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.

A portion of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed Monday and is floating away after being battered by life-threatening waves that could exceed 30 feet.

Three people were rescued from the wharf. The powerful surf also fatally trapped a man under debris on a beach in Santa Cruz, the authorities 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.

Three people fell into the water when more than a hundred feet of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, as the coastal city was pounded with dangerous high surf.

Here's why a retired supervisor of the Santa Cruz Wharf believes its collapse could have been prevented years ago.

While already on alert because of the high surf that hit the Monterey Bay coast Monday, Santa Cruz Lifeguards Lt. Isiah Mullen and Lt. Sam Hofmann, stationed on a Jet Ski in the water near Cowell

City officials in Santa Cruz say swindlers claiming to represent businesses on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf are soliciting donations following the structure's partial collapse.