{"id":14313,"date":"2026-06-11T20:03:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T20:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313"},"modified":"2026-06-11T20:03:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T20:03:48","slug":"surfboard-shaper-timmy-patterson-survives-near-death-surf-session-off-dana-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313","title":{"rendered":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Just one more wave.<\/p>\n

Well-known surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson and his son, Keone, were surfing a secluded surf spot off Dana Point this week as a mega swell hit the region. Waves were pumping and perfect, massive and monstrous, and the Pattersons couldn\u2019t get enough of the best swell to arrive in years, maybe decades.<\/p>\n

Read more Former Raider Henry Ruggs denied parole nearly 5 years after deadly car crash<\/a><\/p>\n

But the surf session would soon take a near-tragic turn, as Timmy Patterson had to be pulled to shore by his son, not breathing and his heart stopped. They were met just in time by a seasoned lifeguard chief who just happened to be watching the skilled wave riders taking on the massive surf.<\/p>\n

The father-son duo had already that morning, Tuesday, June 9, surfed pumping Strands in Dana Point, when a friend called to say he was taking his boat to Killer Dana, a surf break that rarely shows up near the Ocean Institute.<\/p>\n

Killer Dana decades ago was the region\u2019s iconic big-wave surf spot that would reel all the way to what\u2019s known today as Doheny State Beach. It destroyed when the Dana Point Harbor was built, the rock jetty blocking the waves.<\/p>\n

But once in a while, when the swell angle and size is just right, the surf spot shows up far offshore \u2014 such a rarity they knew they had to jump on board to get one or two waves at the mystery spot.<\/p>\n

They hopped off the boat and paddled out, waves in the 10- to 15-foot range, sets on the outside reaching 20 feet.<\/p>\n

They each caught a wave.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cCool, let\u2019s go back,\u201d Keone Patterson, 31, said he told his dad.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, one more,\u201d his dad, 63, replied.<\/p>\n

Then, a second wave, and a third wave, all perfection. After each one, his father would reply with the same answer: Just one more wave.<\/p>\n

After the fourth wave, they were both exhausted and knew it was time to paddle back to the boat, anchored farther offshore so it didn\u2019t get steamrolled by the waves.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

That\u2019s when a five-minute set of building-size waves started rolling in, one after another, after another, 20 waves in a row.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you OK?\u201d Keone Patterson asked his dad between sets, worrying as his dad stopped paddling past the waves toward the boat.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t have any more energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Timmy Patterson was on a big, 9-foot board, the weight of it tossing him around. The surfers took off their leashes, so they could swim under the waves as they crashed on top of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust breathe,\u201d Keone Patterson said he would tell his dad each time they emerged to the surface.<\/p>\n

Then, Keone Patterson said he saw his dad stop fighting, his body going limp. So he grabbed onto him, arms around his chest, both being tossed around by the massive waves, the son\u2019s legs kicking frantically to get them both to shore.<\/p>\n

At one point, Timmy Patterson was ripped from his son\u2019s arms, his body disappearing for several seconds as Keone Patterson frantically searched for him. Diving down, Keone Patterson found his dad, bringing up to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost him for a second,\u201d Keone Patterson said. \u201cI just can\u2019t stop thinking about it, how close it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more You have World Cup questions. We have answers<\/a><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, by chance, OC Lifeguard Chief Jason Young happened to be nearby, warning people to stay off the Dana Point jetty, where waves were overtopping the rock structure.<\/p>\n

He had taken note of a group of surfers riding waves, knowing they were skilled surfers, but still kept watching, because the stretch of beach doesn\u2019t have a dedicated lifeguard service. Just last Saturday, another person had died at the exact spot.<\/p>\n

When the set steamrolled through, Young watched as wave after wave rolled in for five minutes, the surfers disappearing between the big waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just kept going and going, so it was hard to see the surfers,\u201d Young said. \u201cI was preparing to leave, but on a whim I just wanted to take one more look.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the waves finally subsided, Young saw two heads, but without surfboards, slowly making their way toward the beach. He immediately radioed for help and ran down to the beach with his buoy, reaching the duo just as they got close to shore.<\/p>\n

Timmy Patterson was blue, no pulse and wasn\u2019t breathing. His son thought the worst, the unthinkable, had happened.<\/p>\n

Young and other responders gave CPR and oxygen, regaining a pulse before Patterson was rushed away to the emergency room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came around,\u201d Young said. \u201cIt was a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Young, also an avid surfer, only later learned the man brought to the sand by his son was world-renowned shaper Timmy Patterson, who makes boards for some of the world\u2019s best surfers and countless others, especially in south Orange County. Young himself rides Patterson\u2019s surfboards, as do his children, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s kind of a staple around here for anyone who surfs,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been surfing Strands and Dana Point my whole life, I\u2019ve seen Timmy, surfed with him, know him casually,\u201d Young said. \u201cIt was a very personal call for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patterson was expected to be in a medically-induced coma days, even weeks, but by the next day was awake and alert, joking and eager to get out of the hospital to get back to making boards, his family said.<\/p>\n

Tubes are out and he\u2019s slowly walking around, and was expected to be moved out of the ICU on Thursday, June 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe man has the strongest will out of anybody I know,\u201d said Keone Patterson, who, like his father, is a surfboard builder.<\/p>\n

Young credits Keone Patterson for saving his father\u2019s life, later speaking with Keone about how he held onto his father, battling massive waves and dangerous currents, to get him to shore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just incredible. He went through so much out there to save his dad, it\u2019s unbelievable how close he got to not making it,\u201d Young said. \u201cHe deserves the ultimate recognition of how he was able to save him in those conditions. I\u2019m super impressed with how he was able to hang on to him. He truly saved his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more What are the most asked questions from first-time homebuyers?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Patterson had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, brought to shore in massive surf by his son, Keone, and met by a longtime lifeguard who arrived just in time to do CPR. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSurfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Patterson had no pulse and wasn't breathing, brought to shore in massive surf by his son, Keone, and met by a longtime lifeguard who arrived just in time to do CPR.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"headline\":\"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313\"},\"wordCount\":1077,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313\",\"name\":\"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":684},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=14313#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post","og_description":"Patterson had no pulse and wasn't breathing, brought to shore in massive surf by his son, Keone, and met by a longtime lifeguard who arrived just in time to do CPR.","og_url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313","og_site_name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","article_published_time":"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"headline":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point","datePublished":"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313"},"wordCount":1077,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp","articleSection":["Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313","name":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point - Silicon Valley Moving Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-11T20:03:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9ec6dfd3d5fa5fb3e9a61565fa7fa357.webp","width":1024,"height":684},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14313#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson survives near-death surf session off Dana Point"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/","name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com"],"url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}