U.S. Life-Saving Station

Rescue using the breeches buoy

A crew of eight men worked at U.S. Life-Saving Service Station #2 at Spermaceti Cove, built in 1894. When ships wrecked, the Life-Saving crew usually rowed a surfboat to the shipwreck to rescue people. When a storm was too strong, they fired a small line-throwing cannon from the shore to the ship to make connection with the stranded crew. One to two people could fit into a breeches buoy, a pair of canvas pants that hung from the line. If many people were aboard the shipwreck a "lifecar," or small metal boat that held up to six passengers, could pull people to safety. This photo shows the last two crewmen of the Edmund J. Phinney being rescued in a breeches buoy at the North Beach area in December 1907 during a powerful winter storm.