PACIFIC CITY, Ore. -- A picture posted to the Facebook page of a coastal newspaper caused confusion Monday about the possibility of a second Japan Tsunami dock off the Oregon coast.
Later in the day, the Tillamook Headlight Herald clarified that a photo submitted by a reader was actually taken in June, not a second dock.
Someone had posted a picture of the dock on the Tillamook Headlight Herald's Facebook page and in the initial confusion, the US Coast Guard followed up on the report to see if debris of a second dock could be located offshore.
A 47-foot motor lifeboat was already patrolling the area and initially followed up on the report, said Petty Officer Nate Littlejohn with the US Coast Guard.
An MH 60 Jayhawk helicopter from the US Coast Guard in Astoria was diverted to check it out, but was already patrolling elsewhere. Littlejohn did not know how far out of the way this helicopter went.
An MH 60 Dolphin helicopter from Newport was scheduled for routine patrol in the area and also checked it out.
“The Coast Guard is still looking into finding out the whole truth about the picture: the intention, the source, and how the report spiraled out of control,” Littlejohn said. "We have no information that indicates this was an intentional hoax."
The Tillamook Headlight Herald, the source of the original report, later described it as a 'Facebook misunderstanding.'
Courtesy KGW.com
