High waves destroyed a pier in Santa Cruz, California. Three people who were on the boat fell into the water, and firefighters rushed to help them. According to local authorities, the old building has been damaged for a long time and renovation work is underway in the area.
The incident happened on Monday around 13:00 local time. Under the influence of high waves, a piece of a wooden pier in the city of Santa Cruz fell into the Pacific Ocean.
It is dangerous until Christmas Eve
According to city officials, three people – engineers working on the repair of the structure – were on the pier at the time of the incident. People fell into the water. One person was able to get ashore by himself and two people were taken ashore by firefighters. All of them were taken to the hospital for observation, but were not seriously injured.
The municipal pier of Santa Cruz was built in 1914 and is 836 meters long. In this incident, the last 45 meters of it were destroyed – this part has been closed to visitors since January due to poor technical conditions, and renovation works are ongoing in this area. In addition to the pier, toilets and a part of the restaurant building and construction equipment fell into the sea.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department said all nearby piers and beaches will be closed until further notice. “Due to life-threatening weather conditions, please avoid all coastal areas. (…) The dangerous situation will continue until the afternoon of Tuesday, December 24,” the watchmen added.
New York Times, Santa Cruz Fire Department.
Featured Photo: Santa Cruz Fire Department @ Facebook
