Young surfer found dead by her mother

Dave Brooks and Lauren Vane

The sudden death of a young Huntington Beach surfer has stilled the

waters around the south side of the pier.

Hundreds of teenage surfers and supporters gathered at First

Christian Church on Tuesday to mourn the loss of 15-year-old Taylor

Elizabeth Clifford, a popular Huntington Beach High School freshman

and member of the school’s surf team.

Friends wore purple shirts and armbands in honor of Taylor’s

favorite color. The ceremony ended nearly a week of mourning for the

girl, though a small memorial in the window of Huntington Beach Surf

And Sport carries on her memory.

The details of Taylor’s death remain unclear, but friends and

family say the girl’s mother found her dead on the morning of March 2

in what appears to be a drug overdose. Friends say Taylor had likely

experimented with a mixture of cocaine and OxyContin, a powerful

opiate prescribed for serious, chronic pain.

Police are still investigating the girl’s death and are waiting

for the results of a toxicology test and autopsy. Huntington Beach

Police Sgt. Mike Kelly said his department is interviewing her

friends and family, but noted that Taylor’s mother was not fully

cooperating with investigators.

The mother’s reaction “wasn’t a normal response on the part of

someone that has just lost her daughter,” Kelly said. Whatever the

police find, friends say Taylor’s death has sent a shockwave through

the surfing community. Surfers remember the girl dubbed “Blue Crush”

because of her likeness to actress Kate Bosworth from the movie of

the same name.

“She was really smiley, bubbly and happy,” said friend Samantha

Holler, 15. “Whenever you want to have a good time, you would call up

Taylor.”

Friend and surf teammate Briahna Smith said Taylor always turned

heads, in and out of the water.

“Every guy that knew her fell in love with her,” she said. “I

think it was because she just always wanted to have fun. She loved to

just strike a pose and it would always catch someone’s eye.”

Taylor grew up in Huntington Beach, surfing since she was able to

stand. She is the only child of divorced parents Vanessa and Burt

Clifford. Friends said Taylor, who was mulling over a sponsorship

with clothing company Roxy, had recently taken fifth place at a

Volcom-sponsored competition in Newport Beach. She was a unifying

force on the high school squad, friends said, bringing together a

young team of surfers through laughter and friendship.

“She brought everyone close together,” said teammate Nicole

Jenderko. “I think even in her death, we remain together. It’s made

us all look at life from a much different perspective.”

Jenderko remembers rousing Taylor up each morning for a “dawn

patrol” sunrise surfing session.

“She would hesitate when she felt the cold water, but after a few

minutes she’d be out there, paddling and splashing around with

everyone else.”

When Jenderko came over Wednesday morning to tell Taylor about a

morning swell, she found the door locked and Taylor nowhere in sight.

“I thought that was really strange because she was always up and

about,” she said.

Her mother discovered her body around 6:30 a.m. and alerted

paramedics. Uncle Jeff Clifford arrived after receiving a phone call

from Vanessa Clifford only to find paramedics and fire personal

outside of their home.

“They told me there was still an electronic pulse coming from her

heart,” he said. “But I kind of felt like they already knew that she

wasn’t going to make it.”

Police Sgt. Kelly said he didn’t believe any foul play was

involved.

“Based upon what we know and what we saw at the time, we’re still

confident or at least satisfied that the information we have right

now leads us to believe it was an accidental overdose on her part,”

he said.

“Nobody among her friends or family have been discounted as being

involved in behavior that may or may not have led to this girl’s

death.”

Right now, police are collecting information about her history.

The investigation is ongoing and open.

“Speculation by anybody at this point does not help the

investigation and ultimately does not put to rest what happened in

regard to this young girl dying,” Kelly said.

Taylor’s death has devastated her family.

“This just doesn’t make sense,” Jeff Clifford said. “The whole

families and friends and the kids are looking for answers.”

Friend Smith said it was uncommon for young Taylor to experiment

with cocaine and many of her friends didn’t believe she was involved

in regular drug use.

“That’s why I don’t like to say she overdosed, because Taylor

didn’t use,” she said. “I really think she was just experimenting.”