2 dead after flooding into sea in Santa Cruz – NBC Bay Area

According to the fire department, two people died in Santa Cruz on Tuesday after they were caught by a wave and washed into the sea.

The victims were washed away from some rocks along West Cliff Drive near David Way around 6:15 p.m., fire officials said.

Arriving rescue workers discovered the victims floating face down in the water, firefighters said. Lifeguards jumped into the sea and pulled the victims to a nearby boat, but rescue personnel were unable to resuscitate them.

“The Santa Cruz Fire Department and its partners would like to remind people to never turn their backs on the ocean and to pay attention to the tides,” the fire department said in a statement. “Certain southerly swells and rising tides can create sneaker waves that can catch unprepared citizens by surprise.”