Quick Take
The search operation for a man who jumped into the ocean near Wilder Ranch State Park while on a hike late Tuesday morning had shifted from rescue to recovery as of afternoon as air and water resources had yet to locate him, according to a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
Several first responder agencies were searching Tuesday afternoon for a man who jumped into the ocean near Wilder Ranch State Park earlier in the day. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said the search mission has turned to “more of a recovery mission,” as there was belief that he might have died. She added that, based on “multiple witness statements,” it is believed that he intentionally jumped.
Sheriff’s office deputies and fire personnel responded to reports that a person hiking with a group at Wilder Ranch had jumped off the cliff into the ocean. When first responders arrived, witnesses told them that the man had tried to swim back to shore, but the currents and waves prevented him from doing so.
The following search included Cal Fire, Santa Cruz city and county fire agencies, State Parks, Harbor Patrol, Central Fire and the Coast Guard. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the man was still not located, said Keehn. The sheriff’s office has not yet released the man’s identity.
The missing man was a client of Santa Cruz Residential Recovery, a sober living environment program in the city, according to witness Henry Lopez, who is also a client in the program. He said that the man eventually got to an area where he could stand up, but was swept away again shortly after.
“He just kept getting smashed against the waves, it was really sad to see him try to fight the waves,” he said. “He didn’t have enough strength to even try to swim around, the waves were twice his size.”
The search was ongoing as of late Tuesday afternoon.
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