A 62-year-old Santa Barbara man, Curtis Oshock, was pronounced dead after being fished out of the water a mile off Stearns Wharf this Sunday. His sailboat had capsized, tossing him and three passengers overboard. None of the four were wearing safety vests as the time. The exact cause of death remains uncertain.
According to incident reports, the city harbor received a Mayday about a boat down around 3 p.m. July 9. Initial reports suggested a jet ski may have collided with the boat, but those were inaccurate. When emergency response teams arrived, Oshock was unconscious but being held aloft — reportedly for 10 minutes — by a fellow passenger. Efforts to revive him failed, and he was later pronounced dead.
Oshock's demise brings the total of waterfront-related deaths this year to three. The two prior cases involved drownings. Also, two weeks ago, a charter boat collided with Stearns Wharf with enough speed and force that the collision bent a stainless-steel ladder and splintered a new piling, but no injuries were sustained.