Parkins, from "Raising the Story of Menhaden Fishing," Itney Chadwick Collection
Major Fishing Disaster Early Friday Morning, 18 Men Lose Their Lives
The Beaufort News, Thursday, December 24, 1942
. . . Of the seven living men closest to the tragedy of last Friday morning, six were in Potter's Emergency Hospital until the first of this week.
Herbert Davis, brother of Capt. Dave, talked to us about the disaster. Davis says he is 36 years old and has been fishing since he was 14, yet never has he been on such seas. "Dave," he said, "kept his head. The boys were hollering, but he told them to be quiet, that the Coast Guard would pick us up." About the men still missing, Davis says he thinks they must be caught beneath the sunken purse boat, and will be found when it is raised. . . .
Asked to tell his version of the fatal night, Davis said, "We had a big set of fish two or three miles off Ft. Macon, and it took a right good time to get them because there were so many. We asked Captain Dawson of the Brewster to help. He came with his crew and lent a hand. They left before we got into trouble, but four of their men stayed with us. It was breezing, but not so rough when we finished, but when we got underway and started, the sea came up faster all the time. We would have made it through if she had not sprung a leak, and the pumps couldn't keep her afloat. We knew she was gone unless we could get the water out. We had men go with buckets, but we could not get it out. . . .
Herbert Davis, brother of Capt. Dave, talked to us about the disaster. Davis says he is 36 years old and has been fishing since he was 14, yet never has he been on such seas. "Dave," he said, "kept his head. The boys were hollering, but he told them to be quiet, that the Coast Guard would pick us up." About the men still missing, Davis says he thinks they must be caught beneath the sunken purse boat, and will be found when it is raised. . . .
Asked to tell his version of the fatal night, Davis said, "We had a big set of fish two or three miles off Ft. Macon, and it took a right good time to get them because there were so many. We asked Captain Dawson of the Brewster to help. He came with his crew and lent a hand. They left before we got into trouble, but four of their men stayed with us. It was breezing, but not so rough when we finished, but when we got underway and started, the sea came up faster all the time. We would have made it through if she had not sprung a leak, and the pumps couldn't keep her afloat. We knew she was gone unless we could get the water out. We had men go with buckets, but we could not get it out. . . .
