: It consisted of a circular life ring, usually filled with cork for buoyancy, with a pair of sturdy canvas "breeches" (pants) sewn into the middle.
: Rescuers used a Lyle Gun —a small bronze cannon weighing nearly 200 pounds—to fire a thin "shot line" from the shore to the ship. breeches buoy
The breeches buoy was favored over earlier inventions like the (an enclosed metal capsule) because it was lighter, quicker to deploy, and easier to transport across sandy beaches in rescue carts. The Breeches Buoy - Cape Hatteras - National Park Service : It consisted of a circular life ring,
: Survivors on the ship would use the shot line to pull a heavier rope (the hawser) to the vessel. Once secured, the breeches buoy would be shuttled back and forth along this rope like a primitive zip line. Operational History The Breeches Buoy - Cape Hatteras - National