Norwalk resident Fenton Auston Dee III was identified as the man who died after jumping off the Huntington Beach pier on Oct. 23.
Dee, a man in his early 40’s, jumped after seeing his 36-year-old sister jump off the pier, according to eyewitnesses. Huntington Beach City Public Affairs Manager Jennifer Carey confirmed that officers were dispatched to a call about two individuals jumping off the pier at around 6:30 p.m., as reported by the OC Register.
Witness Edmundo Alarcon captured parts of the event on video and provided details on the siblings before they made the leap in an interview by Fox Los Angeles.
“It looked like [the sister] just wanted to jump for fun, like she wanted to do it and then she didn’t,” said Alarcon. Referring to Dee, he said, “You can tell he didn’t want to [jump]. I don’t know if he was trying to stop her.”
Huntington Beach resident, Landon Holman, was surfing by the pier at the time of the jumps. Holman told Fox Los Angeles that Dee and the sister, who identified herself as “Heather,” called out to him and others in the water before jumping.
“They yelled down to us, ‘Hey, is it OK if we jump? Will we get in trouble?’” said Holman.
Holman discouraged Heather from jumping and told her it was illegal and too dangerous. Others in the water, according to Holman, were instigating the two to jump.
Heather hung from the railings of the pier and then jumped into the water to cheers from bystanders, according to Alarcon’s video and account of events. Heather resurfaced but then began to struggle. Dee, seemingly concerned, jumped off the pier and swam to his sister. Both Dee and Heather struggled under the strong currents.
“They were both screaming frantically for help,” Holman said to the LA Times.
Holman and another surfer, identified as “Ryan” by Holman, swam to the siblings and pulled them ashore. Heather did not sustain any injuries, however, Dee was unresponsive. Emergency services were called as Holman performed CPR on Dee until paramedics arrived, according to the LA Times.
Dee was taken to the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian located in Newport Beach, where he was later pronounced dead.
In his interview with the LA Times, Holman expressed his desire to raise awareness and encouraged all to prioritize safety.
“I just want people to be aware of how dangerous the ocean can be,” Holman said. “If you notice there are big waves and heavy surf, and you’re not used to the ocean, I’d highly advise you not to go in it.”
Pier jumping is illegal according to Huntington Beach Municipal Code. Marine Safety Division Chief for Huntington Beach Eric Dieterman informed residents on the dangers of pier jumping, reported the LA Times.
“The ocean conditions are constantly changing based on tides, surf conditions, and time of the year… Due to these changing conditions, and the 40-45-foot pier height, pier jumping is prohibited,” Dieterman said.
Huntington Beach officials have not confirmed why Heather and Fenton Dee jumped and have not confirmed whether the two individuals are siblings. An official autopsy report has not been released.
Beatrice Lee is a City News Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at beatrirl@uci.edu.