THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HUGH JONES
/The horror story of Hugh Jones is one of human stamina and a brother’s persistence.
On a Saturday in early August, 1938, Mr. Jones left the house of this niece, Mrs. Prest, in Bonarlaw. When he had not returned that evening, a search party of over 50 people was organized, headed by Provincial Constable A. Dymond, Marmora’s Constable Percy Gray and Hugh’s brother, Charles. The search lasted four days before it was abandoned with no hope.
Charles, however, was not willing to give up, and working on a tip that a man and a boat had been seen on Sunday, he and the two officers launched a boat at Alan Mills and headed upstream. After two miles, just near an island before Callaghan Rapids, they heard a sound of a low moan. Mr. Dymond decided to use the boat while the other two tried to reach the spot from land.
“ In a few minutes Mr. Dymond called that he had found him, though only his head and part of one arm was above mud and water. He moved his head and the officer called out that he was still alive. The Officer had a strenuous time reaching the unfortunate man and an even more difficult job extricating him from the mud in which he had been imprisoned so long.
The rescued man was in a very serious condition. He was so weak he was unable to speak, but showed he recognized his brother by a slight nod. Just when he entered the bog or his sufferings and experiences there, will probably never be related. It is thought he sank very gradually in the mud and he may have held himself up on the log for some time before he began to sink. His legs were in a bad condition from having been submerged in the mud so long and also from bites of bloodsuckers or other reptiles. His face was also badly swollen as the result of bites of mosquitoes and other insects.”
Taken to Belleville Hospital, five days later he was still weak and only able to answer questions with a nod. It had been determined that he had been trapped in the mud for over four days as the grass in the bog had grown back up, leaving no trace of his path. Asked if he had seen the search parties near by, he nodded “Yes”. Apparently he was unable to call to them.
Although Hugh showed no inclination to take food, and he remained weak, the doctors expected a full recovery..
The location of the rescue of poor Mr. Jones.
Emily Christian wrote in July, 2022,
“looking at this picture of the bog where Hugh Jones was trapped reminds me of a story my family used to talk about from horse-drawn wagon days apparently a team of horses and a wagon were lost in a quicksand pit could this be the same location? My Aunt owned property that went all the way down to Rylestone lake once upon a time”
