Ocean Shores councilman dies in surfing accident
Ocean Shores City Councilman Jeff Daniel — one of the area’s leading real estate salesmen and a popular race car driver/car owner at Grays Harbor Raceway — was killed in a surfing accident off the North Jetty on Monday afternoon.
Ocean Shores Police reported Daniel, 50, was pulled from the surf unconscious and appeared to be surfing with a strap-in paddle board, which friends said was a new piece of equipment.
News of Daniel’s death spread through the City Council meeting Monday night as the remaining six members began to hear of the tragedy during the regular meeting when Daniel was noticeably absent.
Council member Eric Noble, who manages the WorldMark Mariner Village resort near the North Jetty, was working when he saw the emergency vehicles and police arrive at the beach just before 3:30 p.m. He noted that Daniel’s truck was still parked at the jetty when he was taken by medics to Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen.
“He just got a brand new kayak and was out testing it out,” Noble said.
