High waves destroyed a pier in Santa Cruz, California. Three people on board fell into the water and firefighters rushed to help them. According to local authorities, the pier had been damaged for a long time and renovation works were being carried out in the area.
The incident occurred on Monday around 1 p.m. local time. Under the influence of high waves, a fragment of a wooden pier in the city of Santa Cruz collapsed into the Pacific Ocean.
It's dangerous until Christmas Eve
According to the city authorities, three people were on the pier at the time of the incident – engineers employed in the renovation of the facility. People fell into the water. One person managed to get ashore on his own, and two were taken to the shore by firefighters. All of them were taken to hospital for observation, but they did not suffer serious injuries.
The Santa Cruz Municipal Pier was built in 1914 and is 836 meters long. The last 45 meters of it were destroyed in the incident – this part had been closed to visitors since January due to its poor technical condition, and renovation works were being carried out in the area. Apart from the pier, toilets and part of the restaurant building, as well as construction equipment, fell into the sea.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department said the entire pier and adjacent beaches will be closed until further notice. “Due to life-threatening weather conditions, please avoid all coastal areas. (…) Dangerous conditions will persist until noon on Tuesday, December 24,” added the guards.
New York Times, Santa Cruz Fire Dept.
Main photo source: Santa Cruz Fire Department@Facebook