Woman Attempts Suicide at Arroyo Burro Beach

A suicidal woman threw herself from the cliffs above Arroyo Burro Beach just after noon on Monday and, despite tumbling nearly 100 feet down to the surfline below, escaped with relatively minor injuries.

But according to Santa Barbara City Fire spokesperson Gary Pitney, when emergency crews arrived on the scene and attempted to help the woman as she lay on the beach, she jumped up and ran into the ocean. A Harbor Patrol diver was eventually able to coax her out of the water, and she was transported to Cottage Hospital for evaluation, Pitney said.

The woman, estimated to be in her late thirties or early forties, was standing with her boyfriend on the cliff when “she got suicidal,” the boyfriend told authorities. He was able to slide down the relatively gradual cliff face to reach her before City Fire personnel arrived.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident, Pitney said.