A view from the rocky beach looking towards the starboard bow of the cargo steamer South America (1900) aground at the western end of St Loy's Cove, near Point Merthen, Cornwall. In the foreground are the crew in sou'wester oilskins or jackets and caps in one of the ship's lifeboats tied ashore. A couple of men are standing on a rock in front of the camera looking at the boat alongside while a couple of others are wading through the water. The boat is full of large canvas 'kit' bags and some boxes salvaged from the ship. The RNLI boat is alongside the ship below the bridge area.

The South America was on voyage from Hamburg to Cardiff in ballast when it went aground below Methen Point in a moderate west south-west gale. The crew self-rescued before the RNLI lifeboat arrived. The ship was eventually abandoned after attempts to salvage it.

A glass copy negative from an original print. A similar image to the glass 6x4 inch negative P50961.