Swimmers urged to take caution on Oregon's beaches
The last time Clifford Yarborough Jr.'s friends saw him alive, the athletic 17-year-old was boogie-boarding in shoulder-deep water off Long Beach, Wash., then struggling against a strong undertow that dragged him out to sea.
It was about the same time a passerby jumped into the ocean to save a person fighting the current at nearby Sid Snyder Beach.
Just a few hours earlier to the south, a 37-year-old woman was hospitalized with hypothermia after she and two 15-year-olds were rescued off Arcadia Beach.
Despite the onslaught of rip currents and the July 27 tragedy of Yarborough, plenty of other beachgoers found themselves in similar circumstances the following two days.
On the heels of the U.S. Coast Guard's busiest weekend yet this year, authorities are urging swimmers to take caution at Oregon beaches.
Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Brooks Crawford, a pilot at USCG Group Astoria, recommended weak swimmers stay in shallow water.
"The ocean bottom changes pretty drastically and without warning sometimes," he said today. "They shouldn't wade deeper than their knees. I would also tell parents to not just keep an eye on kids but to stay with their kids. Often they can't react quickly enough to save a small child being pulled out."
Even when water appears calm, he said, it likely isn't. Calm water can actually indicate some of the most dangerous conditions: "Oftentimes, areas of calm water are where it's rushing back out to sea. Currents can be strong there."
Crawford said familiarity is essential to staying safe, noting beach safety brochures are often available at local chambers of commerce, and lifeguards or law enforcement can typically answer questions.
Awareness is also considered key by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. "Before taking a plunge, take a look" tops the department's list of beach safety tips for visitors to the Oregon Coast, especially for those tempted to take a dip in the ocean.
Robert Smith, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's beach and recreation safety coordinator, said increasing reports of swimmers falling victim to rip currents have become a concern for public safety officials as they gear up for another rush of visitors escaping the inland heat. "Rip currents are the No. 1 danger on the Oregon Coast right now," Smith said. "They are unpredictable and can pull unwary swimmers out to sea."
The fast-moving belts of water typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone, past breaking waves. And while they typically flow seaward at speeds of 1 or 2 feet per second, rip currents can travel up to 8 feet per second, according to the National Weather Service. Formed by large amounts of water trapped after washing onto any of Oregon's beaches, they're especially prevalent near jetties and headlands. They kill as many as 100 people each year.
While rip currents are not easy to identify to the average beachgoer, according to the NWS, a few clues can help identify their presence: a channel of churning, choppy water, an area noticeably darker than the water around it; a line of foam or debris moving steadily seaward; a break in the incoming wave pattern.
"You should avoid areas where those conditions exist," said OPRD's Smith, offering some additional advice. "If you become caught in a rip current, though, don't panic. Swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the rip, then swim back to the beach.
"Never fight against the current. Rip currents travel faster and are stronger than even the best swimmers."
Those who can't swim well should tread water and call for help, he said.
Aside from watching for the currents, the U.S. Lifesaving Association advises people to swim with others, and when possible, at lifeguard-protected beaches. Lifeguards keep watch over the main Cannon Beach and Seaside beaches during the day each summer. At least two or three are on duty near the Seaside Turnaround from 10 a.m. up to 5 p.m. daily, according to the local Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.
Visitors should be alert to other dangers as well.
"It all boils down to respect for the ocean," said Smith. "All you have to do is use common sense: Stay away from logs, check tide tables, stay behind fences on cliffs and never turn your turn back on the ocean."
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