Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 23 September 1935, page 10


MAN DROWNED

»

Trying to Save Dog.

SWEPT THROUGH TUNNEL.

MELBOURNE, Sunday.

Robert Capron, 38, an American comedian, was drowned to-day in an effort to save the life of a puppy which had fallen into the Yarra near Warrandyte.

Capron, who is appearing in the revue, "So This is Hollywood," at the Apollo Theatre, plunged into the river near a spot where the stream flows for 200 yards through a disused mining tunnel. He followed the puppy into the tunnel, and was dashed against the walls by the swiftly-running stream, but, when he emerged at the mouth of the tunnel, he was bearing the puppy on his shoulder.

The stream swept the dog from Capron, and carried it toward the bank farthest from him. He immediately swam after it. Although he was only a few yards away from the other bank, his strength failed in midstream, and he sank and was drowned.

The puppy, a fox terrier was rescued, suf-fering very little ill-effect.

IN GRIP OF CURRENT.

Capron and several other members of the cast of "So This Is Hollywood" were having a picnic at Warrandyte. Late in the after-noon Capron and Mr. Peter Finch, the juve-nile lead of the company, went to the mouth of an old mining tunnel. This tunnel was made many years ago to divert the waters of the Yarra so that gold might be obtained from the bed of the river. The two men took with them the puppy, which belonged to another member of the party.

The puppy fell into the water, and was swept by a strong current toward the tun-nel mouth. Capron immediately sprang into the water and he and the dog were swept down the tunnel, through which the current flows at about 30 miles an hour. Jagged spikes of rock protrude from the walls and huge boulders lie on the floor. There is no illumination, and the centre of the tunnel is in complete darkness.

Capron must have grasped the dog as he passed through the tunnel, because, when he emerged, he was carrying it. Capron was bleeding profusely from a number of cuts, probably caused when he was dashed against the boulders on the floor of the tunnel.

DIVING FOR BODY.

The puppy was carried out of Capron's grasp, and he began to swim after it. Although he was not far from the bank opposite that on which the other members of the picnic party stood, to their horror he sank in mid-stream, and failed to reappear. The puppy came near the bank and was hauled out, exhausted and cut, but not badly injured.

Two men dived into the river in an at-tempt to rescue Capron, but they could not find him. Diving was continued for two hours, but to-night Capron's body had not been found.