A dramatic scene unfolded at the Santa Cruz Wharf over the weekend when a vehicle went off the edge of the pier and into the water, sparking a frantic rescue effort that ended with authorities recovering a body and a dog.
Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle break through the wooden railing at 9:44 a.m. Sunday. When firefighters arrived, they found the damaged section about two-thirds away from the start of the wharf.
Visibility was limited and the surf was high — waves were about 12 feet — making it difficult to immediately find the vehicle, officials said.
After about 10 minutes, the vehicle was spotted resting on its roof in about 30 feet of water, said Santa Cruz Fire Department Battalion Chief Josh Coleman at a news conference Sunday.
“The victim was brought out of a vehicle, upside down, at the bottom of the ocean floor, with significant swelling, in 33 minutes,” Coleman said.
The victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital. A dog was also pulled from the water and survived, officials said.
The emergency response included 13 lifeguards, two jet skis and two boats.
Emergency divers remained in the water for an hour to search the water in case there were any additional passengers in the vehicle, but none were found, authorities said.
Authorities did not provide any detail about a potential cause for the incident or estimate on how fast the vehicle was traveling before it went off the edge of the wharf. The incident remains under investigation by the Santa Cruz Police Department.
