Worst-case scenarios at sea can bring out the best in boaters and boatmanship. Though we all fear ever having to rely on coastguards, it’s difficult not to feel awed by their actions. Besides the seemingly limitless bravery of professional rescuers, boat disasters can also make heroes of everyday boaters, crew and even passengers. We’ve compiled some of the greatest rescues at sea to celebrate these people, and how their stories demonstrate seamanship at its purest: comradeship and courage in the face of danger.
SS Forfarshire (1838)
Despite its relatively small scale, almost mythical status was achieved by the heroism of lighthouse keeper William Darling and, more famously, his daughter Grace Darling. When paddle steamer SS Forfarshire set out from Hull towards Dundee, she was wrecked on the notoriously treacherous Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. While most of those onboard perished, Grace and her father braved extreme conditions to row their small boat towards the rocks on which nine survivors remained, stranded. As her father helped them aboard, Grace steadied the boat against the perilous waves – a feat for which she was honoured with a medal, a personal donation from Queen Victoria herself, and a cultish level of celebrity she maintained long after her untimely death in 1842.
SS Pendleton (1952)
On 18 February 1952, a gale south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, claimed two tankers in one day. Both the SS Pendleton and SS Mercer were split clean in two by waves over 20 metres tall, within 20 miles (32 km) of one another. It was only after a rescue team was already on its way to the Mercer that the Pendleton was located. Four coastguards managed to manoeuvre the CG 36500 motor lifeboat close enough to the sinking stern of the Pendleton for all the remaining crew to leap aboard. So daring was the rescue that they received the Coast Guard's Gold Lifesaving Medal, and their efforts were immortalised in a 2009 book and 2016 film adaptation, both titled The Finest Hours. (For obvious reasons, we didn’t include such disaster movies in our recommendations for films to inspire your next boating trip.)
SS Andrea Doria (1956)
In a collision often compared to that of the Titanic, the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria met a far less tragic fate – thanks to cool heads prevailing and the timely assistance of nearby ships. On a foggy afternoon off the coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, the Andrea Doria was struck by Swedish liner Stockholm, reportedly hurling the ship’s orchestra from stage as they were performing. After the ship listed dramatically to starboard, most its lifeboats became impossible to use, yet a calmly acting crew and five rapidly arriving ships contributed to an extremely successful rescue: a staggering 1,663 out of 1,714 passengers and crew survived.
Prinsendam (1980)
A more contemporary cruise ship rescue, the Prinsendam’s sinking attracted the full gamut of modern rescue equipment and tactics. Out in the freezing waters of the Gulf of Alaska, a fire in the engine room forced over 500 passengers to board lifeboats built for half as many people. Three Coast Guard cutters, two civilian vessels, Coast Guard helicopters and US and Canadian air force craft arrived, executing a series of airlifts and over-water rescues that meant the survival of every single passenger and crew.
Multiple craft in European seas (2015 onwards)
It’s impossible to single out a single such event: so many of the countless rescues of migrants in European waters over the past decade have evidenced bravery and seamanship comparable to the most famous rescue stories. From commercial and private boats to dedicated NGOs and coastguards, many sailors have faced tough conditions to recover threatened passengers from the Mediterranean, Aegean and English Channel. Against much resistance and even criminalisation, these efforts continue to assert what many consider a fundamental marine philosophy: the duty to rescue anyone in distress at sea.
Honourable mentions
Even the bravest attempts at rescue can end in tragedy, and anyone risking their life to save someone in distress at sea deserves praise – but there are far too many to celebrate here. Nevertheless, some stories that didn’t quite make the cut in the list above still deserve mentioning.
For its scale and legendary status, we can’t avoid mentioning Dunkirk in 1940, where almost 1,000 private yachts, fishing boats and pleasure craft banded together across the English Channel to rescue over 330,000 surviving British soldiers otherwise facing annihilation.
For its utter bizarreness, our novelty mention goes to the questionable account of Dick van Dyke, who in 2010 claims to have been pushed to shore by porpoises after drifting out to sea while asleep on his surfboard.
As exciting as they are, don’t put yourself in one of these scenarios! To avoid emergency situations, follow our safety checklist, know the tides, and read our guide to safe boating with families. Boat safe and for your fellow boaters: find a solid vessel for your next adventure at our marketplace.
Image credits: The Wreck of the Forfarshire by Thomas Musgrave Joy from Dundee Art Galleries and Museums Collection ArtUK (Public Domain); United States Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain); Harry A. Trask via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain); U.S. DefenseImagery via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain); Ggia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).