On Thursday at 12:50 a.m., authorities responded to a report of a vehicle that drove off a cliff on West Cliff Drive near Steamer Lane.
At the scene, fire crews and Santa Cruz police found one victim that had gotten themselves out from the vehicle and there were reports of another still in the car. Four rescue swimmers entered the ocean and were able to get the second victim from the submerged vehicle. Police used a drone for the rescue search, and the swimmers confirmed there were no additional victims in the car.
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The authorities said the first victim, who was able to exit the vehicle, suffered minor injuries. The second victim pulled from the submerged car was transported to a nearby medical facility and succumbed to their injuries there. That person's name was not immediately released.
The case remains under investigation as police work to determine the circumstances and cause of the crash.