Who died saving boys from drowning

[JAW67]

Hi

I came upon an article on the web about a famous person who had died whilst saving some boys from drowning. I have since forgotten who it was. I am sure it was an author/poet/artist/composer, but I really can't remember. I'm pretty sure it was in the 20th century, and I've checked people like T S Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, but I'm sure it was someone as well known as that. If anyone can help out, that would be great. Thanks!

[saxy_jag]

W S Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan) died of, I believe, a heart attack following an incident in the ornamental lake at his home in Hertfordshire. If I remember the story correctly, he had been swimming in the lake in the company of a local child, who had got into difficulties and was rescued by him.

There has since been some, er, discussion, I believe on his his motives for having children swimming there in this way, but I guess that's for another forum.

[saxy_jag]

Thank you, Pickle. The story I read did actually say the 'children' were girls, but it implied they were quite young and that the fact of them being there in the first place was open to some gossip, as these things are. I guess older, rich men entertaining young ladies these days is normal and accepted, but perhaps it wasn't so much then.

I've actually stayed at Grims Dyke, where you can walk around the grounds and see the lake for yourself (although when I was there it was partly drained for some reason). The grounds are very well designed. You'd be forgiven for thinking the house was built in the middle of natural woodland, but then you find out that almost all of it was deliberately planted.

[JAW67]

Yes, I remember now. Thanks saxy_jag and In A Pickle. I can stop thinking about it now. Brilliant. Cheers!

[Peter Pedant]

yeah JAW you can live this out

Grims dyke is now a hotel which does G and S weekends and shows and also just B and B

worth a stay

and before Gilbert, it was owned by an arteest called Goodall - but I seem to be the only one to have heard of him.