Diners exit Swampscott eatery as sea wall fails
SWAMPSCOTT — Customers eating lunch at a waterfront restaurant here were cleared out of the dining room when a portion of the sea wall beneath the building collapsed into the ocean Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Police were alerted at 1:30 p.m. to Mission on the Bay at 141 Humphrey St. and found large pieces of the sea wall had fallen into the water behind the restaurant, the Swampscott Police Department said in a statement.
“It was observed that debris was still sliding from underneath the restaurant, so a decision was made to evacuate the patrons,” the statement said. “Swampscott Police along with Swampscott Fire entered the building and within minutes had all patrons and employees out of the restaurant. There were no reported injuries from those evacuated.”
The restaurant sits on Black Wills Cliff overlooking King’s Beach. Officials also closed a courtyard that sits next to the restaurant, as well as a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, the statement said.
The partial collapse left a gaping hole beneath a corner of the restaurant, whose sweeping views include the Boston skyline. A portion of a metal railing was bent and dangling mid-air. Farther along the beach, dozens of people stood, snapping photos on their cell phones.
“A significant portion of the sea wall completely collapsed, completely exposing the underneath of the building,” Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said in an interview. “We’ve cut power and utilities to the building.”
Fitzgerald said the town is working with the owner to facilitate the wall’s repair. The town does not own the sea wall underneath Mission on the Bay, but owns the sea wall on both sides of the property, he said.
The town’s building inspector told the restaurant’s management that the building must remain closed until the wall is repaired, the statement said.
Officials also warned drivers to avoid the area as equipment and workers will be brought in to secure the building.
By 3 p.m., a contractor was on the scene to temporarily stabilize the sea wall. They sprayed concrete on the structure in an attempt to shore up the wall and prevent the rocks and dirt from further shifting overnight.
“I’m racing against the tide right now to stabilize this dirt before the water comes up and it gets even more uglier than it is,” said Michael Whitehead, owner of Xtreme Shotcrete, around 6:30 p.m. “It looks worse than it is.”
People were dining at the next-door restaurant, Anthony’s Pier 4 Cafe, by early evening, despite the flurry of concrete trucks right outside. Manager Michael Watson said the restaurant, which opened at 5 p.m. as usual, isn’t concerned about the sea wall beneath them.
“We’ve never had a problem,” Watson said. “We’re on solid footing.”