SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) -- The Santa Cruz Wharf has reopened to the public following a deadly crash. Just before 10 a.m. Saturday, a van drove through the railing and over the edge of the wharf into Monterey Bay. Divers found the van after 10 minutes, submerged upside down on its roof in about 30 feet of water.
A dramatic scene unfolded at the Santa Cruz Wharf over the weekend when a vehicle went off the edge of the pier and into the water, sparking a frantic rescue effort that ended with authorities recovering a body and a dog. Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle break through the wooden railing at 9:44 a.m. Sunday. When firefighters arrived, they found the damaged section about two-thirds away from the start of the wharf.
"It's shaken us up to see the damage to the end of the wharf," said Tony Elliot, the city's director of parks and recreation. "The wharf is 111 years old, and we want to make sure it's here for another 100 plus years."