SANTA CRUZ A surfer, knocked unconscious at The Hook surf spot on Santa Cruz’s East Side by the heavy wave action and strong tide earlier this month, has died according to local authorities. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner Unit spokesperson Zach West told the Sentinel Thursday that 19-year-old Nathaniel John Ramirez of Morgan Hill was pronounced dead at about 1: 20 a. m. at a local hospital Nov. 7, nearly two days after he was pulled from the choppy coastal waters by a rescue team. West said that Ramirez’s cause of death was not yet available, as an official determination will not be released until after the medical examiner has completed their investigation, which could take three to four months. Ramirez was one of two surfers that paddled out at the well-known surf spot Nov. 5 as a powerful storm passed through the region, bringing with it heavy rainfall and a pounding swell. First responders told the Sentinel at the time that rescue paddlers launched themselves into the water after observing that one surfer had made it to safety beyond the breaking waves while the other, Ramirez, was caught in the line of whitewash. As the rescue paddlers rushed to him, Ramirez disappeared from view and was eventually discovered unconscious with trauma to his head. He was extracted from the water, CPR was applied and he was quickly transported to Dignity Health Dominican Hospital. An official with the Central Fire District told the Sentinel that Ramirez never regained consciousness during that rescue process. The other surfer managed to paddle back to shore safely and exit the water. According to an online obituary, Ramirez was raised in Morgan Hill and graduated from Live Oak High School last year. He was described as a determined, hardworking, caring, supportive person and loyal friend who was sometimes shy, but could also easily make those around him smile and laugh with his humor. “There were so many layers to him,” reads the obituary. A lover of adventure and the outdoors, Ramirez also spent his time fishing, camping and hiking with friends and always took time to snap a photo of a sunrise or sunset. Ramirez is survived by his mother, Tricia Garcia, and his brother, Christian Nunez. “Nathaniel ‘Nate’ you will be missed beyond measure. We will see you in every sunrise and every sunset,” reads the obituary. News of Ramirez’s death comes as another storms sweeps through Santa Cruz County and brings with it more dangerous coastal conditions. The National Weather Service included the county within a beach hazards statement that begins at 4 p. m. Thursday and will continue through 10 p. m. Monday. The weather service cautioned that breaking waves could reach heights of 13-18 feet and the public should keep an eye out for sneaker waves and rip currents. The weather service recommended that the public stay off of waterside infrastructure and remain out of the water to avoid the hazardous conditions.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/11/20/surfer-knocked-unconscious-at-the-hook-dies-at-19-years-old/
Surfer knocked unconscious at The Hook dies at 19 years old
