SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Two individuals were rescued following a partial collapse of a pier in Santa Cruz, California, which resulted in a section of the structure falling into the ocean on Monday. The incident occurred amidst heavy surf battering the central coast of the state as a major storm approached, expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the seas off the Pacific Northwest. Residents were advised to steer clear of low-lying areas adjacent to the beaches surrounding the Santa Cruz Wharf, approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco.
The National Weather Service’s Bay Area office issued a warning via the social platform X, urging the public to avoid risking their lives and those of potential rescuers by venturing into or near the water. Lifeguards successfully retrieved two individuals from the water, while a third person managed to swim to safety, as reported by the Santa Cruz Fire Department on Instagram. The conditions of the rescued individuals remained undisclosed.
City officials in Santa Cruz announced the closure of coastal roads subsequent to the partial collapse of the pier. Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the situation, with the state’s Office of Emergency Services collaborating with local authorities, as confirmed by his office. The Pacific storm was forecasted to intensify through Monday, with ocean swells along California’s central coast projected to reach heights of 26 feet (8 meters), as indicated by the weather service.
The weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center cautioned on X that a swiftly evolving storm would usher in hurricane-force winds to regions well offshore of the Pacific Northwest overnight. Forecasts indicated that wind speeds off the coasts of Oregon and Washington could peak at nearly 80 mph (130 kph), accompanied by sea swells exceeding 30 feet (9.1 meters). The collapse of the Santa Cruz Wharf on Monday followed a comparable event at the Seacliff State Beach pier in the vicinity approximately a year ago, which sustained irreparable damage during a severe winter storm.
