19-year-old student suffers major injuries after fall from Isla Vista cliff

A 19-year-old Santa Barbara City College student suffered major injuries after he fell from a cliff in Isla Vista on Saturday night, officials said.

About 10:30 p.m., authorities saw Anthony Palleschi standing in Walter Capps Park in the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Palleschi then ran and jumped over the fence that separates the park from the cliffs that overlook the ocean, officials said. He fell off the cliff and landed on the beach below.

Officials found Palleschi face down and unresponsive in the rising surf, the release said. Due to the high water level and the rising tide, authorities moved Palleschi to a safer location, where responding medical personnel provided treatment.

It appeared that Palleschi suffered major head trauma, the release said. He was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries.

Palleschi’s family has been notified, authorities said.

Authorities do not know whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the fall.

This story was originally published October 22, 2017 at 2:13 PM with the headline "19-year-old student suffers major injuries after fall from Isla Vista cliff."