The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-09-22
Pascagoulan Among Survivors OF
Two Hurricane Stricken Vessels

Adrift in shark-infested waters
off the Virginia coast for SO hours,
10 weary survivors of the I25
foot Coast Guard cutter Jackson,
lost in the hurricane which bat
tered the East Coast Thursday,
were recovering in a Norfolk hos
pital after their dramatic rescue
by Coast Guard air and sea units.
Recuperating in the same hos
pital were IL survivors of the
Coast Guard cutter, Bedloe, which
like its sister ship, was sunk by
successive waves which seemed
as if they were breaking more
than 100 feet high during the
height of the hurricane. Spotted
by a patrol plane, they were pick
ed up an hour later and brought
to Norfolk aboard a Navy mine
sweeper.
Among the IL survivors of the
Bedioe was John Mccoy, %
year-old seaman, second class,
son OF MI. and Mrs. Mccoy Of
School street, Pascagoula. Young
Mccoy has been in the Coast.
Guard for two years, and attend
ed the Pascagoula High school
where he was prominent In
school activities.
Meanwhile, an intensive search
continued for 40 officers and men
reported missing in the twin dis
aster.
Three Coast Guard kingfisher
planes from the Elizabeth City,
n. c., air station, spotted the
Jackson survivors Saturday
morning and, after radioing for
aid, landed in the swells, a plane
net to each l~iferaft. Badly bat
tered ana suffering from shock,
the men we're lifted to the wings
Of the tossing planes, where first
aid was administered.
Blimps Guide Rescue Vessels
Guided by PMBs and Navy
biimps. a 36-foot rescue launch
put out from the Coast Guard
Oregon Inlet station, Is miles
away. and the survivors were
carried aboard. The men later
were transferred aboard a Navy
ship near shore, where they were
treated by a physician until
Coast Guard PBMs from Eliza
beth City landed and flew them
to Norfolk.
Survivors said 81 officers and
men originally chung to the three
RATS, but II died during the
might from exposure and eXhaus-
ton. Added to the torment OF
parehed throats, crowded RATS
and heavy sea- during their So
hour vigil were sharks and "Por-
tuguese men-of-war," multi-tail-
ed marine pests whose singers
continually dashed the bodies of
the stormtossed men.
Ironically, crew members OF
each vessel pinned their hopes
en- rescue by the other, unaware
of the like doom of each ship.
Struck four times by the tow
ering waves, the Bedloe tossed
like a matchstick in the ocean
before going down, survivors
said, All crew members safely
abandoned the ship and at least
30 We're able to obtain a hold on
the liferaft.
However, the strain of fighting
the hurricane aboard the l25 foot
cutter, plus the ordeal OF hanging
to l~iferafts for more than so
hours, proved too much for most
of the waterlogged men and only
IL were able to hang on until res
cued. One man slid under the
water only minutes before the
rescue craft came into sight.
The demise of the Jackson.
which formerly operated on the
Great Lakes, occurred as follows.
according to survivors:
Vessel Turns Over
Borne to the top of a huge
swell, the ship was struck by
two other swelIs and rolled over
until the mast dipped the water.
AS the swell subsidized the ship
righted and was hit by another
high sea and turned on her side
a second time. Struggling out of
that, the vessel was carried high
by a third sea 1t seemed then,
survivors said, that she hung in
mid-air Tor seconds; then the
wind seized her, turned her on
the side and completely over,
and she disappeared under a
huge wave.
The survivors first were spot
ted about Z am. Saturday by
Coast Guard aviators, who a
diced the position to the base.