September 23, 1937

Ogopogo Seen Again...
The Vernon News, Vernon B.C.

Despite heroic efforts by three men, the Interior's No. 1 mystery eludes capture once more Okanagan Lake's famed Ogopogo has made another of its rare appearances.

That the Interior's No. 1 mystery and publicity agent has actually been seen again, is no idle fable. Should anyone cast doubts, enquire the truth from P.W. Welch and R.J. Veale, well known Okanagan Landing residents, or from Howard J. Thornton, of the Vernon Schools' teaching staff.

Here is how Mr. Thornton describes the incident:

"Late in a drowsy Saturday afternoon this September, while visiting with Mr. Welch, an old-timer of Okanagan Landing, I was started by a phone call from Mr. Veale, asking Mr. Welch to come with a boat as fast as he could, for Ogopogo was breaking water several yards out in the lake in front of his place."

"Scanning the lake in the direction described by our neighbor, we could see a black shadowy object," Mr. Thornton continues, "between 30 and 35 feet long just clearing the water and at a distance of about 100 yards from the shore. The monstrosity was coursing towards the middle of the lake at a speed of about four of five miles an hour. At last I was seeing the wonder I had waited nine long years to see. I hurried to a boat and took my place at the oars while Mr. Welch perched in the stern. Frantically I rowed to where Mr. Veale waited on the beach with a hay fork. He hopped into the prow and I desperately swung the boat towards the fast disappearing creature. In my anxiety I dug first one oar and then the other into the sand of the shallow water, nearly swamping the boat."

"Recovering balance, the party saw that our quarry had turned about and was swishing its way southwards again, its three or four coils plainly visible now, several inches above the surface of the water. I estimated the speed it was traveling, sighted the direction of the boat accordingly, and settled to my task at the oars. From behind I could hear the hushed words of direction from Mr. Veale, who was poised in the prow with his fork. Doggedly I sliced the water until I heard someone shout, 'You're going to crash it, swing off! Hard on your left!'"

"There was a slap, a swirl of water, and under the boat 'shot' the black coils to mingle with the inky depths of the lake. I numbly rested on the oars as the tension slowly passed, half exhausted with excitement. Through my mind surged the thoughts that our Ogopogo had come and gone, leaving behind but an unpainted picture for the sceptics."