Before helicopters and radar, the people who rescued sailors from the Outer Banks were the surfmen of the United States Life-Saving Service, who rowed through breakers and fired lines over foundering ships. Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe is the best surviving example of their world, a group of restored wooden buildings from the early twentieth century on the edge of Pamlico Sound. The main station dates from 1911 and sits beside the earlier 1874 station, a boathouse, a cookhouse and other outbuildings, which together form a historic site run by a local nonprofit. It is the most evocative museum on the Outer Banks because the rooms still look like a working station: bunks, oilskins, ropes, lifeboats and the equipment used to bring people ashore are all on display. Guides explain the daily routines of the surfmen and the training that prepared them for the worst storms.
The Mirlo rescue
The station’s best-known story took place in August 1918, when the British tanker Mirlo was torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast. Surfmen from Chicamacomico, led by Keeper John Allen Midgett Jr. and his crew, rowed into a sea of flaming oil and rescued dozens of sailors.
Several of the men received Gold Lifesaving Medals for their courage. The museum displays the boat used in the rescue and other artifacts that bring the story to life. It is a tale that surprises many visitors who think of World War I as a faraway conflict and don’t realise it touched the Outer Banks directly.
Visiting
The grounds are open in season, and guided tours run through the buildings. In summer the station hosts a weekly demonstration in which costumed volunteers perform a breeches buoy rescue, using the same cart, ropes and pulley used a century ago, with a volunteer playing the shipwreck victim.
The demonstrations are popular with families and photographers, and they are the best way to understand how the equipment worked. Check the website for hours, tour times and demonstration days, which vary by season. Admission supports the preservation of the station, and a gift shop offers local books and souvenirs.
Planning
Allow ninety minutes to two hours. Rodanthe sits on the Pamlico Sound side of NC 12, about halfway between Oregon Inlet and Hatteras, so the station is a natural stop on the drive south. It combines well with Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to the north and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to the south.
Parking is easy, though the site has limited shade, so wear a hat in summer. Rodanthe is also known for kiteboarding and windsurfing, so on breezy days you can watch colourful sails offshore after your visit. Rain turns the site into a good indoor-outdoor activity because the main buildings are accessible in bad weather.
Why it matters
The Life-Saving Service was a forerunner of the Coast Guard, and its surfmen followed a famous motto about going out being required while coming back was not. The Outer Banks stations were among the busiest in the country, and the work was brutal, with patrols on foot along the beach in all weathers. Standing in the bunk rooms and the boat room makes that history tangible. Younger visitors enjoy the hands-on demonstrations, and teenagers often come away surprised that ordinary fishermen could be such heroes.
What to expect
The experience
A restored life-saving station complex with guided tours, museum rooms and a seasonal breeches buoy rescue demonstration.
Best time
Summer for the demonstrations; spring and autumn for quieter tours.
How long
Ninety minutes to two hours.
Tips
Check tour times and demonstration days, wear a hat in summer, and combine with Pea Island on the same drive.
Quick picks
- Best for
- History fans and families who like hands-on stories.
- Families
- The costumed rescue demonstration is a hit with children.
- Couples
- A thoughtful, offbeat stop on the drive south.
- Pair with
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
- Time needed
- Ninety minutes to two hours.
Good questions
What is a life-saving station?+
It was a base for surfmen who rescued shipwreck victims with rowboats, lines and breeches buoys before modern rescue methods.
What was the Mirlo rescue?+
In August 1918 surfmen from Chicamacomico rowed into burning oil to rescue sailors from the torpedoed British tanker Mirlo and received Gold Lifesaving Medals.
Are there demonstrations?+
In season the station performs a breeches buoy rescue demonstration. Check the website for days and times.
Is there an admission fee?+
There is a modest fee that supports preservation. Check the website for current rates.
Where is it?+
In Rodanthe on Hatteras Island, on the sound side of NC 12.