C H A P T E R 4
LOVE LOST
DEATH BY DROWNING
The July 10, 1948, Regina Leader Post sports page was preparing its readers for a sunny weekend. It told of national baseball games that were to be played, an ad at the right hand corner of the sports page, placed by an outboard motor company, Evinrude, pictured a young boy confidentially waving while piloting a motor boat with the caption: “He’s Safe with an Evinrude” The ad copy reported: “Youngsters love the water and every child should know the rules for water safety. Teach your child the right way to handle a boat. Then let him take his turn as a pilot of your Evinrude. Evinrude outboard motors are built for safety.” It is jaw dropping to read that in light of the events of the upcoming weekend.
Dave Dryburgh’s daily column, urged sports fans to get out to Taylor Field, warning them “This is positively the last call for soccer in Regina. If the boys can’t pack in a respectable crowd on Saturday when Nationals collide with Saskatoon Mayfairs, they might as well let the air out of the football they bought on the installment plan from a friendly hardware merchant and take up horseshoe pitching for a pastime.” He then went on to wax eloquently about vintage soccer teams from earlier times highlighting Wilson Harper’s Leader-Post squad. At the conclusion of remembrances about the teams and its star players Dave Dryburgh sighed: “Ah—what memories.” He gave it a final pitch: “So for old time’s sake, let’s all go out to Taylor field on Saturday and give a boost to a game that is dying on its feet. We have the grass pitch now that seemed but a dream in this high flying days. Who’s coming?” One thing that he did not mention was he had been a team player back in those early days. Two days later, on July 12, 1948 the front page of the paper revealed this unmentioned connection. “Dave broke into the sports world via the soccer field. A brilliant player in his teens he played for juvenile, junior and senior Regina teams, including the Royals, Thistles and Wilson Harper’s famous Leader-Post team.”
Nonetheless, despite loyalty to the team; despite his love of the sport he played and had brought him to the Leader Post, despite his desire to see soccer played on its precious grass pitch Dave Dryburgh was not there to cheer his team on.
Instead, he chose to take advantage of the weekend that promised to be ‘clear’; he packed up his wife Eunice and drove to the lake. He had written about a journey to this lake in his piece in “Regina: An Oasis on the Prairie” published in the Ladies Home Journal of March 1948. He spoke of a fictional Regina family. “Maybe in the afternoon, they will climb in the family car and head across the broad prairies to the Qu’Appelle valley. It might be Regina Beach, 40 miles to the northwest or historic Fort Qu’Appelle 60 miles northeast. There are miles of endless prairie, then suddenly a drop into the valley with its chain of lakes where fishing and hunting abound.”
Significantly, Dave Dryburgh chose not to spend the weekend with his family. With some it would have been impracticable. George, his father, was in Vancouver visiting his brother, George, and his family. His brother Jack, his wife and daughter, Janet, lived in Toronto. His brother Jim and his wife, Edith, and children lived in Saskatoon. But three of his brothers, their wives and three young children, two nephews, Murray and Wayne, and a niece Alexis, lived in Regina itself.
Who were the people Uncle Dave preferred to consort with? This substitute family; what need did they serve in his world? His wife Eunice, reportedly a social pariah, was usually left at home. Cliff Ehrle was a member of an inner circle of men; these sporting men were team owners and other high- level enthusiasts. He was a big shot, a hotel operator and the co-owner of the Regina senior hockey club. This inner circle discussed, during morning and afternoon coffees, games, plays and players, the fate of the sports teams were in their hands. Uncle Dave chaired these informal get-togethers. Sports was the core of his identity. Being a family man was not. Even an aggrieved party can fathom that spending the day with some big shot on his boat at some lake could be preferable to hanging out with a five year old niece, even if, by all accounts she was very cute and eager to please.
The boat was on the shallow waters at 5 p.m. (1700) What went on in the hours before the boat ride? Was alcohol involved? Did alcohol contribute to the choices made that day? All of those Dryburgh boys, George, Jack, Jim, Bill, Alex and Garnet were heavy drinkers, according their daughters. The boys were following in their father George’s footsteps. So it is likely, even probable, that drinking played a role in the events of that day, and led to what transpired. Dryburgh men become more dogmatic, assumed greater risk takers and became flamboyant when they are in their cups. Perhaps Cliff was being accommodating in allowing his guest, Dave Drybugh, to captain the outboard motor.
But whatever the choice, whatever the circumstance, it was not a good idea, a foolish decision, perhaps evidence of a fatal flaw. The headline on the front page of the July 12, 1948 Leader Post grimly announced the consequence of his choice;” Boating Accident Takes Life of Dave Dryburgh”.
What happened that day?
Evidence presented at an inquest should supply the answer. (An inquest is a public hearing held under the authority of the Canadian Coroners Act.) The paper reports there was an inquest. “A jury was impanelled by Dr. C. O. Bowling coroner, Fort Qu’P by R.C.M.P. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and after his body had been identified by Mr. Ehrle the inquest was adjourned without further ado.” (Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948 pg.1.)
