Prosser Businessman Frank Hedger Drowns in Yakima River
A prominent Prosser businessman drowns while duck hunting near the mouth of the Yakima River.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Frank S. Hedger, a prominent young business man of Prosser, was drowned in the Yakima river near Gibbon. In company with Angus McKay and his son, Fewlas, Mr. Hedger had started in a rowboat on a duck hunting excursion toward the mouth of the Yakima river near Richland. While shooting a series of rapids near Gibbon, the boat made water rapidly and sank. Mr. Hedger, who was an excellent swimmer, started for shore, but McKay urged him to turn toward the capsized boat. Fewlas McKay jumped in to help, but Hedger sank almost immediately and did not reappear. A dozen automobiles loaded with men went to the scene to drag the river, but the body was not recovered that evening.
“Seeing that Hedger made no progress against the current, McKay urged him to turn toward the boat, which he endeavored to do. Finally Fewlas McKay left the boat in an effort to succor Mr. Hedger who sank almost immediatly after.”
The Yakima River remains a central point of recreation and danger for the region. This incident reflects how local business leaders were often intertwined with the outdoor life of the community, turning a hunting trip into a town-wide tragedy.
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