A deadly stretch of cliffs in Santa Barbara has claimed 14 lives in fall accidents over the last 30 years.
Since 1994, more than a dozen people have suffered tragic falls from the Isla Vista clifftops, where residential patios and public parks back right up to the cliff edge.
The most recent accident at the time of writing involved UCSB graduate Jacob Parker, who died in a fatal fall in 2024. Parker’s tragic fall was the latest in a string of deadly incidents over the years, prompting lawsuits and calls to improve safety measures along the cliffs.
Where Are the Dangerous Cliffs?
The dangerous cliffs are in the Isla Vista community, which runs along part of the Santa Barbara coast.
Isla Vista is bordered by El Colegio Road to the north and the ocean to the south. Traditionally, its east and west borders were Camino Majorca and Ocean Road. But the area occupies most of the space between Coal Oil Point and Campus Point Beach.
This area is right next to the University of California Santa Barbara campus, and the Isla Vista community is dominated by student housing. Officials say the area is crowded with students on weekends, and during school and alumni events. At night, the crowds intensify, as people pack into oceanside property parties.
Along the south edge of Isla Vista is a street called Del Playa Drive. The street has about 80 homes that back up to the clifftop overlooking the ocean. These homes are divided into the 6500, 6600, 6700, and 6800 blocks, according to the house/street numbers.
Many of these houses have patios and balconies offering spectacular waterfront views. Several public parks are also present along this street at the top of the cliffs. They include Sea Lookout Park, Walter Capps Park, Camino Pescadero Park, and Pelican Park.
Beyond the patios and public areas are sheer cliffs with a 50-foot drop to the beaches and water below. These cliffs have proven to be so dangerous in recent years.
Why Are the Isla Vista Cliffs Dangerous?
There are several key reasons why these cliffs are particularly dangerous and have seen so many accidents.
Erosion
The cliffs have been eroding at an accelerated rate in recent years. This is primarily caused by climate change and rising sea levels. This erosion has been weakening the edge of the cliffs and gradually moving the edge further inland. The edge of the cliff has moved inward over 30 feet over the last four decades, and is still losing inches every year. This can make the cliff edge less stable underfoot while compromising safety fencing.
Student Housing
Many of the homes on or near Del Playa Drive are rented by UCSB students, and many of the accidents involve students who were attending parties or walking alone in the dark near their homes.
Alcohol
Some of the cliff accident victims were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. That does not mean they were to blame for their accidents – other factors are also involved. But drugs and alcohol can make people less steady on their feet, compromise reflexes and reduce reaction times, and make it more likely for someone to make a bad decision or miss their footing.Sub-par Fencing
Most of the clifftop areas have fencing designed to prevent people from venturing into unsafe areas. But there have been times when the fencing has been ineffective. In some cases, it has been too low to prevent people from climbing or falling over, while other sections have not always been in good working order.Lighting
Even when someone is completely sober and alert, it is easy to miss-step in the dark. Some areas of the clifftop have not always had adequate lighting, making the area particularly dangerous for anyone walking close to the edge at night.Lack of Awareness
By now, most locals know just how dangerous these cliffs can be. But what about those who are visiting Santa Barbara or moving into the area while attending UCSB? Anyone who doesn’t know about the cliffs’ deadly history may be more likely to fall victim to their dangers.
These are just some of the most common causes of accidents involving the Isla Vista cliffs in recent years.
The Fall Death Victims
There were no fewer than 14 deaths due to Isla Vista cliff accidents between 1994 and 2024. These accidents only include the recorded fatalities. The number is far from the total of all accidents involving the cliffs.
1994: Brian Scott Miller
UCLA engineering student Brian Scott Miller, aged 21, died when he fell over a waist-high fence and fell 55 feet, hitting his head on rocks below.
Miller had been drinking all day with friends at an apartment in the cliffside Del Playa Drive neighborhood. At one point, he leaned over the fence surrounding the patio and overlooking the beach to vomit. But in doing so, he lost his balance and fell to his death.
