Clifford McMichaels, aged 22, and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen aged 18, were drowned at Lake Minnehaha, Sunday, July 4 about 8:30 and Miss Isabel Bresnahen and N. C. Searl narrowly escaped the same fate, when a boat in which they were all riding filled with water and sank from under them.
The four young people went to the lake and waited for their turn, N. C. Searl told a Tribune reporter this morning. Soon a small boat came in, he said, and the caretaker remarked that it was the only one in but was a small one. The four got in and rowed around the lagoon for a time and then went on out into the big lake and headed for the far side.
They were near Heaney island when the vessel suddenly began to dip water and almost instantly he says one end gave way and sunk from beneath them, throwing the two on the rowers seat on top of the other two, and they all went down into the water. When they came up all three were clinging to Searl and McMichael yelled for Searl to give one of the girls to him.
As Elizabeth knew how to swim Searl pushed her away, and McMichaels, who is an expert swimmer, grabbed him. Elizabeth became frightened and started to struggle with McMichaels and they both went down a second time. The girl came to the surface again and was taken to the island nearby by passersby. In the meantime Searl took Isabel by the shoulder and with her went to the boat, one end of which was standing out of the water about 60 feet away. She clung to this and she and Searl began calling for help. People on the lake went to the place and got the three on the island.
The yells of Searl and the crying of the girl could be heard for a distance and it was not long until there was a big crowd at the landing, and some ran around the lake to the point nearest the island and swam over to the island, and others sent for physicians.
Carl Schmidt, who with his wife was rowing on the lake at the time of the accident, dived for the body of McMichaels. The first time, near the end of the boat, he missed. The second time be dived near where the baot went under and came upon the man's foot. This was about 15 feet under the surface and his face was at the bottom of the lake. Schmidt pulled him up by his foot. He had been in the water seventeen minutes and his body was limp when gotten to the surface.
Elizabeth Bresnahen went down only twice and was still breathing and her heart was still beating when she was taken to the island. She lived about fifteen minutes. A physician called to attend the victims said it was his opinion she had died from heart failure and not from choking.
A call was sent to the fire station for the pulmotor, and the response was immediate. One of the firemen was Harold Bresnahen. He did not know who the persons were until he started to work on the girl and saw it was his sister. She soon breathed her last and work was started on McMichaels but he had been dead long before he reached the top, so that there was no hope. Coroner Clyde Early was advised and he removed both the bodies to his establishment.
McMichaels was said to be an expert swimmer and had won several medals in contests. His home was in Lincoln, Neb., and for the past six months he had been employed as timekeeper at the Union Pacific shops. Upon notice of his death, his parents requested that the body be sent to his home for burial.
Elizabeth Bresnahen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Bresnahen of this city. They are old-time residents of this city and Mr. Bresnahen served the city in the capacity of mayor for two terms. He has large real estate holdings in this city. They have a large family and less than a year ago lost another daughter, Beatrice. They were not at home at the time of the accident and, it is said, told the girls not to go near the lake.
© Wyoming State Tribune no. 160 July 06, 1920, page 1 and 10
The four young people went to the lake and waited for their turn, N. C. Searl told a Tribune reporter this morning. Soon a small boat came in, he said, and the caretaker remarked that it was the only one in but was a small one. The four got in and rowed around the lagoon for a time and then went on out into the big lake and headed for the far side.
They were near Heaney island when the vessel suddenly began to dip water and almost instantly he says one end gave way and sunk from beneath them, throwing the two on the rowers seat on top of the other two, and they all went down into the water. When they came up all three were clinging to Searl and McMichael yelled for Searl to give one of the girls to him.
As Elizabeth knew how to swim Searl pushed her away, and McMichaels, who is an expert swimmer, grabbed him. Elizabeth became frightened and started to struggle with McMichaels and they both went down a second time. The girl came to the surface again and was taken to the island nearby by passersby. In the meantime Searl took Isabel by the shoulder and with her went to the boat, one end of which was standing out of the water about 60 feet away. She clung to this and she and Searl began calling for help. People on the lake went to the place and got the three on the island.
