Over the past week, at least two people have been seriously hurt at the picturesque bluffs of Sunset Cliffs, a city landmark that for years has drawn walkers, photographers, tidepoolers and — to the ire of lifeguards — cliff divers.
But the recent mishaps didn’t appear to have fazed dozens of young adults and kids who were seen continuing to jump into the frothing water below.
On Wednesday, a group of kids made the more than 20-foot jump, risking life and limb to clear the rocks below. Depending on the time of day — and how high the tide is — the rocks can be more or less exposed, changing the calculation a jumper needs to make to land safely.
People jump from the Arch at Sunset Cliffs Wednesday afternoon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The group of young people was eventually greeted by multiple San Diego Fire-Rescue lifeguards, who, through their loudspeaker, ordered the kids not to jump and warned them of the dangers.
The prospective cliff jumpers dispersed, but a handful returned a half hour later to jump.
According to city officials, cliff jumping — or jumping into the Pacific Ocean or Mission Bay from any point higher than 5 feet above the water — is banned by law due to the danger it brings to participants and first responders in the water.
People jump into the ocean despite warnings from San Diego lifeguards at Sunset Cliffs on Wednesday. (Brandon Pollard / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Last Sunday, a 17-year-old boy jumped from the cliff and landed on the rocks below, striking his backside before crashing down into the water, according to fire authorities. The boy was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.
A second injury occurred Tuesday around 7:50 p.m. when a man, suspected of jumping, was climbing the cliff face and fell on the rocks below. An off-duty U.S. Coast Guard member then entered the water to keep him afloat until lifeguards could arrive and pull the man out. The man who fell from the cliff was taken to a hospital with “traumatic injuries,” Fire Department officials said.
“This is a reminder that jumping off of Sunset Cliffs isn’t just illegal — it’s incredibly dangerous,” lifeguard officials said in a social media post. “Please avoid these areas to prevent injuries or worse. It’s not worth it.”
Knowing it was illegal to jump off the cliff, several individuals decided to continue diving from the cliffs on Thursday at Sunset Cliffs. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego police said officers work alongside city park rangers and lifeguards to issue misdemeanor citations to cliff jumpers. But even the threat of a ticket has not stopped the illegal activity from occurring, said police Lt. Cesar Jimenez.
A jump-off point that has become famous over the years after being featured in a number of dramatic photos and videos is located near Osprey and Froude streets. Known to locals as the Arch, the spot is well known for having a land-bridge over the water that gives jumpers unique access to the rising tide that reaches a depth high enough to jump into.
“During busy times of the year, officers will monitor the cliffs and give warnings to those gathered in the area,” Jimenez said. “This is normally a deterrent; however, misdemeanor citations for adults can be issued, and infraction citations to minors can be issued as well.”
The situation is exceptionally perilous this weekend due to ongoing rip tide currents and violent waves being brought to Baja California and Southern California beaches by Hurricane Genevieve.
“The strong south swell is expected to continue this week, and we are also expecting potentially higher wave conditions with the hurricane,” said Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley.
People cross over the rocks at Sunset Cliffs Wednesdsay. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sunset Cliffs has been a hotspot for thrill-seekers for decades, but some Point Loma residents, as well as residents from nearby communities, have been calling for it to be more heavily regulated and the city’s cliff jumping ban to be more strictly enforced.
Christine McCoy, a San Carlos resident who was walking alongside the cliffside Wednesday near the jumpers, said that decades ago, she knew her son would make the drive with his friends to the cliff to jump. She said she’s just as terrified as she was back then, but for today’s kids and their parents. She had heard the news stories about the boy who was injured on Sunday.
“It’s already heartbreaking, and you need to think about how it could be someone you know,” said McCoy. “My friend’s granddaughter said that somebody was daring her to jump off just the other day.
“I would just want to talk to their parents about it, and explain the dangers of it,” she added.
Residents who live nearby expressed their concerns about not only the danger involved, but about the scene the cliff jumpers have created, with large groups gathering at the cliffs, leaving litter behind and making problems for residents and local law enforcement.
One nearby resident said that over the last four to five years, he’s seen the number of people jumping from the cliff’s edge grow, reaching as many as 150 on particularly hot weekends. He said he believed a large number of people in the groups heard about the jumping spot purely through social media and are not good enough swimmers to be challenging the tricky tides.
San Diego lifeguards warn people not to jump at Sunset Cliffs on Wednesday. Several people jumped once lifeguards left the area. (Brandon Pollard / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Watching the kids jump on Wednesday was Los Angeles resident Joaquin Herrera, who was on vacation with his wife and wanted to see the natural geographic formations along the coastline.
He called the shore beautiful and said he understood why cliff jumpers would choose this particular spot, but he also realized the inherent danger in the activity.
“Maybe put some guardrails up, which would maybe mean less people out here,” Herrera said. “If it’s an isolated incident, OK, fine; but if this is something that seems to be happening a lot, you have to think about security.”