Woman Rescued After Surviving Fall from Isla Vista Bluff

Santa Barbara County firefighters responded late Saturday night to 6761 Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista after receiving reports of a cliff fall.

Upon arriving at around 11:17 p.m., firefighters found that a woman had fallen approximately 10-15 feet onto a ledge, where she had become stuck, the fire department shared over social media. Three men who had attempted to save the woman from the beach below had also become trapped by the rising tide.

Firefighters were able to rappel down the cliff and rescue the woman and three men, and none were reported injured.

Isla Vista has seen 13 cliff-related deaths occur in the past 20 years and an even larger number of non-fatal falls over the years. This latest fall occurred just one day after County Supervisor Laura Capps came to Isla Vista to give a progress report on her eight-point I.V. bluff safety plan, which came in response to the fatal cliff fall of 19-year-old SBCC student Benjamin “Benny” Schurmer last September.

In response to Saturday’s cliff fall and rescue, Capps released the following statement:

“Late last night in Isla Vista, there was yet another bluff fall by an individual at a party on a balcony. Thanks to our first responders she recovered without injuries. We are learning more but clearly we already know the dangers of being near the bluffs of Isla Vista.”

Last November, the County Board of Supervisors voted on the first steps of Capps’s bluff safety plan, which would amend county codes to bring the minimum fence heights along the bluffs to at least six feet and incentivize private property owners to upgrade their fences along Del Playa by waiving any permitting fees. Capps noted that judging from photos of the incident, the property owner at 6761 Del Playa Drive does not appear to have raised or fortified their fence.

“Here’s an instance where a property owner had an opportunity to raise their fence height but didn’t,” Capps said.