Coast Guard Searches for Man Swept Out to Sea

The tsunami that roiled the US West Coast today may have claimed at least one victim. The Coast Guard is searching for a man swept out to sea while taking photos in northern California, reports the Eureka Standard-Times. The man and two friends were near the mouth of the Klamath River when all three were swept away. Two made it back to shore, and authorities have launched a helicopter search for the third.

In Oregon, four people were swept off a beach in Brookings, but all got back safely. Authorities in both states are reporting property damage along the shoreline. The biggest damage appears to have occurred at the Crescent City harbor in California, just south of the Oregon border. The waves destroyed an estimated three dozen boats, witnesses tell the Los Angeles Times. (More Japan earthquake stories.)