More than a thousand community members packed Dos Pueblos High School’s outdoor Greek Theater Thursday for a sunset vigil honoring three students — 18-year-old Jake Curtis, 17-year-old Michael Ochsner, and 15-year-old Alexander Wood — who were killed in a multi-vehicle crash last weekend.
As the sun set over the Goleta campus, friends, family, and classmates huddled together, holding white and yellow flowers and taking turns sharing stories about the three teenagers. Many fought through tears as they recounted their memories of Curtis, Ochsner, and Wood — three friends who had been looking forward to summer and were just on their way back from a long day of lifeguard training at Jalama Beach when the accident occurred on May 18.
The trio had just experienced an ideal day for teenage boys, hanging at the beach with friends and learning life-saving techniques with big trucks and CALSTAR rescue helicopters. Just before 6 p.m., all three packed into Curtis’s car and headed back to town, where they planned to hit In-N-Out Burger for a post-beach snack.
At the vigil, Owen Wood — older brother of Alexander Wood, the youngest of the three boys who was killed in the crash, and best friend to Ochsner — said he had spoken with his little brother and his friends just minutes before the accident was reported. It was a brief phone call, with the two brothers joking about Owen’s demands for a triple-decker burger, which made all three boys in the car break into laughter. The crash happened nearly two minutes later.
Owen said that final phone call, and hearing the laughter of his brother and friends, gave him a sense of comfort in the past few days.
“When you think about it, they were probably laughing when the accident happened. They were happy,” Owen said. “These boys were at such a happy place in their lives, and that to me is more important than anything else.”
He said that it was beautiful to see the community come together to celebrate the lives of the three teens and asked those in attendance to honor them by appreciating the good they brought into the world.
“We can delve into all of the ‘what-ifs’ and all of the things that Alex, Michael, and Jake have missed out on. After all, they were our brothers and friends and sons and classmates, and now they are gone,” Owen said. “I just feel that, while we should grieve and mourn the loss of these beloved boys, we should be grateful for the time we were given with them because it was beautiful.”
Dos Pueblos Principal Bill Woodard said that losing the three students — who were involved in track and field, swim, and water polo — has left the campus community heartbroken. He expressed gratitude to the counselors and support staff from Behavioral Wellness, Santa Barbara Response Network, and the Family Service Agency, who have been working with family, students, and staff members as they continue to process the deaths.
“In the face of such loss, words often fall short, but what we can do is stand together,” Woodard said. “To the boys’ families and closest friends: We are here with you. You are not alone. Your pain is our pain, and your sons will always be a part of the Dos Pueblos community.”
Friends and teammates of the three boys described them as fun-loving, active teenagers, who shared a similar sense of humor and longed for the excitement of cars, surfing, skiing, and skateboarding. Some told funny anecdotes of skipping class to go to Blenders, or sharing jokes on the pool deck, while others shared words of encouragement to the families in mourning.
Jessica and Dax Curtis, mother and father of Jake Curtis, both closed out the vigil by thanking the community for showing so much love for the three boys. Jessica said that her son was at a great moment in his life and was excited to find good friends in Michael and Alexander.
“There are no words to express the great loss the world has suffered,” she said. “He was at a high point in his life. He just became a lifeguard, and he went out with the bang. The world is truly never going to be the same.”
As night fell over the outdoor theater, the more than a thousand in attendance began to light their candles. The gentle yellow glow of the flames lit up the faces in the crowd as they swayed and sniffled in their seats while soft music played over the speakers. Many lingered long after the music ended, swapping stories and sharing hushed words of comfort to mourning family members.
Alexander Wood’s family has started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and other costs.
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