AUBURN, Wash. -- Three Auburn men are breathing a bit easier after a rescue at sea.

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Surfers Survive Hours In Frigid Waters

For 2 and a half hours, Jeremy Chevalier, Ben Salmond and another friend were stuck in the chilly waters off the Washington coast at Washaway Beach.

Large waves and riptides prevented the men from making it to shore.

The surfers' friends saw the men were in trouble and called 911.

In came the Coast Guard, dropping a basket and plucking the men from the cold waters.

"We were expecting a boat or something, but the helicopter was all that much better. Not that I'm gonna go out and do it again, of course," said Ben Salmond, one of the rescued surfers.

The men were wearing heavy wetsuits and were able to keep out of the cold water by staying on their surfboards.

The Coast Guard reminded surfers that the current at the Washington coast is unpredictable, strong and extremely dangerous.