Drought in US uncovers WW2-era 'ghost' boat in Lake Shasta

The boat was used to bring soldiers to the shore during the war.

The "megadrought" being witnessed by much of the US Southwest has forced rivers and lakes to run almost dry. The water level in Lake Shasta in northern California is so low that a World War II-era vessel called a "Higgins boat" has re-emerged from its watery grave.

The boat, which had been underwater for decades, is now completely visible. The Forest Service office in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest shared the images of the sunken boat on their Facebook page two days ago. They have dubbed it a "ghost boat."

Mystery of the Higgins Boat or the "Ghost Boat"Last fall this boat appeared during the low water levels of Shasta Lake. The mystery begins with the painted numbers found on the ramp when the boat...

It was used as a landing craft by American soldiers during World War II, which essentially means that it was used to carry soldiers from large ships to open beaches.

"The boat was assigned to the USS Monrovia, which functioned as US General George Patton's headquarters during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943," according to the Facebook post.

It went on to add that Monrovia was moved to the war in the Pacific, and no one has any idea how this "ghost boat" managed to find its way to a reservoir in northern California.

"There is more to discover of its history and obviously its time on Shasta Lake," the officials said in the post. "It really is quite remarkable how it emerged from the lake with so many stories to tell."

According to NavSource, a volunteer-run history site, the boat was reportedly sold for scrap in 1969. The boat will be put on display at a museum in Nebraska once some restoration work has been done.

It is not just Higgins that has re-emerged because of the drought, the water crisis has uncovered the ugly secrets of Lake Mead as well. Multiple sets of human remains have been found in the lake since its water levels touched historical lows.

In addition to the human remains, a World War II boat has also resurfaced due to low water levels in the lake, per The Independent.

Meanwhile, the situation is only expected to deteriorate in the coming years due to climate change. A study recently revealed that the last two decades have been the driest in the southwest.