or in 122,-047. i a Youth Dies in Lake Merrift Deaf Victim Unable to Hear Instructions Shouted by Rescuers Unable to hear the shouted Instructions that would have saved his life, because an artificial hearing aid he wore ad been rendered useless by water, Thornton Martin, 18, 2609 Ivy Drive, drowned in Lake Merritt yesterday, with, help at his fingertips. His companion, who was rescued, was Jack McCarthy, 15, of the same address. The Martin boy, son of R. C. Mar. tin, Richmond fish cannery executive, was partially deaf and without the use of the artificial hearing aid heard little. SAILING IN KAYAK Yesterday, he and his friend put out on the lake In a 10-foot kayak. If was a sunny afternoon a trlfjq windy. The boys paddled their frail craft into the wakesvof power boats so that it would be lifted on the swells. .. ' - . iThe subject of swimming was broached and Martin assured his companion that he was "a food Lswimmer." Hardly had the words left his lips when the, kayak was tossed by an especially heavy swell. It tipped crazily. The Martin boy, apparently panic stricken, shifted:; his weight sud denly. The kayak1 capsized, pitching both boys Into 11 feet of water. It was then that McCarthy dis covered that his friend's claims as a swimmer were merely a boast Terrorized, Martin clung to Mc Carthy. They went down. As they reappeared on the surface, McCarthy managed to break the hold and seized a pillow life preserver. TOSSES PRESERVER Then he tossed one to young Mar tin. But the Martin boy shoved the proffered aid away. McCarthy threw him a second preserver, and for the second time, Martin, pushed the life preserver from him. Then McCarth. realized what had happened. His friend's hearing aid had been disabled by the water and he could not hear his instructions, McCarthy stroked desperately to ward him. It was too late. The boy had gone down again. At that moment, John Straub, 17, 378 Euclid Avenue, sailed up in snip boat He hauled McCarthy aboard and they, raced to the boat- house for aid. Two incidents led to the recovery of the body. First, prisoners in the jail atop the County Courthouse who had witnessed the affair sum moned a jailer and told him the searchers were far from the proper location. Instructions were telephoned to the boathouse. - Then the searcher saw what appeared to be a buoy bobbing on the lake's surface. They approached it . It was the boy's hearing aid which had floated to the surface. A wire dangled downward into the roiled water from it Martin's body was found on the bottom. The wire was still entangled in M Jacket. a -