Two Hunters Left Clinging to the Bottom of Their Boat in Lake Washington

Albert W. Bryan, a well-known electrician, and A. E. Chaffey, of the San Francisco Bridge Company, had a thrilling experience on Lake Washington yesterday afternoon. While out in the middle of the lake in a small rowboat, they were overturned, and for two hours were forced to cling to the bottom of the boat to keep from drowning. Their cries for help finally attracted the attention of two boys, who came to their rescue and brought them to shore.

Bryan and Chaffey had taken a small steamer, the Duckhunter, from the Madison Street landing on Saturday afternoon to Bothell, where they intended to hunt ducks. They brought along an Irish setter named Sport and a small rowboat in tow. After spending the night at Bothell, they worked along Squak Slough until about 1:00 p.m. when they reached Lake Washington. In the middle of the afternoon, a flock of butterball ducks appeared. Sport, the dog, who was crouching in the bow, became excited and was kept down with difficulty. Chaffey, who was in the middle seat, rose and fired as the ducks came into range. The instant the shot was fired, Sport jumped onto the side of the boat. The unexpected movement caused the boat to lurch, throwing Chaffey off balance, and both men were plunged into the cold water.

Both men were excellent swimmers and managed to climb onto the upturned boat. The lake was calm, preventing further waves from capsizing them, but they were soon chilled through. They drifted between the east and west shores, approximately 500 yards from the end of the lake. Their cries for help were initially unsuccessful, so they began to paddle with their hands toward the shore. Their condition grew increasingly dangerous until two boys in a boat appeared around a point. Though initially ignored, Bryan finally caught their attention, and the boys rescued the men and towed their skiff to the beach. A fire was built to warm the men before they returned to the Madison Street landing at 5:30 p.m.