They were required to go half-way between their station and the next (stations were generally seven miles apart), where they turned a time-clock with a special key or exchanged a “patrol check” with a surfman from the other station. Each surfman was assigned a period of time (usually 2-4 hours long) and a direction to walk (or ride a horse, if available) up the beach, keeping watch. The other method, beach patrols, were more reliable. Each man had to know exactly what to do at the proper time or the entire rescue would become a disaster. Development of teamwork, speed, and precision were crucial since, ideally, each rescue would follow the same pattern regardless of any adverse conditions. This problem was further complicated by the vast distances each station had to cover in the early years of the Service until additional stations were constructed.īreeches buoy rescues were practiced each week in a training exercise called the Beach Apparatus Drill. In ordinary conditions, this would be a strenuous duty but in the soft, wet sand of a dark, storm-swept beach, it was utterly exhausting work that could take several hours. This was a difficult and time-consuming task because, initially, few stations had draft animals and, therefore, the cart had to be pulled by the surfmen. NPS personnel reenacting the Beach Apparatus Drill are pulling the beach cart to the site.Īll necessary equipment was hauled in a heavy cart called a beach cart to the scene of the wreck. Due to the frequency of severe storms with heavy seas and shipwrecks that occurred near or on the beach, breeches buoy rescues were fairly common on the Outer Banks. This was used when the wreck occurred close to shore and sea conditions disallowed the use of the surfboat. Teamwork, training, and experience were essential for proper handling of the surfboat.Ī second type of rescue equipment was the beach apparatus or breeches buoy. Later surfboats were powered, though use of the oars was still required for launching and close maneuvers. It was rowed out close to the wreck and carried large numbers of people to safety at one time. The surfboat, so-called because it was launched directly into the ocean surf, was the favored rescue equipment. Keeping the equipment clean and functional was as crucial as any training, and one day each week was devoted to this task. Though several heroic rescues were accomplished with the use of little or no equipment, few lifesavers could do their jobs without it. Good equipment went hand-in-hand with training. National Park Service personnel using the surfboat during a reenactment. Men were better prepared to deal with the merciless ocean, raging storms, and their own fears if they were well-trained. A shipwreck was often a chaotic scene requiring immediate action in severe conditions. Without the proper knowledge and skills, the lifesavers would have little control over a rescue attempt and could endanger everyone involved, including themselves. Each day of the week was set aside for a particular drill. Training was, by necessity, the lifeblood of the service. This pecking order was essential to the station’s smooth operation. Surfman #1, for example, was usually a veteran lifesaver and the Keeper’s second in command, while Surfman #8 was often the newest man and given more menial duties. These men, called “surfmen,” were given a numerical ranking based on experience, which assigned them specific duties. He would then seek out appropriate candidates, often from the local community, for the other lifesaving positions. When a new station was established, the head lifesaver, called the “Keeper,” was selected first and given charge of the station. He devoted a great deal of energy to each of these elements, for if any one of them was lacking, lives could be lost as a result. Superintendent Kimball recognized that dependable personnel, proven equipment, and standardized rescue drills were all vital to the long-term success of the U.S. It went on to forge an extraordinary record of proficiency, dedication, and heroism before becoming a part of the new U.S. Life-Saving Service was made an independent unit of the Treasury Department with Kimball as its first superintendent. Huron at Nags Head in November, 1877 and the Metropolis at Currituck Beach in January, 1878) called further public attention to the shortcomings of the agency. Two tragic shipwrecks along the North Carolina coast (U.S.S. Kimball, head of the Revenue Marine Bureau, worked hard to cleanse the fledgling service of these ills. Training and equipment were either poor or non-existent, and many of its “lifesavers” were either incompetent land-lubbers or corrupt political appointees. Life-Saving Service suffered from a lean budget and widespread problems. Kimball, Superintendent of the US Life-Saving Service 1871-1915.
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