Three people dropped into the ocean Monday when a California wharf partially collapsed.
Officials said the people had minor injuries after the incident at 12:45 p.m. PT at the Santa Cruz Wharf. Two people were rescued from the water, while a third made it out of the ocean on their own, a Santa Cruz official said Monday afternoon.
Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey said the wharf collapsed as the area was experiencing major storm swells.
The unaffected parts of the wharf were evacuated, Oatey said.
About 150 feet of the pier had been closed to the public because of damage from previous storms, officials said.
One of the people who fell into the water was a project manager on the wharf construction project, while two contractors also fell into the ocean, officials said.
They were hospitalized with minor injuries, officials said.
The National Weather Service Bay Area posted Monday afternoon on X that the weather in the area was “life-threatening,” with beach conditions that include “very high surf, rip currents, sneaker waves, and coastal flooding through Tuesday for ALL beaches along the Pacific Coast. Very rough seas, breaking waves to 60 feet, and extremely dangerous conditions.”
