Livingston Channel Upper Light This light marks the upper end of the Livingston Channel in the lower Detroit River. The channel is used by down bound vessels. Up bounders use the Amherstburg Channel, which is located closer to the Canadian shoreline. On September 12, 1952, the original light light was struck by the E.J. Kulas knocking it off its foundation. Ed Theodorovich tells his story about the accident:
The light house was struck by a down bound freighter in the summer of 1952 and when I heard about it I paddled out to the light in a small, flat bottomed double ender. The paddle was cracked about half way down the shaft and I was a bit nervous that I would break it on this venture. I was constantly aware that I should not put much into my paddle strokes. I kept my bottom hand on the fracture as a reminder. The Detroit river flows somewhere in the vicinity of 5 miles per hour. I had never been out to the light in this particular craft before. My strategy was to paddle north of the lighthouse and let the current carry me past the light. North of the light I stowed the paddle and grabbed my camera and looking through the viewfinder I realized I was too close to the light to take a picture and before I knew it, the back current on the south side of the light caused the boat to go forward and up onto the submerged portion of the light deck. Grabbing the paddle in a panic I stroked in reverse and heard the paddle crack..... eventually got away from the light (with some dirty underwear) and got in position to take the pictures that are attached. I'll Never forget that day. |
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enlarge Original light after being hit by the E.J. Kulas on September 12, 1952
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