Two teenage girls pose for selfies on top of unstable Broadchurch cliffs
The pinnacle of stupidity! Two teenage girls pose for selfies atop the unstable cliffs of Broadchurch, three days after the massive rock fall there
This is the shocking moment when two teenage girls took selfies on the unstable ‘Broadchurch cliffs’ three days after a massive rock fall there.
Ignoring warning signs, the pair stepped over large cracks at the top of the perilous 150-foot sandstone cliffs to strike poses at sunset.
They were standing on a part of the cliff that had fallen from an earlier movement.
The footage was taken on Wednesday at East Cliff in West Bay, Dorset, the filming location for the ITV crime drama starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman.
On Sunday evening, hundreds of tons of rock suddenly fell on the beach during the last rock fall there.
This is the shocking moment two teenage girls took selfies on the unstable ‘Broadchurch cliffs’
The pair (circled) ignored warning signs and stepped over large cracks at the top of the perilous 150-foot sandstone cliffs
It sparked a massive emergency amid unfounded fears that members of the public could have been caught underneath.
Drone photographer Daryl Gill said he is sharing the footage to raise awareness of the deadly nature of the 185-million-year-old Jurassic Coast cliffs.
He is calling for East Beach, which is directly below, to be closed to the public to prevent loss of life.
Mr Gill, who has lived at the resort for 25 years, said: ‘I sent my drone up and took these pictures on purpose.
“I was shocked when I saw those people up there on the screen of my drone.
“They were on the bit of cliff that looks like it’s about to disappear.
“There’s a sign, but people just ignore it. It’s like they don’t pay attention.
“I used to be on that beach as a kid, but I haven’t been near those cliffs in years because it’s so scary.
Two more girls were depicted on the edge of the cliff, where there is significant damage to the rock
“I just don’t think people understand that it could fall any minute.
‘I don’t know if there could be more signs along the coastal path, but if it were up to me the beach would be closed.
‘I don’t know how you stop people – they just seem to do what they want to do. It’s just not worth it.’
In 2012, tourist Charlotte Blackman, 22, was crushed by a massive landslide as she walked beneath the cliffs further past the World Heritage Site in Burton Bradstock.
There was almost another tragedy on Sunday night when dozens of beachgoers lay beneath the cliffs, not long before hundreds of tons of debris came crashing down at about 8:25 p.m.
Gavin Ball, who walked in front of the cliffs shortly before they collapsed, said, “It was really scary when you think we had just walked along that part of the beach.
“We were on West Cliff watching the sunset when there was this sound and the cliffs came crashing down.
“They gave away so quickly and you couldn’t have run out of the way.
“You wouldn’t have had a chance. It was horrible.’
The rockfall is due to heavy rainfall last Friday.
Holidaymakers are warned to stay away from the base of the West Bay cliffs and keep their dogs on a lead near the cliff.
A spokesman for Dorset Council said: ‘In terms of scale it’s not as big as previous slips but still significant enough to block the beach until we get a few more high tides to wash some off.
‘The coastal path is not affected by this rockfall. The beach will remain inaccessible and beach closure signs will remain until an assessment can be made in the next few days.
Rockfalls can and do happen at any time, but the heavy rain we saw on Friday may have been a contributing factor.
‘The Jurassic Coast looks the way it does because of erosion – meaning it’s always moving.
“It’s a great place to visit, but it’s important to use common sense and caution – stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always look out for warning signs and safety messages.”