Breeches Buoy [OFFICIAL]

The was a vital maritime rescue device used primarily from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century to extract people from shipwrecked vessels. It was a staple of the United States Life-Saving Service and the Coast Guard, saving countless lives before the advent of modern helicopter rescues. Design and Mechanics The device itself was relatively simple:

: Rescuers used a Lyle Gun —a small bronze cannon weighing nearly 200 pounds—to fire a thin "shot line" from the shore to the ship. breeches buoy

: Survivors on the ship would use the shot line to pull a heavier rope (the hawser) to the vessel. Once secured, the breeches buoy would be shuttled back and forth along this rope like a primitive zip line. Operational History The was a vital maritime rescue device used

: It consisted of a circular life ring, usually filled with cork for buoyancy, with a pair of sturdy canvas "breeches" (pants) sewn into the middle. : Survivors on the ship would use the