LAKE GENEVA, Wis.— If you are fortunate enough to own a home on the shores of Geneva Lake, you better hope your mail carrier knows how to swim.

Luckily, it is part of the job description if you want to deliver mail aboard the Walworth II. 

What You Need To Know

  • Lake Geneva is one of the few places in the country where mail is delivered by boat

  • 17 new mail boat jumpers got to practice their skills on Tuesday

  • For many, it was their first time jumping

The lake is one of the only places in the United States where mail is delivered by boat in the summer months. Tuesday, those hoping to serve as the next generation of mail boat jumpers got a chance to show off their skills. 

“It’s a little intimidating, they make it look way too easy,” joked Mia Fiscelli as she prepared to take her first jump, “I think I need to watch someone stumble a little bit and I’ll get some more confidence in me.”

Fiscelli, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, has been coming to Lake Geneva throughout her life. Getting to become a mail jumper would mean being a part of a tradition dating back over a century. 

Fortunately, both of Fiscelli’s practice jumps were successful, increasing her chances of being hired. 

“I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life. Even if I don’t get the job, just being able to try it is the coolest thing in the whole world.” said Fiscelli. 

Fiscelli, and the seventeen other new applicants, can watch and learn from Marissa Torres-Raby. For the past three years, Torres-Raby has been running from boat to mailbox on a daily basis. She hopes that even if someone misses the boat, they don’t get too embarrassed.

“Last year I slipped and fell on my back, missed the boat and it was at the beginning, so if I would have been upset about it the entire shift it would have ruined my day. You can’t take yourself too seriously,” said Torres-Raby. 

Jumpers are expected to find out Wednesday if they made the cut as the mail boat season nears. The public can watch the mail jumpers throughout the summer as part of public tours operated by Gage Marine. To learn more about the Mail Boat Tour, you can visit their website.