A dramatic scene unfolded on the Santa Cruz Wharf over the weekend when a automobile went off the sting of the pier and into the water, sparking a frantic rescue effort that ended with authorities recovering a physique and a canine.
Witnesses reported seeing the automobile break by way of the wood railing at 9:44 a.m. Sunday. When firefighters arrived, they discovered the broken part about two-thirds away from the beginning of the wharf.
Visibility was restricted and the surf was excessive — waves had been about 12 ft — making it troublesome to instantly discover the automobile, officers mentioned.
After about 10 minutes, the automobile was noticed resting on its roof in about 30 ft of water, mentioned Santa Cruz Hearth Division Battalion Chief Josh Coleman at a information convention Sunday.
“The sufferer was introduced out of a automobile, the wrong way up, on the backside of the ocean flooring, with important swelling, in 33 minutes,” Coleman mentioned.
The sufferer was pronounced lifeless at a neighborhood hospital. A canine was additionally pulled from the water and survived, officers mentioned.
The emergency response included 13 lifeguards, two jet skis and two boats.
Emergency divers remained within the water for an hour to go looking the water in case there have been any further passengers within the automobile, however none had been discovered, authorities mentioned.
Authorities didn’t present any element a couple of potential trigger for the incident or estimate on how briskly the automobile was touring earlier than it went off the sting of the wharf. The incident stays underneath investigation by the Santa Cruz Police Division.
