Surfers rescue men tossed into ocean at Gold Beach - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Surfers rescue men tossed into ocean at Gold Beach Monday Oct 10, 2016 at 4:04 PM Oct 10, 2016 at 5:19 PM Grants Pass Daily Courier GOLD BEACH — Two local surfers were credited with saving the lives of two men Sunday afternoon when a boat capsized while crossing the bar at the mouth of the Rogue River. Michael Miller of Brookings and Bruce Walker of Gold Beach were knocked into the surf when a wave tossed their boat as it headed to the ocean just after 2 p.m. The boat had come across the bar near the south jetty and had turned toward the north jetty when it rolled, according to a press release from the Curry County Sheriff's Office. Marine Deputy Ted Heath was assessing the ocean conditions and saw the accident. Waves were breaking across the entire mouth of the river. As the two men clung to the capsized boat, out beyond the breakers, Heath and an off-duty deputy hopped into a patrol boat in the bay. But they judged the bar was too dangerous to cross. Luke Martinez and Rocky Burns were preparing to go surfing when they also saw the accident. They were able to reach the two men, and swim them to shore on their surfboards. Miller was treated for hypothermia, while Walker was judged to be in OK condition by emergency responders. Sheriff John Ward's release indicates that Martinez and Burns saved two lives, as a Coast Guard boat from Brookings and a Coast Guard helicopter from North Bend were still a ways out. The release didn't indicate whether the men had life jackets on.