2 young men rescued from Central Coast storm drain: ‘They were looking for adventure’

Two young men were rescued Monday after becoming trapped in a storm drain near the Earl Warren Showgrounds, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

County firefighters and crews from the city of Santa Barbara were dispatched at about 11:25 a.m. to what initially was described as a “confined space rescue.”

The pair — an adult and a teenager — told responders “they were looking for adventure” when they decided to explore the storm drain, which is between the showgrounds and the adjacent municipal golf course, said county fire Capt. Scott Safechuck.

What they weren’t counting on was that the end of the storm drain was blocked off by a heavy metal grate, preventing them from exiting.

They called 9-1-1 to ask for help, and firefighters were able to locate them and use the hydraulic Jaws of Life tool to spread apart the bars and free them, Safechuck said.

The names of the two young men, who were not injured, were not released.

“Water levels in the drain were low at that moment,” Safechuck said, “but it could have been catastrophic” if there had been heavy rains occurring.

Safechuck advised people against entering the storm drains for any reason.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 11:55 AM.