1 dead, 1 injured after car plunges off Santa Cruz cliff into ocean near Steamer Lane surf spot

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A car plunged off a cliff into the ocean at a well-known surf spot in Santa Cruz, California, early Thursday morning, leaving one occupant dead and a second injured, authorities said.

The Santa Cruz Fire Department said the incident happened at about 12:50 a.m. along West Cliff Drive just north of Steamer Lane, the famous surfing location just south of downtown Santa Cruz.

The Fire Department said 911 calls reported a vehicle over the cliff next to Parking Lot C at Lighthouse Field State Beach. All five of the department’s units – four engines, a ladder truck, and a battalion chief, along with units from Central Fire and Scotts Valley Fire districts responded, as did the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Crews arrived to find one of the car’s occupants had escaped the vehicle and reported that the other victim was still in the car, the department said. Rescue swimmers went into the ocean and extracted the second victim from the submerged vehicle, according to the department.

The person pulled from the submerged vehicle was taken to a hospital with life-saving measures provided en route. The victim later died at the hospital, the department said. The person who self-extricated suffered only minor injuries.

The Police Department deployed a drone to search for any other people in the water, and Fire Department swimmers confirmed there were no additional victims. 

Investigators did not immediately determine the circumstances and cause of the crash.