Reportedly lost east of Birling Gap in November 1739, Captain Smith was en route from Barbados when his ship succumbed to a storm near Beachy Head. Feared drowned with nine crew members, he astonishingly appeared days later at his Stepney Causeway home in London, to the relief and joy of his acquaintances.
Aboard was an experienced sailor who, after witnessing the Captain's son and two others swept overboard, warned that the ship would disintegrate and decided to swim ashore. If successful, he promised to signal the Captain. Amidst the nocturnal tempest, it's presumed that the tide was ebbing, revealing sporadic beaches beneath the cliffs.
The sailor reached land, and the Captain, following suit, survived, albeit severely battered by the rocks.
