Man's body found floating near Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara identified

A man’s body found floating in the water near Stearns Wharf on Tuesday has been identified.

Santa Barbara High School Principal John Becchio sent out an email Tuesday morning reporting that the man was Andrew Hernandez, a senior at the school.

"I am sorry to bring this news to you in this manner, but with all that is going on I wanted to make sure that you have the most up-to-date information about recent events that have transpired with one of our students..." Becchio wrote. "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."

A person jogging on the beach spotted Hernandez's body, which was east of the wharf, at about 6:45 a.m., said Sgt. Todd Johnson. Emergency personnel responded and recovered the remains.

"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."

Initial indications are that Hernandez drowned and no foul play is suspected, Johnson said, adding that the case was under investigation by the Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Office.

Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

This story was originally published May 15, 2018 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Man's body found floating near Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara identified."