The Wreck of the Ethie

The tale of the ill-fated British luxury liner Titanic has been etched in people's minds through books, documentaries and major motion pictures about the tragedy. But, she was not the only passenger ship to be eaten up by the dangerous North Atlantic waters off the shores of Newfoundland in the early 1900s.

In 1919, just before Christmas, the S.S. Ethie departs Port Saunders, Newfoundland, for St. John's Harbor with 92 passengers and crew, all eager to be reunited with family for the holidays. After several difficult days at sea, a violent winter storm casts the coastal steamer Ethie onto rocks one-half mile off the jagged cliffs of northwest Newfoundland. Guided by his fisherman master, and following his own instincts, Skipper, a hardworking and courageous Newfoundland dog, braves the icy, dangerous waters to carry a lifeline from the sinking ship to shore. A seat is rigged to this cable, which carries each person onboard to safety. All 92 passengers and crew were saved from probable death in the icy Atlantic waters by the actions of this brave dog.

In this minute-by-minute fictionalized account of the S.S. Ethie's dramatic voyage, the author vividly brings the adventure to life, showing the spirit of survival amongst the passengers and crew, as well as the strength and determination of a poor fishing family and their courageous dog to save those 92 souls.