We need never live in fear, but humility and a healthy respect for nature would go a long way.
A 92-second video posted Thursday to X showed the moment a massive rogue wave slammed into shore in Ventura, California, causing beachgoers to flee inland for safety while some foolishly stood gawking at the onrushing waters.
Colin Hoag shot the video on his phone while standing near the beach, according to KTLA-TV.
When the wave crashed into and over a small barricade, Hoag took flight, though he kept recording. A half-dozen other onlookers also fled in fear.
Hoag did not stop running for more than 30 seconds. By the time he paused, he had barely outrun the wave.
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Meanwhile, the water kept coming. For some reason, however, people stood and watched on the sidewalk.
Those who wish to view the video may do so below:
WARNING: The following video contains language that some viewers will find offensive.
Wave hits Pierpont in Ventura, California injuring 8. Video: Colin Hoag pic.twitter.com/IT8yhaRqPA
— News Now 24🌐 (@GlobalNewsNow24) December 29, 2023
“It was horrific,” Hoag later told KTLA. “There was a lot of screaming, a lot of yelling. I didn’t know how far [the wave] would go. I thought, ‘This is a tsunami.’”
No deaths occurred, but several people suffered serious injuries, including two who remained in critical condition at the hospital as of Thursday night.
Officials had warned coastal residents of heightened risks due to ocean conditions.
Thus, Andy VanSciver of the Ventura County Fire Department found Hoag’s video instructive.
“I think a lot of lessons were learned today when you look at that video,” VanSciver said, according to KTLA. “The importance of heeding the warnings about giving the ocean some respect.”
The VCFD posted a shorter but no less dramatic video of the wave’s impact on X, encouraging people in Ventura to avoid the ocean.
#HighSurf – Watch when a rogue wave hits the beach at the end of Seward Ave in the City of Ventura. This occurred during the high surf advisory at high tide. Because of this wave eight people were transported to local hospitals. Currently the beaches are closed in Ventura County… pic.twitter.com/VlRlgRLhpn
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) December 29, 2023
On Friday, KCAL-TV reported 4 to 5 inches of sand in hotel rooms near the beach.
While comparatively minuscule, the Ventura rogue wave occurred 19 years — nearly to the day — after the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.
On Dec. 26, 2004, a gargantuan earthquake struck 18.6 miles beneath the Indian Ocean floor. It caused a plate rupture roughly the length of California, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 227,899 people in Indonesia and across the Indian Ocean rim.
Thus, when Hoag thought to himself, “This is a tsunami,” he had ample cause for extreme alarm.
In terms of danger and damage, of course, Thursday’s swell does not compare to historic underwater earthquakes. On the other hand, disasters strike without warning.
It is always best, therefore, to heed the warnings we do have and thereby respect the powerful forces that God does not permit us to control.
