Man Who Jumped from Santa Monica Pier Identified, Ruled a Suicide

By Jorge Casuso

March 12, 2018 -- The body of a man who jumped into the ocean from the Santa Monica pier shortly before midnight Friday has been identified in an incident police have determined was a suicide.

The body of a man identified as that of Travis Ford, 37, of Los Angeles, by the LA County Coroner's office was recovered near the pier at around 9:30 a.m. Saturday after a search by multiple agencies, police said.

"Multiple witnesses saw him disrobe before doing a ritual of some sort," said Lt. Saul Rodriguez, the Police Department spokesman.

"the rituals he conducted were consistent with a suicide," he said. "There was no crime."

After being informed of the incident late Friday night, U.S. Coast Guard conducted a search that was eventually suspended, officials said.

The search was resumed at around 6 a.m. Saturday, Rodriguez said.

A Coast Guard boat from the Los Angeles-Long Beach station, a cutter and a helicopter, as well as sonar-equipped rescue boats and lifeguards as from the Los Angeles County Fire Department assisted in the search.

KTLA reported that during the search Friday night, another jumper was rescued by lifeguards in an unrelated incident.

After Ford's body was recovered, it was hoisted to the pier and turned over to the Santa Monica Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard officials told KTLA.

The suicide comes less than one month after another man jumped to his death from the pier February 18.

After an extensive search, his body was located the following daynear a lifeguard tower south of the pier.