comic surf rescue

[PedPro]

http://www.kptv.com/story/18965374/s...f-cannon-beach

props for saving the guy's life though...

[strawjack]

i was involved in a comical rescue like that once too. it was a chest/head high day and there is a classic rip right by these rocks. i was white water kayaking a funky point with my buddy when we saw this guy. so we get to him and he holding onto the bow.

meanwhile people on the beach had called it in. there wasn't a lot we could do but keep him afloat. so then a surfer friend (former guard) shows up and gets him on the board. but the waves are rolling in strong so getting him to the beach presents a challenge. slowly more surfers start paddling out and the scene on the beach is kinda crazy.

this is where it got stupid. the fireman show up. they put this dude in a michelin man suit and tether him. so the pilsbury doughboy starts walking out into the surf with a rope tied around his waist into pounding chest/head surf. i don't even need to explain what happened...you can just imagine...and the whole f'n town is watching by this point due to cops, ambulance, fire trucks, etc at the scene.

the group of surfers basically created a barge by holding onto each other and brought the dude in.

small scene in town follows and we 'have' to buy a jet ski for rescue purposes. the town just sold the skis because we didn't use them. classic town shit.

[Ottime]

I guess this is from a few weeks ago, based on the 7/6 date of the linked page.

From the video it looks like the rescue jet ski got flipped over in the surf. I'm guessing these guys do not have a lot of experience on watercraft.

Anyway, hope the guy is alright and that the state is charging him for the rescue. The most comical part of that entire thing is that the surf was just jumbled wind swell and the rescued party did not look like s/he was paddling at al to get into shore.

[strawjack]

^ya, i didn't want to speculate about that part, but it sure did look goofy. maybe he wasn't capable of paddling or just couldn't make it to shore. wacky.

[PB]

I'm guessing exhaustion and/or hyperthermia, caused by inexperience and lack of conditioning. Maybe a smattering of stupid thrown in as a garnish.

[philth]

You can't believe the twit firemen that show up for a swiftwater rescue in my neck of the woods.

[Ski to Be]

I don't understand this one at all. It looks like the guy is inside. All he has to do is barely paddle and the waves will wash him on shore.

[Camilo]

... The most comical part of that entire thing is that the surf was just jumbled wind swell and the rescued party did not look like s/he was paddling at al to get into shore.

Just saw this video. That spot is south of Haystack Rock. It's not a spot. . . it's shit. The only time people ever "surf" here is when they rent a board, see waves breaking, and decide to wade in. I figure this guy did it, got pulled out in one of the many rips around there or stuck in a hole, and then got exhausted.

[Ski Nut Kelly]

would like to hear the outcome from the 'surfers' mouth. I think Camilo is right about this scenario.
Couldn't disagree more though with Ottimes suggestion that the rescued man be charged for the rescue. We are all already paying for the services rendered. why should anyone have to pay again?. Besides, it is grossly obvious that the fire dept or whoever took the ski out for the rescue was inexperienced in surf rescue. The rescuers should instead thank the kook for giving them an opportunity to practice for when conditions REALLY go off. It is probable that the rescuers went home that night feeling great about the opportunity to help a person in trouble, and got paid to do it.