Ernst Rebelski

Other Events:

• Interesting: accident, drowning, story
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-181002
• Misfortune: Jun 1954, Labyrinth Lake, , Ontario; drowned with spouse

Notes:

Former Resident and Wife Drowned in Northern Ontario

A former New Hamburg resident and his wife were drowned Sunday evening in a boating accident near their home in Northern Ontario. The victims of the accident were Ernst Rebelski and his wife, Nelly, residents of Virginiatown, Ontario, 26 miles east of Kirkland Lake. The accident occurred when the couple were on a fishing trip with their 19-year-old daughter, Joan, and her husband, 23-year-old Tom Rowe, on Labyrinth Lake, eight miles northeast of Virginiatown on the Ontario-Quebec border. Mrs. Rowe, who rescued her husband from the lake reported that they were ready to return home and her father was in the act of starting the outboard motor on the boat when he fell into the water. When they attempted to pull him back into the boat, it capsized, throwing all four into the lake. Mrs. Rowe swam 60 feet to shore towing her unconscious husband, but was not able to rescue her mother and father. She applied artificial respiration for over an hour before Mr. Rowe regained consciousness. When the group did not return, a friend went to search for them, and they were found at about three a.m., some seven hours after the mishap. The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Rebelski were later recovered. Mrs. Rowe had served as a lifeguard at Kirkland Lake for several years and had twice previously saved persons from drowning. She visited her grandmother here last summer. Mr. Rebelski was born in New Hamburg 47 years ago, a son of Agnes Rebelski and the late Gottfried Rebelski, a former teacher at the local public school. He attended school here and played hockey and baseball with local teams. Before leaving town about 25 years ago he had been employed at the Bank of Commerce here. His mother has been a patient in hospital in Kitchener since last summer. Funeral services for Mr. and Mrs. Rebelski were held at Kirkland Lake on Wednesday.

New Hamburg Independent, June 18, 1954

Ernst — Nellie Storrier. Nellie died 13 Jun 1954, Labyrinth Lake, , Ontario. [Group Sheet]