Is that all there was to be said about it? There must be more to an inquest than that, the mere identification of the body. Research revealed there should have been. David Marshall in the Canadian Law of Inquests: a Handbook for Ccoroners, Medical Examiners, Council and the Police Carswell.Toronto (1980) identified matters that must be answered by the inquest. “Who” is only one of the inquiries. Matters that must be answered by the inquest;
1. Who was the deceased?
2. How did the deceased die?
3. Where did the deceased die?
4. When did the deceased die?
5. By what means did the deceased die?
Newspaper accounts are the only source of answers at this late time, date and place.
Who was the deceased?
The inquest determined the answer to this inquiry.
How Did the Deceased Die?
The inquest did not explore this aspect so it is necessary to return to the press. “Mr. Dryburgh was operating the motor of a motor-equipped row boat in which were Mrs. Dryburgh, Cliff Ehrle and Mr. Ehrle’s daughter Delores. The two women on the centre of the boat. Mr. Ehrle in front.” (Regina Leader Post, page 1)
“The boat was heading for shore when almost 60 feet out it swung into the wave trough and capsized.”(Regina Leader Post, page 1)
“Dryburgh was drowned at B-Say-Tah Sask Sunday when a boat he was in capsized as he snatched at his wife’s purse in an attempt to prevent it from falling into the water.” (Winnipeg Tribune, July 12, 1948 pg.3)
“Bystanders at the beach who saw the accident immediately swam out and rescued the two women and Mr. Ehrle who was struggling in the water.” (Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948)
“Mr. Dryburgh did not reappear and it is believed he struck his head on the boat when he was tossed overboard. His body was not recovered for more than an hour.”(Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948 page 1)
“I don’t know what happened. When I looked around there was water in the boat and then I was in the water. (Cliff Erle, Regina Leader Post July 12, 1948.)
Forensic Conclusion: There was irrefutable evidence that the boat capsized. But why it capsized remains a mystery and the cause is relevant to any further finding. The Leader Post reported that it was a wave trough. But this was a land locked lake. There were no reports of wind. If it were a wave trough then it would have to be of such a magnitude that the deceased was tossed with enough force to hit his head and be struck unconscious. This wave trough was unrecognized by Mr. Ehrle. Only Dr. Bowling could answer this question. Did the postmortem examination reveal a head injury?
If not a wave trough, did the boat capsize when Dryburgh tried to grab his wife’s purse, as reported in the Winnipeg Tribune? What was the source of the purse rescue version of the capsizing? The author of the Tribune article had worked for the Leader Post. He returned to Regina to serve as one of the pallbearers. (Regina Leader Post, July 16, pg.3) He subsequently was appointed sports editor of the Regina Leader Post where he served until his death. Did he hear from one of the principals? If so, it had to be wife Eunice, as it was not Cliff Ehrle, and most probably not Delores, the daughter.
When did the deceased die?
The inquest did not appear to answer that question. It is necessary again to consult the newspaper of the day.
“The accident occurred a few minutes after five o’clock. Dragging operations were immediately organized and the body was recovered by Richard Burton, one of the Red Cross swimming instructors, on the beach about 6:20 p.m. Mr. Dryburgh’s watch stopped at 5:12 p.m. He was pronounced dead at 9:20 p.m..” (Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948 pg.1)
Forensic Conclusion: Inconclusive. Did he die when his watch stopped? Were the dragging operations unsuccessful and did he just wash up on shore? Was he dead then at 6:20 p.m.? But why was he was not pronounced dead until 9:20 p.m.?
By what means did the deceased die?
The report of the inquest did not answer this question either. The front page of the Regina Leader Post reports: “Artificial respiration was given and a pulmetor was rushed from Fort Qu’P Three hours were spent in efforts to revive him. Four doctors were in attendance. First called were Dr. J.M. LeBoldus. Others assisting were Dr. J.R. Richie, Dr. H.C. George and Dr. E.H. Duncan. He was pronounced dead at 9:20 p.m.” (Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948 Pg. 1)
Forensic Conclusion: Were there signs of life that justified the presence of four doctors and three hours? How quickly does death occur by drowning? The diagnosis of drowning is described in the literature as one of the most difficult in the field of forensic medicine (Piette & De letter, 2006).
Where did the deceased die?
The report of the inquest did not answer this question. Newspaper accounts are consistent. “His body was taken to Regina on Sunday night.” (Regina Leader Post, July 12, 1948 pg. 1)
Forensic Conclusion: Lake B-Say-Tah, Saskatchewan appears to be the situs.
Can this mystery be solved? It could be that the inquest was complete but the paper did not report its conclusion in its entirety. A copy of the inquest report is necessary to the inquiry but these are provincial matters and require a journey to Saskatchewan.
The rest is speculation and does require eyewitness testimony, not achievable at this late date. Mrs. Dryburgh died in 1994, the whereabouts of Cliff Ehrle and his daughter are not known but certainly Cliff Ehrle is deceased. The answers to the following questions are unknowable. Were there five people in the boat as reported by the Ottawa and Montreal newspapers? If so, perhaps that unidentified person had a motive, knew of Dryburgh’s inability to swim, capsized the boat and swam to shore. Who had motive? Scotty Mellvile for one, the sports reporter ostracized to Winnipeg, who immediately took over as sports editor and went on to get credit for much of the work in the sports world actually achieved by Dave Dryburgh. But there could have been others as well.
Stay tuned. The five-year-old niece, curious by nature, went to law school, is obsessed with solving this mystery and has the curiosity and the means to travel to Saskatchewan.
