 "Tampa" herself drifted perilously close to shore before the cutter towed her out of danger.When conducted in smooth seas, operations to save lives are difficult enough; the gale raging off the New Jersey shore on the morning of 8 September 1934 made matters markedly worse.Nevertheless, the Coast Guardsmen performed feats of great heroism in rescuing the liner's passengers and crew from the storm-tossed waves.