1951 ❖ Sad Day on the Ferry Slip

Orcas Island Ferry Landing.
Original photo from the archives of
the Saltwater People Historical Society©

"Early on Friday 15 November 1951, two Seattle men, Dr. Melvin Warren, 42, and James E. Parks, 40, were drowned when their car rolled off the frosty ferry slip at Orcas. The tragedy is presumed to have taken place about 5:00 a.m., as both men's watches had stopped at approximately that time.
      No one saw the accident and the cause will probably never be known. The men had gone to Orcas on the doctor's day off to visit friends at Deer Harbor. They were last seen alive at 1:00 a.m. when they left the Colonel Brechemin home. Lights were seen on the dock around 3:00 a.m. The doctor was anxious to make the 8:00 a.m.ferry and it is said refused the invitation of Colonel Brechemin to spend the night at his home, for fear of over-sleeping.
      It is presumed they planned to sleep in the car near the ferry landing. According to sheriff Erickson evidence indicated the car was stopped first some distance from the dock.
      Tracks of a car going off the slip were noted by the Captain and Mate on the ferry on the vessel's morning arrival at Orcas. Before that, tracks were seen but it was thought a jeep had been loaded on a private barge for another island, but when the jeep was found to still be on the island, an intensive investigation was started. With the assistance of the Friday Harbor Coast Guard boat, the unfortunate men and car were located at low tide near the end of the slip at about 3:00 a.m. Saturday and was finally pulled out of the water and beached.
      The bodies were brought to Friday Harbor and later taken by H.E. King to Seattle. Dr. Warden leaves a wife and daughter, and Mr. Parks a daughter, son, mother, and two brothers, all of Seattle.
      Mr. Parks, a number of years ago, resided at Deer Harbor where his father was interested in the fish cannery located there."
Friday Harbor Journal, 22 November 1951.