Practice Makes Perfect
On February 5, 1882, the schooner Mary L. Vankirk found herself in storm and ended up losing her sails and sprung a leak. Quickly, she became water-logged and unmanageable. The initial plan by the five-man [...]
A Resilient Mindset
On October 5, 1881, a second schooner was driven to the shore by the weather near the Little Kinnakeet station. The lifesaving crew had seen her heading to land while they assisted the crew of [...]
A Patient Soul
On October 5, 1881, the same storm that caused the Thomas J. Lancaster to wreck near the Chicamacomico station, forced a small schooner named the Charles to scud down the coastline. When she neared the [...]
The Indomitable Spirit
In the early morning hours of October 4, 1881, the schooner, Thomas J. Lancaster, was caught in a heavy squall and ended up grounding about three and a half miles north of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving [...]
What’s in a Name
The history of the life-saving station known today as Oregon Inlet has a unique beginning. In 1846, a great hurricane created an inlet between Bodie Island and Pea Island. An unsuspecting vessel named Oregon was [...]
A Noble Community
On January 31, 1878, the wooden steamer, Metropolis, ran aground about 4 ½ miles south of the Jones Hill station. She was discovered by locals who happened to catch a glimpse of one of her [...]