1 day Ago By Dave Pehling
The clean-up effort along the Santa Cruz coastline continued Friday, days after part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed due to pounding high surf as city officials try to assess what their plans might be to rebuild the collapsed section. The Santa Cruz Wharf collapse happened at around 12:45 p.m.
Monday afternoon, city officials confirmed. The section of the wharf that collapsed included the Dolphin restaurant and one of the public bathrooms on the wharf. Santa Cruz Fire officials said two people needed assistance being pulled from the water by life guards and a third person was able to get out of the surf on their own without help.
Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keely later confirmed the individuals who went into the water were city personnel who were assessing the integrity of the section of the pier that fell into the ocean. The Santa Cruz Wharf has been closed to the public since the collapse, as have many of the area beaches due to the dangers presented by debris in the water. Officials with the Santa Cruz Wharf posted on social media Friday morning that city workers would be active in the area by the river mouth of the San Lorenzo River as crews work to remove the wharf bathroom that washed ashore during Monday's storm.
The public was being asked to obey the beach closure and stay clear of the area. "This beach is closed for your safety," the post read. "The community's safety is our priority, and we need you to give city staff the space to clear this debris safely.
" Local officials are facing some tough questions about the future of the structure that draws upwards of two billion visitors each year. When asked about plans to rebuild the 150-foot section that broke off in Monday's storm during a press conference Friday, the city's mayor acknowledged that remains an open question given the growing risks posed by climate change. "We'd be irresponsible if we didn't ask the question what is the right thing to do here," said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keely.
"But to say we're simply going to put it back is I think frankly much more risky and irresponsible than having a very serious conversation." The end of the wharf had already been closed for repairs after sustaining damage during the potent bomb cyclone storm of January 2023 that caused extensive destruction in Santa Cruz, Capitola and other coastal towns. City officials did not offer a time frame for when the wharf may be re-opened, but did say the city is working with the 20 or so businesses that have been impacted by the ongoing closure.
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