Video shows several people narrowly escaping 'sneaker wave' on Oregon coast

COOS BAY, Ore. -- We're getting an up close look at one of last week's 'sneaker waves' that hit the Pacific Northwest coast.

The Oregonian posted video taken by Steve Raplee showing a large unanticipated coastal wave come rushing in, jumping rocks and flooding a beach in the Coos Bay area.

"Uh oh. Time to go here," he says in the video.

Raplee is walking along the beach with his dog when he realizes it's time to run.

"I just got out of the way. It would have taken anybody in its path."

The National Weather Service says sneaker waves form from a buildup of wind-generated wave energy, normally from distant storms. Sneaker waves run significantly further up the shoreline than other waves and may surprise beachgoers. Multiple waves can combine to form larger sets of waves and release their energy on the coastline.

The NWS office in Eureka, California shared the video saying:

Just last week, we shared video of a sneaker wave that hit the Washington coast near Ocean Shores.