The 1874 Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe is “the most complete restoration of a life-saving station in the United States,” says John Griffin, the volunteer executive director of the site’s historical association. Chicamacomico, which means “sinking down sand” in Algonquin, is the only spot that stages a costumed, historically accurate reenactment of the rescue drill that the station’s surf team performed regularly to prepare for shipwrecks along the “graveyard of the Atlantic,” a history that taps into pre–U.S. Coast Guard days. The dramatic scene features a simulated tall ship’s mast, a small cannon lit to launch the shot line, a breeches buoy (a diaper-like seat for the rescue) that rides the line, and a volunteer child rescuee. October 12 and 13 mark the station’s 150th anniversary, and attendees can explore a Coast Guard helicopter, watch a live ocean rescue by another helicopter, and listen as the Ancient Keeper, the Coast Guard’s most senior master chief, gives a commemorative speech.
Southern Agenda