Fisherman's Heroism - 1891

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, Monday, November 16^th, 1891:
FISHERMAN’S HEROISM. THRILLING SCENE IN HARTLEPOOL BAY. About four o’clock yesterday afternoon, an accident, which might have had a fatal termination, occurred in Hartlepool Bay. Wm. Coulson, fisherman, 6, Wells-yard, Hartlepool, and Wm. Bennison, Cambridge-buildings, engaged a foy boat from John Humble for the purpose of going out and mooring brig which was being towed in from sea. A strong breeze had caused a heavy sea, and this militated against the efforts of the two men, who, when they got to the middle the bay to the vessel, had hard work to accomplish their purpose. They flung rope board the brig and it was made fast, but the vessel laboured so heavily that the rope broke, and caught by huge wave the small boat was capsized and sank.
The two men were left struggling in the water, but Coulson, who is a powerful man and splendid swimmer, managed very smartly get on to the brig's rail. The other man was left behind and, not being swimmer, sank. As he went down he cried to Coulson, “Bill, don’t leave me like this”. Touched by this appeal, Coulson at once plunged into the water, diving several feet beneath the surface, and bringing to the top Bennison. Coulson, fearing that they would be drowned, seized one of the boat’s oars, which was floating near, and pulled it to Bennison. The heavy seas threw the oar from his grasp, and again Bennison sank.
Again Coulson dived and brought him up, and keeping his unfortunate colleague floating as best he could, again swam after the oar. Having regained possession of it, he had to keep it from sinking with Bennison’s weight. The terrible scene in the bitterly cold water does not seem to have been apparent to those on board the tug towing the brig, for they continued their course. In few moments, however, the Clarence, tug boat, came up, and a rope was thrown to the two men. They were too benumbed to take hold, but just then Benjamin Dixon and another man arrived in charge of a rigger, and into this the two men were drawn, one especially, Bennison, having had a very narrow escape from drowning.
Coulson was not very much effected by the exposure, having changed, and afterwards went out as if nothing had happened. Bennison lies ill in bed. A large number people assembled to see the men land, the accident having been noticed from the shore. It may be mentioned that Coulson is a brother of the fisherman who, some 15 years ago, swam out through a terrible sea to a vessel which had grounded near Hartlepool Lighthouse, and was the means of saving the lives of the crew. For this he was rewarded with the medal of the Royal Humane Society.
One of our representatives called at Bennison’s this morning to see in what condition he was. He was lying in bed, and appeared to have suffered considerably from shock and exposure. But with care there appears be no reason why he should not be out in a few days.

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