1997: Andrew Litvinchuk
Teenager Andy Litvinchuk died in 1997 when he fell from a seaside cliff. The 19-year-old was last seen at a party in the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive. At some point, he fell from the clifftop, either at the party or nearby.
Litvinchuk was found the next morning when his body drifted to the shore several miles from his fall location. Coroners found water in his lungs, but determined that he died from the fall, rather than drowning.
2001: Clint McDonnell
Santa Barbara resident Clint McDonnell, aged 20, fell to his death at a Saturday-night party in March 2001. Witnesses said he was dancing and jumping near the patio railing before falling over the edge.
A Santa Barbara City College student, McDonnell lived on the same street as the party, in the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive, so he knew the cliff dangers well. He suffered a skull fracture in the fall, and his cause of death was recorded as saltwater drowning.
2001: Timothy Baptista
Timothy Baptista, aged 20, was at a party at 6507 Del Playa Drive when he fell 40 feet onto the rocks below. No one saw the fall, but someone at the party spotted the body lying below and called emergency services.
Isla Vista Foot Patrol deputies arrived at the scene within minutes and found the Santa Barbara City College student on an area of large rocks below the party residence. CPR was administered at the scene, and the victim was taken to the hospital with significant brain injuries. He was later taken off life support.
2003: Robert Caraval
Robert Caraval fell from the Del Playa Drive cliffs in June 2003. The 25-year-old former UCSB student was moving between gatherings at two different houses. He had climbed over the patio fence of one home and was crawling along the cliff edge outside of the fence when he fell.
Witnesses on the balcony above called 911, and emergency services arrived to administer CPR. But Caraval suffered a ruptured spleen in the fall and was pronounced dead at Cottage Hospital.
2005: Tyler VonRuden
A jogger found the body of 22-year-old Tyler VonRuden on the beach below Del Playa Drive in September 2005. No one saw the fall, but the SBCC student was believed to have died several hours earlier.
Investigators found footprints leading to the edge of the cliff and believe he stumbled over the edge. It is unclear whether alcohol was involved, but the fall was recorded as an accidental death.
2009: Noah Krom
Noah Krom, 22, was found dead after an apparent fall from an Isla Vista cliff edge in 2009. Krom, the son of congressional candidate and Irvine mayor Beth Krom, was discovered by early-morning walkers at the base of the cliff under the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive.
Noah was just one week away from graduating with a business degree from UC Santa Barbara. It was determined that he fell from the cliff while intoxicated as he attempted to take a shortcut home.
2012: David Propp
UCSB student David Propp fell from the Oceanside cliffs along Del Playa Drive in November 2012. The 21-year-old was living in Isla Vista at the time of his fatal fall.
There were no witnesses, and the exact cause of the accident is unknown. But Propp, a talented singer, was found on the beach with head injuries consistent with a fall.
2013: Giselle Ayala
Giselle Ayala, a teenage sociology freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was found dead on a Santa Barbara beach after a cliff fall. She had been with friends at an annual spring break party called Deltopia in 2013, before going missing. Her body was found at the waterline of Campus Point beach.
It is not known exactly how the accident unfolded, but the 18-year-old had alcohol and marijuana in her system at the time of her death. She sustained severe blunt force trauma injuries in her tragic fall from the Del Playa Drive bluffs.
2014: Sierra Markee-Winkler
Sierra Markee-Winkler, a popular UCSB student, fell from the Isla Vista cliffs and drowned in 2014. The 20-year-old had been partying with friends at a festival called Chilla Vista that day. Later that evening, after an argument with a roommate, she left her friends and was last reported to be at Sea Lookout Park, in the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive.
The victim’s body was found the next morning by a cyclist, lying about 12 feet from the base of the cliff. Some of her belongings were found up near the cliff edge. Sierra sustained a broken neck in her fall before drowning. Officials could not definitively rule out foul play or suicide, but it is believed that the fall was accidental.
2018: Alessandro Esquivel
20-year-old Alessandro Esquivel, a recent UC Santa Barbara student from Downey, was found dead near Camino Del Sur Beach in October 2018.
