SAN DIEGO — Bluff collapses at Torrey Pines and San Elijo State Beach over the weekend have lifeguards and beachgoers on alert.
Experts said there really is no other reason than natural erosion for the recent cliff collapses at San Diego beaches. Beachgoers are urged to be aware of their surroundings because the question is not if another collapse will happen but when.
Geologist Pat Abbot said more and more of these cliff collapses are happening during the day.
“We’ve seemed to have had a little concentration right here at the time where they are most visible and have the most harmful effect on people,” said Dr. Abbot.
San Diego's coastal bluffs are beautiful, but they are always actively eroding.
While this year’s rain may have played a small factor in some areas, when they cliffsides meet the coast, mother nature is going to its thing.
“You have high cliffs, waves chewing away at the bottom and gravity pulling at the top. They absolutely have to fall. The only question is, when do you get the falls?” said Dr. Abbot.
Experts said it is up to beachgoers to make sure they are safe by not walking on top of the cliffs. When on the sand, beachgoers should pick a spot away from the them. Beachgoers should look for fractures in the cliffside and if there is one on a boulder on the beach, there is a good chance more are on the way down.
“People just think it won’t be them. They think it is a state park and it is safe. It is not,” said a beachgoer.
Dr. Abbot also said that while there has been an increase in cliff collapses reporting, fatalities from them are still very rare. There have been eight deaths in the last 25 years.