3 Dead, 2 Injured After Bluff Collapse In Encinitas

ENCINITAS, CA – Three people were killed and two others were injured after a bluff collapsed Friday afternoon onto a group of beachgoers at Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas.

The cliff failed shortly before 3 p.m. near a lifeguard station located in the 1700 block of Neptune Avenue, according to city officials.

Emergency crews pulled out five people who were trapped under the debris, Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein said during a press conference. A woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three others were taken to hospitals, two in critical condition and one with minor trauma, Stein said. Another was treated at the scene for superficial injuries.

Two of the three victims taken to hospitals later died, city officials said Friday night.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims.

Search and rescue dogs assisted crews to determine if anyone else was trapped under the roughly 25-by 30-foot pile, which was about 10 feet tall at its highest point, Stein said.

The collapse was believed to have sent 15 to 20 cubic yards of rock and soil onto the beach, he added.

As a precaution, the city closed the shoreline from Ponto Beach on the north to several hundred yards south of the accident site near the foot of Grandview Street. The area adjacent to the bluff failure will remain closed to the public until further notice, according to the city.

"We do have concerns," lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles said during the press conference. "There is an area in there (where the cliff remains) unstable."

Officials urged beachgoers to avoid areas near or under the bluffs and keep at least 25 to 40 feet away.

City News Service contributed to this report.