The Chicamacomico Life Saving Station Historic site in Rodanthe will be reenacting life saving techniques used back in the 1800s. Every Thursday at 2:00 pm the staff will shoot the Breeches Buoy. This is what was used to rescue people stranded on ships that had run aground.

When a sail boat ran aground in a storm it was still 200 to 300 yards off the shore in a raging storm. The lifesavers would try to row a skiff out to the boat but if the sea was too rough they would use the Breeches Buoy. The breeches buoy was rigged up like this.

A small cannon was used to shoot a small line out to the ship. Members of the crew would use this small line to pull a large line on-board the ship and rig it up to the mast. Then with a system of pulleys they would pull the breeches buoy back and forth from the ship to the shore unloading the passengers one at a time. These lifesavers save many lives like this and you can experience it yourself. For more information call 252-987-1552 or visit www.chicamacomico.net.