Surnames: Ritter

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 07/05/1951

Ritter, Allan (10 OCT 1935 - 1 JUL 1951)

The dark murky waters of the Black River Sunday afternoon claimed the life of Allan Ritter, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ritter, Withee (Clark Co., Wis.). Allan Lost his life while attempting to swim across the river to the immediate south of the bridge spanning U.S. Highway 29.

Moments previous to the drowning Allan’s brother, Victor, at the railway bridge to the north of the highway where they had been fishing. Victor continued fishing but Allan and Wilke left, saying that they intended to go home and then continue to Owen to attend the movie. As they neared the bridge they yielded to the last minute urge to go swimming.

The spot where the drowning occurred is a dangerous treacherous hole, the water reaching a depth estimated by searchers to be in excess of twenty-five feet and is seldom used as a place to swim.

The two changed into their trunks and then started to swim across the stream to a large elm tree on the opposite bank, a distance of about 40 yards.

According to Wilke, who reported the drowning, he dive into the river first and was followed by Ritter. He first noticed something was wrong when he looked back and was unable to locate his friend. He heard no cry or sound of any kind but observed bubbles coming to the surface.

He immediately called for help bring Allan’s brother , Victory, to the scene and then ran to the nearby Black River Tourist Park from where help was summoned from the Owen Volunteer Fire Co., and Clark County authorities. This alarm was sounded at 4 p.m. Within a half hour Sheriff Frank Dobes, Undersheriff, Ray Kutsche and Coroner, John Bergeman, Neillsville, were at the scene of the tragedy. Previous to their arrival the search was being directed by Capt. Wm. Nelson of the Clark Co. Traffic department and the Owen Fire Company.

A natural traffic hazard existed at the scene as hundreds of people swarmed to the spot to observed the work of the rescue parties. Volunteer divers and boatmen from Owen, Withee and Thorp combed the waters until 11 p.m. that night, at which time they were called from the water and a barricade of poultry mesh wire was strung across the stream several hundred feet down stream from the sport at which the drowning occurred and at the head of a rapids.

Again at 7:50 Monday morning Sheriff Dobes and his assistants were at the river bank directing the work of rescue parties. More than 15 different divers and numerous boatmen worked throughout the day until late that evening.

For more tan an hour an airplane, piloted by A. C. Little, owen, combed the river from the bridge south to the bridge spanning Highway 29. He had good vision of the river’s bottom all along this route except for the deep hole in which the mishap occurred.

When this effort failed, permission was granted by the youth’s grieved father, to try and raise the body by blasting. Two one-half pound charges were discharged in the hole and a one pound stick by Owen’s Street Commissioner, Lawrence Clark, but this endeavor proved futile.

Then again at nine o’clock Tuesday morning the search was continued with relief of anxiety and tension to the family and the youth’s many friends coming at 12:45 p.m., when Ray Zaborowski, Thorp, located the body while working in a boat with Don Mattson of Neillsville.

The body was recovered just 42 hours after the drowning at a point about 200 feet south of the bridge, 40 feet to the east of the west bank of the river and in 12 feet of water.