A Rusty Riddle: The Sunken Lifeboat of Calumet Island
Calumet Island holds a silent sentinel in its waters: a metal lifeboat resting on the bottom since the 1970s. Its discovery revealed a surprising story, etched not in wood, but in the countless bullet holes once visible through a zebra mussel coat.
This wasn’t a shipwreck by storm or disaster. The lifeboat, built for a Liberty ship during World War II, met its end in a more unusual way. Local resident Jay Paraino recalls the tale passed down through memory. It seems the eldest son of Dr.Patch, who owned Calumet Island with his wife Betty, decided to transform the lifeboat into a target practice vessel. He filled it with trash, rowed it out, anchored it, and then, with siblings cheering him on, took aim with his father’s rifle. The boat, riddled with bullets, eventually succumbed and sank, becoming an underwater tomb for the trash and a local legend.
Scuttling old boats was a common practice on the St. Lawrence River, but this particular lifeboat’s demise adds a layer of intrigue. It’s a reminder of island life, childhood adventures, and the echoes of a bygone era, all resting peacefully beneath the waves.
