Santa Barbara County authorities recovered the body of a man who was reportedly swept off a flooded roadway in Goleta Valley on Saturday.
The man was driving near the 1100 block of North San Marcos Road shortly before noon when his vehicle reportedly became stuck on a flooded part of the road that passes over Maria Ygnacio Creek, according to Captain Mike Gray with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The man then exited his vehicle, Gray said, and he was subsequently washed away into the creek, which had overtaken the road during Saturday’s storm.
Family members called 9-1-1 to report that the man had been swept into the creek, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, prompting a multi-agency search-and-rescue response. Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, County Air Support, and Ventura County Air Support all responded to the incident. A total of eight fire engines and two helicopters took part in the rescue effort, according to Gray, who noted that personnel were stationed from the point of entry down to where the creek empties into the Pacific.
“Despite an extensive and coordinated search effort under hazardous conditions,” the Sheriff’s Office said, the man was found at approximately 1:50 p.m. deceased in the creek near the intersection of San Marcos Road and Via Parva, just downstream of where he had been swept away.
The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of his kin.
“With heavy rain continuing across the region, the Sheriff’s Office urges the public to stay clear of creeks, rivers, drainage channels, and other waterways,” the sheriff’s press release cautioned. “Water levels can rise rapidly and currents may be stronger than they appear. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads or walk near swollen creeks. If you encounter a flooded roadway or hazardous water conditions, turn around — don’t drown.”
While no other injuries or missing persons were reported in relation to this incident, Captain Gray noted that at least two other storm-related rescues were conducted on Saturday. Those included a non-injury incident involving a stranded vehicle on Highway 101 near Winchester Canyon Road and the successful rescue of three people from a river in Lompoc, two of whom were transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