Like so many others, Esquivel was found near the surf line by an early-morning beach walker. It was determined that he had fallen from the Isla Vista cliffs, suffering catastrophic injuries. Investigating officers conducted a toxicology report but determined that it was an accident with no signs of foul play.
2022: Chasen Alibrando
UCSB alum Chasen Alibrando fell from the cliffs and died just a few days before his 26th birthday. He fell from the bluffs near the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive just before midnight on a Friday night.
Santa Barbara firefighters were the first emergency services at the scene. They tried to resuscitate Alibrando, but his injuries were too severe. Officials said the death appeared to be accidental.
2023: Benny Schurmer
Benjamin Schurmer, known to his family and friends as Benny, fell to his death at a Labor Day weekend party in 2023. He was at an apartment at 6743 Del Playa Drive, which has a balcony overlooking the ocean. Schurmer climbed over the four-foot balcony fence to urinate before falling in a tragic accident.
The 19-year-old, who was a Santa Barbara City College student, was a talented athlete and actor. His family spearheaded a campaign to improve safety following the fatal fall.
2024: Jacob Parker
UCSB graduate Jacob Parker fell to his death in 2024. In town for a reunion, the 23-year-old had climbed over a fence at 6625 Del Playa Drive to get around a large crowd of people gathered on the home’s patio overlooking the ocean. But Jacob tragically lost his footing before falling about 50 feet. Unlike many of the cliff accidents, this one happened in broad daylight at about 2.35 pm.
Jacob was rushed to the ER at Santa Barbara’s Cottage Hospital, but was pronounced dead later that day. A memorial fundraiser hit over $50,000 for the young man, whose family vowed to fight for justice and safety improvements.
Other Accidents
Those listed above are just the known fatalities linked to the Isla Vista cliffs. There have been plenty of other incidents resulting in injuries that have not made major headlines.
- A 34-year-old man from Montecito was severely injured after falling from one of the staircases linking the clifftop to the beach in 1997.
- UCSB economics major Jeffrey Cronin broke both of his legs and suffered a head injury when he fell in 2001.
- A 20-year-old UC Santa Cruz student, Nico Macias, tumbled over the cliff and broke his arm in 2003.
- Another person fell from the bluffs in 2004, but survived.
- In 2013, a balcony on Del Playa Drive collapsed, resulting in five people going to the hospital.
County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said the deaths in the area represent only a fraction of the total cliff falls.
While the 14 deaths deservedly receive the majority of news coverage, they are far from the only incidents that have resulted in significant harm. Even if a fall is not deadly, it can be life-changing.
Legal Action Over Cliff Fall Accidents
An experienced legal team can assess any accident involving severe injuries or the untimely death of the victim to see if it qualifies for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Following the death of Jacob Parker in 2024, the victim’s family decided to take legal action against Santa Barbara County and The Meridian Group, the property management company that is responsible for the property.
Jacob’s parents said the local authority had been slow in implementing safety regulations agreed upon after the previous accident in 2023. They also criticized “inadequate” fencing at the back of the waterfront properties, calling it a clear danger that had been ignored.
The family pushed for a criminal charge of involuntary manslaughter, as well as a civil case for financial compensation.
Jacob’s father, George Parker, told Fox News Digital: “I’m Heartbroken. I’m crushed. I’m at the point where this is now my work. Not just getting enforcement, but I really want to push for criminal charges.
“I don’t just want money. I want people in jail.”
No criminal charges were filed in the case, and the property management company did not make a public comment on the lawsuit.
Who is Liable?
As seen in some of the Isla Vista accidents, there are plenty of potential contributing causes for a fall accident. An attorney can step in if the accident was caused, at least in part, by some element of negligence.
The potentially liable party will depend on exactly where the accident happened.
- Private Home: Some of the Isla Vista cliff deaths have involved victims climbing or falling over patio fencing at private homes on Del Playa Drive. In some cases, the homeowner might be liable for any accident. For example, if their fence did not meet regulations or was not in good working order, they could be held responsible. However, a homeowner’s responsibility only goes so far. They are not likely to be liable if their fence was secure and of an appropriate height, and the victim still climbed over it.
