[Steve_Seattle]

"In retrospect, we regard those people as idiots, but looking at the waves, they don't look THAT ominous. I've seen pictures of surfers in Hawaii on MUCH scarier looking waves."

That was absolutely the same impression I had when I first saw video of these waves; compared to waves I've seen during surfing competitions, these waves didn't look that ominous. As you say, the difference was that these waves didn't break on the shore, but kept coming. And even a five or six foot wave can have an enormous pull. My guess is that the folks in these pics were all sucked out to sea.

[Muzzle_em]

I just hope there was a miracle.
Did you see the little Swedish boy who was reunited with his father after they were hit by the wave? He ended up on a hillside wrapped in a blanket and a couple brought him to a hospital. It was amazing. His father lived, but his mother is missing.