Groomsport had a Lifeboat station form 1858 to 1920. It was only the second Lifeboat station in the whole province of Ulster. During the 62 years, there were four lifeboats based in the village:
1858 – 1867 The name of this lifeboat has been lost to history
1867 – 1885 Florence
1885 – 1901 George Pooley
1901 – 1920 Chapman
On February 27, 1903, she saves 13 lives - in a remarkable and heroic rescue by the Groomsport lifeboat crew - all without any engines to power her.
‘The vessel in distress was a Danish ship bound from New Zealand to Glasgow laden with timber. One of her anchor cables had failed and there was a risk, in the strong west-north-west gale, that the other might also be lost. The ‘Chapman’ manoeuvred beneath the stern of the troubled barque and 12 crew members and a pilot were all lowered by rope into the safety of the lifeboat. The ship’s dog – Amon – was also rescued’.
