THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, June 7, 1928

 

Harold Pratt, age 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. George S Pratt of Summer Haven, keeper of the Matanzas Inlet Bridge, met death by drowning on Tuesday morning, the accident occurring at Summer Haven at a point a short distance south of the inlet.

Young Pratt was employed in hauling sand by boat from the beach at Summer Haven to the Matanzas Bridge. While specific details of the fatality are not available owing to the fact that there were no witnesses, it is assumed that the boat was overloaded or else sprung a leak and that it suddenly sank before young Pratt, who could not swim, was able to extricate himself from the boat or attract attention from the shore by cries for assistance.

The first information that the young man was downed came with the discovery of the oars belonging to the boat, which were found floating near the spot where the boat was accustomed to leave with its load. Mr. Pratt, Sr., immediately communicated with C. D. Tolan, in charge of the U. S. Coast Guard station at Flagler Beach, requesting him to come to Summer Haven, prepared to make a search for the body. Mr. Toler promptly requisitioned a crew of men to assist him, consisting of J. A. Tatum, Kenneth Biddle, Charlie Walker, and Kenneth Lambert, and arrived at the scene of the accident about 1:45 P.M. The rescue crew donned bathing suits and waded out into the surf with a large net which they dragged over a large area before finally locating the body about 3 o’clock. It had apparently been submerged for five or six hours which would place the time of the accident at about 9:30 Tuesday morning, which was approximately the time young Pratt was expected to leave Summer Haven with a load of sand.

Funeral services were held her Wednesday morning, interment being made at Hope Cemetery shortly after.

Mr. and Mrs. Pratt and family were for many years residents of Bunnell moving to Summer Have about two years ago when Mr. Pratt was put in charge of the Matanzas Bridge.