Two were rescued and one swam to safety Monday after a pier in California’s central coast partially collapsed Monday, local authorities said.
The Santa Cruz Wharf, which was under construction, collapsed after facing turbulent waters and hurricane-force winds as a powerful storm passed through the Pacific Northwest seas. The Santa Cruz Fire Department rescued two people from the churning waters, while a third managed to swim to safety unaided.
Mayor Fred Keeley told reporters that no one sustained serious injuries. He said the section of the wharf that collapsed was in the middle of a $4 million renovation after having been damaged over time, partially from storms last winter.
The collapse, which took place at around 12:45 p.m., resulted in approximately 150 feet of the wharf’s end plummeting into the ocean, according to Tony Elliot, head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department. The affected area, which housed public restrooms and the shuttered Dolphin restaurant, had been closed to the public due to the ongoing renovations.
The incident has left local businesses reeling, with David Johnston, owner of Venture Quest Kayaking, describing it as “a catastrophe for those down at the end of the wharf,” he told reporters.
“You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” it said.
The collapse also created hazardous conditions for boaters due to numerous pilings, each weighing hundreds of pounds, now posing “serious, serious hazards” as they are propelled by powerful waves, Keeley said.
The incident occurred as forecasters predicted rough conditions in the Pacific Northwest Monday evening.
Ocean swells along California’s central coast were expected to reach over 30 feet as the Pacific storm intensified throughout Monday, according to the prediction center.
Keeley said the worsening conditions are cause for concern.
“We are anticipating that what is coming toward us is more serious than what was there this morning,” he said.
The collapsed portion of the wharf drifted about half a mile down the coast before becoming lodged at the base of the San Lorenzo River. Officials said that the three individuals who fell into the water were two engineers and a project manager who had been inspecting the wharf’s end.
In the aftermath of the collapse, building inspectors are now assessing the structural integrity of the remaining sections of the wharf. A similar disaster occurred last year when the nearby Seacliff State Beach pier was irreparably damaged by a severe winter storm.
