A car drove through the railings of the Santa Cruz Wharf in California on Sunday morning and plunged into the ocean. The driver was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
First responders received calls about the incident around 9:44 a.m. Lifeguards stationed on the wharf responded within minutes and located the vehicle at the bottom of the ocean in 30 feet of water, upside down with the windows up. The driver was unconscious inside.
Marine Safety Captain David Bodine of the Santa Cruz Fire Department said rescue crews broke the car’s windows and extricated the victim 33 minutes after the crash. The driver was unresponsive and transported to the harbor, where lifesaving measures were performed.
Thirteen lifeguards and two Jet Skis were involved in the rescue. A large eight to 12-foot west swell and zero underwater visibility made conditions extremely difficult, Bodine said.
Authorities have not released the victim’s identity or a cause of death. It remains unclear whether the driver died from injuries sustained in the crash.
In a video posted to Instagram, a witness said the car was traveling at high speed when it went over the edge.
A dog was also found in the water at the time of the incident and was safely rescued, though it’s unclear how the animal was involved.
View this post on Instagram