was no refrigerator just three big ice chests so he would stop at the ice house for 300 pounds slab of ice after chopping the ice into three big chunks he carried them one by one to the beach no matter how hot it got Dutch didn't take a swim the rule was that the lifeguard never got his suit wet unless he was in the water to save a life the Rock River was famous for dangerous currents in the past people had been swept downstream they had gotten trapped in the sluice gate of the day