| Harry Watts’ Medals | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Harry Watts |
|
Type |
Medal Collection |
|
Effects |
Buoyancy during rescue diving |
|
Downsides |
Causes others to lose swimming skill |
|
Activation |
Wearing / Waterborne / Burning ? |
|
Section |
|
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Henry Watts (15 June 1826 – 26 April 1913) was a Sunderland sailor and diver, who rescued over 40 people from drowning during his lifetime – and assisted in the rescue of another 120 people.
Watts signed up as a diver with the River Wear Commissioners in 1861, a role he held until 1896. Not only did he save several more people from drowning, he also helped blast away the rocks from below Lambton Drops, to make the entrance to the river easier to navigate, provided vital aid when the mines of County Durham flooded and was part of the rescue party dealing with the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879.
The bravery Watts had shown throughout his life was finally recognized in the late 1860s, when several medals were bestowed on him. However, these were stolen in 1878, after Watts lent the collection to the James Williams Street Christian Lay Church for an exhibition at its annual bazaar. It was later discovered the thief had given them to his daughter to play with, who threw them into the fire after growing bored.
Effects[]
Increases buoyancy to any degree when used during rescue diving, whether to retrieve an animal, person or overboard goods. Can by consciously controlled to make them descend to desired depth with ease and then resurface again at precise velocity. Renders others into blabbering landlubbers that lose all ability to swim, even champions.
Some medals are theorized to have escaped the blaze, or been melted into one chunk from reports afterwards. The number of coastline swimmers that casually saved copious amounts of civilians in the years after lead agents to believe someone probably found them later.