Ten Hours Until Dawn - A True Story of Heroism and Tragedy aboard the Can Do during the Blizzard of 1978

a Narrated Slide Presentation by Michael Tougias

Thursday, Jan. 12th at 7:30 PM
NPL Meeting Room

During the height of the Blizzard of 1978 the pilot boat, "Can Do", with five men on board, set out from Gloucester to assist a lost Coast Guard boat and an oil tanker that was in a Mayday situation. "Ten Hours Until Dawn" is a narrated slide presentation that tells the story of what happened that awful night when the seas were producing monstrous waves of 40 feet and the wind was screaming at 100 miles per hour.

Michael Tougias is the author of 15 books, including his latest book, Ten Hours Until Dawn. Using slides of the boats, the men involved, and photos of the storm, Tougias will take the viewer through this incredible night where many lives hung in the balance. With the aid of maps Tougias lets the audience see the progression and location of these boats off the Massachusetts coast, and explains what happened and why.

While the Blizzard of '78 became known as the ``storm of the century'', the harrowing rescue mission of the Can Do has been all but forgotten. Through meticulous research Tougias has uncovered the true facts and the drama of that fateful night. This is one of the few ocean tragedies where we know exactly what happened due to the existence of audio recordings which were taped the night of the storm and feature both the voices of the men of the Coast Guard and the Can Do. Ten Hours Until Dawn is an astonishing character-driven story of heroism and an unforgettable portrait of determination of the human spirit.

Praise for Ten Hours Until Dawn includes the following from former Governor Michael Dukakis: ``What a story! Tougias's research and writing make the writer feel as if he is on board the Can Do during the Blizzard of '78. Ten Hours Until Dawn is a gripping book about a fascinating event of courage an tragedy.'' And Nathaniel Philbrick, NY Times best selling author says the book is ``an incredible tale of heroism and sacrifice.''

The presentation will take place at the Norfolk Public Library on Thursday, January 12th at 7:30 PM. A book signing will follow. The program, which is free of charge, is made possible by the Norfolk Cultural Council which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

### 1/9/2006