Deaths on the coast show ocean dangers

Published 4:00 am Sunday, July 4, 2021

Emergency officials refer to them as the deadliest days of the year.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including many unfamiliar with the risks, come to the coast during the summer months. A historic heat wave and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions have drawn huge numbers for the Fourth of July weekend.

Beachgoers are urged to exercise caution and be aware of their own limitations in the water.

“We’re not used to this weather,” Clatsop County Emergency Manager Tiffany Brown said. “I think about all the people that went swimming this weekend that aren’t really swimmers. That’s what hot weather does, it pushes people to do things that they wouldn’t normally do because they’re uncomfortable.”

Over the past month, several ocean-related deaths and injuries showed the dangers.

On Memorial Day in May, a 14-year-old boy was presumed to have drowned off the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington state.

In June, an 11-year-old Portland girl died after being swept out to sea off Cannon Beach.

A 34-year-old college professor drowned in June while surfing at Short Sand Beach at Oswald West State Park north of Manzanita.

Last weekend, a 44-year-old man from Tacoma, Washington, was pulled unconscious from the water off Beards Hollow at Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington state. His family said he was later determined not to have meaningful brain function.

Beaches on the North Coast can be treacherous for swimmers due to colder-than-average water temperatures, strong currents and rocky shorelines, notes Cannon Beach Fire & Rescue Chief Marc Reckmann.

“We’ve had the most water rescues this year that I’ve ever seen,” Reckmann said. “The point is, if you see someone in trouble, call 911 immediately, do not hesitate.”

Stefan Holubar, a vacationing doctor from the Cleveland Clinic, was on the scene at Short Sand in June when people tried to help the surfer. “We had an experienced team, and we gave him everything we could,” the doctor said. “A couple hundred people were watching. It was very traumatic for the whole beach.”

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Diolanda Caballero said she hopes people diligently prepare themselves ahead of time before getting in the water. “No matter what, even the best swimmers can be caught off guard. The ocean is extremely unforgiving,” she said.

Life jackets can also be an asset to people of all ages, particularly minors, when on the water. Of the 27 reported boating fatalities in Oregon in 2020, the Oregon State Marine Board said that 17 could have been prevented if the victim had worn a life jacket.

“Always have children in life jackets. It’s the law,” Caballero said.