In one of the weirder stories surrounding last weekend’s devastating tsunami, members of the surf mad community of the US West Coast took the opportunity to enjoy the ride of a lifetime.
Some surfers on the US West Coast were determined to make the most of the conditions as the tsunami triggered by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake last Friday raced around the globe, Associated Press reported.
“The tides are right, the swell is good, the weather is good, the tsunami is there. We’re going out,” surfer William Hill, an off-duty California state trooper said.
I’ve heard about Surfin’ USA, but this might be taking things a bit too far. While the waves that struck the US West Coast were only measured at a maximum of 2m, these hardened surfers were determined to make the most of the natural disaster that has rocked Japan, leaving a wake of destruction and thousands of casualties, while sparking tsunami alerts across the Pacific Ocean.
No damage was reported from a 2m wave that hit Alaska’s coast.
Several beach towns in Oregon were on high alert as the waves approached, and four people were rescued from the water in the coastal state.
One man who had been taking photos of the waves in northern California was still missing on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile The New York Times reports that in the wake of the massive quake and subsequent tsunami there’s been much searching and endeavour to find survivors, but not much joy, only a great deal of heartache and hardship.
It reported that when search-and-rescue teams finally reached Natori on the North-East coast of Japan earlier today, there was searching, but not much rescuing. There was, essentially, nobody left to rescue.
By Monday afternoon, the toll stood at more than 1 800 confirmed dead and 2 300 missing. Police officials, however, believe that the number who have perished in the massive disaster will reach closer to 10 000.
Police teams, continuing their grim task, found about 700 bodies that had washed ashore on a scenic peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture, close to the epicentre of the quake. The bodies washed out as the tsunami retreated, but now they are washing back in. – Staff Reporter