Cliff collapse on Calif. hiking trail leaves 1 dead

John Bacon | USA TODAY

One hiker died and another was seriously injured after a sandstone cliff collapsed Saturday evening in California, crashing 70 feet into the Pacific Ocean.

The Arch Rock overlook was a scenic feature of an 8-mile trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. Three days before the collapse, the park service had posted signs along the trail warning visitors that a fissure had opened along the bluff, John Dell'Osso, spokesman for the National Park Service, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Other hikers came to the aid of the victims. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, the other was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital.

Los Altos resident Karen Blasing told the Chronicle she was hiking with her husband and two friends Saturday and saw the hazard signs. She said she was concerned about the number of people going out on rocks despite the warnings.

"It was clear no one should be on that rock with the huge fissure," she said. "We stayed back, but many others were unconcerned and dangerously taking chances."

The 110-square-mile park is part of Point Reyes peninsula just off Marin County, near San Francisco. The park's beaches and scenic estuaries draw more than 2 million visitors annually. Attractions include the Point Reyes Lighthouse and Point Reyes Lifeboat Station.

"The area leading up to Arch Rock is closed for your safety," the park service said in a statement. "The land may still be unstable and further collapse or erosion could occur."

"I can't tell you why somebody would walk past those signs and not pay any attention to them," Dell'Osso told the Los Angeles Times. "This is a tragedy."