Quick Take
“We are heartbroken to learn about the tragic death of a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student,” the school said in a statement.
A swimmer who went missing Sunday after jumping off a cliff near Steamer Lane was an undergraduate student at UC Santa Cruz, the school confirmed Tuesday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it had suspended its search for the missing swimmer, who disappeared when two people struggled to get back to shore late Sunday afternoon.
“We are heartbroken to learn about the tragic death of a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student,” the school said in a statement sent to Lookout by UCSC spokesperson Scott Hernandez-Jason. “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. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing the student’s name.”
A Santa Cruz Fire Department incident report said that a water rescue call came in at around 4:45 p.m., which prompted a response from the fire department, lifeguards, California State Parks personnel, harbor patrol, Santa Cruz police and the Coast Guard. Witnesses on the scene said that one person was able to successfully get out of the water, while the other possibly submerged.
Once units arrived on scene, the agencies began searching for the missing victim. Scotts Valley and Central Fire units provided assistance, as did off-duty lifeguards. Despite over an hour of searching with the many units on scene and drone operations, the shore-based resources concluded their search, but Coast Guard units stayed on scene to continue searching with both aircraft and a boat.
The second swimmer remains missing. Neither the city nor the Coast Guard would disclose any information about the identities of the two swimmers.
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