CANNON BEACH, Ore. – A young girl was swept into the surf by an apparent sneaker wave at Cannon Beach on Sunday morning, and the adults believed to be her parents rushed into the water and pulled her out. It happened around 9 a.m. on Nov. 8, according to KPTV, during a weekend when the National Weather Service had warned of sneaker waves and high surf along the north Oregon coast. The woman who filmed the rescue told KATU that everyone appeared to walk away safely.

Karin Kelsey Madsen of Beaverton was on the beach with her husband and recorded the moment on her phone. She told KPTV she didn’t notice at first that a child was in trouble. “Then I realized there was a child and swooped up this child, who looked like a rag doll. And so it just took my breath away,” Madsen told KATU. Speaking with KPTV, she added, “I’m a mother. I’m a grandmother of three, you know, young grandchildren. My heart just sank.”

Madsen told KATU her husband kept running toward the family to see whether they needed help. She described a beach full of families that morning, with adults and young children playing in the water, and said she was shocked by how many people ignored officials’ warnings to stay out of it. “That whole day, we watched big logs being moved as the tide was coming in,” she said. KGW also aired the video Monday night.

A weekend of warnings on the north coast

NWS Portland issued a Beach Hazards Statement on Nov. 5 for the north and central Oregon coast and the south Washington coast, warning that waves could “run up significantly farther on a beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties.” An update on Nov. 6 added a High Surf Advisory for Sunday from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., with breakers up to 28 feet and a warning that “destructive waves may wash over beaches, jetties, and other structures unexpectedly.” The girl was swept in about five hours into that advisory.

Cannon Beach wasn’t the only close call that weekend. Down the coast at Winchester Bay, KPTV reported, another video showed two men and a dog trying to outrun sneaker waves. The men made it to higher ground among the logs, but the dog went under in the surf. It was reportedly rescued.

Jason Smith, deputy chief of the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District, told KPTV that crews saw several people get caught on Sunday. “Storms bring storm surge and storm surge means waves running up the beach way faster and farther than normal, and Sunday we watched multiple people outrun the waves and they can’t and it gets multiple people hit,” Smith said. A Cannon Beach Fire spokesperson told KATU that sneaker waves can happen in an instant.

Bigger surf is in the forecast this weekend

The danger hasn’t passed. In its forecast discussion early Tuesday, Nov. 10, the weather service’s Portland office said a moderate to high sneaker wave threat will continue along the coast through the week, with a westerly swell building from 10 to 12 feet to 14 to 16 feet by midweek. Forecasters also flagged possible tidal overflow flooding Tuesday and Wednesday. They said confidence is growing that a stronger swell of 20 to 24 feet will reach the coast Saturday, and warned that the run-up could knock loose beach logs that roll up and down the sand, which “have historically killed or seriously injured unsuspecting people.”

The Cannon Beach fire district is increasing beach patrols ahead of the weekend, according to KPTV. No beach hazard statement was in effect for the north coast as of early Tuesday, but the last one went out three days before Sunday’s high surf, so check NWS Portland the morning you head out.

How to stay safe from sneaker waves this winter

Sneaker waves catch people because the ocean often looks calm right before one hits. The National Weather Service says there can be 10 to 20 minutes of small waves before a sneaker wave strikes, and that these waves can run at least 150 feet up the beach into dry sand. Oregon State Parks calls them “unpredictable, powerful” waves that “can easily knock adults off their feet.” Here’s what the weather service, state parks and the Cannon Beach fire district tell beachgoers to do.

• Never turn your back on the ocean. Keep one eye on the water the whole time, especially when kids are playing near the edge.
• Watch the surf for at least 20 minutes before you settle in, the way lifeguards and surfers do, and stay farther back than you think you need to.
• Keep children and pets away from the surf zone.
• Stay off logs, rocks and jetties near the waterline. Wet beach logs can weigh hundreds of pounds, and a single wave can lift and roll them.
• Always have an escape route and keep track of the tide, as Smith advised.
• Check the weather, surf and tide forecasts before you go, and talk with lifeguards when they’re on duty.
• Note the beach access name or number on the sign where you walked in, so you can give it to a 911 dispatcher if something goes wrong.

On a big-surf day, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department points out that many viewpoints offer elevated views of the waves, which is a far better place to watch than the wet sand. If you’re planning a trip, our Cannon Beach guide covers the town, and our explainer on what you don’t know about Oregon Coast sneaker waves goes deeper on how they work.

If someone is swept in, don’t go in after them. The weather service’s guidance is to call 911 and keep your eyes on the person until help arrives. Northwest ocean water is cold enough that people caught in a sneaker wave “can lose control of their limbs in a matter of seconds,” according to NWS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at Cannon Beach on Nov. 8?

Around 9 a.m. Sunday, an apparent sneaker wave swept a young girl into the surf, according to KPTV. Adults believed to be her parents ran in and pulled her out, and a bystander caught it on video.

Was the girl hurt?

Madsen, who filmed the rescue, told KATU that everyone appeared to walk away safely. Her name and age haven’t been reported.

Is it safe to visit the Oregon Coast this weekend?

Use extra caution. NWS Portland expects the sneaker wave threat to continue all week and says a 20- to 24-foot swell could bring dangerous surf Saturday. Check the latest forecast before you go and stay well back from the water.