Bystanders who tried to save California man at Devils Churn ask for after-action review

To the editor:

We were among a small group of bystanders who attempted to rescue Steve Allen on Thursday, Sept. 9, at Devils Churn, located in Siuslaw National Forest and within the jurisdictions of Yachats Rural Fire Protection District and the Oregon State Police.

We are writing to urge a review of this incident that resulted in Allen’s drowning. We believe that an after-action review will reveal important information that may lead to strengthened policy and procedure and help to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again at Devils Churn or the surrounding vicinity.

The three of us engaged in an attempt to rescue Allen after he fell into Devils Churn at approximately 2:15 p.m. Sept. 9. We were successful in keeping him above water for approximately 20-25 minutes. Our goal was to keep Mr. Allen alive until first responders arrived.

However, when the responders arrived, we experienced a team who did not engage in a rescue effort. We have questions as to what policy and procedure they were following and if that was appropriate for the situation at hand. It has also come to our attention that a private fishing craft just offshore was prepared to support the rescue efforts but were called off before they had an opportunity to help.

Let us ask some specific questions:

• We understand that first responders may have been following existing practice and policy when they arrived at the incident. However, the manner in which they engaged with us, Steve Allen’s wife, Linda, and other bystanders raises questions. The first responders to the incident scene did not take control of the situation or provide bystanders with any information on the purpose of their response or their intent. What we observed was their checking on Mr. Allen’s status and then failing to engage in any rescue or retrieval efforts. Moreover, they did not take control of the situation or explain their actions to us, despite our questions and bewilderment. Again, they may have been following procedure. But they seemed to lack training on how to lead and communicate with bystanders, especially those who had engaged in a rescue effort. Yes, conflict arouse as bystanders grew angry with the responders’ lack of response and communication. All of this could have been avoided with their taking control and communicating their actions. Even Linda Allen, having just witnessed her husband’s drowning, was left further traumatized by the leadership and communication void. We feel that an after review of this incident might lead to reinvigorated training for first responders on how to enter, control and manage intense, traumatic incidents such as this one.
• We are troubled to learn that a commercial fishing ship had responded to a “pon pon” alert and was stationed just 50 yards offshore with two experienced and skilled divers. The ship’s captain himself has expressed anger and disbelief that his crew was never engaged despite his assessment that they might have had the opportunity to at least aid in retrieving Mr. Allen’s body, perhaps even in saving his life. There is enough question here to further warrant an after-review of this incident.

We recognize that we each have gone through a deeply emotional and traumatic experience. Yet, beyond those feelings, we think that it’s reasonable and rational to question the response and conduct after review. As Drew Tracy, a member of the Board of the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District, says, “Unless we look at these critical incidents, they tend to repeat themselves.” That’s precisely our motivation: to ensure that this never happens again.

   — Andy Nelson, Portland; Marty Gaughan, Portland, and Santos Tovar, Bakersfield, Calif.