Roger
Photos by an edhat reader
Update by edhat staff
March 5, 2019
A body found at Hendry’s Beach on Sunday has been identified as a 43-year-old man from Montana.
Officials have released the identity of the man as Christopher Charles Petaja. He’s an attorney from Bozeman, reports Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
Roger the Scanner Guy reported the body was found around 2:15 p.m. on the rocks below the Douglas Family Preserve. Emergency resuscitation efforts were performed but were unsuccessful. It is unclear if the fall was accidental or intentional, but Santa Barbara Police state there is no evidence of foul play.
Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy
2:20 p.m., March 3, 2019
Report of a possible fall victim from the cliffs at the Douglas Family Preserve, possibly on the rocks below. Full Santa Barbara City Fire Response.
You can see the edge, you can avoid it. dogs/ people/ kids. dont play, or fool around near the edge of anything you dont want to fall off of. lets not blame the cliff
The cliffs are unstable–they’re slowing eroding away–and rain makes them more so. Doubt there’s a practical way to stabilize them, so it behooves us all not to get too close to the edge. I don’t know how to get that out to everyone, but for sure, we need to teach our kids.
The news reports I have read state that the man was walking up to the Douglas Family Preserve, yet the photo shows the observation point near the Boathouse restaurant. There is no access to the DFP from Hendry’s Beach.
I wish the news reports would clear this up.
@ 1:07 – I think that photo was showing how the Harbor Patrol truck got onto the beach, rather than showing that as the place of the incident.
Don’t know what you’ve been reading but everything is explained right here. The body was on the beach. The initial call sent responders to both the beach and to stand by with Truck 1 at Cliff and Mesa Ln. in case they were needed at DFP as they were unsure of the location at that time. The photo at the lookout is merely showing Harbor Patrol at the only beach access to go east where the body was located.
That’s a tent, they use yellow to cover bodies.
The wharf was fenced last year. Time to fence Douglas Family Preserve.
It should be fenced, people and dogs fall off, 1 death is too many… A chain link fence won’t obstruct the view but it will save lives. We do it at other parks,would be good to do it here too. Imagine someone falling off a cliff and landing on children playing below, adding to the body count and trauma!
so we should erect more fences because people and dogs aren’t paying attention when they are near the edge? how about…stay away from the edge? Keep your dogs on a leash too. Wilcox property isn’t a dog park no matter how much you want it to be. I’ve hiked and played in this area for 30 years. I too lost a friend on the bluffs. Things happen. People fall. Gravity happens. Sad but no point in erecting fences.
If we have to save every fool from her or his own incompetence the world is going to go faster down the road to ruin. It is one thing to put up public infrastructure to save others from such mal conduct. Safer highways, for example, protect me from bad drivers who will kill more than themselves. But really, where is the line between individual conduct and public obligation?
No fences at the Wilcox Property, (or DFP, if you prefer) please. If you are dumb enough to go to the edge of high sea cliffs, well, bad things can happen. I’m not calling the person who passed “dumb”, but come on, people! Keep your dogs on a leash if they are the kind that get too excited and chase things, and teach your children about the dangers of walking too close to a cliff’s edge. The rest of us adults, if we don’t know this already we should.
The wharf has 3′ rails. Same principle. They really should put rails or markers along the cliff edges in certain areas.
Lina24 – 3′ rails are not a “fence.”
Was this cut and paste photo cause formerly known as Wilcox property/ The DLP isn’t on the Hope Ranch side of “The Pit” which for newcomers is the nickname for Hendry’s Beach and according to the photos the EMR people are set up on the north end of beach break
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As for the people proposing walls and fences, are these the same people that put their dogs feces in the bag and then leave it on the trail for it to majically evaporate out of others plain view as they try to enjoy the outdoor space without seeing your personal trash everywhere
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I think that the wharf has rails/fencing that were installed recently. Douglass Preserve needs something like that. A deterrent, like the fencing on the #154 bridge. The man who died was a lawyer from Bozeman, Montana. I wonder if he came from a family of lawyers. If so, here comes a lawsuit.
Behm.Jason – yes, this happened at the Wilcox and we all know what “the Pit” is…. Not sure what this tragedy has to do with complaining about dog poop bags, but thanks for the input. Sheesh!