California man tries to jump ‘Devils Churn’ and goes missing in ocean, Oregon cops say
A California man tried to jump a gully full of churning waves and disappeared in the ocean, Oregon police said.
Steve Allen, a 67-year-old from Walnut Creek, attempted to jump Devils Churn on Thursday and fell into the ocean, Oregon State Police said.
Park visitors rushed to try to save Allen but lost sight of him. He was last seen unresponsive, police said.
“The United State Coast Guard and other responding agencies suspended their search,” Oregon State Police said in a news release. “Allen is presumed to be deceased.”
Devils Churn is a “terrifying and majestic” gully south of Yachats, according to tourism website Only In Your State. It’s a day-use park that’s managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
“Here you can watch the crashing waves and the dramatic churning action of the ocean inside the wave carved inlet that we call Devils Churn,” the Forest Service said on its website. “This deep chasm exposes the shoreline’s volcanic history and shows the relentless, violent power of the ocean.”
In 2013, a man visiting the park fell into Devils Churn but was rescued with no major injuries, according to News Lincoln County.
In 2002, officials found the hand of a woman washed up on an Oregon beach. Police assume the woman fell or jumped into Devils Churn and disappeared, the Corvallis Gazette-Times reported.
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