Lifeguards warn beachgoers of crumbling cliffs
North County Times – Escondido,CA,USA
Lifeguards in Encinitas and Solana Beach warned beachgoers to be careful
Friday after several recent bluff collapses. “Nothing too big at all,
Solana Beach …

Lifeguards in Encinitas and Solana Beach warned beachgoers to be careful Friday after several recent bluff collapses.

“Nothing too big at all,” Solana Beach lifeguard supervisor Greg Uruburu said about the collapses. “One was right at the base of Fletcher Cove.”

A chunk of sandstone about the size of a refrigerator fell from the cliff onto the beach, he said. A similar-sized chunk broke off earlier about 200 yards south of Fletcher Cove. Neither collapse damaged any of the expensive homes atop the cliffs or the injured anyone on the beach, Uruburu said.

“The fortunate thing is that these are occurring after hours or at night, when the beaches are less crowded,” he said.

A 30-year-old woman was killed in January, 2000 when boulders and rubble suddenly fell on her from a 75-foot-high bluff near Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. Authorities at the time called it a “freak accident,” but the city posted more warning signs afterward and continues to tell people about the dangers of the bluffs.

“When we patrol, if we find people up too close to the cliffs we will advise them (of the danger),” said Encinitas lifeguard supervisor Robert Veria. “And, of course, we don’t allow people to climb on the bluffs.”

Warning signs are posted at all beach access points in Encinitas and Solana Beach, which have some of the tallest and steepest beach bluffs in San Diego County. Often, at high tide, waves crash directly against the cliffs, leaving little or no room for pedestrians.

Several small bluff collapses have been reported recently in Encinitas, Veria said, but “nothing catastrophic.” The largest was about 300 cubic yards that fell almost a year ago in the San Elijo State Park area, he said. No one was hurt.

Residents of coastal communities have debated for decades whether to build sea walls or other structures to protect the eroding cliffs. The structures may protect people on the beaches and in the homes atop the bluffs, but environmentalists say they are unsightly and contribute to sand erosion from the beach. State and city policies set limits on sea wall construction.

While some people worry that winter storms may cause the cliffs to crumble faster or more frequently, the lifeguard supervisors said that’s not necessarily so.

“It’s somewhat unpredictable,” Uruburu said. “You can’t pinpoint one time. We push for year-round awareness.”