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CNN Sunday Morning
Two Oregon Teenagers Lucky to Be Alive
Aired December 15, 2002 - 07:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Two teenage boys in Oregon are very lucky to be alive today. Sounds cliche, but it is true. Their visit to the beach to get an up close look at rough ocean waters almost ended in tragedy.
They were swept out after a wave hit, but managed to make it back ashore. Joel Iwanaga, for Portland's KOIN 6 News, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOEL IWANAGA, KOIN 6 NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Strong winds continue to hit the Oregon coast, producing the usual but violent surf. The spectacle captured Cannon Beach storm watchers 11- year-old Aaron Johnson and his best friend, 10-year-old Ian Dueber.
The boys got a little too close before being swept into the Pacific by a sneaker wave.
IAN DUEBER, SURVIVED SNEAKER WAVE: I was pretty scared. And I knew that it was a pretty dumb move to go down there when there was a big storm like this.
AARON JOHNSON, SURVIVED SNEAKER WAVE: I was getting pulled up, like, down by the cement. And I got where that one thing is next to Wayfarer (ph). There's like a little wooden sign thing. I got hit against that. And Ian got out.
IWANAGA: Cannon Beach rescue crews expecting the worst arrived on scene just moments after the two boys somehow managed to pull themselves out of the strong riptide.
LT. MIKE BALZER, CANNON BEACH FIRE & RESCUE: They're extremely lucky that they didn't get hit by a log or, you know, it was a bigger wave or they were in deeper water where they would have gotten sucked out into the surf.
IWANAGA: A lesson these boys parents say they learned the hard way.
ANITA DUEBER, MOTHER: You know, it probably hasn't all really sunk in just what happened out there. But I'm thankful that they're here.
DARLENE JOHNSON, MOTHER: They decided to go to the beach on their own and then the next we know we have the fire department here. And we're still a little shaky. IWANAGA: As for Aaron and Ian, they say they'll continue their storm watching from inside their homes.
JOHNSON: Don't go on the beach when it's stormy and don't go by yourself. And always watch for sneaker waves. And never turn (ph) your back (ph) there.
IWANAGA (on camera): And you heard the fire lieutenant talk about those loose logs in the ocean. Well, to give you an idea just how lucky these two boys are, take a look, these logs washed up into the parking lot in recent days. I can tell you, lucky for these two young men is an understatement.
In Cannon Beach, Joel Iwanaga, KOIN 6 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 15, 2002 - 07:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Two teenage boys in Oregon are very lucky to be alive today. Sounds cliche, but it is true. Their visit to the beach to get an up close look at rough ocean waters almost ended in tragedy.
They were swept out after a wave hit, but managed to make it back ashore. Joel Iwanaga, for Portland's KOIN 6 News, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOEL IWANAGA, KOIN 6 NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Strong winds continue to hit the Oregon coast, producing the usual but violent surf. The spectacle captured Cannon Beach storm watchers 11- year-old Aaron Johnson and his best friend, 10-year-old Ian Dueber.
The boys got a little too close before being swept into the Pacific by a sneaker wave.
IAN DUEBER, SURVIVED SNEAKER WAVE: I was pretty scared. And I knew that it was a pretty dumb move to go down there when there was a big storm like this.
AARON JOHNSON, SURVIVED SNEAKER WAVE: I was getting pulled up, like, down by the cement. And I got where that one thing is next to Wayfarer (ph). There's like a little wooden sign thing. I got hit against that. And Ian got out.
IWANAGA: Cannon Beach rescue crews expecting the worst arrived on scene just moments after the two boys somehow managed to pull themselves out of the strong riptide.
LT. MIKE BALZER, CANNON BEACH FIRE & RESCUE: They're extremely lucky that they didn't get hit by a log or, you know, it was a bigger wave or they were in deeper water where they would have gotten sucked out into the surf.
IWANAGA: A lesson these boys parents say they learned the hard way.
ANITA DUEBER, MOTHER: You know, it probably hasn't all really sunk in just what happened out there. But I'm thankful that they're here.
DARLENE JOHNSON, MOTHER: They decided to go to the beach on their own and then the next we know we have the fire department here. And we're still a little shaky. IWANAGA: As for Aaron and Ian, they say they'll continue their storm watching from inside their homes.
JOHNSON: Don't go on the beach when it's stormy and don't go by yourself. And always watch for sneaker waves. And never turn (ph) your back (ph) there.
IWANAGA (on camera): And you heard the fire lieutenant talk about those loose logs in the ocean. Well, to give you an idea just how lucky these two boys are, take a look, these logs washed up into the parking lot in recent days. I can tell you, lucky for these two young men is an understatement.
In Cannon Beach, Joel Iwanaga, KOIN 6 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
