SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) — A mother is searching for one more piece to her son’s memorial bench, destroyed in the Santa Cruz Wharf collapse.
Whenever Roberta Rodriguez misses her son, she comes to Santa Cruz where he loved the water.
In 2005, her son, David passed away when he was 22 years old.
A bench memorializing David sat at the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf. But on Monday, it was swept away and destroyed when high swells caused the end of the wharf to collapse.
MORE: 3 fall into ocean after Santa Cruz Wharf collapses due to strong waves ahead of storm
That bench was a sacred space.
“It was a great place to go sit and watch the ocean and think about him and think about our life here, and how short that was. He went home so soon and we just miss him every day,” Rodriguez said.
The bench was installed nearly 20 years ago.
“For us, it means everything – my son grew up in this area so he was always crabbing off the pier,” Rodriguez said.
With the help of friends, posts were made on social media to be on the lookout for any pieces that might wash up.
MORE: Officials assess what’s next for Santa Cruz Wharf following collapse as debris washes ashore
Kind strangers found two boards of the bench in separate areas on Christmas.
One board is inscribed with David’s birthdate.
The other board is inscribed with “Gone Fishing, April 21st, 2005.” It was found by a father and daughter.
“Of course we love our, miss our loved ones during the holiday. So I really see this as a Christmas miracle,” Rodriquez said.
The Santa Cruz Wharf has different benches commemorating lost loved ones.
MORE: Santa Cruz officials say lifeguards who witnessed wharf collapse rescued victims
One woman is crediting the Reddit community for helping her find the name plate to her mother’s bench that was swept away as well.
As one stranger was putting up flyers – another found the board.
For Rodriguez, a board to her son’s bench is still lost at sea.
“We are missing one more piece and it’s the top piece that has his name on it, David Ramon De Anda, aka Dave,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez hopes people will keep an eye out for it.
She’s grateful for all the help and compassion she’s received this week.
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On January 17, 2022, tragedy struck the Santa Cruz Wharf as a section collapsed, causing several memorial benches to be destroyed. Families who had dedicated these benches to loved ones lost in the Santa Cruz community are now searching for pieces of these benches as they hold sentimental value.
The collapse, which occurred during a powerful storm, left families devastated as they learned that the benches they had placed in memory of their loved ones were now destroyed. Many are now coming together to search for any salvageable pieces of the benches in hopes of preserving the memories of their lost family members.
Local authorities are urging the community to come forward with any information regarding the missing pieces of the memorial benches. The families are asking for help in locating these pieces so they can piece together what remains of their memorials.
As the community bands together in this time of need, we hope that these families can find some solace in retrieving the pieces of their memorial benches and honoring the memories of their loved ones. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.
Tags:
- Santa Cruz Wharf collapse
- Memorial benches
- Family search
- Santa Cruz memorial
- Wharf collapse
- Santa Cruz tragedy
- Bench destruction
- Memorial bench recovery
- Santa Cruz family search
- Wharf collapse aftermath.
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