Woman Found Dead Off Sunset Cliffs
By CHRIS CHAN
Updated 8:55 PM PST, Mon, Dec 1, 2008
A woman was found dead on Sunday afternoon below Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Carmelo St., in Ocean Beach. The woman in her 30's has not yet been identified. Police say she was wearing jogging clothes but had no identification.
A passerby on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. saw the woman on the rocks below and contacted the police. When lifeguards reached her, she was already dead.
Local residents say surfers were near the area at the time. "My friend was actually surfing and he said that he saw dust after he heard someone scream. And he looked and saw someone on the floor," said Thor Johnson who lives just a few blocks from the cliffs.
Lifeguards say there were no witnesses to what happened to the woman but there may be some clues. "There is a strange cut on the other side of the guard rail there, right where she was down below. I'm not going to draw any deductions but that's where she was found," said Lt. Greg Buchanan of the San Diego Lifeguard Service. The body was found 60 to 70 feet below the street. The County Medical Examiner estimated the time of death at 1:40pm, similar to the time the body was discovered.
A crane was used to lift the woman's body up to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The street was re-opened shortly after 4:00pm.
Local residents say tragedy is a common occurrence at the cliffs. While it is a scenic spot, they say people are often unaware of its dangers. "With heavy rains like we just had, and sandstone cliffs, you catch your jogging shoe on anything, you hit the sandstone and it just crumbles underneath you," said Melinda White. White has lived in the area for several years. She recalls that one woman fell off another part of the cliffs and landed on the sand, allowing her to survive.
First Published: Nov 30, 2008 2:45 PM PST
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