On Tuesday October 21, 2025 my dad Elliott Linn was out enjoying a sunny day at Samoa beach. I was going to meet up with him; he had been out there for about a couple hours on the jetty before I got there. By the time I got there, he said the waves weren't as big early, but were starting to bet bigger. He sent me a photo at 2:05, and the ocean looked calm. I wanted to get to where he was, so I could walk back with him. I have a video of me walking down the jetty at 3:36 pm, and maybe 5 minutes from where he was. I reached the point to where he was, and we both agreed the waves were getting too big and we needed to leave soon.
It wasn't much time at all, because the 911 call was at 3:45. When a large sneaker wave washed over the jetty, I was able to stay on my feet, and after all the water washed away my dad was nowhere to be seen. I started looking around, and saw him unconscious lying on a rock to the side of the jetty. I got my phone out, and tried to call 911, and first it wouldn't work, so I wiped my phone with my shirt which made the screen work so i could call 911.
I told them my dad got washed off the jetty, and was on the rocks by the water. They told me help was on the way, and tried to talk to me more, but I put my phone in my pocket and climbed down where he was. The rocks were slippery, and I knew I didn't have much time, because he was low enough that if another large swell came it would have washed him out to the ocean. I put one arm under each of his armpits, and slowly dragged him back onto the jetty, trying not to slip and fall in the water. I got him to a safer location, and held onto him; shortly after a Humboldt County Sheriff and a Fish and Wildlife deputy reached us. They helped move him further up on the jetty, because there was a ledge I couldn't lift him over on my own. There was an ATV they were trying to drive down the jetty to put him on, but turned around because the conditions. Shortly after a coast guard helicopter came to air lift him to St Joseph’s Hospital.
I made it back to my car, and went to the hospital after dropping my dog off. My sister Emily was there, and we stayed with him. They had to put him on a ventilator, and after patching him up the best they could, they decided he needed to get air lifted to a hospital with more capabilities. He went to Mercy Medical Center, and wasn't there that long when they sent him to UC Davis Medical Center, because their MRI machine was broken. Emily and I went to UC Davis the next day.
At UC Davis they performed surgery on his upper spine. Thankfully the surgery went well, but he still has many injuries. He has a fractured skull, orbital, hip, ribs, some missing upper teeth, and is still on a ventilator. He's conscious and can answer questions by nodding, but can only move some of his limbs. There's a chance he could be paralyzed, but also a chance he could have a full recovery. There hasn't been enough time to tell. We're hopeful, but very worried too.
My sister Sybil, who lives in Ohio, flew out Saturday. Emily went home today, and my little sister Eleanor is flying from Seattle on Tuesday. I'm going back down tomorrow.. We are going to have someone with him until he comes home. It's going to take a lot of time and resources; the doctors said this is going to be a marathon. Any help is incredibly appreciated. It's a miracle he's made it this far, and we are hoping the miracles keep coming.
My dad met my mom, and she had my three older sisters previously: Naomi, Sybil, and Emily. They had me and my little sister Eleanor. My mom and my dad didn't stay together long, but he was involved in our lives the whole time and has always lived here by us. It wasn't perfect, but I love my dad so much; he's funny, likes being outdoors, is into cars, and spending time with family. I really hope he makes it, and would be incredible if I could go on another walk with him.
We’re immensely grateful for all the agencies that helped rescue him and all the medical centers that have been caring for him.
Organizer
Raymond Hill (Organizer)
Organizer
Eureka, CA