On This Day in Wembury — January 28, 1971
A boating trip on the River Yealm ended in tragedy when a dinghy carrying four people capsized near Wembury.
Eighty-five-year-old Dennis Fitzgerald of High Street, Winterbourne, near Bristol, went missing after the accident.
His wife Pauline, their four-year-old daughter Clair, and Robert Griffin of Wembury managed to swim to safety, but despite an intensive search there was no trace of Mr Fitzgerald.
Police continued to patrol the estuary through the following days as concern spread among local residents.
It was a sobering reminder of how quickly calm water can turn dangerous.
Source: Wolverhampton Express and Star, 28 January 1971.
