Tragedy at the Cliffs: 14 Deaths, One Preventable Loss and a Family's Plea for Justice

A preventable tragedy has claimed the life of Jacob Parker, a 23-year-old UCSB alumnus. Parker fell to his death from the same stretch of cliffs where 13 other lives have been lost over the past three decades. His parents, Deborah and George, are pursuing criminal charges and a civil case, determined to prevent another such tragedy and hold those responsible accountable.

In the picturesque coastal neighborhood of Isla Vista, tragedy has struck again. Jacob Parker, a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), became the 14th victim to fall to their death from the same stretch of cliffs.

Parker's parents, Deborah and George, are heartbroken and devastated by the loss of their beloved son. They believe his death could have been prevented, particularly after local lawmakers passed a safety plan in November requiring all new fences to be 6 feet tall following the death of another UCSB student, Benjamin "Benny" Schurmer, last year.

At the fateful April 20 party where Parker fell, a large crowd of alumni and students had gathered on a concrete balcony overlooking the water. According to his family, Parker was trying to push his way through the crowd to reach a gazebo on the balcony.

Struggling to make his way through the dense crowd, Parker climbed over a 42-inch tall metal wire fence onto a 33-inch wide concrete ledge, bordered by an 18-inch tall metal rail along the cliff's edge. While attempting to climb back over, he lost his footing and plunged about 50 feet to his death.

Parker's parents have described his death as preventable, blaming inadequate fencing and a lack of maintenance by property managers and owners. They have also likened the cliffs, which stand between about 50 and 100 feet above a strip of sand, to a "serial killer."

The Meridian Group, which manages the property where Parker fell, has not responded to requests for comment.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps, who brought forward the safety plan after Schurmer's death, said she has only heard back from a handful of properties along the cliffs after sending letters offering a "fee waiver" to properties to incentivize them to upgrade their fencing.

Capps described the 14 deaths along the Isla Vista cliffs as "entirely preventable" accidents, a result of a "bizarre combination of people living in very cramped places along a cliff that has eroded dramatically in the last 30 years."

More than 40 years ago, a bike path ran along the same cliff edge that has since receded some 30 feet or more, losing inches every year. In recent months, balconies at student houses on Del Playa Drive have partially collapsed, forcing evacuations.

UCSB mentions the dangers of the cliffs during student orientation, but many students live in the properties along Del Playa Drive that back up to the edge of the cliffs, known as "the bluffs."

"I don't think parents realize how dangerous these homes are along the cliff," Deborah Parker said. "If they did, they would not let their kids live there."

Capps said the 14 deaths have resulted from a "perfect storm" of young people living in unsafe environments, parties involving alcohol and drugs, and properties that are not maintained by managers. She compared walking around the area on a weekend night to walking out of a football game due to the density of college kids out and about.

"I've reached out to all the moms who have lost kids that I could get in touch with, and they have very sensible ideas," Capps said. "There's an eight-point plan on my website, and the first point is raising the fence height."

In 2009, Beth Krom's 22-year-old son, Noah, a UCSB student, fell to his death from the cliffs. "These tragedies will continue until the county puts teeth in its enforcement of codes and standards for property owners who economically exploit students and have way too much power," Krom said after Parker's death. "Life is cheap in Isla Vista."

Krom described the cliff fatalities as a "public safety crisis." "I tell people, ‘Usually, when people keep falling through the same manhole, somebody puts a cover on it.’"

Geologists have been studying the erosion of the cliffs since the 1970s, and properties along the bluffs have been damaged by that erosion for at least three decades.

Jake Parker's parents are determined to pursue justice for their son and prevent another tragedy. They are seeking criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter, as well as a civil case related to their son's death. They are hopeful that their efforts will not only bring justice for their son but also save future lives.