The North East coast is undeniably a beautiful part of the country, but this weekend gave us a reminder that it can be very wild too, leaving a construction worker feeling 'lucky to be alive.'
At the north end of Shippersea Bay, near Easington Colliery, a dramatic cliff fall occurred, with rocks and stones cascading onto the sand below.
And there was one man who was almost caught up in the destruction on his Saturday morning walk.
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Paul Garbutt, a construction worker who lives in Thornaby on Tees, was beachcombing when a section of the cliff fell.
He said: "I was there taking photos and things were dropping all around so I walked away. As soon as I turned around I heard it go. By the time I'd got my camera out and turned around it was all over."
Paul, who regular goes beachcombing along the North Yorkshire and County Durham coastline, did catch a video of the second section of the cliff falling away.
He continued: "It was surreal, if I'd been standing there another five minutes I'd have been dead!"
But it wasn't until the following day that the reality of what had happened hit him. He continued: "I didn't feel anything at the time. The next day, it started to sink in and I was thinking I can't believe how lucky I am. I've been there thousands of times and the wife said it must be a guardian angel!
"People need to respect it more, including myself."
The 30-metre high cliffs at Shippersea Bay are some of the tallest along the Durham coastline, and Durham Heritage Coast Officer Niall Benson gave an explanation into why the cliff had fallen.
He said: "Cliff falls are more prevalent in the winter, particularly after heavy rainfall. It's part of the natural process, it's what keeps our cliffs looking as they do."
And he had some tips for the public to stay safe when they visit the Durham Heritage Coast - or indeed any other coastal area where there are cliffs.
He continued: "These are high cliffs and even on the low ones, a slip or a fall through tripping is extremely dangerous. But they do happen.
"Be aware of slips and trips up on the cliffs, and equally, on shore, don't walk underneath the cliffs.
"It sounds straight forward and basic, but it's the same frame as understanding when the tide comes in you might be cut off. So make sure you know when you're going."
"The video and the photos are a strong message around what the scale can be."
