In his video<\/a>, Colvin films as a dozen bystanders brace themselves against powerful waves, gripping ropes and pushing against the massive animal in hopes of turning its tail toward the rising tide. At one point, Colvin warns viewers that \u201cif it gets picked up by a wave and dropped on somebody, that is 80,000 pounds,\u201d as the exhausted whale thrashes in the current.<\/p>\n Colvin exclusively tells PEOPLE that he rushed to the scene after receiving a call from \u201ca close friend\u201d saying a live humpback was stranded and \u201ccrying out for help\u201d on the beach. He immediately drove an hour to reach the site around 9 p.m. on Nov. 15.<\/p>\n Jacob Colvin<\/p>\n The humpback whale beached<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got on scene, there were about 20 people next to the whale,\u201d he says. \u201cThey had a rope tied to the whale\u2019s tail and a line of people pulling the rope, while a group of people were pushing the whale\u2019s head. They were trying to rotate the whale so that it would face outward towards the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n But the conditions, he adds, were extremely dangerous. \u201cThis is during \u2018King Tide\u2019 season,\u201d Colvin explains. \u201cThis is when the water is the coldest, roughest and most dangerous. Several people were falling into the ripping currents. I actually had to rescue a lady twice from getting swept out. It was a miracle that nobody was hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n In the video, Colvin narrates as waves knock volunteers to their knees and ropes slip from their hands. The whale, he says, is \u201cexhausted, frustrated,\u201d while the \u201ccurrent is so strong\u201d that even experienced beachgoers struggle to stay upright.<\/p>\n As the footage spread, marine biologist Carrie Newell of Whale Research Eco Excursions<\/a> urged the public to stay back. In a statement posted to the organization\u2019s Facebook page, she stressed that a beached whale is already in critical condition \u2014 and that approaching one is dangerous for both humans and the animal.<\/p>\n \u201cWhales were designed to live in the water,\u201d Newell explained. \u201cA beached whale therefore is not buoyed up by the water, so the internal organs are being compressed, which is causing additional complications. This in itself can be life-threatening to the whale.\u201d She added that the thick blubber that keeps humpbacks warm in the ocean can cause them to dangerously overheat on land.<\/p>\n Newell, a member of the Stranding Network, says she is assigned to crowd control and education and emphasized that \u201chuman safety is our first priority.\u201d While everyone hopes the whale will survive, she warns that \u201cchances are slim\u201d for such a large animal stuck in the surf.<\/p>\n She also noted that towing an adult humpback is nearly impossible, recalling that even pulling a dead baby sperm whale once required running her boat at full throttle. With this whale \u201ctumbling in the surfline,\u201d she says any intervention must be weighed carefully.<\/p>\n Later that evening, Newell provided another update, identifying the animal as a juvenile \u2014 likely 2 to 3 years old and weighing 25 to 30 tons. She reported seeing four people attempting to push the whale and warned that they could easily be crushed as waves push the animal toward shore.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n She also noted signs the whale had been entangled in a crab pot line, a recurring hazard for migrating whales, and pushed for stronger laws addressing abandoned fishing gear.<\/p>\n Jacob Colvin<\/p>\n Oregon residents surrounding the beached humpback whale<\/p>\n Experts from multiple organizations have since arrived with ropes, pulleys and other equipment, even discussing digging a trench to help the whale. Newell shared that she is \u201choping against hope for a miracle for this beautiful animal.\u201d<\/p>\n Colvin, who has continued documenting the situation, says the whale remains alive on the beach two days later. \u201cOfficials have asked people to not intervene,\u201d he tells PEOPLE, explaining that they believe the whale is healthy enough that it may still be able to survive through natural \u201cself-rescue\u201d if the tide turns in its favor.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m trying to stay optimistic,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it\u2019s hard to watch officials not doing more. Oregon is a \u2018let nature take its course\u2019 state when it comes to whale strandings.\u201d Still, he adds, the dozens of people returning to check on the whale each day \u201care all doing the same \u2014 hoping for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Jacob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/84b7bc5420da880174ad2ac6aa705dae.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Jacob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/739b79dd2b34ebbf46a3db81602ca5c9.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n