The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s-Coroner’s Office has identified the man who died following a water rescue response Saturday afternoon in Maria Ygnacio Creek in the Goleta Valley.
The victim was identified as Rosauro Vasquez, a 61-year-old man from Downey in Los Angeles County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Vasquez was swept away by fast-moving water after attempting to cross the swollen creek in a full-size pickup truck near North San Marcos Road and Via Regina.
Authorities said the truck became stuck at a low-water crossing as Vasquez and two other passengers attempted to drive through the surging waters. When the occupants exited the vehicle, Vasquez was caught in a swift current and carried downstream.
Multiple agencies responded after a family member called 9-1-1, including Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue, County Fire, the Sheriff’s Office, American Medical Response, and the California Highway Patrol. After a nearly two-hour search, Vasquez was located deceased in the creek near San Marcos Road and Via Parva.
Fire officials said the pickup truck was also swept downstream and found less than 50 feet from the crossing. The area has been the site of another apparent storm-related death, with an 86-year-old man found dead in the same creek in February 2024.
Emergency officials continue to urge the public to avoid crossing flooded roadways, reminding residents to “turn around, don’t drown,” as fast-moving water can be deadly even at shallow depths.
