Anthony Pike made contact with a live wire connection.

Anthony Pike was born in Minnesota on March 22, 1918. His mother's name was Mary Lou. In 1924, the family moved to the Live Oak district of Santa Cruz. In addition to Anthony, the family included four daughters. After completing Live Oak Elementary School, he entered Santa Cruz High School. In high school Pike majored in a general varied course of study and played saxophone in the school band. He left high school in the fall of 1935.

Over the next several years, Pike continued to live and work in the county, married Beatrice Olds and joined the local naval reserve unit. A son, Anthony Jr., was later born to the couple.

On June 25, 1942, Pike entered the US Navy Seabees and was sent to Camp Perry, Virginia, for training. In September 1943, he was transferred to Port Hueneme, California, for overseas deployment and shipped out the same month. Seaman Pike saw duty at Pearl Harbor, the Gilbert Islands and at Truk while serving with a navy construction battalion.

Anthony Pike died after he was accidentally electrocuted while on duty at Pearl Harbor on August 22, 1944. His body was returned to Santa Cruz on October 27, 1947, and following a funeral at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Capitola, was interred in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Aptos, California.

(SCHSC Pg. 16, SCSn August 28, 1944 1:5)