Pacific Ocean waves and surf with Cape Perpetua in the background along the south central Oregon coast. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A California man who attempted to jump across a wide cove of frothing water at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is presumed deceased, according to state police.
Steve Allen, 67, of Walnut Creek, California, apparently tried to hurdle Devil’s Churn, a narrow boiling inlet just off Highway 101 south of Yachats on the central Oregon coast, the Statesman Journal reported.
Devil’s Churn, a popular stopping point at Cape Perpetua, is a somewhat narrow slice in the coastal basalt rock known for boiling water that kicks up large sprays of waves.
“Troopers and emergency personnel responded for a subject who had fallen into the ocean at Devils Churn,” Oregon State Police said in a news release. “Fellow visitors attempted to rescue Allen but were unable to retrieve him from the water.”
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Allen was last observed by rescue agencies unresponsive prior to losing sight of him, officials said. The U. S. Coast Guard and other responding agencies suspended their search at approximately 6:40 p.m. Allen is presumed to be dead, officials said.
OSP was assisted by Lincoln county Sheriff’s Office, Newport Fire Department, Yachats Fire and Rescue and the Coast Guard.
