Quick Take
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, the National Weather Service and local fire agencies are urging the public to beware of dangerous ocean conditions that have led to several recent water rescues and one fatality.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, the National Weather Service and local fire agencies are warning the public to beware of dangerous ocean conditions that have led to several water rescues and one fatality.
Cal Fire and assisting agencies have responded to five ocean rescues in the 1-mile stretch between Yellow Bank Beach to Bonny Doon Beach in the northern part of the county in the past 30 days.
“That’s much more than normal,” Cal Fire spokesperson Cecile Juliette told Lookout on Thursday afternoon.
While the region has already experienced several days of large swells and dangerous beach conditions, the National Weather Service says beach hazards are expected through at least 9 p.m. Thursday. The agency warns of sneaker waves and strong rip currents and advises that people stay off jetties, piers, rocks and other infrastructure adjacent to the water.
“Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous surf and NEVER turn your back on the ocean,” the NWS said in a statement.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and City of Santa Cruz also warned the community about warmer temperatures and beach hazards through the weekend. For information on Santa Cruz County coastal beach conditions and hazards, click here.
The sheriff’s office urges beachgoers to watch for sneaker waves and changing surf conditions as powerful waves can quickly and without warning surge much higher and farther up the beach than expected. It encourages swimmers to stay in shallow waters and to swim near staffed lifeguard towers when possible.
On Wednesday, during the most recent Cal Fire water rescue, Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said on X, formerly Twitter, that two women were swept out into the ocean by a rising tide at Yellow Bank Beach. One has since died and the second is in critical condition, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokesperson Ashley Keehn.
“Both of these patients, we believe, were originally sleeping right at the Keyhole,” Breton said, referencing an opening visitors use to access Yellow Bank Beach. “Which is an area that we’re finding catches people unaware [as] the tides come in.”
He said that about eight rescue swimmers helped and they were able to get both of the women out, one to Yellow Bank Beach and the other to Panther Beach, from which they were transported to local hospitals.
Keehn told Lookout that the agency isn’t releasing the identities at this time.
Breton said first responders are noticing that beachgoers are going through the Keyhole to get to Yellow Bank Beach and are getting trapped there when the tides come in. Breton wants the public to understand that risk when visiting the beaches.
The Santa Cruz city and Central fire districts, as well as the sheriff’s office, assisted in the rescues.
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