Carmel teen ID’d as person missing at Garrapata State Park

UPDATE 1/14/2019 10:45 p.m. Witnesses described the moment they learned someone fell into the water at Garrapata State Park.

“He said, ‘Do you have cell phone service? Our friend fell into a hole between two rocks and we can’t get him out,'” said Ali Bowen, who called first responders.

Friends of missing 18-year-old Braxton Cooper Stuntz, approached Bowen and her friend. The two alerted responders to the scene moments later.

Bowen said the teen fell down a hole that dropped 15 feet down to the water. When law enforcement arrived, Stuntz friends have already lost sight of him.

“Even though responders came quickly, I mean we moved as fast as we could, the EMT moved as fast as they could, and it wasn’t fast enough,” said Bowen.

Helicopters with the Coast Guard circled the area until sundown, Sunday, but found nothing.

Stuntz’s Instagram profile is now filled with love and words of remembrance.

KION reached out to a friend of Stuntz on Instagram who says she has known him for years, and she says he loved to take pictures and go on adventures.

She says he was a hardworking student with a bright future, and she feels lucky to have been part of his life.

People that visit the park often, said that many underestimate how dangerous this part of the coastline can be.

“It’s shocking how dangerous it can be out here. For people who don’t know the risks, it can be really how alarming. You can slip and fall and be in big trouble,” said local resident, Jared Sandman.

Signs warn visitors about climbing on rocks, but Bowen said more resources are needed.

“There has to be a faster way for individuals to help themselves or help someone in need, rather than just relying on first responders to be the first there,” said Bowen.

She said simple access to a rope on the trails could have helped bring Stuntz to safety.

“If they had something immediate near by them, to at least preserve his life a little bit longer. I felt like if we had five more minutes it might have been a different story,” said Bowen.

According to the sheriff’s office, Stuntz is classified as a missing person, however, operations have been shifted into recovery mode.

PREVIOUS STORY: Crews have been searching for a teen who was lost in the water at Garrapata State Park, Saturday.

A witness says he fell through a hole between two boulders and into the water. That witness was flagged down by the boy’s friends and got help.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, CalFire and the Coast Guard responded, but the Sheriff’s Office postponed the search several hours after he fell in. The Sheriff’s Office said the person has not been found.

The Sheriff’s Office says Sunday morning they are flying over the area with a drone. Divers evaluated the conditions and say at first look they could not go out into the water.

Witness, Kitty Arosteguy, said his friends kept him in their sight, until he lost consciousness. They eventually lost sight of him.

This is a developing story.