City of Santa Barbara officials announced that retired Santa Barbara Fire Captain Anthony “Tony” Pighetti died on Oct. 9 at 59 years old.
Just after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities say Pighetti was reported missing by family members after leaving earlier that evening to go paddle boarding near Miramar Beach in Montecito.
Local law enforcement, fire resources, Santa Barbara City Harbor Patrol, and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an extensive search operation that continued overnight, according to officials.
The City of Santa Barbara says Pighetti was located by Coast Guard members early Wednesday morning; he was then reportedly transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where, despite efforts to resuscitate him, he passed away shortly after 9 a.m.
Pighetti worked at the Santa Barbara City Fire Department for nearly 30 years, serving since April 1990 as an emergency responder, a fire engineer, and a fire captain. Officials say he retired in December 2019.
The Santa Barbara City Fire official was known among his colleagues as a pioneer of first responder peer support and mental wellness programs with local, regional, and national reach, according to a press release.