1 escapes, 1 dies after car plummets into the ocean in Santa Cruz
One person died and another was injured after a car drove off a cliff and into the ocean along a scenic Santa Cruz road early Thursday morning.
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Emergency crews were called just before 1 a.m. on Thursday for a report of a car that drove off a cliff at West Cliff Drive near Steamers Lane, the Santa Cruz Fire Department said in a Facebook post. West Cliff Drive is a winding road along Santa Cruz’s rugged coastline, with steep cliffs and views of the Pacific Ocean.
When rescuers arrived on the scene, they found one person who had freed themselves from the car. However, another person was still in the vehicle, the fire department said.
Four swimmers entered the ocean to search for the person inside the car, while police used a drone to assist in the search. That person was eventually found and rescued from the submerged car.
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The person who had freed themselves from the car had minor injuries, while the other was taken to a local hospital, where they later died, the fire department said.
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Authorities are still investigating what caused the car to plunge off the cliff.
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