Three people have now been confirmed dead after a massive cliff collapsed onto a popular southern California beach Friday afternoon.
According to the Associated Press, a 30×25-foot piece of rock gave way around 3 p.m. Friday as beachgoers packed Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas, California, as the area endures rising sea levels.
Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein said five people were rescued from the debris Friday evening. One person was pronounced dead after being pulled from the rubble, while three other people were rushed to local hospitals. A fifth person was treated at the scene but released.
Two of the three victims who were transported to nearby hospitals later succumbed to their injuries.
Stein said the collapse left a trail of debris that stretched 20 yards along the beach. He said some visitors were “recreating right underneath the bluffs.”
Video footage posted on social media reveals beach chairs and umbrellas in disarray as firefighters and onlookers view the scene of the collapse, while another video showed a person being transported to a helicopter to be airlifted.
DEVELOPING: A cliff collapses onto a beach in Encinitas, California, killing one woman and injuring four other people, with two people airlifted to local hospitals; the area is highly popular with local residents, surfers and tourists. @Davidmuir reports. https://t.co/VQD3XfKH7P pic.twitter.com/hspy2o6L6T
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) August 3, 2019
City officials closed an area of beach that extended from Carlsbad to Grandview as a precaution in case of a second collapse.
“We are devastated by the tragedy today and our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear told NBC San Diego. “We stand ready to help in any way possible. Our engineers and the public safety team are diligently working to assess bluff conditions.”
