The rescue happened near Yellow Bank, Bonny Doon and Panther beaches, where crews have seen repeated emergencies.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — One woman died and another remained in critical condition after a rising tide swept them into the ocean Wednesday near a rugged stretch of beach north of Santa Cruz, authorities said.
The rescue near Yellow Bank Beach, Bonny Doon Beach and Panther Beach became the latest emergency along a 1-mile section of coast that fire crews say has drawn repeated calls in the past month. Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit and local agencies said the women were pulled from the water by rescue swimmers and taken to hospitals. Officials had not released their names as of Saturday.
Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Capt. Kyle Breton said crews were sent Wednesday after a report of a person in the water. When first responders arrived, they found two people who needed rescue near a keyhole arch, a natural opening that connects beach areas and can be cut off by the tide. “Both of these patients, we believe, were originally sleeping right at the Keyhole,” Breton said. He said the spot has been catching people unaware as the water rises. Eight rescue swimmers helped bring the women out of the water.
One woman was moved by helicopter to Yellow Bank Beach at the top of the bluffs before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital, authorities said. The other was brought to Panther Beach, placed in a rescue basket and carried to an ambulance. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokesperson Ashley Keehn said one woman later died and the other was in critical condition. The sheriff’s office said the women’s identities were not being released at the time. Officials did not say how long they were in the water, where they were from or whether anyone else was with them.
The area where the rescue happened sits along a steep and rocky part of the North Coast, near beaches reached from Highway 1. The Keyhole has become a concern for emergency crews because people use it to reach Yellow Bank Beach and then can become trapped when the tide comes in. Breton said that pattern has been seen in recent calls. Cal Fire said Wednesday’s response was the fifth water rescue in the past month along the 1-mile stretch between Yellow Bank Beach and Bonny Doon Beach. A Cal Fire spokesperson described that number as much higher than normal for the area.
The rescue came during a period of hazardous ocean conditions along the Central Coast. The National Weather Service had warned of sneaker waves and strong rip currents tied to a long-period southerly swell. City and county agencies also were coordinating beach safety outreach as hot weather and large crowds were expected at local beaches. The weather service later kept alerts in place for Pacific Coast beaches, saying sneaker waves can sweep across the shoreline without warning and pull people into the sea from beaches, rocks and jetties. Officials also warned that high tides could flood low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways.
The same part of the county has seen other recent emergencies. In May, eight people were rescued after rising water trapped them in a cave at Panther State Beach. Last weekend, a man in his early 20s died after falling from a cliff at Bonny Doon Beach. Those incidents added urgency to warnings from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire, the National Weather Service and local fire agencies. Officials said the coastline can look calm before a larger wave or fast-moving tide changes conditions. The sheriff’s office said crews have responded to an increased number of water rescues over the past few weeks.
Investigators had not announced any criminal case connected to Wednesday’s incident. The sheriff’s office was handling information about the victims, while Cal Fire and partner agencies reviewed the rescue response. No hearing, charging decision or formal investigative report had been announced by Saturday. The next public updates were expected from the sheriff’s office if the woman who died is identified or if the condition of the surviving woman changes. Weather and public safety agencies also continued to track surf, tides and coastal flooding risks through the weekend and into the following week.
The rescue drew a large multiagency response on a beach where access is difficult and the surf can shift quickly. Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire, state lifeguard rescue swimmers, Santa Cruz city rescue swimmers and helicopter crews were involved, according to officials. Video and photos from the response showed rescuers working near the waterline and a helicopter lifting one patient from the beach area to the bluff. Breton said crews were seeing a repeated problem with beachgoers passing through the Keyhole and not realizing how quickly the route can close when the tide rises.
The surviving woman remained in critical condition as officials continued to withhold both women’s names. Hazardous surf alerts and coastal flooding advisories remained a focus for local agencies through the weekend, with the next major updates expected from weather officials and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.