A section of the municipal wharf in Santa Cruz collapsed and fell into the ocean around midday on Monday requiring water rescues by emergency responders, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.
The wharf, which is home to several restaurants and near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, was evacuated and closed to all except emergency responders.
“Santa Cruz Fire and Santa Cruz Police are on scene at the Santa Cruz Wharf”, the fire department posted on its Instagram account just after 1 p.m.
“Two victims have been rescued by our lifeguards and one victim self rescued. The wharf is closed till further notice.”
A portion of the Santa Cruz Pier collapsed amid pounding waves on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Eyewitnesses told local TV news outlet KION that work crews had been demolishing the former Dolphin Restaurant on the wharf, which had been damaged during a storm surge in December 2023, when the collapse occurred. At least two workers were seen standing on the wreckage floating on the sea.
The collapsed section, located at the end of the wharf, had already been closed off to the public due to the prior storm damage.
Photos of wood debris and a wharf bathroom facility floating in the ocean were captured by eyewitnesses and uploaded onto Facebook.
Earlier in the day, the National Weather Service had issued a High Surf Warning for the region, with “dangerously large breaking waves of 30 to 40 feet, with the largest wave sets up to 60 feet at favored spots.”
The warning, which extends to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, has “potential life-threatening swimming and surfing conditions and significant shoreline erosion impacts.”
The city of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department warned people on its social media pages to stay away from the wharf as all traffic was blocked for emergency personnel due to the partial collapse.
The agency also asked the public to stay away due “to the high surf advisory avoid low lying areas, especially the beaches in Santa Cruz, due to debris.”
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk including the Casino Arcade and Neptune’s Kingdom would close for the reminder of the day due to the large waves and high tide, the amusement park announced.
According to the governor’s office, Gov. Gavin Newsom had been briefed on the situation and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials and is ready to provide support.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Santa Cruz wharf section collapses, plunging 3 into ocean
