Near drowning April 23, 1965
/April 23, 1965 Ontario Intelligencer
Three Boys Rescued After Homemade Raft Capsizes
MARMORA (Special) - "For God's sake help us - we're not fooling". The desperate cry came from three teenage boys clinging to their home-made raft floating in "The Cove" on the south side of the Crowe River yesterday afternoon. An hour later Brian Monk, 13; Paul McTaggart, 13 both of Marmora and Brock Cooper, 11 of Peterborough were taken to safety soaked and chilled by the cold water of the river. Mrs. Roy Barker heard their cries and called her son, Jack, 15, and Dave McManus, who rushed to a nearby boathouse to secure a boat. The Marmora Fire Department raced to the scene and assisted in bringing the boys to shore. The youngsters set out in the raft for an hour's fun. Suddenly it capsized throwing all three occupants into the water. Cooper, it is stated, went down twice before he was hauled to safety by his friends. Authorities here say it is a miracle the trio did not drown. How the boys got back aboard the raft is still a big question . They lost rubber boots and raincoats when the raft upset, also the single paddle they took with them. The water of the river is very deep at this point. Except for the shaking and chilled bodies, the boys are none the worse for their misadventure. Jack Barker and McManus were forced to carry the rescue boat some distance before they could launch it.
