An Oregon teen died in a freak beach accident while trying to take a selfie.
Aurora Genai Sheffel, a 14-year-old cheerleader, was taking photos with friends on a log near the water in Bandon, Ore., to kick off spring break. When the tide receded, it dragged the heavy log out from under them. Her two friends jumped off the log, but Sheffel became pinned under it, according to the teen’s stepfather, David Wederquist.
The tragedy occurred at South Jetty Park Beach in Bandon, Oregon, Saturday, circa 4 pm.
While her friends were able to jump to safety in time, Sheffel was caught underneath.
“We tried to get her out,” Madisyn Leidall, Sheffel’s friend who was at the beach explained. “We were screaming when bystanders came and tried to help us move the log. But the log had rolled again. Doctors said she died instantly because the damage to her head and neck were so traumatic.”
Bystanders were eventually able to pull the trapped girl free but it was too late. Sheffel has pronounced dead at a local hospital soon after.
Responding to the tragedy, Aurora’s heartbroken stepfather, Wederquist said the teen had been celebrating her recent selection to North Eugene High School’s varsity cheerleading squad when tragedy struck.
‘She was just a great kid; you couldn’t ask for one better,’ Wederquist said. ‘She was really mostly a nerd,’ he added. ‘Straight As. But she thought she’d give cheerleading a try.
Emergency crews arrived around 4 p.m. at the beach, where they learned the victim was playing on the log during a heavy receding tide. After several attempts, rescuers were able to free her, but after being rushed to the hospital she was pronounced dead.
“She told them, ‘You need to stop and pray right now, it looks like they’re losing her,'” witness Steven Michael said.
From Opposing Views:
Leidall said that she and Sheffel shared a moment of eye contact and was the last person Sheffel saw before she died.
“It’s just hard knowing that I’ll never get to see her again,” Leidall said.
Sheffel’s friends and family said that she was a bright, hardworking student and talented cheerleader — the only freshman on the varsity team — who wanted to go to college to become a marine biologist.
“She was the little sister,” said Sheffel’s cheerleading coach, Rebecca Critchett. “It was easy for everyone to embrace her. She was such a happy personality … the way she talked to everyone made them feel like they had their own personal friendship with them. She had a best friend in everyone.”
The team said they are devastated but hope to carry on with positivity to honor her memory.
“If she were to look at us and see us being unhappy and sad, carrying her legacy with sorrow … that wouldn’t be what she wants,” said Critchett.
Sheffel’s stepfather said she was a freshman who earned straight As and was recently selected for North Eugene High School’s varsity cheerleading squad.
According to Oregon State Police, the ocean can be strong enough to pick up even very large logs, and they can soak up enough water to weigh tons.
Watch the video report here: TomoNewsUS/Youtube
Sources: OpposingViews, KEZI, Bandon Western World
