Buoy - Breeches

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

The breeches buoy was favored over earlier inventions like the (an enclosed metal capsule) because it was lighter, quicker to deploy, and easier to transport across sandy beaches in rescue carts. The Breeches Buoy - Cape Hatteras - National Park Service The was a vital maritime rescue device used

: 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 breeches buoy was favored over earlier inventions

: 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.