Digital News Report- A Los Gatos High School senior who was swept out to sea early Monday morning is presumed dead. Dennis Cyncor-McMillan, a 17-year old football player, was drinking and barbequing at a beach near Davenport with a group of friends when he decided to go for a swim around 4:00am. According to authorities, he was only wearing a pair of shorts and the water was around 55 degrees.
After searching a six-mile stretch of coastline from Davenport to Santa Cruz and fifty square miles of Ocean, the Coast Guard called off the search. Search and rescue operations were difficult due to the early morning darkness and unpredictable currents. His body hasn’t yet been found.
“Apparently the water was cold and he was overwhelmed,” said Dennis’ mother, Julia Cyncor. “His friend tried pulling him in but it was early in the morning and they were exhausted.”
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Alan Burt had already planned on meeting with high school principals on Friday to remind students about the dangers of the rocky cliffs before the teen went missing. The coast north of Santa Cruz often makes for an ideal party destination for Santa Cruz youth due to its’ isolation and distance from law enforcement.
“The loss of Dennis is devastating, as was the death of Mikey Halpin, to our students, staff, and community,” stated Principal Doug Ramezane. Mikey, also a member of the football team, died earlier this year from a seizure. “Los Gatos is a small town, and we all feel the pain when great kids like these are taken from us at such a young age.”