Monday, September 24, 2018

WALDON GRAY DROWNED IN ECHO LAKE - ACADIA, 1935

Deaths In Acadia National Park;

Bar Harbor Times
August 28, 1935

Bar Harbor Boy Loses Life While In Swimming
Funeral services for Waldon Emery Gray, who lost his life Sunday night while bathing at Echo Lake, were held Wed. morning at ten o'clock from the church at Salsbury Cove.  Rev. Melvin Harter officated at the services.
Young Gray, who left his home Sunday afternoon with a party of friends, was at Echo Lake Sunday evening.  They were swimming in about ten feet of water at the Somesville end of the lake.  Mr. Gray had laughingly spoken of swimming under water.  He dove in, came up twice and disappeared.  William Mordaunt of Portland, a member of the 158th C.C.C. arrived in answer to9 the call for help, dove in and brought the body ashore.  It was than about eleven-thirty P.M. and for more than two hours a determined effort was made to save the young man's life.  Dr. S.A. Coffin and Dr. E.J. Morrison were summoned.  Mordaunt had recently taken special first aid training at Fort Williams and he deserves credit for the aid which he administered.
Deputy Sheriff's Richard Carroll of Southwest Harbor and Warren J. Tribou were also promptly on hand in response to the call for help.
Waldon Gray was born on August 2, 1915, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gray.  Besides his parents he is survived by his brothers and sisters;  Mrs. James Cook and Jeannette Freda, Bradford and Mary Elizabeth Gray.  He also leaves his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Adelbert Gray and Mrs. Laura Coombs.  He was a graduate of the Bar Harbor High School in the class of 1934.  He was a boy of the finest type and he is deeply mourned by all who knew him.
The bearers at the services on Wednesday were George Webb, Francis Haskell, James Mcdonald, and Frederick Leland.  Burial was in the family lot at Salsbury Cove.