The body was found near Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. Photo: Screenshot
Santa Cruz, California police confirmed that a body was recovered on May 9 at “Its Beach,” adjacent to where a university student went missing five days prior.
On May 3, witnesses reported that two people were struggling in the ocean after jumping off the cliff near the popular surf spot Steamer Lane. Only one was able to make it back to the beach while the other struggled and disappeared.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released and Santa Cruz police did not confirm that the body discovered was that of the missing student. Still, all indications point to the two incidents being connected.
Santa Cruz Police, lifeguards, and the U.S. Coast Guard were dispatched to search for the missing person, but the search was later called off when the body could not be located.
UC Santa Cruz confirmed that the victim was one of its students.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. We are in touch with the family and are providing support to others who are impacted,” the university said in a statement.
The cliffs around Steamer Lane have a notorious reputation for violent waters and strong currents. One particular cliff feature is known as the “toilet bowl” for strong swirling currents that make it difficult to escape. This incident is just the latest in a string of rescues and deaths over the years of people who have jumped off the cliff into the turbulent waters.
Owen Lawson, a Santa Cruz surfer and California State Parks lifeguard, happened to be nearby when the notification of the incident went out and was one of the first on the scene.
“We asked some people on the cliff, ‘Did you see someone go down and not come back up?’” Lawson told KION. “We did dive lines for about an hour up and down Its Beach from the north coast side to the south coast side.”
Marine Division Fire Captain David Bodine also told KION that three teams were sent to respond to the missing person report. These calls are not uncommon in Santa Cruz, as Bodine underlined that last year the department rescued 230 people on beaches where lifeguard towers operate.
