MANZANITA, Ore. — A woman is in the hospital with more than a dozen broken ribs and a broken tailbone after fire officials say she was crushed by a log that was carried by a sneaker wave along the Oregon coast.
A family friend tells KATU News that Heathyr Croasmun, 44, was at the beach near Manzanita with friends and sitting on the log when a sneaker wave rushed up the shore, rolling the log on top of her.
Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue helped free her from under the log; she was flown to Legacy Emanuel hospital in Portland where she remains in the Intensive Care Unit.
Heathyr has difficulty breathing, and doctors say she broke 13 ribs and a broken tailbone. Her family has started a Facebook group to track her recovery process.
Initial reports estimate the log weighed about 1,000 pounds.
Nehalem Bay Fire says this incident serves as a good reminder to “NEVER turn your back on the ocean!”
Please know the dangers of the Oregon Coast. Beach safety information can be found here.