Double drowning at Darran Lake 28 Jul 1916

[Becca54]

Report taken from local paper.

Bathing fatality at Ferndale

The children’s school holidays commenced under sad circumstances at Ferndale. On Friday evening some young schoolboys went to bathe in Darran Lake and two of them (David James Jones (9), son of private J. And Mrs. Jones, 21 Frederick Street and Willie Palmer (10), son of Mr and Mrs Philip Palmer, 20 Frederick Street) were drowned.
It transpires that the lad Jones first got into difficulties and that Willie Palmer made a heroic but vain attempt to save him. At the time there were some local racers and tennis players in an adjoining field and they received information about the sad occurrence from some boys who were near. The men at once entered the water to search for the unfortunate lads but some time had elapsed before their efforts were rewarded by the recovery of the body of Willie Palmer. A second search was formed and after being in the water for a considerable time, one of their number was successful in finding the other body.
Large crowds collected to witness the difficult work of the searchers and there was great relief when it was known that both bodies had been recovered.
Dr Thomas Thomas and a number of the local ambulance brigade were early on the scene and applied artificial respiration but in vain. Both boys were students at Duffryn Mixed School and belonged to families well known in the town.
Great sympathy is felt with the bereaved parents at their sad trial.


Willie (William Hendry) Palmer was my mothers brother. Both boys were buried at Ferndale cemetery but not together.