Capt. Samuel O. Fisher, keeper of the Race Point Life-Saving Station,
was born in Provincetown in 1861, and has been in the life-saving
service twenty-three years, eight of which he spent as surfman at
Peaked Hill Bars Station and fifteen as keeper of this station. “Sam”
Fisher came from a seafaring family and is a near relative of the late
Isaac G. Fisher, a noted life saver. He went to sea as a sailor on a
coasting vessel when a young man. He left the coastwise trade to go tow
boating, which he followed for a short time, when he again entered the
coastwise trade. He was also a fisherman and boatman off the shores
of Cape Cod. He entered the life-saving service when nineteen years
of age, being assigned to the Peaked Hill Bars Station under the late
Captain Atkins. He was then an experienced boatman, strong and robust.
He had been a member of the station crew but a short time when he came
near losing his life in a terrible tragedy that took place on the bars
near the station.
[Illustration: CAPT. “SAM” O. FISHER, KEEPER OF RACE POINT STATION.]
It was at the time the sloop _C. M. Trumbull_ stranded on Peaked Hill
Bars. Captain Atkins and his brave crew had pulled out to the stranded
sloop and was about to effect the rescue of the imperiled crew when the
surf-boat was capsized, throwing all hands into the raging sea. Captain
Atkins and two members of the crew perished, Fisher and two others
managing to reach the shore after a desperate struggle. After the death
of Captain Atkins, the late Capt. Isaac G. Fisher was prevailed upon
to take charge of the station. Capt. “Sam” Fisher remained as surfman
under Capt. Isaac Fisher until he was appointed keeper of the Race
Point Station, succeeding John W. Young.
From his experience at Peaked Hill Bars Station Capt. “Sam” Fisher
was well fitted for the arduous duties of keeper of the Race Point
Station. During the fifteen years that he has been keeper of the Race
Point Station he has led his crew to deeds of great heroism. He has had
many narrow escapes from serious injury and death in the performance
of his duty, and was once obliged to retire for a period of fifty days
on account of injuries received while working on a wrecked schooner.
Once he was obliged to swim ashore from an overturned boat, and several
times he has narrowly escaped losing his life going to wrecks. Lawrence
Maddocks, a member of the crew who was thrown out of the boat with
Captain Fisher at the time of the wreck of the schooner _Julia Bailey_,
died shortly after from the effects of exposure.
[Illustration: LIFE SAVER STARTING OUT ON THE SUNSET WATCH FROM RACE
POINT STATION.]
He married Myra L. Pierce.