Man Dies in Santa Cruz County During Dangerous Surf – NBC Bay Area

A major storm that hit California’s central coast on Monday was blamed for fatally trapping a man under debris on a beach.

In Watsonville along the Monterey Bay, first responders were called to Sunset State Beach, a state park, around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a man trapped under debris. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office believes a large wave crushed him there. The man was pronounced dead at a hospital. Other details were not immediately available and his name has not been released.

The storm’s high surf also likely pulled another man into the Pacific Ocean around noon Monday at Marina State Beach, nearly 13 miles south of Watsonville, authorities said. Strong currents and high waves forced searchers to abandon their efforts about two hours later as conditions worsened. The man remained missing on Monday evening.

In Santa Cruz, the municipal wharf under construction partially collapsed and fell into the sea around 12.45 and took three people with him. Two people were rescued by lifeguards and a third swam to safety. No one was seriously injured.