Rescues needed as hundreds went to San Francisco's Ocean Beach despite tsunami advisory

[Demovictory9]

“I didn’t see what I’ve seen in Hollywood, like a huge wave coming toward us or anything,” said Baxter.

But that didn’t mean the dangers weren’t present. Despite the size of the waves — which reached peak heights of one to two feet in San Francisco, according to the National Weather Service, while flooding parts of Pacifica and Santa Cruz, even causing Soquel Creek to flow backwards — he knew what was happening beneath the surface of the water.

“What’s actually occurring is surges of water with lots of force,” he said. “We don’t see what’s underneath it, which is an extremely long rip current.”

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An estimated 200 people showed up to Ocean Beach from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., said Baxter. First responders aided about 25 people who they believed required assistance to get out of ankle- or knee-deep water. They also approached dozens of other individuals on the sand with surfboards, boogie boards and beach attire, encouraging them to turn around and spend the day elsewhere.

Rescue swimmers also saved three surfers at Kelly’s Cove who decided to challenge the swell of the waves that afternoon between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Two of the rescues occurred when swimmers spotted the surfers about 200 to 300 yards from the beach waving their arms and calling for help, while another incident was the result of a 911 call.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/surfer-rescues-at-SF-Ocean-Beach-tsunami-advisory-16780099.php

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[Randomthought]

1. Idiots

Not only endangering themselves but rescuers.

[alittlelark]

4. yup........

[chowder66]

6. There are those that always do this. It's infuriating. nt

[highplainsdem]

2. Infuriating. Especially when they put first responders in danger.

[niyad]

3. I hope that they fine every one of those idiots. Heavily.

[Karadeniz]

5. As a teenager in Hawaii, my father forbade our swimming at Waimea bay. During WWII, he'd had

to write condolences to families whose soldier sons had died there.

As an adult there, I steered clear of it, hearing stories about children snatched from their parents' hands or adults just whisked out to sea by the current. But...my favorite beaches had big waves... Makapuu once left my two-piece not concealing squat, so I started wearing a one-piece. Problem solved! I knew to not turn your back on a wave, dive under a big breaker.

I could handle the Pacific Ocean, except for that one near miss at the Toilet Bowl being sucked into a lava tube... it killed a Marine one week later.

I decided dad had been too worried about Waimea. He wasn't a swimmer; I was. My suspicion was confirmed the first time I went there! The whole bay was glass , no current. You could swim out forever! It was as dangerous as a Caribbean beach and about the same color.

So, equating Waimea with boring Waikiki, we took my Alzheimer's mother-in-law and Parkinson's father-in-law there when they visited. It would be beautiful! The first thing I noticed was that between the parking area and the water was an enormous sand cliff, deeper even than what the current did to Makapuu every winter. That should've told me something about the water power at work here, when it dwarfed Makapuu, strong water.

But no! I scaled down the cliff ready to have fun! I made it as far as my ankles in the water. The wash from the last wave was all it took to grab my feet and not let go. I couldn't move, stuck and losing my balance. I knew if my whole body hit the sand, it would just pull me out. So, I bent over and put my hands on the sand, but even then it was a fight not to fall over. Inch by inch, it took all my strength to stay balanced and keep my body out of the grip that a stupid wash had on me. Finally, I wrenched myself free of the strength in a stupid 1" of Waimea water.

I felt like no one else needed to play in Waimea that day. We left and never, ever went back! Those poor kids whose parents dad had to write to. No Mainland beach could've prepared them and most had probably never been to a beach.

Don't ever mess with a beach that can pack a punch!