SANTA CRUZ — An unconscious surfer was pulled from the water Wednesday morning near The Hook surf break on Santa Cruz’s Eastside as a storm blanketed Santa Cruz County with rain, high winds, large waves and powerful tidal conditions.

Central Fire District Division Chief Patrick Winters said first responders rushed to the well-known surf spot around 9:03 a.m. after receiving reports of two surfers — both men in their early 20s — in distress as a result of the high tide and relentless swell. Upon arrival, rescue crews discovered that one of the surfers had made it past the line of breaking waves and appeared safe while the other was caught in the tumult. No other surfers were in the water, said Winters.

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Several rescue swimmers entered the ocean but as they paddled out, the surfer eventually disappeared from view behind the cresting waves as he was pulled further down the coast toward Privates surf spot and Capitola. The rescue personnel first located the surfer’s board, which had broken after crashing up against rocks on the shoreline, and then found the victim soon after. He was unconscious and submerged beneath the waves with trauma to his head, according to Winters.

The victim was extracted from the water using a rescue watercraft — similar to a Jet Ski — and CPR was initiated and continued as he was moved to the Santa Cruz Harbor with assistance from American Medical Response and Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol. Once he was brought ashore, the surfer was transferred to paramedics who rushed him to Dignity Health Dominican Hospital. Winters said the man remained unconscious all throughout this process, but was unaware of the victim’s current condition.

The other surfer was able to safely paddle back to shore and exit the water using the staircase at The Hook.

“We don’t advise entry in the water in conditions that are unfavorable and pose threats,” said Winters. “Individuals should be aware of the conditions, be aware of the potential change in the conditions and stay out of the water when significant high tides and swells are present.”

The Santa Cruz coastline was included within a coastal hazard statement issued by the National Weather Service at 7 a.m. Saturday that lasted through 3 a.m. Tuesday. Santa Cruz is currently included in a beach hazards statement from the weather service that will last from Wednesday night through Thursday evening.

“For the Beach Hazards Statement, a long period westerly swell will result in an increased risk for sneaker waves, rip currents, and breaking waves of 14 to 19 feet with the highest waves up to 22 feet in favored locations,” the weather service wrote in its notice.

The weather service also included Santa Cruz within a coastal flood advisory that began at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will last through 2 p.m. Saturday.

Other agencies involved in the rescue effort included California State Parks and the Santa Cruz Fire Department.

Strong wind gusts

The storm this week brought with it a few bursts of rainfall that began Tuesday and continued through Wednesday, creating slippery road conditions and slowdowns across the county. But as anticipated, it was the wind gusts that stood out.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brayden Murdock said Ben Lomond experienced gusts as high as 39 mph Wednesday, while a peak near Los Gatos registered a gust at 61 mph.

“That was our main concern going into this,” said Murdock. “We kind of knew rain, especially south of the San Francisco Bay, wasn’t going to be as strong or that much of a hazard.”

According to Pacific Gas and Electric’s outage map as of the Sentinel’s print deadline Wednesday afternoon, there were four outages impacting 94 customers throughout Santa Cruz County. An outage Wednesday morning left more than 6,000 customers in Pajaro Valley without power.

Murdock said rainfall concentrations spread out more evenly across the county than originally anticipated, leading to relatively moderate totals throughout the region as opposed to torrential downpours.

“We saw some nuisance flooding out there, but we never saw a whole lot of rainfall in one single spot at a time,” Murdock said.

Still, precipitation levels were enough to cause some problems. Cal Fire’s CZU Unit reported Wednesday that as rain began to fall Tuesday night, its crew members were called around 8 p.m. to the scene of a single vehicle incident where a car rolled about 50 feet down an embankment near Bear Creek Road and Sunset Ridge Road deep in the San Lorenzo Valley. Firefighters managed to climb down to the car, buried in branches and brush, and safely walk the driver up back up the embankment where they were treated for minor injuries.

Volunteer firefighters with the Santa Cruz County Company 36 Loma Prieta Unit were first at the scene and later met by several additional engines. Cal Fire reminded local drivers braving wet roadways to slow down, increase following distances, turn headlights on, check tires and wipers, avoid cruise control and be patient to avoid sudden braking or sharp turns.

According to the county-maintained roadway advisory website as of print deadline Wednesday, the storm had not forced any road closures.

The storm also arrived during the annual king tides period, where coastal waters reach their highest and lowest points and attract flocks of visitors eager for a close-up view of tide pools. However, community members should keep alert, Murdock cautioned, as high swells will roll through Thursday, increasing the likelihood of sneaker waves.

“Because of the elevated waves, there’s still a good amount of wave run-up even during the low tide,” said Murdock.

Spotty rain showers were expected to persist through Wednesday, with sunshine returning as soon as Thursday and lasting through the weekend.

RAINFALL TOTALS

Soquel: 1.02 inches.

Ben Lomond: 1.57 inches.

Boulder Creek: 1.35 inches.