Man Dies on Palm Avenue

City firefighters, paramedics, and police responded Wednesday mid-afternoon to the 200 block of Palm Avenue after nearby business owners reported that a transient man in his forties who had been sitting on the sidewalk had stopped breathing. According to Watch Commander Sergeant James Ella with the city police, it appears the man died from a medical condition.

Ella said the man, whose identity hasn’t been released pending next of kin notifications by the Coroner’s Department, was a long-time Santa Barbara transient who had a history of heavy drinking. Ella said the man had complained to some downtown business owners and employees earlier on Wednesday that he was dehydrated and not feeling well. They gave him water and advised he go to the hospital for medical help.

Later that afternoon, the employees and business owners realized that the man, who had been sitting on the sidewalk for several hours, was no longer breathing. When first responders arrived, they declared the man dead on scene.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.