An adult victim was pulled from a van that broke through guardrails along the Santa Cruz Wharf and plunged into 30-foot-deep ocean water Sunday morning. The person was pronounced dead at the hospital, and a dog found by the submerged vehicle was taken to an animal care facility for treatment, authorities said.
Emergency responders from Scotts Valley joined the Santa Cruz Fire Department, the US Coast Guard, Santa Cruz Police, Harbor Patrol, Central Fire and others in responding to the call, which came in at 9:44am, and presented some unique challenges, given the conditions.
“We have reduced visibility,” said Josh Coleman, during a press conference, “We have 8-12-foot surf.”
Fire officials said video shows the white vehicle heading off the edge of the structure most of the way down the pier. They added the footage wasn’t clear enough to say whether there was anyone else inside the vehicle at the time.
In total, 13 lifeguards assisted in the extraction of the victim and the search for potential additional occupants. None were located.
Authorities said all the windows were intact when they first located the van, which was upside-down. Divers smashed them out and removed the victim within about 30 minutes.
Marine Safety Capt. David Bodine, of the Santa Cruz Fire Department, said lifeguards looked for possible survivors for an hour, long past the typical “survivability window.”
Two divers, who also serve as Santa Cruz Wharf construction workers, remained in the water to assist the tow trucks in hoisting the vehicle.
“Alright, clear outta there boys,” called the man on the wharf by a tow truck around noon, adding, “We’re going to have to rig it a second time.”
It took about an hour to salvage the van from Neptune’s savage domain, to a choir of sea lions along the pilings opposite.
“That was impressive,” Coleman said, commending the work of the tow team, who benefitted from the rigging expertise of the fire crews.
The Santa Cruz Police Department will now begin their investigation to see if there was any foul play involved, and to determine exactly what caused the van to launch off one of the Northern California’s most famous landmarks into the deep.
