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Rescuer drowns in Oregon surf

BANDON, Ore., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A rescuer was drowned along the northern Oregon coast after being swept away by heavy surf while helping to save a 13-year-old boy.

The Oregonian in Portland said Tuesday that while a Coast Guard helicopter lifted the boy to safety, Russell Simpson, a reserve police officer and volunteer firefighter in the town of Bandon, could not be revived after being pulled from rough waters.

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The incident took place Monday when the youth got into trouble while walking his dog along the shore. Simpson, 51, a former Los Angeles fireman, was one of the men holding a rope tied to Police Chief Bob McBride who was wading through the treacherous waters toward the boy.

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