Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon and Fire Chief Chris Mailes and other first responders on scene Monday at Mission Creek, where a woman's body was discovered in Mission Creek.
Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon and Fire Chief Chris Mailes and other first responders on scene Monday at Mission Creek, where a woman's body was discovered in Mission Creek. Credit: Peter Hartmann / Noozhawk photo

A woman’s body was found Monday morning in Mission Creek in Santa Barbara, but it is not known who she is or how she died, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Detectives were on scene — near Bath and Cota streets — along with city fire crews and personnel from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau, said Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale.

He added that the situation remained an “active investigation.”

The body was entangled in trees off the bank of the creek. It was mostly unclothed and the victim had no identification, Ragsdale said.

“It’s going to be a while before we figure out who she was and how she died,” he said.

On Monday afternoon, Ragsdale said the case is an active investigation and “foul play is not suspected at this time.”

Santa Barbara city fire, police and rescue teams recover a woman's body from Mission Creek on Monday.
Santa Barbara city fire, police and rescue teams recover a woman’s body from Mission Creek on Monday. The death is under investigation. Credit: Santa Barbara Police Department photo

A CBS news crew covering the major storm that hit the region overnight discovered the body in the creek, wedged against a tree, at about 9 a.m., city Fire Chief Chris Mailes told Noozhawk.

Storm-related problems were reported throughout the city and the county, and most were relatively minor.

“But the death is a game changer,” Mailes said. “As first responders, we always worry about life safety first.”

By late morning, the victim’s remains had been removed from the creek, but had not yet been turned over to the coroner.

Mailes noted that the creek level already had receded about 3 feet from its peak by the time the victim was discovered.

It’s not known where or how she entered the water.

Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story.