Keepers were full-time employees, who slept in quarters above the boathouse that formed the core of their stations. Their boat crews were not full-time employees. The station keepers job included recruiting and training local men capable of manning their boats, when needed. The boats were light, and were mounted on light wagons. A boat's crew would manually tow the wagon to a good launching site, near a distressed vessel. The boat was launched by towing the wagon into the water until the boat's buoyancy floated it clear of the wagon.
On November 21, 1900, when commanding the Buffalo life–saving station, Griesser distinguished himself by heroically swimming out to rescue a stranded mariner, in the teeth of a gale.[1][3] Griesser and his crew tried to launch their boat when a scow came loose in the gale-force winds. When his boat was damaged, when being launched, Griesser decided to swim out to the sole remaining survivor of the scow, who was clinging to an offshore pylon. The first attempt by Griesser and one of his crewmen, to swim out to the stranded man, towing a rescue line failed, when the large waves tossed them back on shore, injuring his companion. Griesser then attempted to rescue the man without assistance.
When he got close enough to throw the rescue line to the stranded man, he was too weak to secure himself, and the line fouled the pylon.[1][3] Greisser was able to get close enough to free the stranded man, and secure the rescue rope to him, allowing him to be successfully hauled to safety. Griesser was so exhausted that he collapsed, once he got to shore.
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Havern, Christopher (January 14, 2014). "Coast Guard Heroes: Winslow W. Griesser". US Coast Guard. Retrieved March 2, 2016. Once on the beach Griesser saw that a man from one of the scows was hanging onto a pile. As use of a boat was impracticable, Griesser decided to swim out with a line accompanied by a surfman.
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Schept, Susan (March 22, 2010). "Enlisted heroes honored". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2013. After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.
^"U.S. Coast Guard announces name for first Sentinel-class cutter". March 22, 2010. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2013. Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.
^"Bollinger delivers FRC Winslow Griesser". Marine Log. December 23, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2016. Winslow W. Griesser, Keeper of the Buffalo Life–Saving Station in New York, was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on February 23, 1901 for his heroic actions during a dramatic rescue on November 21, 1900.
^"US Coast Guard receives 16th fast response cutter". Naval Today. Retrieved March 2, 2016. US Coast Guard receives 16th fast response cutter Naval Today The Coast Guard is acquiring 58 FRCs to replace the 110-foot Island-class patrol boats. The FRCs are designed for missions including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; search and rescue; and national defense.
