Coulter was still holding fast, but his strength was rapidly growing weaker.

His head shook so that his teeth rattled like castanets.
Luckily Jack reached a spot where the shore ice was tolerably firm.

More than this, the water was somewhat shallow, so he could stand on the bottom while Pepper and Andy shoved out the end of the sapling to him.
"Here, I'll lift Gus out!" he called, his own teeth chattering not a little.

"He ca--can't hel--help hi--himself!" He lifted the other cadet as high as he could and with a shove sent him rolling on the ice beyond.

Andy and Pepper caught Coulter by the feet and immediately dragged him out of harm's way.