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Event

Sundew rescues High Island caretakers Ray Bills and John Drum (1956)

0

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

TypeEvent
WithinBeaver Island
ErasModern era

Summary

On May 31, 1956, Sundew rescued High Island caretakers Ray Bills and John Drum after a 20-hour drift and exposure near Beaver Island.

Evidence and limits

The retrospective does not provide the boat’s name, the rescuers’ roster, or a formal Coast Guard report.

Sources

  1. Beaver Beacon, June 1961, island news and retrospective notices.
    The June 1961 retrospective reports that High Island caretakers Ray Bills and John Drum drifted for 20 hours returning from Beaver. Al Phillips alerted the life boat station; Coast Guard Cutter Sundew found them on rocks at Cross’s Point and they were taken to the Medical Center for cold and exposure. The retrospective does not provide the boat’s name, the rescuers’ roster, or a formal Coast Guard report.