Information was received Friday, April 18th, by the Curry County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch from the Brookings Dispatch regarding a 911 call reporting paddle boarders at Secret Beach, located about thirteen miles north of Brookings, off U.S Highway 101, that were stuck and injured offshore Friday afternoon at about 1:25pm.
Curry County Sheriff’s Office was also informed that Search and Rescue had been requested and Brookings Fire Department and the Coast Guard were enroute. Cal Ore Life Flight responded as well as an Oregon State Trooper.
Sheriff Ward arrived on scene at approximately 1:40pm and hiked the Secret Beach trail down to the beach and met with other first responders. It was quickly determined that the two individuals, from Duluth Minnesota, were stuck on a rock a couple hundred yards offshore and the best way to get to them would either be by Coast Guard boat or helicopter.
In the meantime, two Search and Rescue members, used a kayak to reach the two stranded subjects, one of which was injured from falling after he tried to climb the rock to the top. It was determined by Search and Rescue members that the male subject who was injured had a broken arm, several lacerations and was hypothermic.
The man’s arm was stabilized by Search and Rescue and was then able to float the injured male out to the Coast Guard boat that was waiting about thirty yards from the rock.
The Coast Guard then transported the injured man to Brookings Harbor where Cal Ore transported him to Sutter Coast Hospital as the two Search and Rescue swimmers were then able to get the female back to shore with her kayak.
