The Whitehorse Star
August 25, 1933
Word of one of the saddest tragedies to ever happen in the Yukon was received here on Wednesday afternoon of the 23rd, when a wire bearing the news of the drowning
of Tom Drury, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Drury of Whitehorse, in the treacherous waters of the Yukon River near Selkirk.
According to later information, Mr. Drury and son Tom, William Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. I. Taylor and J. Finnegan were on the boat, which was proceeding upstream
close to the shore near Selkirk, when the lad accidentally fell over the side of the boat into the swiftly running waters of the river. Tom started to swim and as he was swept
passed the boat by the powerful current Mr. Drury and Mr. Finnegan reached out and tried to get a hold on his clothing, but he was out of reach of those on board. William Taylor
immediately threw a life belt out to the lad, who appeared to get a hold of it, and then jumped into a small boat and rowed out to the life belt, only to find that Tom had
disappeared. It is thought that the intense cold had caused cramps which proved too much for the young lad.
A party, headed by William Taylor, is searching the sand bars for the body but as we go to press the search still continues without success. Mr. Drury is reurning
on the steamer Whitehorse.
The deceased was 15 years of age and had resided in Whitehorse all his life with the exception of the last two years, which were spent at Brentwood College, Victoria.
Tom had been planning on the trip to Pelly with his father, the two being great companions together, and was going back to Victoria this fall to resum ehis studies there. A
scholarly lad of very gentlemanly manners, he was very well liked by the entire community and his death comes as a great shock to all who knew him. The sympathy of the people
of Whitehorse and surrounding districts will go out to the family in their great loss.
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