Owners of the Bagel Cafe in Isla Vista are raising money for an employee who fell from the Isla Vista bluffs and was critically injured during graduation weekend.
Luke Ogburn, a UC Santa Barbara student, was rushed to the hospital unconscious and critically injured on June 13 and remains in recovery, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Bagel Cafe owner Doron Friedman.
“Luke is more than just an employee — he’s a vibrant, thoughtful, hardworking young man who brought positivity and kindness to every shift,” Friedman wrote. “The outpouring of love from our staff, our customers and our community has been powerful, and we’re holding on to that hope as he begins this long climb back.”
Ogburn reportedly suffered a broken rib, deep lacerations across his head and body, a fractured pelvis and clavicle, and multiple facial and orbital fractures. Both of his lungs collapsed, and his body swelled with air trapped under his skin from subcutaneous emphysema, according to Friedman.
“As you can imagine, the financial burden from such a catastrophic injury is overwhelming,” Friedman wrote. “That’s why we’ve started this GoFundMe page to support Luke and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Friedman wrote that he called the Bagel Cafe to check in on the Friday of graduation weekend as it was the first graduation weekend with a new manager. The manager told Friedman that the police had just left the cafe after they asked the manager to identify a young man who fell from the cliffs.
The Bagel Cafe also hosted a fundraiser this week in which 50% of all sales were donated to Ogburn’s recovery fund.
It appears to be the first major cliff fall incident since April 2024, when UCSB alum Jacob Parker died after falling from the cliffs on the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive.
There have been 14 known fatalities since the 1990s as a result of cliff falls in Isla Vista. The death of 19-year-old Santa Barbara City College student Benny Schurmer in September 2023 led to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors raising fence heights along the bluffs.
Ogburn’s GoFundMe had raised nearly $6,500 as of Friday evening with a goal of $11,000.
“This experience has shaken all of us. But it’s also reminded us to tell those around us that we love them. To be present. To offer a hug. To not take a single day for granted,” Friedman wrote. “Luke, we are thinking of you. We believe in your strength. And we can’t wait to welcome you back — when you’re ready — with open arms.”
He also posted the news on the company’s Facebook page.