The yells of Searl and the crying of the girl could be heard for a distance and it was not long until there was a big crowd at the landing, and some ran around the lake to the point nearest the island and swam over to the island, and others sent for physicians.
Carl Schmidt, who with his wife was rowing on the lake at the time of the accident, dived for the body of McMichaels. The first time, near the end of the boat, he missed. The second time be dived near where the baot went under and came upon the man's foot. This was about 15 feet under the surface and his face was at the bottom of the lake. Schmidt pulled him up by his foot. He had been in the water seventeen minutes and his body was limp when gotten to the surface.
Elizabeth Bresnahen went down only twice and was still breathing and her heart was still beating when she was taken to the island. She lived about fifteen minutes. A physician called to attend the victims said it was his opinion she had died from heart failure and not from choking.
A call was sent to the fire station for the pulmotor, and the response was immediate. One of the firemen was Harold Bresnahen. He did not know who the persons were until he started to work on the girl and saw it was his sister. She soon breathed her last and work was started on McMichaels but he had been dead long before he reached the top, so that there was no hope. Coroner Clyde Early was advised and he removed both the bodies to his establishment.
McMichaels was said to be an expert swimmer and had won several medals in contests. His home was in Lincoln, Neb., and for the past six months he had been employed as timekeeper at the Union Pacific shops. Upon notice of his death, his parents requested that the body be sent to his home for burial.
Elizabeth Bresnahen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Bresnahen of this city. They are old-time residents of this city and Mr. Bresnahen served the city in the capacity of mayor for two terms. He has large real estate holdings in this city. They have a large family and less than a year ago lost another daughter, Beatrice. They were not at home at the time of the accident and, it is said, told the girls not to go near the lake.
© Wyoming State Tribune no. 160 July 06, 1920, page 1 and 10
Clifford McMichaels, aged 22, and Miss Elizabeth Bresnahen aged 18, were drowned at Lake Minnehaha, Sunday, July 4 about 8:30 and Miss Isabel Bresnahen and N. C. Searl narrowly escaped the same fate, when a boat in which they were all riding filled with water and sank from under them.
The four young people went to the lake and waited for their turn, N. C. Searl told a Tribune reporter this morning. Soon a small boat came in, he said, and the caretaker remarked that it was the only one in but was a small one. The four got in and rowed around the lagoon for a time and then went on out into the big lake and headed for the far side.
They were near Heaney island when the vessel suddenly began to dip water and almost instantly he says one end gave way and sunk from beneath them, throwing the two on the rowers seat on top of the other two, and they all went down into the water. When they came up all three were clinging to Searl and McMichael yelled for Searl to give one of the girls to him.
As Elizabeth knew how to swim Searl pushed her away, and McMichaels, who is an expert swimmer, grabbed him. Elizabeth became frightened and started to struggle with McMichaels and they both went down a second time. The girl came to the surface again and was taken to the island nearby by passersby. In the meantime Searl took Isabel by the shoulder and with her went to the boat, one end of which was standing out of the water about 60 feet away. She clung to this and she and Searl began calling for help. People on the lake went to the place and got the three on the island.
The yells of Searl and the crying of the girl could be heard for a distance and it was not long until there was a big crowd at the landing, and some ran around the lake to the point nearest the island and swam over to the island, and others sent for physicians.
Carl Schmidt, who with his wife was rowing on the lake at the time of the accident, dived for the body of McMichaels. The first time, near the end of the boat, he missed. The second time be dived near where the baot went under and came upon the man's foot. This was about 15 feet under the surface and his face was at the bottom of the lake. Schmidt pulled him up by his foot. He had been in the water seventeen minutes and his body was limp when gotten to the surface.
