A Look Back: 1924 - Giant wave killed eight in Newport

Six men and two boys drowned near the entrance to Newport Harbor after a massive groundswell engulfed a fishing boat on June 8, 1924.

Hundreds of horrified beachgoers watched as a giant wave swept over the gasoline-powered motor boat the Adieu, which was headed out for a recreational fishing expedition, the Los Angeles Times reported on June 9, 1924.

Among the dead were H.M. Thornton, 34, a Santa Ana architect and his two sons, Allan, 10, and David, 8.

“Among the spectators of the tragedy were several of the wives of the party,” The Times reported. “Mrs. H.M. Thornton, who is in a delicate condition, collapsed when she saw her husband and sons drown and was taken home in a serious condition. Her death, it was said, may be the result.”

Others who perished that day after being swept off the Adieu include Chris Ema, a tailor, and his assistant Fred Plightner; L.S. McCune, a furniture dealer; J.G. Kelley, a chiropractor; and E.H. Granger, an electrical dealer.

The men drowned about half a mile from shore, at the end of one of the jetty’s at the entrance to Newport Harbor.

The party came to Newport Beach from Santa Ana for a weekend of fishing aboard the Adieu.

A giant swell seized the boat as it cleared the jetty, tipping the boat on its side, the Adieu’s captain, Newport Beach resident Guy Perkins told the Los Angeles Times after the tragedy. Perkins was one of five survivors who were aboard the Adieu.

“It went up and up,” Perkins said. “I saw it was going to capsize and I jumped and started to swim ashore. Some of the others had life preservers, and I thought they would be all right. I was exhausted before I got in and had to be helped ashore. The boat seemed to go to pieces after the swell hit it.”

The Millett brothers of Sierra Madre, Val, 28; Tom, 18; and Walter, 16, were on the beach that day and helped save some of the survivors from the Adieu, The Times reported.

Val Millett single-handedly rescued three of the five survivors.