UC Santa Cruz student identified as missing swimmer who jumped off California cliff

By Brooke Kinebrew

Click here for updates on this story

    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — UC Santa Cruz students who say they watched two swimmers jump off a cliff on West Cliff Drive Sunday afternoon are now leaving flowers less than 24 hours later, honoring the life of a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student, who never made it back to shore and is now missing.

“To pray for him and pray for his family and pray to the ocean,” student Elio Ellutzi said. “Part of this is also to let the family know that they’re not grieving alone. They have a community that is willing to support them.”

Witnesses say they watched two men jump off the cliff into the water. While one swimmer managed to return to the beach, the other struggled and ultimately drowned.

The water search and rescue operation began Sunday afternoon, close to 5 p.m., with Santa Cruz police and fire, the Coast Guard, state parks, harbor patrol and lifeguards arriving on the scene within minutes.

Despite their efforts, the search was called off later that night.

Crews used specialized search patterns where the victim was last seen, deploying multiple dive teams of five to six lifeguards and using drones to scan the water.

A local who was there says knowing ocean conditions and your own swimming ability is crucial.

“It’s always sad when you hear that, but I thought that the coordination was really good amongst the different departments,” said Richard Rodriguez, a surf instructor. “They really made a concerted effort. It looked like they were going to have a positive result and find the person. I watched for about an hour, and then we left. On a sunny day, like yesterday, they can look all quiet, and then every few minutes there can be a large surge of bigger waves, not just sneaker waves, but just rogue waves.”

Santa Cruz city officials say in 2024, there were 43 water rescue responses in areas with no lifeguards on duty.

A sign along West Cliff Drive warns that since 1965, 100 people have drowned along the coastal cliffs and beaches, noting that many of those deaths were preventable.

“Know how strong of a swimmer you are and know what the ocean is doing,” Marine Division Capt. Dave Bodine said. “Know before you go. Talk to locals. Talk to lifeguards. Talk to the fire department. We’re here to protect. We want you to enjoy and have a good time, and we will steer you in the correct direction so that you can do that.”

Authorities are urging people to stay on land, behind the rails, read and follow posted signs that advise, “Stay behind fences, stay away from cliff edges, and respect the ocean,” and know their swimming abilities.

The city is working to expand its ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign, which highlights water hazard conditions, by posting signs throughout the county at all beaches.

UC Santa Cruz gave the following statement to KSBW 8:

“We are heartbroken to learn about the tragic death of a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. We are in touch with the family and are providing support to others who are impacted. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing the student’s name.

“UC Santa Cruz has support resources available for those who have been impacted by this loss. Students in need of support can get assistance from Counseling and Psychological Services and from Slug Support. For faculty and staff, the Employee Assistance Program offers counseling and other support.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.