'Naturally eroding coastline' leaves 3 dead north of San Diego
Three people were killed at Grandview Beach in Encinitas, California, on Friday afternoon after part of a sandstone bluff gave way.
A 30-foot-long sandstone slab from the cliff broke loose around 3 p.m. PDT, crashing down to the sand below. According to the Associated Press (AP), the debris was estimated to weigh tens of thousands of pounds. Other beachgoers and lifeguards began digging people out from under the rubble until first responders arrived, according to the news source.
Lifeguards and search and rescue personnel work at the site of a cliff collapse at a popular beach Friday, Aug. 2, 2019, in Encinitas, Calif. At least one person was reportedly killed, and multiple people were injured, when an oceanfront bluff collapsed Friday at Grandview Beach in the Leucadia area of Encinitas, authorities said. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
A woman died at the scene, and three others were transported to local hospitals. Another person had minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, according to authorities.
Around 8 p.m. PDT, the City of Encinitas confirmed that two of the three victims who had been transported to local hospitals had passed away due to their injuries.
The names of the victims have not yet been released, and the immediate area adjacent to the bluff failure remains closed to the public.
The Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein told the AP that the cliff remained unstable and complicated during the search effort. City officials continue to warn beachgoers to avoid areas near or under the bluffs, and to keep 25 to 40 feet away for safety.
"This is a naturally eroding coastline," Encinitas Lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles told the AP. "There's really no rhyme or reason, but that's what it does naturally."
Heavy rain typically is to blame for landslides, but Southern California is currently in its dry season, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
"June 21 was the last day that San Diego has recorded measurable rain and only 0.01 of an inch fell at that time," Pydynowski said. Grandview Beach is located nearly 30 miles north of San Diego.
"While there can be a few incidents of monsoon showers and thunderstorms drifting westward or a surge of tropical moisture this time of year, the months spanning late fall to early spring are the rainy season for Southern California," she added. "That is when the region is at greatest risk for heavy rain triggering landslides."
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