Robert Frump Books

Set against the backdrop of a fierce blizzard off Cape Cod in 1952, the narrative follows Bernie Webber, an unlikely hero who transformed from a troubled youth to a courageous U.S. Coast Guard coxswain. Faced with the catastrophic sinking of two oil tankers, Webber and his three crew members embarked on a perilous mission in a small, unassuming lifeboat, risking their lives to save thirty stranded sailors. Their extraordinary bravery earned them the Coast Guard Gold Medal for Valor, cementing their legacy in maritime history.

Despite Force 10 conditions and fifty feet waves the crew were unconcerned: the ship had survived worse. The chief mate Bob Cusick discovered that the owners had lost several other ships in similar circumstances to the Marine Electric, but the sinkings had been covered up.