In 1880, Captain Richard Etheridge became the first African American to command a Life-Saving Station upon his appointment as keeper of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station. Etheridge employed the first all-African American life-saving station crew in the United States, a remarkable achievement just after the Civil War and before civil rights laws. In 1896, when the E.S. Newman was caught in a terrible storm, Etheridge rallied his lifesavers, or surfmen, and made a miraculous rescue despite treacherous conditions. This incredible crew is honored at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
This exciting video, produced by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, invites you to learn about these exceptional lifesavers, #FindYourPark / #EncuentraTuParque and stand where our heroes stood.