Elizabeth Bresnahen went down only twice and was still breathing and her heart was still beating when she was taken to the island. She lived about fifteen minutes. A physician called to attend the victims said it was his opinion she had died from heart failure and not from choking.
A call was sent to the fire station for the pulmotor, and the response was immediate. One of the firemen was Harold Bresnahen. He did not know who the persons were until he started to work on the girl and saw it was his sister. She soon breathed her last and work was started on McMichaels but he had been dead long before he reached the top, so that there was no hope. Coroner Clyde Early was advised and he removed both the bodies to his establishment.
McMichaels was said to be an expert swimmer and had won several medals in contests. His home was in Lincoln, Neb., and for the past six months he had been employed as timekeeper at the Union Pacific shops. Upon notice of his death, his parents requested that the body be sent to his home for burial.
Elizabeth Bresnahen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Bresnahen of this city. They are old-time residents of this city and Mr. Bresnahen served the city in the capacity of mayor for two terms. He has large real estate holdings in this city. They have a large family and less than a year ago lost another daughter, Beatrice. They were not at home at the time of the accident and, it is said, told the girls not to go near the lake.
© Wyoming State Tribune no. 160 July 06, 1920, page 1 and 10
The four young people went to the lake and waited for their turn, N. C. Searl told a Tribune reporter this morning. Soon a small boat came in, he said, and the caretaker remarked that it was the only one in but was a small one. The four got in and rowed around the lagoon for a time and then went on out into the big lake and headed for the far side.
They were near Heaney island when the vessel suddenly began to dip water and almost instantly he says one end gave way and sunk from beneath them, throwing the two on the rowers seat on top of the other two, and they all went down into the water. When they came up all three were clinging to Searl and McMichael yelled for Searl to give one of the girls to him.
As Elizabeth knew how to swim Searl pushed her away, and McMichaels, who is an expert swimmer, grabbed him. Elizabeth became frightened and started to struggle with McMichaels and they both went down a second time. The girl came to the surface again and was taken to the island nearby by passersby. In the meantime Searl took Isabel by the shoulder and with her went to the boat, one end of which was standing out of the water about 60 feet away. She clung to this and she and Searl began calling for help. People on the lake went to the place and got the three on the island.
The yells of Searl and the crying of the girl could be heard for a distance and it was not long until there was a big crowd at the landing, and some ran around the lake to the point nearest the island and swam over to the island, and others sent for physicians.
Carl Schmidt, who with his wife was rowing on the lake at the time of the accident, dived for the body of McMichaels. The first time, near the end of the boat, he missed. The second time be dived near where the baot went under and came upon the man's foot. This was about 15 feet under the surface and his face was at the bottom of the lake. Schmidt pulled him up by his foot. He had been in the water seventeen minutes and his body was limp when gotten to the surface.
Elizabeth Bresnahen went down only twice and was still breathing and her heart was still beating when she was taken to the island. She lived about fifteen minutes. A physician called to attend the victims said it was his opinion she had died from heart failure and not from choking.
A call was sent to the fire station for the pulmotor, and the response was immediate. One of the firemen was Harold Bresnahen. He did not know who the persons were until he started to work on the girl and saw it was his sister. She soon breathed her last and work was started on McMichaels but he had been dead long before he reached the top, so that there was no hope. Coroner Clyde Early was advised and he removed both the bodies to his establishment.
McMichaels was said to be an expert swimmer and had won several medals in contests. His home was in Lincoln, Neb., and for the past six months he had been employed as timekeeper at the Union Pacific shops. Upon notice of his death, his parents requested that the body be sent to his home for burial.
Elizabeth Bresnahen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Bresnahen of this city. They are old-time residents of this city and Mr. Bresnahen served the city in the capacity of mayor for two terms. He has large real estate holdings in this city. They have a large family and less than a year ago lost another daughter, Beatrice. They were not at home at the time of the accident and, it is said, told the girls not to go near the lake.
© Wyoming State Tribune no. 160 July 06, 1920, page 1 and 10
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