Date: August 31, 2008

Location: Middle Cove

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Fatalities: 0

Injuries: 4

Source: VOCM website, CBC website, Telegram

A “rogue wave” impacted Middle Cove beach on the Sunday evening before Labour Day causing several people to be swept out to sea as it overwhelmed picnicers and others. Up to 100 people were in the beach area when the wave struck. The wave covered the entire beach, washing inland as far as the parking area. Numerous people were hit by the wave with several having to be rescued from the water. four were taken to hospital but no serious injuries occurred. Although there had been large waves earlier in the day, it was relatively calm and virtually no wind. An eyewitness commented on the CBC website as follows:-

“The waves were huge.. and were crashing big time up on the beach. After a couple of hours of that (where EVERYBODY was up on the parking lot and the very top of the beach), the waves subsided.. they went down the beach about 100 feet… We kept an eye for about an hour, and it didn’t pick up any. So gradually everyone started moving back on the beach, starting bonfires. There were about 2 – 3 dozen people on the beach, with bonfires, when this HUGE wave crashed, knocking everybody over. We were right up against the back of the beach, up almost on the hill (because I was with friends who had 2 kids.. a 5-month old and a 7 year old). So, to be safe, we made our bonfire on the very top of the beach.. our chairs were actually on the bottom of the bank. When the huge wave crashed, it pushed us up the bank, everything we had got dragged out, the baby was being held by his mom, and as she tried to run the water hit her half-way up her back. A stranger grabbed her little girl and threw her up on the bank. Scores of people were being dragged out by the tide, with all sorts of strangers grabbing them and pulling them back. One of the friends with me dragged an elderly lady from the water. Two women and three children were dragged out, with one of the kids ultimately being deposited on a bank by the wave, soaked from head to toe. One mom said she didn’t know how long she was under until a man grabbed her.. she said she thought she was going to die. Everybody was screaming and running… ”