[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 30, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          HONORING SCOTT CHASE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a Good 
Samaritan named Scott Chase. Scott braved the freezing cold 
temperatures to save the life of an older woman, who was involved in a 
tragic accident on January 17.
  On that fateful Wednesday afternoon, long-time friends Shirley Maris 
and Mary Belle Hamm were meeting other friends for lunch at a popular 
restaurant in Southeast Denver. Ms. Maris parked in a space that 
appeared to be on a parking lot. In reality, she drove her car onto a 
9-foot-deep pond that was covered with ice and 3 inches of snow. When 
the two women parked on the ice, their vehicle plunged into the water. 
Several onlookers witnessed this horrible incident. One of these 
witnesses was Scott Chase, who ran out of his company's boardroom and 
to the site where he saw Ms. Hamm in the vehicle's rear window. An 
employee from the restaurant broke the rear window with a propane tank 
and Scott dove into the water and rescued Ms. Hamm from the frigid 
water. Tragically, officers and rescue teams could not save Ms. Maris, 
who drowned after being trapped underwater for 20 minutes. However, Ms. 
Hamm was treated for hypothermia and released from the hospital.
  Mr. Speaker, the entire state of Colorado was saddened by Shirley 
Maris' untimely death. But we were also encouraged by Scott Chase's 
heroic efforts. When I hear of such courageous acts, it gives me great 
hope for our nation because it reminds me of the deep wells of 
compassion that many people shelter in their hearts. So today, I honor 
Scott Chase, who did not flinch and who did not brag--he merely did 
what any Good Samaritan would do. Scott is a model citizen, and we all 
can learn from his example.

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