The Belmont Historical Society and the New Hampshire Humanities are proud to host the true story Ten Hours Until Dawn, a presentation by author Michael Tougias. The presentation recounts a story of heroism and tragedy during the Blizzard of 1978, and will be held Sept. 17 at the Belmont Corner Meeting House, 14 Sargent St., at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served and handicapped parking is available.
During the height of the Blizzard of 1978, Frank Quirk Jr., captain of the pilot boat Can Do out of Gloucester, Mass., answered a distress call, leading his four-man crew into the heart of the storm. They were all volunteers doing something they’d done many times before – attempting to aid fellow sailors in trouble.
A Greek tanker was apparently foundering on Salem Sound, and its would-be rescuer, a Coast Guard motor life boat, was also in trouble. Both would survive, but as the fury of the storm increased the Can Do would be lost with all five crewmen onboard. The Can Do set out from Gloucester to assist the Coast Guard boat and a Greek tanker, Global Hope, that was in a Mayday situation. The presentation, Ten Hours Until Dawn, tells the story of what happened on that awful night when the seas were producing monstrous waves of 40 feet and the wind was screaming at 100 mph. Using slides of the boats, the men involved, and photos of the storm, Tougias will take the viewer through this incredible night where many lives hung in the balance.
Tougias, born in Massachusetts, is a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Vermont, a lecturer and award-winning author of 20 nonfiction books published by Simon and Schuster. Some of this other presentations include: Overboard! (a true survival at sea story of a sailboat crew on their way from Connecticut to Bermuda in 2005) and The Finest Hours: The Coast Guard’s Most Daring Rescue (true story off Cape Cod). This program is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. Learn more at nhhumanities.org.