Bailey T. Barco
For extreme and heroic action on 21 December 1900 while engaged in the
rescue of the crew of the schooner Jennie Hall which had run aground in
a severe winter storm off the coast of Virginia Beach, VA. Upon
notification of the grounding, Keeper Barco proceeded to the scene and
took command as keeper in charge at the wreck. Realizing that the use of
the surfboat was dangerous, if not impossible, Keeper Barco directed the
assembling of the beach apparatus and soon a breeches buoy had delivered
all but one of the survivors to safety. The last victim was so numbed by
the cold that he could not help himself. After an unsuccessful effort by
one of the members of the Dam Neck Hills Station to ride the breeches
buoy out and help the man, Keeper Barco decided to take the surfboat out
to the wreck and attempt to put two men aboard Jennie Hall. Following
several ill-fated attempts, Keeper Barco, as boat coxswain, and his
volunteer crew launched the surfboat and put two of the crew aboard the
rapidly disintegrating ship. Despite turbulent and freezing seas, Keeper
Barco kept the surfboat under oars until one of his own crew was washed
overboard. Quickly recovering the man, Keeper Barco guided the surfboat
back to the beach since it was impossible to remain near the wreck in
the storm-tossed seas. The helpless crewman of Jennie Hall and the two
volunteers who had been put aboard the wreck were then brought safely to
the beach by the breeches buoy. Keeper Barco's exemplary courage,
fortitude, and initiative in this valiant rescue, despite imminent
personal danger, reflect the highest honor upon himself and were in
keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Life-Saving
Service.
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