Rescuer on N. Oregon Coast Finds Swimmer in the Dark, in 8-Foot Waves Off Cannon Beach

Published 01/14/25 at 7:35 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Maybe taking a swim in the Oregon coast during king tides and a sneaker wave alert is not a good idea?

Cannon Beach Fire District (CBFD) personnel rescued a swimmer from the ocean near Haystack Rock on Monday, just as king tides and sneaker wave issues were winding down. They had to do so after dark as well, adding to the dangers of the situation, and grabbing him just before the freezing ocean would've taken him.

CBFD said they received a 911 call about 5:30 p.m., reporting that a swimmer was missing in the surf. The CBFD rescue team was dispatched to an area north of Haystack Rock, finding the family of the missing person on the beach. They told the team a group of them had gotten into the ocean on boogie boards just before sunset and all had returned but one.

“Fire Rescue crews initiated an ocean search and rescue operation attempting to locate the missing person,” said CBFD. “Coast guard was notified and dispatched a helicopter to the scene.”

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A rescue team swimmer entered the ocean using a rescue board, paddling into waves that were eight to 12 feet, into what CBFD described as the “pitch black of night.”

“After 5 to 10 mins of paddling through the large surf, the Fire Rescue Swimmer heard a faint yell for help, with no visibility the Fire Rescue Swimmer turned and proceeded in the direction that he estimated the yelling was coming from,” CBFD said. “As the rescue swimmer paddled in the dark, while getting hit from the side by large waves, the rescue swimmer was able to get a visual of a silhouette of the boogie boarder through the flashing of fire and police vehicles on shore.”

Eventually, the rescue swimmer found a 19-year-old male about 50 to 75 yards offshore. The man was clinging to the boogie board and partially submerged – essentially holding on for life. Just minutes before the rescuer arrived he'd begun to sink.

The man was put on the rescue board by the CBFD member and finally brought back to shore at 6:03 p.m. He had spent well over a half hour in that raucous surf.

He was evaluated by Medix Ambulance crew and then released.

Cannon Beach Fire Ocean Safety Division Head Koa Lyu said the swimmer had a very short time before hypothermia would've set in.

US Coast Guard file photo

“I cannot express how lucky this guy was to be found, with the large surf and king tides it was a miracle,” he said.

Cannon Beach at night (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

The last session of king tides for this year ended around this time, and an increased threat of sneaker waves along the entire length of the Oregon coast was expiring about this time.

It is extremely important to be aware of these conditions if you're going to swim or surf the coastline.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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