Three city workers were rescued from the ocean after part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed on Monday, Dec. 23.
Severe weather had already led to flooding, road closures, and evacuations across the coastal region before a section of the municipal wharf plunged into the Pacific Ocean around 12:45 p.m. local time.
Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley stated that the collapse was caused by “very strong waves crashing into it,” according to ABC News.
"We believe that everyone who fell into the water is now accounted for and safe," he added.
No one was seriously injured, as lifeguards managed to help two people out of the water, while a third swam to safety.
According to the Associated Press, the three individuals were two engineers and a project manager who had been inspecting the end of the wharf.
Related: Person dies after getting trapped by debris at Santa Cruz County beach.
At the time of the collapse, no members of the public were on the wharf, as the structure is currently undergoing a $4 million renovation following severe storms last winter.
Tony Elliot, head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that approximately 150 feet of the end of the wharf fell into the water, according to the AP.
Among the debris carried down the coast and lodged at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River were public restrooms and the closed Dolphin restaurant.
“It’s a catastrophe for those at the end of the wharf,” David Johnston, who was allowed onto the pier to check on his business, told the AP.
Mayor Keeley warned that the wharf’s pilings present “serious, serious hazards” to boats, with each piling weighing hundreds of pounds and being pushed by powerful waves, the outlet reported.
related : Severe Storm Hits California's Central Coast, Partially Collapsing Pier
Evacuation Orders Issued for Areas of Santa Cruz County Amid High Surf Conditions
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