June 4, 2003
SANTA CRUZ — Lifeguards on Tuesday rescued a San Jose couple near
Lighthouse Point after the woman slipped off the cliff and her
boyfriend dove in to save her.
The unidentified couple, in their mid-20s, were walking on the rocky
cliffs between Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse and Its Beach about
1:45 p.m. when the woman slipped, falling near the entrance of a 60-
foot-deep cave that extends under the point, said Santa Cruz
lifeguards chief John Alexiou.
It's unclear how far the woman fell. The woman's boyfriend then
jumped in to save her.
The tide was rising at the time, with 3- to 5-foot surf. The couple
landed on a ledge in the back of the cave.
"If the surf had been a little bit bigger, the outcome could have
been tragic," Alexiou said.
The guards used a personal water craft to maneuver into place for
the rescue, then pulled the couple to safety. They were in the water
for an estimated 30 minutes.
The couple had climbed beyond a fence and warning signs, Alexiou
said, calling the accident "completely preventable."
A Santa Cruz harbor patrol boat took them to the Municipal Wharf,
where they refused medical treatment, Senior Deputy Harbormaster Don
Kinnamon said.
"They were very thankful, very shocked, very wet and very cold," he
said. "They were also lucky they didn't drown.
Alexiou said the so-called "waverunner" proved ideal for the tricky
rescue.
Honda leases two of them to the city for $1 per year and local
nonprofits raised about $8,000 for related equipment, including
the "sled," or large body board, hitched to the back.
Alexiou said the cave was declared geologically unsafe last year and
may at some point necessitate relocation of the lighthouse.
Alexiou, city lifeguards Danny Cortazzo and Jon Bailiff and state
parks supervising lifeguard Alex Peabody took part in the rescue.
They were aided by Santa Cruz police, firefighters and the harbor
patrol.
Alexiou said lifeguards regularly train in that cave and others
along West Cliff Drive.
Such rescues can happen any time of the year, he said, with the
dangerous combination of unexpectedly large waves, rising tides and
slippery rocks.
"We're always warning people to stay a safe distance from the
cliff," Kinnamon said.
A number of groups contributed to the rescue equipment purchase,
including Santa Cruz Woodies on the Wharf, Friends of Parks and
Recreation, the Santa Cruz Surf Lifesaving Association, West Marine
and Santa Cruz Masters Swimming.
Contact Cathy Redfern at credfern@santa-cruz.com.