- Public Park: There are several public spaces along Del Playa Drive. In most cases, a public area will be maintained and controlled by the local authority, such as a city or county council. A lawsuit against a government entity might be successful if the area was not properly maintained, or there were insufficient warnings of the dangers in place. It should be noted that claims against the government must be made within six months of the accident date, which is a much shorter window than a standard personal injury claim statute of limitations.
Contributory Negligence
Contributory negligence is when the injured victim is at least partially responsible for their own injuries. This is the case in some of the Isla Vista cliff fall incidents. When a person is intoxicated, or climbs over a safety fence, or tries to take a shortcut across an unsafe area, they may be found to have contributed to the accident through negligence.
However, that does not necessarily mean there is no legal case. More than one party can be liable in a single accident. The best thing to do if you have been injured, or if you have lost a loved one in an accident, is to contact an attorney.
Please get in touch with our experienced team at Bisnar Chase for help and to find out if you have a case. We always provide an initial consultation completely free of charge.
Moves to Improve Safety
Significant moves have been made over the years to improve safety at the Del Playa Drive cliffs. Many of those moves have come in response to the fatal accidents.
Raising Fence Heights and Requirements
In the not-too-distant past, no fencing was required along the clifftop, either in public or private areas. But urgent changes have been made over the years to enforce better fencing in response to the tragedies.
A county ordinance was passed in 2001 and implemented in 2002 after the deaths of Clint McDonnell and Timothy Baptista. Previously, fences were not required at ground level on ocean-side properties. The ordinance enforced fencing of at least three feet in height on all patios and balconies, ensuring that all waterfront properties are fully fenced off.
Fencing was also added to all open fields and parks after Noah Krom’s death in 2009. Due to continued coastal erosion, many areas of fencing have been pushed back several times after coming too close to the edge and losing stability.
More recently, a new enforcement plan has been launched to boost the height and effectiveness of the fencing again, along with several other ideas.
The Eight-Point Plan
The death of Benny Schurmer in 2023 kick-started a renewed effort to boost safety efforts. In the weeks after the incident, Benny’s friends and family joined forces with the families of past victims, as well as community organizations and government officials.
They launched a petition outlining proposed safety improvements. More than 11,000 people quickly signed that petition to add their support.
In response, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved an Eight-Point Isla Vista Bluff Safety Plan. The key action points included:
1. Fence Heights:
A new mandatory fence height for all public and private areas for a minimum of six feet was approved. The planning department agreed to waive permitting fees for homeowners to streamline the process.
2. Lighting:
It was agreed that new lighting options, including the potential for motion sensor lighting, would be reviewed for better visibility at night.
3. Warning Signs:
The county agreed to illuminate existing warning signs and add extra safety signage near the cliff edge.
4. Public Restrooms
The county wants permanent bathrooms to replace a small number of portable toilets in the area to prevent people from venturing to the cliff edge to relieve themselves.
5. Planted Barriers
In particularly unsafe areas, the county plans to plant shrubbery to make it harder for people to get to the dangerous cliff edge.
6. Education
It has been acknowledged that student parties fueled by drugs and alcohol have played a role in some of the cliff accidents. Extra educational outreach is planned to warn incoming students of the dangers associated with the clifftop areas.
7. Memorial
The UCSB Associated Students, Santa Barbara City College, and the Isla Vista Community Services District will collaborate to establish a memorial to those lost.
8. Law Enforcement
While the police presence in the area will not increase, officers will have more powers to end unsafe activities.
Several mothers of victims joined the announcement of the safety plan. Ana Esquivel, mother of victim Alessandro, said: “It’s easy to blame the victims, but that will only guarantee more victims.
“It’s time for action — for better fencing, for investments to be made by the property owners and the county for policy decisions that prioritize the welfare of the young people who help fuel the local economy, and for those who have lost kids to these cliffs to know by your actions that their beautiful children did not die in vain.”
