Florida man, 70, survives falling into tourist cove ominously named 'Devil's Churn'

A senior has miraculously survived falling into a deadly tourist cove in Oregon nicknamed Devil's Churn.

Florida man Jack Turnock, 70, tripped while taking a photo and fell 15 feet into the treacherous strait.

He managed to swim around and scramble up a ledge, before an agonizing race against the rising tide.

'I wasn't even near the edge,' Turnock told YachatsNews. 'I just tripped over a rock and I went that direction. I was looking to take a photo and I just kind of fell back the other way and rolled off the edge.

'And my first thought falling down was I hope there aren't rocks under here, under the water. That was it. Then I was like ''Ah … I just ruined my camera.' Then I just looked around and saw a ledge and swam over there.'

Jack Turnock, 70, tripped while taking a photo and fell 15 feet into the treacherous strait

Turnock was left with bloodied shins, but was otherwise remarkably unscathed as he waited for Yachats Rural Fire Protection District firefighters and members of other agencies to arrive.

The crew used a ladder to bridge the crevice and climbed across on their hands and knees before pulling it over and lowering to Turnock.

One rescuer descended and braced it to allow Turnock to climb back up.

Turnock's girlfriend Deborah See, from Santa Cruz, described the heart-stopping moment she realized Turnock had fallen in.

'We wanted to take some pictures so we came down here,' See said. 'I was still up there so I didn't actually see him fall in but I heard the splash. 

Pictured: Waves crashing into the rocks at Devils Churn along the Oregon Coast

'And I heard somebody say 'Oh my God, somebody fell in,' and I looked over and I didn't see him and I went 'Oh s**t'.'

See said that Turnock's physical fitness helped keep him alive.

'He's a tough bird,' she added. 'He's in good shape for his age and he's a runner. I'm just so glad he's okay.' 

Officials said that the relatively calm seas and low tide were major factors in Turnock's survival.

'Be careful,' Yachats Fire assistant administrator Shelby Knife warned. 'He's one of the few people we've ever pulled out of here alive.' 

The situation did not end as favorably in 2021, when a 67-year-old man from California attempted to jump across the chasm only to slip and hit his head before plunging into the water and drowning.