Wednesday, 30 November, 1938: On trailing duty, Los Angeles Harbor. At 0324 received word from the purse seiner Sea Rover via radio telephone that the purse seiner Dante Alighieri had gone aground on SW end of Santa Barbara Island in a dense fog and nine men were marooned on the beach. Immediately got underway and proceeded at 15 knots to her assistance. Arrived at scene of disaster at 7:00 a.m. to find an exceptionally heavy surf breaking on the beach. The Dante Alighieri had broken up and was a total loss. Due to the heavy surf and the great amount of drifting wreckage, contact from seaward was impossible at this time, although an attempt was made to shoot lines ashore from a small boat. At 10:15 sent landing party with gear ashore on lee side of the island to effect a rescue from the top of a 500 foot cliff. This procedure proved unsuccessful due to dangerous contours of the cliff and loose rocks. However, a survey was made of the situation from the cliff as to the best approach by small boat. The landing party returned to the ship at 1330 and the Aurora stood around the island to locate anchorage off the position of the marooned fishermen. It was found with high tide the sea was less boisterous and the wreckage had drifted away leaving the water clear for running a line ashore. At 1415 anchored and sent boat in toward the beach. A line was shot ashore and a 9 thread line sent in with a ring buoy made fast midway. By picking out a good place for the fishermen to plunge into the surf from the beach and watching the seas carefully, rescue was effected by taking one man off at a time. The life ring was pulled out to a small boat anchored just beyond the breaker line. When the man was safe aboard the boat the line was hauled back by the fishermen on the beach, thus by shuttling the ring buoy back and forth in this manner every man was taken off this treacherous part of the island safely. The job was completed at 1530. Morris & Lima