How a shipwreck from 1965 still haunts some Kagawong locals today

Looking across the North Channel from the shores of Kagawong, one can see the shoal where the Rhu and her six passengers from Sudbury ran aground almost 60 years ago.

Strobel can see it from his home, and says he often kayaks to the site of the tragedy that claimed the lives of four people – including two children.

"You're out there in the middle of the North Channel and yet you're only up to your thigh and water and it's spooky knowing what happened there," he said.

Strobel met one of the survivors, Jim Huffman, shortly before his death in 2012. 

"He said he has never forgiven himself," said Strobel. "But he came to terms with it and he turned it into something." 

Strobel says many locals remember the story of the two "exhausted and heartsick" survivors that washed up on a tiny island close to the community after having spent 17 hours in freezing and violent waters.

"People identify with it, families being on a boat in northern Ontario, out for a weekend with little kids."

 "Lots of people do that and don't even think about something bad happening. And in this case, something really bad did happen," he said. 

Strobel told the small Kagawong crowd about the lives of the passengers, which included Jim and Shirley Huffman. 

They were in their early thirties, travelling with their daughters aged four and two. Wyn and Bonnie Rhydwen were also on board.

The red marker that usually signals the presence of the shoal had been torn off during a previous storm, and their 26 foot long mahogany boat got stuck in the middle of the North Channel for two days. 

A violent storm destroyed their boat and forced them to tie themselves together and abandon ship in an effort to reach the shore.

Strobel says the children did not stand a chance.

"I think the father knew what was going to happen as soon as they jumped in the water," he said.