The Daring Efforts of the First All-Black Life-Saving Crew

Led by Captain Richard Etheridge, the Pea Island Lifesavers were so efficient that they quickly became known as “one of the tautest on the Carolina Coast.” Join “The Journeyman” host Fitz Henley as he visits Cape Hatteras National Seashore to learn more.

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.