RogerSanta Barbara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the body found floating in the ocean near Stearn’s Wharf on Tuesday is a Santa Barbara High School student.
A jogger in the area reportedly found the body around 6:45 a.m., according to scanner traffic. No foul play is suspected as law enforcement believes this may be a suicide by drowning.
Parents of Santa Barbara High School students confirmed receiving correspondence from Principal John Becchio stating the identified student was Andrew Hernandez.
Dear Parents and Guardians of the SBHS Community,
Please read the following message, which I shared with your students this morning:
I have confirmed that SBHS senior, Andrew Hernandez, died this morning.
I ask that in times like this we bond together as a Dons Family and make sure that we take care of each other. We have a compassion center being set up in the alumni room with counseling services available. Please take the time to console one another and support each other through this tough time, as we try and makes sense of such a tragic piece of news for our school.
Your Principal,
John Becchio
Possible water rescue south of the Skate Park on the beach.
They announced the sad news to the senior Mad Academy class today that it was a classmate and was an apparent suicide.
Sad 🙁
Update;
Apparently, family is on scene to I.D.,
His Father & Brother.
How can there even BE a comment deserving a down-vote related to the tragic death of a high school student? High-school students don’t have adult brain development specifically in the area that processes emotional information and risk assessment. Worst of all losses for his parents.
I wish someone had told him that it gets better. Very sad for his family and community.