Student Awareness
Education for students on the cliff dangers is nothing new. Five years after the death of Noah Krom in 2009, his mother, local politician Beth Krom, created an initiative to raise student awareness.
She created STRIVE, which stands for ‘Students Taking Responsibility in Isla Vista Everyday.’ Krom said that no amount of safety measures would prevent every accident, but better inter-student support could save lives.
STRIVE encourages students to be aware of the dangers and look out for others who might walk off alone, especially when they are under the influence.
Beth Krom said: “You need to have your own back and you need to have each other’s backs.”
Why the Safety Improvements Have Not Worked (Yet)
The death of Jacob Parker in 2024 came after the successful safety campaign and the launch of the eight-point plan. So, why are accidents still happening, despite apparent progress?
Resident Resistance to Fencing
While the new ordinance forces everyone with an oceanside property to install a six-foot high fence, homeowners and property management companies have been resistant. Most people don’t want to compromise their ocean views, even if it means saving lives.
This is somewhat understandable for long-term residents who have never had an issue. Some people have also criticized the six-foot fencing at the public parks, and fear that another accident could see the rule raised to eight feet.
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps was a key member of the eight-point safety plan committee and sent letters to all waterfront property owners offering the fee waivers to encourage them to comply with the new regulations voluntarily. But she said only a few responded.
Following Tyler VonRuden’s death in 2005, his mother Melody said: “This has happened before. It will happen again. I understand they want to preserve the beauty, but I wanted to preserve the beauty of my son.”
Lack of Enforcement
One of the main criticisms of the Parker family is that the county has been slow to enforce the safety changes outlined in the eight-point plan since its launch.
As part of the new policy, oceanside homes must have the new six-foot fencing. They must also undergo geotechnical studies if their structures are within 15 feet of the cliff edge, to prevent dangerous situations as erosion continues.
But the county has faced roadblocks when dealing with property owners and managers. In October 2024, County Supervisor Laura Capps said that several sections of upgraded fencing were on the verge of county approval, but that disputes with landlords over their installation had slowed progress.
She added: “We’re paying for [the landlords’] permits, we’re using every lever we can think of. We’re getting there, but if you had asked me a year ago, ‘would it take over a year to get property owners to raise their fence heights?’ I would not have thought it would be this challenging.”
Drugs and Alcohol
Even with the campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers, students will always drink and go to parties. There is nothing wrong with that; it is part of the college experience, and it isn’t going to change.
Unfortunately, all it takes is one inebriated person to make a bad decision for their family and the community to be hit with further heartbreak. Beyond putting the physical obstacles of fences and shrubs in their way, deterring those under the influence is difficult.
Contact an Attorney After a Fall Accident
The fall injuries and deaths at the Isla Vista cliffs were all tragic accidents. All of the incidents were unintended and recorded as accidental deaths. But that does not mean there is no culpability or legal liability.
There are known dangers surrounding these cliffs, as well as other coastal areas in California and across the United States. Wherever there are dangerous conditions, the controlling owners or managers have a responsibility to protect people. That means that government authorities and private landowners or homeowners owe a duty of care to those using the area.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed due to a fall, you should contact an experienced attorney. In some cases, there is no negligence, and no one to blame. But in others, the action or inaction of a property controller can absolutely contribute to an accident.
Contact Bisnar Chase today for a free consultation. Our law firm handles severe injury and wrongful death cases, including government claims and premises liability lawsuits.
Our team has decades of experience and will assess your accident to hold any wrongdoers accountable. Call (800) 561-4887, send us an email, or use our 24/7 website live chat.
Brian Chase
Articles, blogs, and content have been reviewed by legal in-house staff. Brian Chase is the managing partner of Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP. He is the lead trial lawyer and oversees cases handling dangerous and defective products that injure consumers. Brian is a top-rated injury attorney with numerous legal honors and awards for his work relating to auto defects and dangerous products. His firm has recovered over $1B for its clients. Brian is a frequent speaker for CAOC, Dordick Trial College, and OCTLA, covering personal injury trial techniques.
