Walnut Creek Man Dies Jumping Over Roiling Surf Along Oregon Coast

YACHATS, Ore. (AP) -- A Bay Area man who attempted to jump across a wide cove of frothing water at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is presumed deceased, according to state police.

Steve Allen, 67, of Walnut Creek, apparently tried to hurdle Devil's Churn, a narrow boiling inlet just off Highway 101 south of Yachats on the central Oregon coast, the Statesman Journal reported on Friday.

Devil's Churn, a popular stopping point at Cape Perpetua, is a somewhat narrow slice in the coastal basalt rock known for boiling water that kicks up large sprays of waves.

Devils Churn on the Oregon Coast. (Amateria1121 via Wikimedia Commons)

"Troopers and emergency personnel responded for a subject who had fallen into the ocean at Devils Churn," Oregon State Police said in a news release. "Fellow visitors attempted to rescue Allen but were unable to retrieve him from the water."

Allen was last observed by rescue agencies unresponsive prior to losing sight of him, officials said. The U. S. Coast Guard and other responding agencies suspended their search at approximately 6:40 p.m. on Thursday. Allen is presumed to be dead, officials said.

OSP was assisted by Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Newport Fire Department, Yachats Fire and Rescue and the Coast Guard.