EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to last week’s early holiday deadline, the Catalina Islander was unable to provide extensive coverage of last week’s nor’easter storm.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to last week’s early holiday deadline, the Catalina Islander was unable to provide extensive coverage of last week’s nor’easter storm.
The longtime bane of Avalon town—the wicked nor’easter storm—once again reared its ugly head in historic fashion on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. The resulting destruction claimed numerous vessels, marine facilities and the lives of two local men. The storm winds reached speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, and while such winds are not uncommon in Avalon, the devastation was caused by the easterly direction of the winds, which left Avalon Bay completely exposed. The fact that such storms—including last week’s—can occur suddenly and without warning only adds to the danger.
Trouble began in the early evening when winds—initially out of the north—maneuvered unexpectedly around to the northeast and east, barreling straight into Avalon Bay. By the time it was over less than 12 hours later, two men were dead, at least six yachts were destroyed in Avalon Bay (with several destroyed outside the harbor), along with the destruction of countless skiffs and other full-sized yachts up and down the coast. Wreckage littered Pebbly Beach and two new 25-foot Parker powerboats were destroyed at Toyon Bay. A custom 36-foot landing was also damaged and left high and dry on the beach. At Campus By-The-Sea just east of Toyon, a pier was partially damaged along with two service craft used by the facility.
Tragedy struck around 11 p.m. when the 65-foot charter scuba boat the King Neptune broke loose from its mooring and was driven toward Step Beach.
Harbor Patrol Assistant Timothy Mitchell was aboard the Neptune attempting to not only save that craft, but also to prevent it from dragging other boats with it towards the beach. Some of those other boats along its trajectory had people on board and their lives were potentially saved by Tim’s actions.
As the King Neptune was rolling dangerously close to shore, witnesses said Mitchell attempted to leap from the boat to the cement seawall and to safety. But owing to a freak roll of the King Neptune, Mitchell’s timing was thrown off and instead of reaching safety, he fell into the surf between the boat and shore. A subsequent wave then thrust the King Neptune against the seawall.
Despite valiant attempts to rescue Mitchell on the part of sheriff’s deputies, Harbor Patrol and other bystanders, he was killed in the incident. His body was recovered the following morning. Mitchell not only worked with the Harbor Department, he had been a reserve firefighter with the City of Avalon for the past five years and had been a scuba instructor on the Island—including aboard the King Neptune—for 10 years.
At roughly the same time as Mitchell’s tragedy, another agonizing scene involving Bruce Ryder was playing out at the Marlin Club on Catalina Avenue.
Ryder’s pet dog Pretty Boy entered the bar soaking wet and shivering. Bartender Randy Jackson immediately felt it odd that “P.B.” would be wandering around without his owner and called Bruce’s cell phone. There was no answer.
In the maelstrom of the storm, no one was sure about Ryder’s whereabouts until early the next morning when his body was found in the bay. The remains of his demolished powerboat, Ocean Ryder, were found later not far from the ruins of the King Neptune.
Most other vessel owners in the harbor were able to cheat fate, including Clint Palmer, owner of the 36-foot Fishin’ Funatics. Palmer’s Vietnam-era steel-hulled boat was on a mooring that positioned him between shore and the Epic and King Neptune. “The Epic broke loose and then the King Neptune just broke loose,” he said. “Both of them were on double cans and they still broke loose.”Although the Epic was saved, the King Neptune continued to bear down on his boat.
“(The King Neptune) got the boat next to me and then that’s when I dropped my lines and drove outside the harbor,” Palmer said. After some effort, Palmer located an outside mooring can and spent a rough several hours with his electronics screaming alarms at him all night. Although the move cost Palmer his little red Zodiac skiff, his actions quite possibly saved his life.
As of press time Wednesday, Jan. 7, much of the debris and beached boats had been cleared from Avalon beaches.
At Step Beach, the location of the remnants of both Ryder’s boat and the King Neptune, divers were busy clearing submerged debris.
A number of wreaths, votive candles and flowers sadly mark the spot of two tragedies.
A memorial was scheduled to be held yesterday for Mitchell at the Casino Dive Park followed by a flotilla to Little Farnsworth Bank off Pebbly Beach for the scattering of ashes. Greg Bombard of Catalina Express scheduled a special cross-channel ferry—at no charge to passengers—specifically for those wishing to attend. A “Celebration of Life” for Ryder will be held tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m. at the Marlin Club. The tribute will be potluck-style and all are welcome to come share their stories of Ryder.
