Dozens of firefighters were frantically digging with shovels in search of a person who was thought to be buried by a landslide near a San Francisco beach.

San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said two people were walking along the shoreline Friday afternoon when a cliff and hill gave way just before 3 p.m. Talmadge said a woman was able to escape to safety but told authorities her companion was buried under the sand and rocks.

A cadaver dog specially trained to sniff out people was also helping with the search at Fort Funston, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the Golden Gate Bridge.