The Boyhood of Abraham Lincoln

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks once more, Gene, for a helpful review.

Austin Gollaher claimed he saved Abraham Lincoln from drowning. I have often wondered if the story were (1) true as told; (2) embellished from what really happened; (3) created totally.

I could swim before I could walk without anyone ever teaching me (we used to spend summers at the Mediterranean Sea, and I was hardly to get out of the water and at that age never thought it possible one could drown), so I always have a hard time to relate to a kid being unable to "naturally" be able to swim. (I mean it seems somewhat natural - all life comes from the sea and we started out swimming for nine months.)

However, soaked clothes make swimming way more difficult. I think it might have happened as the same happened to my mother when she was a child (in winter, ice was too thin - and of course, the parents weren't told anything...).

When I was 4.5 yrs I was "saved" from the rough Indic Ocean by a Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) native who believed I were drawing (by no means, I was enjoying diving through the waves). I immediately returned into the water after his actions of pulling me out, but nothing could stop him from spreading the story of him heroically saving my life (strangely I've often experienced natives living at the sea indeed cannot swim well).

PS: Some of these websites that "reveal" Abraham Lincoln's favorite food, drink, color and the like also claim swimming his favorite hobby...
PPS: As for your question - I'd think it possible, I think...