written by Daniel O’Neil

The ocean waters off the Long Beach Peninsula often look inviting in summer, especially for those who rarely see such a body of water. But the infinitely beautiful Pacific Ocean can be deceiving. Its currents, frigid temperatures and enormity prove deadly for those who do not understand or respect these waters. Fortunately, a group of trained volunteers in south Pacific County provides a rapid response to beachgoers in distress while also promoting a safer understanding of the risks here at land’s end.

South Pacific County Technical Rescue formed in 1978 as a volunteer cliff rescue team, operating in and around Cape Disappointment State Park. Then, in 1985, after a tragic incident that swept several Girl Scouts out to sea, the group added surf rescue to its mission. Today, the Coast Guard handles most of the cliff rescue with helicopters, but SPCTR serves as a crucial first-response team that can hit the water within minutes of a call.

When the Coast Guard is alerted of an emergency situation, SPCTR also receives that call. SPCTR members, some of whom are active or retired Coast Guard, immediately mobilize to locate, stabilize and rescue victims before the Coast Guard’s boats can arrive from the nearby base at Ilwaco, sometimes a twenty-minute delay. With rescue equipment staged in Seaview, and about twenty-five volunteers living and working all along the Peninsula, SPCTR responders save precious time. And when dealing with the Pacific, that means saving lives.

“The Long Beach Peninsula has always had people who are willing to go out and help ship-wrecked sailors,” said former Coast Guards-man Doug Knutzen, SPCTR president and a member since 1985. “It has always had its own response to mariners in distress.”

These days, people less familiar with the ocean require the rescuing. SPCTR responds to fifteen to twenty-five calls a year, and most of these involve tourists in summer: people swimming in the ocean, people climbing on rocks. Young men, from age 18 to 28, account for many of the calls, especially when alcohol is involved.

“As soon as you say, ‘Don’t swim,’ they’re going to jump in the ocean and prove how they could do it,” Knutzen said. “Or we see people that have their kids, 12- or 13-year-olds, playing in the surf, and they’re up a hundred yards away around a campfire drinking beer, not paying any attention to them. And we educate them on the danger of them maybe losing their kids, because believe it or not, that happens real consistently.”

The City of Long Beach is well aware of the many benefits its beach provides, but also understands the dangers. Recently, the city increased its annual financial support for SPC-TR from $12,000 to $20,000, and it donated a surplus vehicle.

As a nonprofit, SPCTR, which is still entirely staffed by volunteers, receives funding through grants, donations and community support. Rather than provide lifeguards, the City of Long Beach helps keep SPCTR equipped and ready to intervene before the Coast Guard or Pacific County Sheriff’s Office can arrive.

“If we didn’t have surf rescue-trained people, we would have many more drownings from people trying to rescue that person,” said Sue Svendsen, mayor of Long Beach. “It’s a big mistake to go in there without knowing what you’re doing. And, really, only our crew that is trained should be in the water after a drowning or potential drowning situation.”

Funding also supports SPCTR’s public awareness outreach, a new pillar for saving lives. This includes beach patrols, which allow SPCTR members to interact with beachgoers and explain a dangerous situation before it becomes one, as well as ocean safety messaging for residents and tourists: signage, brochures, public education, safety fairs, radio announcements.

“It’s been fifty years of evolution,” Knutzen said. “And we’ve found it’s easier to educate someone than it is to rescue someone.”