A 50-foot section of rock and sediment collapsed onto Mea Lane Beach Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
Around 2:48 p.m., fire and park personnel were dispatched approximately 200 feet west of the Mesa Steps beach access area for a cliff rescue. Off duty fire personnel was on scene when the collapse occurred and advised that no one was trapped and there were personal belongings on the beach in the area, said Battalion Chief Robert Mercado, fire spokesman.
“Fortunately no one was in the area,” he told the News-Press. “The personal items were recovered and no injuries were reported.”
The area of the beach and portions of the Douglas Family Preserve were marked and officials tried to keep people from causing another slide or falling over the side of the cliff.
“I would say there was a significant pile on the beach,” Battalion Chief Mercado said. “Maybe a 50-foot section that ended up on the beach.
“It definitely could have injured somebody who was underneath or it could have killed them depending on the weight and the size of the product that came down,” he added.
A video of the incident showed large clouds of dust filling the air as people ran toward the cliff to see if anyone was hurt. It was unclear what may have caused the cliff to collapse.
“In my experience with the shoreline, this is a natural occurring event and it’s hard to predict those things happening,” Battalion Chief Mercado said. “We’re glad no one was injured. I hope we never have to respond to an event like this where there are people who are injured or trapped.”
