Posted on 11/27/2008 8:10:13 PM PST by BenLurkin
Three men have drowned after being swept to sea by a rogue wave while watching the surf from a rocky outcrop along California's Central Coast.
Authorities say two other men were pulled from the water Thursday afternoon and survived.
The bodies of the drowned men were also recovered.
Capt. Bruce Norris of the Ventura County sheriff's department says the victims are a 17-year-old boy, a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old man.
He says a 17-year-old boy and 27-year-old man survived.
It wasn't immediately clear if the men were related.
The wave struck just before 2 p.m. at Mugu Rock, a rocky outcropping that's locally famous and has appeared in the background of many TV shows, movies and car commercials.
We used to call those sneaker waves.
I saw this nearly happen to tourists at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia.
They never saw it coming.
Thanks for posting.
A Freeper posted within the last year or so that here son had been
taken by a rogue wave (in Alaska?).
When I was living in Los Angeles for a decade, I think there were
a couple of people swept away by rogue waves.
Hearing about it was a wake-up call for this Flyover-Country guy.
Rogue waves are real, and they are very dangerous. Some non-linear physics models have suggested that ocean-going rogue waves can reach has high as 200ft by “stealing” the energy of other normal waves surrounding them. Such waves appear as a vertical wall of water, and no ship is constructed to survive them. These waves can occur anywhere at anytime, and considering this I won’t be going on any cruise ships ever...
“I won’t be going on any cruise ships ever...”
Don’t say things like that. You don’t know what fun you are missing.
A couple of years ago four of us were on a winter horse ride along the stormy coast. I was doing nothing but watching the waves while everyone else was engaged in conversation. I noticed a really large & long wave coming at the shore. We charged high up the dunes just in time to see it come ashore. I went to sea for 30 years and had not seen one that impressed me like this one. We could see it crash ashore along the beach for three miles. The beach was solid full of huge logs which made it look like the earth was rising. It was surreal.
Wow and double wow. Scares me to death just thinking about it!!!
LA Times story says the wave was only 3 feet tall so I don’t know if it was a true rogue wave.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-drown28-2008nov28,0,3234182.story
I went to college in CA. And the rule was, never take your eye completely off the ocean when walking on the beach.
I do know what fun I am missing! Check out these videos from BBC. Although both of the waves shown here are re-creations, they were from actual events.
monster wave hitting ship- recreation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0fQ1eWv36o
draupner monster wave- recreation of actual recorded event;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_JOBOvJEOg
Here is real footage of an actual rogue wave striking and flipping a ship filming for The Deadliest Catch series. Notice how the rogue wave takes a different direction than all the other waves, striking the boat from the side.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8hOai9hGQ
It was my son that was washed out to sea at Snapper Point in NSW...you can go to jeremyearnshaw.com and the articles are posted on in the site. They never found our son. I feel for these families. (Jeremy was 23)
I’ve been fortunate enough to walk along the beautiful coast you describe and will again, but next time with the memory of your warning. Thank you.
Oh dear, of course it’s hard for you to read stories like this....but perhaps increased awareness will save some people. Prayers and condolences for your loss.
Prayers that God will heal your aching heart.
I am sorry for your loss. I visted the website. It is very moving.
Well, I don’t suggest cruising in the North Atlantic or Bering Sea.
duly noted, but...but a rogue wave, meaning a wave that steals the energy of other waves thus increasing its own crest and trough, is a phenomenon of water, not just certain oceans or bodies of water. These unstable waves can occur anywhere at anytime, even on clear days on calm seas. There are satellites that have been recording 100 ft+ rogues in the atlantic for some time now. They are not infrequent occurrences.
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