A 19-year-old Morgan Hill man died earlier this month two days after he was rescued from hazardous conditions while surfing at The Hook, off of East Cliff Drive and 41st Avenue in Pleasure Point.
Nathaniel J. Ramirez died from his injuries Nov. 7 after he was pulled from the water Nov. 5 and transported to Dominican Hospital, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Zach West.
West said Friday that the Santa Cruz County medical examiner hasn’t yet determined Ramirez’s cause of death and will likely take months – to conduct reports and tests – to make a determination.
At about 9 a.m. on Nov. 5, Central Fire District crews were called to the beach with California State Parks lifeguards and Harbor Patrol. Upon arrival, they saw one surfer who was able to get out of the ocean unharmed and another who was struggling in the rough waters.
A rescue swimmer entered the water but lost track of Ramirez until eventually crews found him partially submerged and not breathing, according to Central Fire District Division Chief Patrick Winters. They removed him from the water onto a Harbor Patrol boat, where first responders performed CPR.
Winters said Ramirez also appeared to have sustained a head injury. A Santa Cruz City Fire Department engine then transported him to Dominican Hospital, where he remained until he died two days later from his injuries.
In an obituary, Ramirez was described as determined, funny, loyal and a lover of the outdoors.
“There were so many layers to him,” the obituary reads. “He was loving, caring, giving, supportive and strong.” A memorial service is set for Nov. 29 in Morgan Hill.
The National Weather Service issued a beach hazards statement for the Santa Cruz area from Friday morning through Monday evening, warning of large surf, rip currents and sneaker waves, and advising people to stay out of the water and “to never turn your back to the ocean.” Sneaker waves can rise up along the shoreline much farther than normal waves, surprising and potentially carrying unsuspecting people on rocks and jetties into the ocean.
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