Jacob Stokes, the Beaverton high school senior who went missing off the coast of Cannon Beach Friday, most likely got caught in a rip current, said Lt. Shaunna White of the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District.
Stokes, a student at Mountainside High School, went for a swim at the beach with three of his friends when people on the shore noticed the group disappear from sight. Two of the students were able to escape the water, and a third was saved by a rescue swimmer with the Cannon Beach fire district.
The rescue swimmer never saw Stokes in the water, and only knew he was there when people on shore told him, White said.
Rip currents are a frequent cause of emergency calls to the Cannon Beach fire district, she said.
“Children should never swim alone; they should be in arms reach of their parents and everyone, even adults, should be swimming with someone else,” White said Monday. “Nobody should go deeper than their knees and overall, when in doubt, don’t go out.”
With water temperatures in the low 50s, swimmers can quickly become hypothermic, making Oregon’s icy waters particularly dangerous.
If you find yourself caught in a rip current, you should, “stay calm and don’t fight the current,” White said.
White suggests swimming parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current, then swim back to shore.
“If somebody doesn’t know what they’re doing, try to wave or yell that you need help, then float or tread water until first responders arrive,” White said.
Rescue teams with Cannon Beach and Seaside Fire and Rescue searched for Stokes into the night Friday and continued Saturday.
An email from the Beaverton School District to families in the Mountainside community described Stokes as a kind and thoughtful person. He was part of the school’s cross country and track teams, and he was expected to attend Oregon State University in the fall.
“Our hearts break for Jacob’s family, his close friends and our entire community at this time of deep sadness and grief,” Todd Corsetti, the school’s principal, wrote in the email.
— Lisa Moreno; lmoreno@oregonian.com
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