ENCINITAS, Calif. _ A woman was killed and others were injured when an oceanfront bluff collapsed Friday at Grandview beach in the Leucadia area of Encinitas, authorities said.
It happened about 2:55 p.m. Pacific time on the beach just north of a mobile lifeguard tower and the wooden stairs leading to the beach from Neptune Avenue, according to footage from the scene and San Diego Sheriff's Lt. Ted Greenawald.
A woman died at the scene and a critically injured victim was airlifted to a hospital, according to Encinitas lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles and sheriff's officials.
Medics took two other victims to a hospital in ambulances, Giles said. Another victim declined medical treatment.
At least two people had been trapped in the debris of the collapsed cliff, Greenawald said.
Giles said a 30-by-25-foot section of the cliff collapsed. Cadaver dogs were at the scene helping to look for more potential victims.
A portion of the marine safety page on Encinitas' website is dedicated to the dangers of the city's sandstone cliffs.
"Because of frequent bluff failures, a great deal of consideration has been given to ensuring the safety of those who visit our beaches," the city says on its website. "Please be aware that in most areas hiking near or directly on top of the bluffs is prohibited. It is also important for visitors to avoid standing or sitting directly underneath unstable bluffs, since they may collapse."
The website said city officials have placed warning signs at several locations that are unsafe and should be avoided. It was not clear if the section of bluff that collapsed Friday afternoon was one that city officials previously considered dangerous.
Encinitas resident Rebecca Kowalczyk, 30, died near the same area Jan. 16, 2000, when a 110-yard-wide chunk of bluff fell on top of her and buried her. Kowalczyk was on the Leucadia beach watching her husband surf when the tragedy struck.
The last fatal bluff-collapse in San Diego County happened more than a decade ago, when 57-year-old Nevada tourist Robert Mellone was crushed by a shower of sand and boulders from a section of bluff above Torrey Pines State Beach.
On July 17, 2002, a 39-year-old man, James Franklin, died when the cave he used for shelter at South Carlsbad State Beach collapsed on him.
Two tourists, Timothy Silcox, 33, and David Shulin, 35, were killed Jan. 22, 1995, when a sea bluff collapsed on them at Torrey Pines State Reserve. Merrell Davis, 52, of Mission Hills, was buried up to his chest and suffered a leg fracture in that collapse.
Yorba Linda resident Mike Bassett said he didn't witness Friday's landslide, but he said he visited the same area late Thursday night during a high tide that was pummeling the cliff.
"We were there last night around 11:30. There was no beach at all," Bassett said. "There was probably 2 feet of water around the lifeguard station. It was weird to see the waves pounding on the bluff."
It was unclear what caused the bluff to collapse Friday. Adam Young, a researcher with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, headed to the site immediately after learning of the incident, but was unable to get close enough to view the area. He couldn't speculate on what caused the collapse in Encintas, but said factors including wave action, rainfall and others contribute to cliff erosion over time.
"It's usually a combination of processes that could be going on for years," Young said.
It was also unknown which agency, if any, is responsible for monitoring and stabilization of bluffs in Encinitas. North County Transit District spokeswoman Kim Wall said the agency has projects to stabilize Del Mar bluffs in order to protect rail lines, but said rail lines in Encinitas are inland of the coast.
"The area where this happened is not near our tracks, so this wouldn't be an area we are reinforcing," she said.
As news stations scrambled for footage of the event, the Sheriff's Department warned news helicopters to maintain a safe elevation above the site, stating that the aircraft were impairing rescue and recovery efforts.
"For TV stations flying a helicopter over the bluff collapse in (Encinitas), you are flying too low," the Sheriff's Department stated in a tweet. "The vibrations of your aircraft are affecting safety operations for first responders and could cause further instability at the scene. Please fly higher."
