First responders on the South Coast are in shock after one of their own apparently died while paddle boarding off of Montecito.
Family members say Tony Pighetti went into the ocean off of Miramar Beach early Tuesday evening. When he didn’t return before nightfall, they called authorities. A large scale search was mounted. A Coast Guard search team found the 59-year-old man early Wednesday morning. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Pighetti served nearly three decades with the Santa Barbara Fire Department before retiring in 2019. He spearheaded the development of a peer support program to help first responders deal with the stress of their jobs.
The retired fire captain also served as a board member for One805, the non-profit organization which raises money for programs like free, confidential mental health counseling for first responders.
