BANDON, Ore. -- A 14-year-old girl from Eugene died Saturday after she was trapped under a log that had rolled on top of her at South Jetty Park Beach in Bandon.
Police and emergency personnel arrived at about 4 p.m. and found Aurora Genai Sheffel, who was suffering from life-threatening injuries. Other people at the beach were able to get Sheffel out from under the log. A Bandon police officer administered CPR and paramedics performed life-saving measures, but Sheffel later died at South Coos Hospital.
Sheffel was a varsity cheerleader at North Eugene High School.
Aurora was a happy person and her excitement for life was truly contagious. You couldn't help but smile when you were around her. -- A tribute to Aurora on the North Eugene cheerleading team's Facebook page
Her best friend, Madisyn Leidall, was at the beach with Sheffel and another friend when the tragedy occurred.
"I was the last person she looked at and we made eye contact before the log rolled over her body," Leidall said. "It's just hard knowing that I'll never get to see her again."
Other cheerleading teammates said they're shocked and are still having trouble believing their friend is gone.
Rebecca Critchett, Sheffel's cheerleading coach, planned a memorial to preserve her legacy.
"This is the first time that I've had to go through it as a coach and be a part of ... making sure the community is rebuilt," Critchett said. "I want to make sure that I do her legacy justice."
The North Eugene cheerleading team posted a tribute to Sheffel on its Facebook page. "Aurora was a happy person and her excitement for life was truly contagious. You couldn't help but smile when you were around her. She was a great big sister and she loved loved loved her little ones."
A GoFundMe page set up by Sheffel's aunt to help the family has already surpassed its goal. On the page, she wrote that Sheffel was "a bright and beautiful soul who brought joy to everyone she met."
Oregon Parks and Rec: Stay off beach logs
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department warns beach-goers to stay off logs at the beach. Some logs look small, but even the smallest ones can be waterlogged and weigh a lot. The ocean is strong enough to pick up any log and roll it.
Seaside Fire and Rescue crews were out Monday morning identifying potentially dangerous logs near the shoreline. City crews will start moving those logs farther up the beach on Tuesday.
“The problem with wood and logs in the water is that they are very heavy, a little piece that you normally pick up and put in your fireplace can weigh 50 pounds just being waterlogged, they can get very heavy,” said David Rankin, Chief of Operations for Seaside Fire and Rescue.
VIDEO: Beach logs pose serious risk
