2 Killed, 1 Injured in Cliff Cave-In at San Diego Beach

SAN DIEGO — Two men died when they were buried under tons of rock, and another was injured as he fled, after a cliff at Torrey Pines State Beach collapsed Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred just below Torrey Pines State Reserve, in an unstable stretch of cliffs where collapses are common, authorities said. Sunday’s were the first known fatalities, however. The usually crowded beach was virtually deserted because of the weather. The beach has since been closed because of the hazardous conditions.

The victims’ names had not been released pending notification of relatives. One of the dead men is from Santa Clara, Calif.; the other is from Massachusetts. The survivor, Merrell Davis, 52, is from San Diego.

The two victims were sitting or walking on the beach when the cliff above them caved in, said investigator Mark Malamatos of the county medical examiner’s office. The men were covered by tons of rock and dirt. Park rangers and lifeguards had to dig through the rubble to retrieve the bodies, Malamatos said. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The third man on the beach “heard a rumble and he ran toward the water,” Malamatos said, escaping serious injury by fleeing as tons of falling debris collapsed around and behind him. The man was buried up to his waist in rock and dirt, according to witnesses. He was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Malamatos said. He was in good condition Sunday night with a broken ankle and bruises, said nurse supervisor Kathy Verge.

San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Art Robertson said the collapse occurred during high tide.