Revisiting the Tragic Lake Chelan Bus Accident of 1945 Nearly 80 Years Later

It was a crisp and snowy Friday morning in November 1946 when a horrific traffic accident ended with a school bus plunging into Lake Chelan during a morning snowstorm. Several children and the bus driver drowned. This is one of Washington’s most tragic and haunting historic events.

What Caused the Chelan Bus Accident of 1945?

A rock near the side of the road along State Route 971 where the school bus driver had pulled over to fix his broken windshield wipers was the culprit. The road was curving but due to a snowstorm, the bus driver couldn’t see the rock.

When the school bus hit the rock, it slid and caused a ricochet of turns that made the bus flip over twice and land inside Lake Chelan, with the front of the bus leaning inside the river. The driver was trapped and ordered everyone off the bus.

A map of Lake Chelan along State Route 971 in Washington State

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The School Bus Plunges into the Lake after 6 Passengers Managed to Escape

Moments later, the bus sank into Lake Chelan with everyone still on it except for 5 school children who managed to escape out of the back doors before the bus slipped under the water. The youngest survivor was 7 years old and the oldest was 17. One adult, a local resident who had caught a ride on the school bus so that she wouldn’t miss her dental appointment that morning, also survived.

Bub, the son of the Chelan Bus Accident's youngest survivor, 7-year-old Bobby Watson, shared his father's experience in a heartwarming story in LakeChelanNow.com.

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More Passengers Get Rescued

The bravery of a 16-year-old survivor, Peggy Rice, allowed several other children to be rescued from Lake Chelan. Hours later, two deep-sea divers found two bodies of the deceased children in the lake.

Did They Ever Find the School Bus Under the Water?

The school bus was eventually discovered by divers, noting the bus had sunk 210 feet below under the waters of Lake Chelan. Soon after this discovery, a large crane was used to lift the bus out of the lake. Inside the bus were the bodies of the bus driver and five other children.

The bodies of nine children have never recovered, according to statements from HistoryLink.org.

SEE ALSO: The Most Beautiful Town in Washington State

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