United States of America, Presidential Gold Lifesaving Medal, gold, the obverse with the head of Liberty facing left, ‘Presented by the President of the United States’ inscribed around; the reverse inscribed, ‘To George Reid, seaman of the British steamship Brika, in recognition of his heroic services in effecting the rescue at sea on July 20, 1911, of the Master and crew of the American sloop Theresa’, with integral ‘E. Plurs. Unum’ gold brooch suspension bar, minor edge bruising and cabinet marks, small scratch to obverse field, otherwise extremely fine £1,600-£2,000

George Reid, a native of Sunderland, was awarded the United States Presidential Gold Life Saving Medal on the occasion of the rescue of the crew of the American sloop Theresa, on 20 July 1911. The report, from the Master of the Theresa, states:
‘On July 20, 1911, the sloop Theresa, of which I was then Master, was about 120 miles west of St. Michael, Azores Islands, in a sinking condition. Her sails were blown away, and she was half full of water. The sea was very heavy, and our condition appeared desperate.
We had left Providence, R.I., on June 11 1911, bound for St. Vincent, Cape de Verde Islands. The crew consisted of myself and two seamen. On June 17 were met a storm of such severity that the Theresa began to leak so badly that from that time until our rescue 32 days later we were obliged to pump continually, which imposed an exhausting hardship on all of us. On July 4 were were forced to abandon all idea of reaching the Cape de Verde Islands, and to steer for the nearest port, St. Michael, Azores Islands, then 800 miles distant. We were within 120 miles of that port when our mainsail was torn into rags in a severe gale on July 19. The leak had increased to such a degree that our pumping could not control it. As a last hope were sent a signal of distress, when we saw the smoke of the S.S. Brika, then on her way from Huelva, Spain, to New York.
At great personal risk, Second Mate Long and four seaman of the Brika were lowered in a boat, and came to rescue us from our great danger. High courage and skilful handling of that boat made their effort to rescue us successful, and to Second Mate Arthur Long Andrews, and to Seamen George Reid, George Dematkos, Joseph Jackson, and Karl William Neilsen we owe our lives. Eleven days later, on August 1, we were safely landed in New York.’

For their gallantry the Master of the Brika, Alfred Beaven, and the Second Mate, Arthur Andrews, were both awarded binocular glasses; and Seamen Reid, Dematkos, Jackson, and Neilsen were each awarded the United States Presidential Gold Life Saving Medal.

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