Huge waves batter California coast: Man dead, another missing, pier partially collapses
LOS ANGELES – Northern California is bracing for another day of deadly waves topping 40 feet Tuesday as officials in Santa Cruz search for survivors and assess the damage from a partial collapse of the city’s landmark pier.
Officials are urging people across Northern California to stay out of the water and avoid piers, marinas and the beach. High surf is also expected along some Southern California beaches, approaching 18 feet in Ventura County and 12 feet in Los Angeles County.
The violent, storm-fueled waves are also being blamed for the death of a man who was found pinned beneath debris on a stretch of Monterey Bay coastline, as well as the disappearance of another man.
Emergency crews were called to Sunset State Beach at 11:30 a.m. Monday to assist a man who was reported trapped beneath debris amid high surf. The man was freed and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. His identity is being withheld until his family is notified.
Meanwhile, about 15 miles farther down the coast, dangerous conditions forced authorities to call off a search for a man who was swept into the ocean at Marina State Beach around noon, according to the Marina Police Department. The two incidents are not believed to be related, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said.
Bystanders at Marina State Beach reported that a man was overcome by high surf and pulled out to sea, police said. They were unable to help him because of the huge waves and strong current.
First responders did not see the missing man when they arrived at the beach. They began their search around 300 yards north of Dunes Drive, where the man entered the ocean.
The U.S. Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol searched by air and by sea, but were also unable to find the man. At 2 p.m., the search was deemed too dangerous to continue due to worsening weather conditions. The missing man’s identity was not released by police.
On Monday, the National Weather Service issued a high surf warning for California’s northern coast – including Santa Cruz, Point Reyes, San Francisco and northern Monterey Bay – and urged people to stay away from beaches due to life-threatening conditions until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches,” the weather service said. “Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers.”
The pounding surf also caused more than 100 feet of the Santa Cruz Wharf to collapse Monday afternoon, tossing a city employee and two contractors into the cold ocean, city officials said during a news conference.
Two of them were rescued by lifeguards in the area, and the third was able to get to safety on their own. The workers had been sent to the pier to assess its stability, city officials said.
The powerful surf is the result of a series of atmospheric river events that are bringing heavy rain to Northern California, Oregon and Washington state.