The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-04-06


weather, patrolmen were on the
beach, keeping vigilant watch to
seward. One of them was Walter
N. Caps, of the Virginia Beach
Life Saving Station, who took his
turn at 2:30 pm. and when about
half mile north of his station
came across a barge's deck-house
with the name Ocean Belle painted
upon it. Fastening his speed as
fast as he could in the soft sand,
which he was obliged to traverse
in rear of the beach and against
the gale, he proceeded a short
distance farther, when, taking adj
vantage Of a sudden momentary
rift in the fog, he perceived about
mile offshore the masts of a
vessel whose hull was almost
submerged. Still plodding north
ward until nearly a mile farther
on, he met surfman Barco, whom
he was to relieve, and together
they climbed the highest sand
bank in the vicinity in order to
obtain a better view. After due
consultation, having made out no
signs, of life on board the vessel,
Barco proceeded toward his sta
ton to report, and Capps went
still farther northward in the di-
rection of the. wreck. Twenty min
utes later he saw the masts fall
and the hull entirely disappear,
and a little farther on he came
across a man struggling for his
life in the surf against overwhelm-
ing odds.
Taking no thought of his own
safety, Caps rushed in, caught
hold of the almost paralyzed man
and dragged him ashore. He
proved to be Joseph Peters, stew
ard of the barge, who was be-
numbed from exposure and on the
verge of collapse. Taking him to
the lee of a sandhill, Caps de-
cided to return to the station for
assistance, and had proceeded
nearly mile on his way when he
caught a glimpse of another man
a hundred yards out in the surf,
drifting with the current and APP
parently helpless if not dead.
Capps' strength had already been
severely taxed, and there was no
person present to aid him in case
of mishap, but nevertheless he
bravely resolved to dare all and
rescue the drowning man if pos
sible.
Quickly casting off his heavy
boots and outside clothing, he
again plunged into the surf and
began a hard fight. A heavy sea
knocked him down, but he seized
and held to his man and after a
desperate fight succeeded in drag
ging him to the shore. The man
was unconscious, unable to help
himself at all, and the sea ran so
far up the bank that Capps was
obliged to drag him some 200
yards before he could find a place
where it would be safe to leave
him. After the application Tor
some twenty minutes of the Serv-
ice methods for restoring the ap-
parently drowned, the man was
able to sit up, and Caps, leaving
him in a somewhat sheltered spot,
again started for the station.
He soon encountered, however,
several surfmen and civilians, vino
took charge of the two ship
wrecked men and conveyed them
to the station in a wagon. One
was in delirious condition. while
the other was still only partially
conscious. At the station they
were wrapped in warm blankets
and afforded proper medical treat
ment by a physician of the
neighborhood who kindly minis
tered to them. Surfman Capps,
the keeper testifies, staggered
back to the station barefooTed,
half clad, wet to the skin, and al
most totally exhausted. In rccog-
milton of his heroic conduct on this
occasion the Secretary of the
Treasury awarded him a gold life
saving medal of honor.
This vessel stranded in thick
fog, mile offshore, and in less
than half an hour went to pieces.
Of the two men lost, one was
flung from the rigging almost the
instant of the stranding and the
other persisted few minutes later
when he jumped overheard with
the hope of swimming ashore. No
human power could have saved
either of them.