Dangerous Tide in Santa Barbara County Leads to Ocean Rescues, One Death

One Surfer Reported Dead Near Mesa Wednesday, Four Surfers Rescued in Isla Vista Thursday

Credit: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Fire

Strong currents and big waves pelted Santa Barbara shores in the days following Christmas, leading to a high surf advisory along county coastlines and several dangerous situations, including one death, in the waters off the Central Coast.

On Wednesday shortly after noon, a surfer was found dead off the coast near Mesa Lane after another surfer found a board caught in the kelp bed offshore, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. Details regarding the death have not been released.

The county issued a “high surf advisory alert” for the entire Santa Barbara County coastline on Thursday, which went into effect at 4 a.m. on Thursday and lasts through 10 p.m. Saturday night. Emergency personnel recommended that people avoid water in advisory areas, keep a distance from the shoreline, and follow all local authority warnings until the advisory is lifted.

Credit: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Fire

Powerful waves and high tides pounded the breakwater at the Santa Barbara Harbor on Thursday, flooding several parking lots and forcing a tidal overflow along the storefronts nearby. The breakwater was closed to pedestrians during the surge.

Around 10:30 Thursday morning, Santa Barbara County Fire responded to an emergency ocean rescue call in Isla Vista near Del Playa, where four male surfers were reported in distress. By the time emergency crews arrived, one of the surfers had swam to safety while the others were rescued and transported to the hospital. County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck said that the surfers were uninjured but “suffering from exhaustion due to high surf.”

A few hours later, shortly before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, County Fire was called out to Hollister Ranch for another ocean rescue. According to Safechuck, two riders aboard a jet ski were in distress. When rescue crews arrived, the passengers had safely made their way to the shore without incident. While at the scene, emergency personnel also discovered an 18-foot boat with three passengers capsized near the shore. All three were rescued and brought to shore without injuries.

The high surf advisory will be in place in Santa Barbara through Saturday, and residents are encouraged to stay out of the water until then. According to the National Weather Service, the city could see a “major ocean swell event” from December 28 through the end of the year, bringing high tides between 7 and 11 a.m. every morning.

During this time, residents can expect “dangerous surf with 10- to 20-foot waves, life-threatening rip currents, and coastal flooding,” according to the advisory message.

The Harbor West Parking Lot, Leadbetter Parking Lot, Stearns Wharf, and the Breakwater will likely be closed during high tide while the advisory is in effect, and local beaches are subjected to risk of beach erosion and “potential significant seawater flooding.”