CRESCENT CITY, Calif. (AP) — A tsunami triggered by a Japanese earthquake has swept at least five people watching the waves along the West Coast out to sea Friday.
Four people were rescued from the water in southern Oregon, but one man who was taking photos in Northern California is still missing. Coast Guard helicopters are searching for him near the mouth of the Klamath River in Del Norte County, but officials say his chances of survival are slim in the cold, rough ocean.
The large waves shook loose boats and tore apart docks in at least two California harbors and one in Oregon, causing millions of dollars of damage.
Earlier, the tsunami hit Hawaii before dawn, rushing up on roadways and into hotel lobbies on the Big Island and low-lying areas in Maui were flooded as 7-foot waves crashed ashore.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
