Quick Take
Firefighters rescued an unconscious man from the Aqua Breeze Motel by the Santa Cruz Boardwalk after a blaze broke out Sunday afternoon.
An unconscious disabled man remains in critical condition after he was rescue from a blaze that broke out in the room of a motel by the Santa Cruz Boardwalk on Sunday afternoon.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department said it got a call about a fire at the Aqua Breeze Motel on 2nd Street, next to the parking lot for the Boardwalk, around 1:48 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters found heavy smoke billowing from the first floor and motel guests rushing out of the building, screaming that someone was trapped inside.
Firefighters fed a hose into the burning room, Unit 121, to extinguish the fire and began searching for victims. Within seconds they spotted an unconscious man in the room who was carried out to waiting medical responders. The man was transported by ambulance to Dominican Hospital.
City spokesperson Katie Lee said the victim remained in critical but stable condition in hospital but could not provide additional information on the man’s age or identity. All other guests and employees of the motel were accounted for, the fire department said.
A team of 17 firefighters, including crews from Central Fire District and Scotts Valley Fire Department, brought the blaze under control within 23 minutes. The origin of the fire, which caused an estimated $14,000 in damages, remains under investigation, but did not appear to be suspicious, the fire department said.
Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your press releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.
