The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a surfer stranded at sea on rocks at the edge of Ecola State Park on Saturday.
Alex and Nanuette Lundeen, witnesses to the rescue, said that the surfer is lucky to be alive.
“This guy was out there just getting absolutely pummeled by the water,” said Alex Lundeen. “This was not a good situation to be in; I mean this guy was holding on for dear life. His life was absolutely in danger, 100%.”
Cannon Beach Fire Chief Marc Reckmann said that two brothers were out surfing off Indian Beach when surf conditions worsened. The brothers — adults who haven’t been identified — began swimming to shore when one of the brothers ended up getting pulled out to sea.
The other brother made it back safely and called for help.
A rescue swimmer dove into the water and searched until people on shore sent drones to help find the missing surfer, Reckmann said. The U.S. Coast Guard then joined the mission.
Eventually people spotted the missing surfer on a large rock formation jutting from the beach.
Reckmann said that the waves were too dangerous for people on jet skis to reach the brother. But one of them was able to get close enough to tell him to stay put and wait for the Coast Guard.
Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Strohmaier, a Coast Guard spokesperson, said that the Air Station Astoria crew based out of Warrenton flew their MH60 Jayhawk helicopter out to rescue the man. The helicopter was the same one used to medically evacuate a cruise ship passenger off the coast of Oregon on Oct. 6.
Strohmaier said Coast Guard rescuers hoisted the surfer into the helicopter and took him to a picnic area in the state park. He was reported to be in good condition.
Reckmann warned others that the conditions on the coast are changing as winter approaches. Indeed, the National Weather Service cautioned beachgoers about the rough conditions the following Monday.
“This isn’t summer anymore,” said Reckmann. “The surf is bigger and rougher now. This is the time we start getting these calls more and more from now until January.”
He encouraged people to know their limitations and always have a buddy.
— Tyler Brown is a breaking news reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can reach him at tbrown2@oregonian.com or 503-221-8243.
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