Trouble at Cape Kiwanda

The "public" ultimately does NOT own the beaches. Some form of government does. Ever seen those "No Swimming" signs? Ever seen Beach Patrols? Who do you think enforces those rules and regulations? The fairy griggin' godmother? Probably another mindless liberal Obama lover!

I grew up in Oregon, and as a child spent a lot of time camping/hanging out in Cape Kiwanda as it is a very unique and pretty beach area. Having said that, if you were a newcomer to the area you would realize real quick just how that beach operates. There are boats flying onto that beach all day long. As the article stated, those boats really do have to commit to their approach as most of them are not large in size and could easily be overtaken by a wave if they were to hesitate. A lot of those fisherman are not fishing for pleasure, but for income. Surfers on the other hand are there for entertainment. There is plenty of room for the surfers to surf without interfering with the channels in which the boats depart/land. If you get hit by a boat because you wanted a bigger wave, then you need to take responsibility for that choice. I definitely side with the fisherman here.

I agree with reptile48. I grew up in Oregon, and did quite of bit of camping at Cape Kiwanda as a child. I can say, if it were your first time there, you'd see real quick as to how that stretch of beach operates. There are boats flying out of the water onto the sand all day long. Most of the boats are small, and as the article stated, they do only have a small window in which they can get back to shore, ESPECIALLY in a storm with 12 foot swells. It's a lot different than going out on a large fishing boat. The Oregon coast is a dangerous place to be in the water, so a surfer is definitely assuming a lot of risk no matter where he chooses to be. Those fishing boats have been there for a long time, and surfers should respect the areas in which they are moving.

Ok obviously my comment made some people mad. What I was trying to get across, and failed, was that some sort of regulation needs to be put in place here. No surfing from time X to time X and/or no fishing boats from time Y to Y. That said, I still side with the fishermen here. They have been there a lot longer than the surfers and are there to survive, not have fun. The rest of you are probably surf nazis!

I use to fish commercially. It's the responsibility of the commercial fisherman to know the "rules of the road" when boating. A motorized boat must give way to a non-motorized surfer on a board or one on a board. It's that simple. The one who can yield the fastest is the one who should. The commercial fisherman should not be out traveling if it poses a danger to others. However, I don't know this stretch of water and maybe if the only way for the fishing vessel to get out to sea is by going a certain speed and it only has a certain window, then this should be brought before the fishing "heads" and seek to get a means to travel without harming others.

Who owns the beaches ? The public You can't fish where it endangers human life

ppl in boats should have respect for ppl on boards,like ppl in cars should have respect for ppl on bikes,just because one is bigger or more powerful than the other, doesnt give anyone the right to the ocean nor the road, i hope the 14 yr old that had his arm severed by the boats propeller is ok,good luck little man xo charnie

I use to fish commercially. Commercial fishermen should know that it's their responsibility to look out for others. A swimmer with less ability to move out of harms way has the "right-of-way" over the commercial, motorized boat.

ppl in boats should have respect for ppl on boards,like ppl in cars should have respect for ppl on bikes,just because one is bigger or more powerful than the other, doesnt give anyone the right to the ocean nor the road, i hope the 14 yr old that had his arm severed by the boats propeller is ok,good luck little man xo charnie

Fishermen have used that stretch of seacoast for decades. That is well known. Phenix76's remarks are a typical example of modern liberalism protecting the rights of idiots to remain stupid. The surfers know that there are fishing boats operating in those waters. If they choose to voluntarily enter a known danger zone, then they need to be willing to accept the risk that comes with it. Personal responsibility is a dying concept in this country. I feel sorry for the boy, but sooner or later, people need to start pulling their heads out. It doesn't have avything to do with "freedom" or "econofacism". It is simply about common sense.

Considering that our tax dollars maintain these beaches for PUBLIC use, maybe commercial endeavors should be a little more responsible about the way they conduct business. Score 1 for freedom, 0 for econofascism. Since recreation and PUBLIC use is what beaches are generally maintained for, score 1 for freedom, 0 for econofascism. PUBLIC land is not developed, protected or maintained for the sake of private commercial use, Score 1 for freedom, score 0 for econofascism. Since PUBLIC beaches were PUBLIC before motorized boats even existed, score 1 for freedom, 0 for econofascism. Revised score: business interests 0, American public 4. Pretty simple who this country is supposed to protect and look out for. Fishermen are more than welcome to pursue a living, but PUBLIC land and funds are not in place to enable or protect their profiteering. Guess what delivery drivers are welcome to earn a living as well, that doesn't make it ok to run people over. A terrible accident to be sure, but if the fishermen didn't act like they owned the oceans and beaches, maybe they'd pay more attention to their own actions. On the other hand the surfers could certainly be more understanding of the issues facing these fishermen, and give a little more effort to staying clear.

Wow jhawke! You are truley an Ass! Congrats- your mother must be proud! The kid was 14!!

Hey jhawke-how many points for a life? Last time I checked you could buy fish at the grocery store. You're a jackass!

Wow, jhawke, you are truley an ass! The kid was 14! It was an accident!!