Mayor, while stressing the value of the wharf in the community, says rebuilding without serious discussions would be “irresponsible.”

The clean-up effort along the Santa Cruz coastline continued Friday, days after part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed due to pounding high surf as city officials try to assess what their plans might be to rebuild the collapsed section.

Amid another high surf advisory, Santa Cruz city leaders Friday morning provided an update on the future of the damaged Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.

Days after the partial collapse of the Santa Cruz Wharf, the lifeguards behind the rescues are speaking about the moments they sprang into action.

A part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed Monday afternoon during a high-surf warning, with authorities confirming two people had to be pulled from the water.

Strong storms have repeatedly pounded Santa Cruz in recent years, most notably collapsing a chunk of its wharf this week. Is it just bad luck that has left the coastal city vulnerable to dangerous surf?

A bench memorializing David at the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf was swept away when high swells caused the end of the pier to collapse. "For us, it means everything," his mother Roberta Rodriguez said.

A witness, just 20 yards away, recounted the moments when several massive waves slammed into the pilings of the Santa Cruz Wharf, sending the end of the wharf and three people into the ocean.