life-buoys

She's small enough to be an almost-midget, though her tits float out front like life-buoys.

Four Queens Mark Staniforth 2011

There was a clang of bells in the engine room as the chief officer on the bridge shot over the indicator, signalling "Full Speed Astern," at the same time shouting orders that sent men racing to swing out a boat from the davits, while others ran with life-buoys to the stern of the vessel, ready to fling them to the men in the water if the opportunity presented itself.

Bandit Love Juanita Savage

Acts of compassion towards all creatures constitute its life-buoys, [1588] and Emancipation is the priceless commodity offered to those voyaging on its waters in search of merchandise.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Kisari Mohan [Translator] Ganguli

"Tell her," writes the heroine to a friend after the first of two irregular love affairs, "that I thought, 'I am not that kind of girl,' and tell her that there is no 'sort of girl,' and that life is a sea and human beings must catch hold of life-buoys to keep them afloat."

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, February 25, 1914 Various

There was such a stampede for the platform that you'd think we were drowning, and scrambling for life-buoys.

Peggy-Alone Mary Agnes Byrne

And then, without another moment's hesitation, or a single reflection of the hopelessness of his task, or that he was endangering his own life as well, the brave boy, grasping hold of one of the life-buoys that hung close to the taffrail where he was supporting himself, as he watched the wave bearing Dave away, plunged into the sea to his comrade's rescue.

Picked up at Sea The Gold Miners of Minturne Creek

She was rescued by the whaler, baled out, and then Gran and one of the seamen manned her battered remains again, and we, unable to save the gear otherwise, lashed it to life-buoys, threw it into the sea and let it drift out with the back-wash to be picked up by the pram.

The Worst Journey in the World Antarctic 1910-1913 Apsley Cherry-Garrard 1922

At the same time life-buoys were thrown out, and patent lights.

The After House Mary Roberts Rinehart 1917

The law also says that if this number of life-boats be insufficient to accommodate all the persons on board, including the crew, there shall be carried elsewhere in the vessel a correspondingly additional number of collapsible life-boats, suitable rafts, floating deck-chairs and life-buoys, as well as a generous supply of life-belts.

Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters 1912

I cannot simply dismiss the matter with the usual acknowledgment of a list of authorities -- to which, by the bye, I have tried to cling as though they were life-buoys in a stormy sea of research!

Greenwich Village Anna Alice Chapin 1900