Make California Post a Preferred Source A surfer stranded on rocks after losing his board was among three people rescued off the Santa Cruz County coast Saturday as powerful waves battered the shoreline, officials said.
The man had managed to scramble after his board leash snapped, leaving him struggling to get out of the water.
An aquatic rescue team member arrived on a jet ski to help bring him to safety, but the operation took a dangerous turn when a large wave struck the watercraft and overturned it.
The rescuer managed to flip it upright, get the surfer aboard and transport him to another location where he could safely get out of the ocean, Central Fire Chief Nigel Miller told NBC4.
Miller said the area’s beaches typically attract experienced surfers who know how to navigate challenging ocean conditions. But the combination of pleasant weather and massive waves appeared to draw people with a wider range of surfing abilities into the water.
Despite the dangerous surf, Miller said the coastline had avoided major structural damage. No homes or foundations had been lost, and the wharves around Santa Cruz remained standing.
This comes as a frightening crack ripped open along a coastal bluff Saturday beneath one of California’s ritziest resorts, raising fears that incoming storms could send the cliff crashing onto a popular beachside trail.
The fissure which sits directly below The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, looming over the heavily trafficked Salt Creek Point trail is used daily by hundreds of beachgoers, walkers and surfers.
Local videographer Craig Whetter of Breaking Even TV captured footage of the fracture in mid-November, revealing a prominent split in the bluff overlooking Salt Creek Beach.
“There is a new crack in town, ladies and gentlemen, and it lives right above that Salt Creek Point trail,” Whetter said in the video. “It’s right above a very, very popular walkway that people use all day… it’s putting a lot of people in danger.”Now, approaching atmospheric rivers, heavy rain and powerful surf have locals and surfers worried about a potentially dangerous collapse.Rainwater seeping into the crack could saturate the soil and add weight to the bluff, while pounding waves threaten to eat away at the sand supporting its base.
The trail beneath provides access to popular surf breaks known as the Point, Middles and Gravels.
Officials have not confirmed a geological assessment determining the fracture’s depth or whether the luxury resort above faces an immediate structural threat.
The alarming discovery comes as Orange County grapples with another major coastal erosion emergency.
In October, a roughly 360-foot-long, 2-foot-wide fissure opened beneath Pacific Coast Highway near El Morro at Crystal Cove State Park.
The damage forced southbound lane closures and triggered a $4 million emergency stabilization project, with crews deploying giant sandbags and tarps to shield historic beach cottages below.
Long Beach also suffered significant property damage in October as powerful waves and high surf, fueled by major Pacific storms and the effects of Tropical Storm Rachel, battered the Long Beach Peninsula.
The National Weather Service’s forecast first called for rain and gusty winds moving into Orange County on Friday, with more coastal punishment potentially on the way.
Forecasters also warned of King Tides from Nov. 22 through Nov. 27, bringing unusually high water levels that could further erode the base of already vulnerable coastal bluffs.
