Deadly weekend in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz, Calif. - Bay NewsVideo played a major role in informing the public about the hazards of the scenic, yet dangerous North Coast of Santa Cruz County during the weekend of Sept. 11-12, 1998. While on another assignment on Saturday, Sept. 11, Bay NewsVideo's Mark Jeannette and Steve Perez learned of a tragedy in the making shortly after noon. Two victims were reported lost in the heavy surf off Panther State Beach south of Davenport. The experienced news team arrived to learn that one man, later identified as Khiem Pham, 60, of Sunnyvale, had drowned after being swept from the rocks while collecting mussels. His son, Tuyen Pham, 24, was missing after an ill-fated rescue attempt. The Bay NewsVideo team interviewed a witness who helped retrieve the father's body, and obtained preliminary information on the incident from Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies on the scene. The story, shot and edited by Mark "Mr. News" Jeannette, and written and reported on-air by Steve Perez, led off the 6 p.m. newscast for KSBW Action News Eight in Salinas. The news tape was also aired by the NBC and ABC affiliates in San Francisco.
Bay NewsVideo also was the only television crew on hand as Watsonvile police and the California Highway Patrol investigated a hit and run tragedy touched off by a suspected drunken driver late Sunday night, Sept. 12. The 59-year-old victim was struck by a car, which had left the scene. Bay NewsVideo was there when the CHP took a suspect in custody and investigated the circumstances of the incident. The exclusive footage aired on the three TV stations that serve the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz markets. Follow-up information was also provided to favored clients.
9-14-98