Simcoe Youth Drowns
in Black Creek
Michael Peer, 15,
Loses Life
While Swimming Monday
Norfolk County's first drowning of
1951 occurred Monday afternoon when Michael "Buddy" Peer,
15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Peer of Simcoe, lost his life in
Black Creek at the outskirts of Port Dover.
The Peer boy, along with D. G.
Doucette, 24, an employee at the hotel owned by the victim's father, were
in swimming when the tragedy occurred. They had hired a boat at the
Maytham Boat Livery in Port Dover and were going up Black Creek about a
mile from the livery when the Peer boy decided he wanted to go swimming.
After tying the boat to a tree, the
Peer boy went over the side, being followed shortly afterwards by Doucette.
The former was holding on to the boat and Doucette was about 25 feet away
when Peer called for help.
At the time, Peer was only a short
distance from the boat and sank from sight as Doucette went to his rescue.
Doucette dived for 10 minutes in the 13 feet of water at this point and
when he could not locate the boy he ran to the Harold Backus home for
help.
Port Dover firemen were called and
when they were unable to locate the boy, they enlisted the aid of a diver,
Tom Backus of Port Rowan, who was working in Port Dover. With some
difficulty the diving gear was brought to the side of the river, but it
took Backus only three minutes to find the body after entering the
river.
The body was fast under a log and
for that reason could not be found by the firemen with grappling hooks. He
had been in the water an hour and 40 minutes before being brought ashore.
Immediately the boy was brought
ashore, artificial respiration was started by the firemen who worked for
an hour and a half before he was pronounced dead by Dr. A. E. Williamson
of Port Dover.
Cpl. Bert McKie of the Simcoe
Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police and Acting Chief Charles
Bridgewater of Port Dover investigated. Coroner Dr. Keith McIntosh and
Crown Attorney D. E. W. Tisdale, K.C. of Simcoe were notified and it was
decided that an inquest was unnecessary.
The body was taken to the Thompson
Funeral Home in Port Dover and later to the Walsh Funeral Home in Simcoe.
Michael Clayton Peer was born in
Brockville, the son of Harold Emerson Peer and Helen Louise Clayton. He
had lived in Simcoe for the past 13 years and attended Simcoe Public and
High Schools, having completed his first year at High School only last
Friday.
He was a member of Trinity Anglican
Church, the Norfolk Golf and Country Club, the High School Cadets and the
Boy Scouts. Interested in athletics, he won the North Public School track
and field championship in 1949.
Besides his parents, he is survived
by one brother, Peter Emerson Peer, 19, and an aunt, Mrs. May Sanderson of
Simcoe.
Service is being conducted at the
Walsh Funeral Home Thursday at 2 p.m. with Rev. John L. Duncan of Trinity
Anglican Church officiating and interment in Oakwood Cemetery.
