{"id":461697,"date":"2026-09-12T14:02:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T14:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/461697\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T14:02:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T14:02:14","slug":"youngsters-flock-to-jump-from-the-cliffs-despite-serious-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/461697\/","title":{"rendered":"Youngsters flock to jump from the cliffs despite serious injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of weeks back, I escaped the L.A. heat by driving two hours south to San Diego\u2019s famed Ocean Beach, home of the majestic Sunset Cliffs.<\/p>\n

Palm trees lined Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, one of the seaside enclave\u2019s main streets, where residents rode golf carts, bikes and scooters throughout town and to the beach. Ocean Beach embodies the California small surf town.<\/p>\n

At the cliffs, several young men lined up near an arch and jumped into the nearby waters. The fall was about 15 feet near the arch, but 30 to 40 feet from the ledge near the street.<\/p>\n

Most hesitated, but all abandoned their fear and jumped despite a series of high-profile accidents this summer. Those incidents led to increased policing, along with concerns and debates from locals weighing safety against the values of youthful rites of passage.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s excerpts from my article.<\/a><\/p>\n

You’re reading the Essential California newsletter <\/p>\n

Sign up to start every day with California’s most important stories.<\/p>\n

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\"A <\/a> <\/p>\n

(Sandy Huffaker\/The Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing like California<\/p>\n

Iowa resident Marcus English, 17, said he\u2019d probably be hosting bonfires back home if he wasn\u2019t diving off the cliffs.<\/p>\n

English wangled a stop during a weeklong family trip to California that included national park visits to stop by Sunset Cliffs, which he saw on social media.<\/p>\n

The vistas and cool breezes represented quintessential California to the Midwesterner, equal parts \u201cwhat I saw on Instagram and a movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just so freeing,\u201d he said of his leaps. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Spectators <\/a> <\/p>\n

(Sandy Huffaker\/The Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Six fractured vertebrae<\/p>\n

This summer\u2019s safety debate reached a fever pitch in late July. A 17-year-old jumper, according to social media footage<\/a>, struck the ledge with his backside and crashed into the water.<\/p>\n

The incident was covered<\/a> extensively by San Diego media <\/a>and resulted in increased policing near the bluffs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For his part, the unnamed 17-year-old said in a since-deleted social media post<\/a> that he suffered six fractured vertebrae and a badly bruised tailbone and needed nine stitches in his foot. The Times could not independently reach him.<\/p>\n

Tracking down the cliff incidents<\/p>\n

Attention surrounding Sunset Cliffs injuries ebbs and flows much like the current, according to Frank Gormlie, a longtime San Diego County resident who tracked incidents more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Gormlie, the founder and editor of Ocean Beach\u2019s online newspaper, OB Rag,<\/a> published a list in his October 2015 article \u201cDeath and Distress at Sunset Cliffs \u2014 2005 to 2015,\u201d<\/a> which he described as \u201cincomplete\u201d because of unreported incidents.<\/p>\n

His research documented 11 deaths and dozens of injuries during that time span. Those statistics came from jumps, along with vehicular, climbing and health incidents.<\/p>\n

Some incidents had little to do with jumping, such as a surfer smashing into the rocks. But a 43-year-old woman slipped and fell to her death in 2015, while two jumpers needed crane-assisted rescues after suffering serious injuries, according to Gormlie.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have been visiting the Sunset Cliffs for years because it has a beauty that shocks,\u201d Gormlie said when asked to explain what draws people to the site. \u201cBut I think social media has found its way to the next generation of adventure seekers who don\u2019t know about the dangers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jumping can result in a fine<\/p>\n

The teen\u2019s accident in July was one of three incidents and subsequent rescues spanning 15 days, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.<\/a><\/p>\n

All rescues involved San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards and personnel, said Candace Hadley, Fire-Rescue public information officer.<\/p>\n

Hadley wanted to remind potential jumpers that the act of leaping from the cliffs violates a San Diego municipal code and could result in fines of $100 or more. Frequent fliers could be smacked with $1,000 fines.<\/p>\n

\u201cCliff jumping isn\u2019t just illegal in San Diego. It\u2019s extremely dangerous,\u201d Hadley said. \u201cOne misstep could lead to a life-altering injury or worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

A local viewpoint<\/p>\n

Lyne Miller, 80, has lived her whole life in Ocean Beach and said she promised her mom that she \u201cwould never jump.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller says the number of teens arriving at the beach, probably driven by social media, \u201cis more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

But she acknowledged that locals had been jumping at Sunset Cliffs since at least the 1950s in surf-centric Ocean Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t necessarily feel negative about the jumpers,\u201d she added. \u201cI just wish they would be smarter and jump from safer spots at better times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The week\u2019s biggest stories \"People <\/a> <\/p>\n

(Arwen Clemans \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Heatwave and weatherEnvironmental challengesEntertainment newsCrime, court and policingMore newsEditor\u2019s pickMore picksThings to do \"This <\/a> <\/p>\n

(Andy Kropa \/ Andy Kropa\/invision\/ap)<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s recipe \"Kale <\/a> <\/p>\n

(Jenn Harris \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Have you ever wondered why your homemade kale salad just doesn\u2019t taste as snappy <\/a>and crisp as the one you recently had at a restaurant? This recipe might be the closest option you have to leaving your house.<\/p>\n

Photo of the day \"Rams <\/p>\n

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of their game on Friday in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

(Asanka Brendon Ratnayake \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Games \"Mini <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s today\u2019s mini crossword<\/a>, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n

Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n