In One Ear: Fearless Frogman

Published 5:00 am Thursday, February 26, 2026

An interesting character from The Daily Astorian., Feb. 26, 1879:

• Capt. Paul Boynton has undertaken to float from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans in his life-saving suit, and has already started.

His name was actually Paul Boyton (1848-1924), not Boynton — a common misspelling of his name, to his great annoyance.

Nicknamed the “Fearless Frogman,” he served in the Union Navy during the Civil War, and later helped organize the U.S. Life-Saving Service, a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard, according to Sideshow World.

Aside from being a famous showman, world traveler, adventurer and daredevil open water swimmer (and later a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame), he became famous for wearing a rubber dry suit during his swimming escapades.

Initially designed as a lifesaving device for ship passengers, it was meant to be used while floating on one’s back, and came with a paddle and sail. He is pictured with the device, enjoying a cigar in the English Channel.

When his highly successful national aquatic circus tour came to Astoria in March 1889, the newspaper snarked that perhaps “he will take some seals back east with him.”

His entertaining memoir is at http://tinyurl.com/BoytonBio. (Image: Benjidog Historical Research Resources: Showmen)