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Coast Guard Halts Search for Reported Surfers off Santa Cruz as Separate Capsize Sends 6 to Hospital

Operations pause followed survivability modeling under a high-surf advisory.

Overview

  • Watch standers received reports around 6:30 p.m. Friday of two people yelling for help about 200 yards off Lighthouse Point.
  • Responding assets included a 47-foot lifeboat from Monterey, a Coast Guard helicopter from San Francisco, the cutter Alder around 1 a.m., and support from Santa Cruz Fire and the Civil Air Patrol.
  • Crews covered roughly 90 miles over about 10 to 10.5 hours in 54°F water and rough surf before suspending the search at about 8 a.m. Saturday.
  • Officials reported no missing-person filings or credible leads, and the Coast Guard said it would resume only if new information emerges.
  • In a separate late-morning incident near West Cliff Drive, lifeguards and firefighters rescued six people from a capsized boat and took them to a hospital, with some not wearing life jackets.