3 dead after bluff collapses at surf spot in Encinitas
Cadaver dogs were searching for other possible victims at the Encinitas beach.
Officials and cadaver dogs search the beach in Leucadia area after a 30-by-25-foot section of cliff crumbles.
ENCINITAS, Calif. — Three people were killed Friday when an oceanfront bluff collapsed at Grandview Beach in the Leucadia area of Encinitas.
A woman died at the scene, and two people taken to hospitals in critical condition later died, authorities said Friday night.
Authorities gave no details about the victims, except to say none were children.
The collapse happened about 2:55 p.m. on the beach just north of a mobile lifeguard tower and the wooden stairs leading to the beach from Neptune Avenue, said San Diego County Sheriff ’s Lt. Ted Greenawald.
Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein said during an evening news briefing that there had been conflicting reports on the beach about whether anyone remained missing, so cadaver dogs were at the scene searching for more possible victims.
Encinitas lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles said a 30-footby-25-foot section of the cliff collapsed.
Stein said emergency crews were unable to search portions of the debris because of the stability of the cliff. And complicating matters, the incoming tide Friday evening was expected to be among the highest of the year, Giles said.
Stein said the collapse sent about 15 to 20 cubic yards of sandstone crashing down, and city engineers who inspected the site were concerned about a potential secondary collapse directly behind the first.
The collapse happened near a popular surf spot. The sandy beach area changes with the tides but is generally very narrow.
A massive, hot-tub-size chunk of sandstone was among the debris that fell onto the sand below. Next to the detritus, beach chairs, towels and umbrellas were abandoned where the victims had set them up on a warm, partly cloudy day.
Authorities said bluff collapses like the one Friday happen several times a year and are naturally occurring events along the constantly eroding coastline.
A portion of the marine safety page on Encinitas’ website is dedicated to the dangers of the city’s sandstone cliffs.
“Because of frequent bluff failures, a great deal of consideration has been given to ensuring the safety of those who visit our beaches,” the website says. “Please be aware that in most areas hiking near or directly on top of the bluffs is prohibited. It is also important for visitors to avoid standing or sitting directly underneath unstable bluffs, since they may collapse.”
The website said city officials have placed warning signs at several locations that are unsafe and should be avoided. It was not clear whether the section of bluff that collapsed Friday afternoon was one that city officials previously considered dangerous.
Encinitas resident Rebecca Kowalczyk, 30, died near the same area Jan. 16, 2000, when a 110-yard-wide chunk of bluff fell on top of her and buried her.
The last fatal cliff collapse in San Diego County happened Aug. 20, 2008, when 57-year-old Nevada tourist Robert Mellone was crushed by a shower of sand and boulders from a section of bluff above Torrey Pines State Beach.
On July 17, 2002, James Franklin, 39, died when the cave he used for shelter at South Carlsbad State Beach collapsed on him.
Two tourists, Timothy Silcox, 33, and David Shulin, 35, were killed Jan. 22, 1995, when a sea bluff collapsed on them at Torrey Pines State Reserve. Merrell Davis, 52, of Mission Hills was buried up to his chest and suffered a leg fracture in that collapse.
Yorba Linda resident Mike Bassett said he didn’t witness Friday’s landslide, but that he visited the same area late Thursday night during a high tide that was pummeling the cliff.
“We were there last night around 11:30. There was no beach at all,” Bassett said. “There was probably two feet of water around the lifeguard station. It was weird to see the waves pounding on the bluff.”
It was unclear what caused Friday’s collapse. Adam Young, a researcher with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said factors including wave action and rainfall contribute to cliff erosion.