Wesley Earl Thomas was the husband of Myrtle ILA Martin, son of Wesley Thomas and Amy Emory. He was lighthouse keeper from 1921 to 1953, Main Duck Island, Prince Edward Co., and from 1953 to 1960, Point Abino, near Crystal Beach, ON. In 1960, he and Ila retired to Wellington, ON.
Part of Wesley's time at Main Duck Island was during the rum running days and he saw many times the boats filled with rum crossing over to the American side, some being chased by the Coast Guard. One of them was Claude "King" Cole, a well-known smuggler.
One stormy December afternoon, before the lighthouse would be shut down for the winter, a medium-sized open motorboat was disabled and drifting about a mile from the rocky shore of the Island, five men in it. If they weren't rescued, the boat would be broken by the rocks near the shore, and the men would die within moments in the cold water. Firing a revolver, the shot was heard by those in the lighthouse, Wesley, assistant keeper Charlie Stewart, Ben Kerr who owned the Polliewog boat, and Bruce Lowery, the latter two who were chatting the afternoon away with Wesley and Charlie. None of them recognized the motorboat, and as the weather was so terrible, Ben Kerr refused to use his boat to rescue them, but Bruce Lowery, ex-fisherman, took his boat the Lindy. Despite the fact the boat was not powerful enough to pull the motorboat and his boat did stall, he was able to somehow get the motorboat almost to the shore after night had fallen. Wesley was lowered by a rope held by Charlie Stewart down to a ledge near the water, barely seeing the boat through the falling snow. Standing in the boat, one by one, he secured the rope around a man,and Charlie hauled him up. The storm hit with full fury as the last man was lifted up the cliff. When all five were safe, Wesley was pulled up, just as the boat broke up on the rocks.
Who were Ben Kerr, Bruce Lowery and the five men? They all were rumrunners.
Part of Wesley's time at Main Duck Island was during the rum running days and he saw many times the boats filled with rum crossing over to the American side, some being chased by the Coast Guard. One of them was Claude "King" Cole, a well-known smuggler.
One stormy December afternoon, before the lighthouse would be shut down for the winter, a medium-sized open motorboat was disabled and drifting about a mile from the rocky shore of the Island, five men in it. If they weren't rescued, the boat would be broken by the rocks near the shore, and the men would die within moments in the cold water. Firing a revolver, the shot was heard by those in the lighthouse, Wesley, assistant keeper Charlie Stewart, Ben Kerr who owned the Polliewog boat, and Bruce Lowery, the latter two who were chatting the afternoon away with Wesley and Charlie. None of them recognized the motorboat, and as the weather was so terrible, Ben Kerr refused to use his boat to rescue them, but Bruce Lowery, ex-fisherman, took his boat the Lindy. Despite the fact the boat was not powerful enough to pull the motorboat and his boat did stall, he was able to somehow get the motorboat almost to the shore after night had fallen. Wesley was lowered by a rope held by Charlie Stewart down to a ledge near the water, barely seeing the boat through the falling snow. Standing in the boat, one by one, he secured the rope around a man,and Charlie hauled him up. The storm hit with full fury as the last man was lifted up the cliff. When all five were safe, Wesley was pulled up, just as the boat broke up on the rocks.
Who were Ben Kerr, Bruce Lowery and the five men? They all were rumrunners.
Wesley Earl Thomas was the husband of Myrtle ILA Martin, son of Wesley Thomas and Amy Emory. He was lighthouse keeper from 1921 to 1953, Main Duck Island, Prince Edward Co., and from 1953 to 1960, Point Abino, near Crystal Beach, ON. In 1960, he and Ila retired to Wellington, ON.
Part of Wesley's time at Main Duck Island was during the rum running days and he saw many times the boats filled with rum crossing over to the American side, some being chased by the Coast Guard. One of them was Claude "King" Cole, a well-known smuggler.
One stormy December afternoon, before the lighthouse would be shut down for the winter, a medium-sized open motorboat was disabled and drifting about a mile from the rocky shore of the Island, five men in it. If they weren't rescued, the boat would be broken by the rocks near the shore, and the men would die within moments in the cold water. Firing a revolver, the shot was heard by those in the lighthouse, Wesley, assistant keeper Charlie Stewart, Ben Kerr who owned the Polliewog boat, and Bruce Lowery, the latter two who were chatting the afternoon away with Wesley and Charlie. None of them recognized the motorboat, and as the weather was so terrible, Ben Kerr refused to use his boat to rescue them, but Bruce Lowery, ex-fisherman, took his boat the Lindy. Despite the fact the boat was not powerful enough to pull the motorboat and his boat did stall, he was able to somehow get the motorboat almost to the shore after night had fallen. Wesley was lowered by a rope held by Charlie Stewart down to a ledge near the water, barely seeing the boat through the falling snow. Standing in the boat, one by one, he secured the rope around a man,and Charlie hauled him up. The storm hit with full fury as the last man was lifted up the cliff. When all five were safe, Wesley was pulled up, just as the boat broke up on the rocks.
Who were Ben Kerr, Bruce Lowery and the five men? They all were rumrunners.
Part of Wesley's time at Main Duck Island was during the rum running days and he saw many times the boats filled with rum crossing over to the American side, some being chased by the Coast Guard. One of them was Claude "King" Cole, a well-known smuggler.
One stormy December afternoon, before the lighthouse would be shut down for the winter, a medium-sized open motorboat was disabled and drifting about a mile from the rocky shore of the Island, five men in it. If they weren't rescued, the boat would be broken by the rocks near the shore, and the men would die within moments in the cold water. Firing a revolver, the shot was heard by those in the lighthouse, Wesley, assistant keeper Charlie Stewart, Ben Kerr who owned the Polliewog boat, and Bruce Lowery, the latter two who were chatting the afternoon away with Wesley and Charlie. None of them recognized the motorboat, and as the weather was so terrible, Ben Kerr refused to use his boat to rescue them, but Bruce Lowery, ex-fisherman, took his boat the Lindy. Despite the fact the boat was not powerful enough to pull the motorboat and his boat did stall, he was able to somehow get the motorboat almost to the shore after night had fallen. Wesley was lowered by a rope held by Charlie Stewart down to a ledge near the water, barely seeing the boat through the falling snow. Standing in the boat, one by one, he secured the rope around a man,and Charlie hauled him up. The storm hit with full fury as the last man was lifted up the cliff. When all five were safe, Wesley was pulled up, just as the boat broke up on the rocks.
Who were Ben Kerr, Bruce Lowery and the five men? They all were rumrunners.
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