By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
WALDPORT – Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Akin and Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue Lt. Shi Bucher said they had no choice but to go into the ocean Tuesday to rescue two brothers who had been swept away by a riptide at Governor Patterson State Park.
“In my mind there was no decision. It was just go,” Akin said after spotting one of the two boys in the water 100 yards from shore.
Word was spreading there was another boy in the water. Firefighters became worried that their father, Pedro Carrasco – who said he could not swim — would attempt a rescue.
“I’m not going to lose two kids and a deputy,” Bucher recounted to YachatsNews after racing to the park to see Akin shedding his equipment to swim out to the first boy.
Instead, two brothers visiting the coast with their family were rescued from the ocean after the quick action of Akin, Bucher, Mo Larmi of the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District and teamwork from other firefighters and PacWest paramedics.
Family members called 911 at 12:43 p.m. Tuesday to report that Mateo Carrasco, 15, and Lazaro Carrasco, 17, of Ontario, Ore. had been swept out into the ocean while playing in the surf.
Akin was the first to arrive at the state park with Deputy Antonio Ortiz, followed closely by Bucher and Taylor Jernigan from Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue. Larmi and Casey Wittmier from Yachats Rural Fire Protection District were right behind them.
The boys, who were staying with their parents and extended family in Waldport, were separated, 75 to 100 yards out into the ocean and struggling to stay afloat.
Akin been a sheriff’s deputy for six years and is its canine officer. He worked as a firefighter/paramedic previously at Central Coast and was trained in swift water rescue during jobs in the Willamette Valley.
Free of his heavy duty gear, he threw on a life jacket and went into the water.
“There’s a riptide in that spot that’s very nasty,” Akin said.
The deputy swam 75-100 yards out – past the last breakers – where Mateo Carrasco was struggling.
“I grabbed him. I told him we’d be OK and told him to let me and the surf take us back to shore,” Akin said Tuesday evening. “He was tired, scared and worried about his brother who was still in the water. He kept calling out for his brother. He was very upset.”
Bucher was waist deep in the water, tossed Aiken a rope and helped pulled the deputy and boy to shore.
But where was Lazaro?
“The dad was pretty frantic,” Larmi said. “ ‘Where’s your brother?’ It was very emotionally charged.”
Bucher and Larmi began scanning the surf for the second boy.
“Finally we saw something that resembled a head and his (shirt) top,” Larmi said.
Lazaro Carrasco was 150 yards out.
Larmi hooked a safety rope to the back of Bucher’s life vest, planted himself waist-deep in the water to act as an anchor and Bucher headed out into the surf.
Bucher said the Lazaro “was really tired” when he reached him. Neither could touch the bottom. “I coached him a little bit – when to breathe, when to hold your breath when a wave hits.”
“Shi grabbed the kid and I pulled,” Larmi said. “There were waves coming over our heads.”
LifeFlight had landed on the beach, but both boys were in good enough condition they were taken by PacWest Ambulance to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, where they were treated and released.
The family returned Tuesday night to their vacation rental in Waldport, said Pedro Carrasco.
In all, 19 firefighters, paramedics, sheriff’s deputies, two members of the U.S. Coast Guard and one Oregon State Police trooper responded.
Akin, Bucher and Larmi all warned the ocean in Oregon is nothing to play with. Visitors from inland or other coastal states where the water is not as dangerous are especially susceptible to its dangers.
“Don’t turn your back on the ocean and just be aware,” Bucher said. “The ocean here is much different than anywhere else.”
Even Akin said the brothers and rescuers “got very lucky” Tuesday.
“We were right at the end of high tide,” he said. “If the weather or tide had been different there could have been a different outcome.”
All power to the sheriff’s deputy and firefighters. This is a tremendous story which could have had a very different outcome. I am so proud that one of the rescuers was from the Yachats RFPD.
Having lived on the coast at Waldport for 60 years, I watched this happen many times.
I so wish people would realize the power of the ocean. It is beautiful, but treacherous.
Thank God for these men who put their own lives in jeopardy.