6 rescued after boat capsizes off Santa Cruz in heavy surf
By Tim Fang
Six people were rescued after their boat capsized in heavy surf off the coast of Santa Cruz over the weekend, officials said.
According to the Santa Cruz Fire Department, crews were called to the water near 701 West Cliff Drive around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. Multiple witnesses reported the boat had capsized and that at least four to six victims were in the water.
Several fire department units along with lifeguards went to the scene and entered the water to rescue the victims. Additional resources were called, including the Harbor Patrol, Santa Cruz police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Firefighters said all six victims were rescued from the water and were brought onto Harbor Patrol and auxiliary boats. Several of the victims were not wearing their life jackets.
After arriving at Santa Cruz Harbor, fire crews and paramedics tended to the victims. The victims were later taken to a local hospital.
“Due to the rapid deployment of Santa Cruz Fire Marine Rescue Swimmers, City Lifeguards, State Parks, and several Good Samaritan citizens on surfboards, all 6 victims were successfully rescued from this potentially tragic incident,” the fire department said on social media.
Crews conducted a search for a potential 7th victim, but none was found.
The coast had been under a high surf advisory from Friday through Saturday night, which warned of large breaking waves of 17 to 22 feet, along with an increased risk of sneaker waves and strong rip currents.
On Friday night, crews searched for two surfers who were reportedly yelling for help near the Santa Cruz Lighthouse. Despite an hours-long search, the U.S. Coast Guard was not able to locate the surfers and the search was suspended Saturday morning.
