Body of Missing Man Found in Ocean
Identified as 22-Year-Old UCSB Senior Mark Romasanta
The body of a 22-year-old Santa Barbara man, identified as Mark Andrew Romasanta, was discovered floating in the ocean near Campus Point Monday evening.
Romasanta’s family reported him missing Sunday night, said Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Drew Sugars. He was last seen by himself leaving a house party on the 6600 hundred block of Del Playa in Isla Vista at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Monday, two people walking on the beach reported a deceased person in the water, said Sugars. The body was transported to the Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau, which today made a positive identification.
“There is nothing at this point to suggest [the death] is suspicious,” said Sugars, who explained Romasanta’s body was found semi-clothed. An avid surfer, Romasanta didn’t appear to have been surfing as none of his boards were missing.
Romasanta was a UCSB senior pursuing a degree in biology. He graduated from Laguna Blanca School, and his family owns and operates Harbor View Inn on Cabrillo Boulevard, where he worked.
The Coroner’s Bureau is working to determine the cause of death. Anyone with information that may be helpful to the investigation is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4100 or the Anonymous Tip Line at (805) 681-4171.
