By Renee Schmiedeberg / 7SanDiego / Published July 28, 2026
Just two days after a cliff rescue at Sunset Cliffs was captured on video and spread widely online, emergency personnel rescued two more people from the same cliffs during two separate situations on Tuesday, July 28.
During one of Tuesday’s rescues, an individual was seen climbing up the cliffs at Sunset Cliffs before falling off, slamming onto the hard rock below and ricocheting into the ocean. Tuesday’s incident occurred near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Froude Street. The extent of that person’s injuries was not immediately clear.
At about the same time Tuesday evening, a short distance away, first responders were busy with a separate cliff rescue, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
This one happened near Ladera Street. A man injured his leg and needed to be rescued. First responders were able to locate him and he was airlifted to a hospital.
The extent of that person’s injuries was also not immediately clear.
The dangers of cliff-jumping
During Sunday’s rescue, emergency personnel said that the 17-year-old was taken to the hospital with a leg injury, but that his injuries could have been much worse.
Cliff-jumping is against the law in San Diego. San Diego Municipal Code section 63.20.23 prohibits jumping or diving into the Pacific Ocean or Mission Bay from any natural or human-made point connected to land that is more than five feet above the water.
“I will say that he is very lucky that he only injured his leg,” SDFD Lt. Charlie Knight said. “This could have easily been paralysis, death, or even hitting the cliff, going unconscious, and drowning in the water.”
“We want locals and visitors to enjoy San Diego’s coastline safely,” SDFD spokesperson Candace Hadley said. “Please stay back from cliff edges, follow all posted warnings and never jump from cliffs or other elevated areas into the water.”
Even after the video of Sunday’s incident went viral, plenty of swimmers were seen jumping off Sunset Cliffs by Monday. An NBC San Diego reporter saw the group of cliff-jumpers pause when a San Diego patrol car passed by, and then resume jumping.
People who live nearby say it happens every day. Lacee Perkins even shared photos of another cliff rescue on July 19, where a crane needed to be used to pull an injured cliff-jumper to safety.
“People definitely jump off the cliffs on a regular basis. Lifeguards patrol the area, we make warnings, we make [loudspeaker announcements], we do the best that we can. But as soon as we leave, they group up again and they start jumping off the cliffs,” Knight said.
When asked what lifeguards can do to prevent the illegal act, Knight said, “Unsure at this time.”
First and foremost, I hope those requiring rescue from illegal cliff jumping this past week did not sustain life threatening injuries nor became paralyzed. In our youth we all do foolish things, thinking we are immortal or immune from the consequences of our actions.
I’ve been a homeowner in Sunset Cliffs for decades. When I hear the cacophony of sirens that go silent at my backdoor, I know someone has done something foolish and their life is in peril. Whatever I’m doing, I stop and say a prayer. I pray they are ok. I pray their parents still have a child to love and later admonish. I pray their ill-fated desire for momentary social media fame reaches & deters their “friends”.
Then, I get furious. There are signs posted. It is illegal to jump. Lifeguards sit in their rescue trucks parked and watching as teens jump. Once, I approached and asked “Why are you not ticketing them for violation?” The answer: “We don’t have the authority nor jurisdiction”.
What? Really? In a City owned natural park FAMOUS FOR TEEN CLIFF JUMPING AND KNOWN BY THE CITY TO BE DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING: City employees (Lifeguards), sit in a City owned truck, parked in a City owned parking lot, directly adjacent to a City sign which reads “Rules and Regulations: No Jumping….” have no authority or jurisdiction to ticket/arrest them in an effort to safeguard their life?
Apparently not.
However, when a foolish cliff jumper needs rescuing; City Police, Fire, Paramedics, Ambulances, Lifeguards, and Helicopters are there in force!. They block off Sunset Cliffs Blvd and redirect all traffic down adjacent residential streets with no warning or monitoring. This puts TRULY innocent lives at risk: We heard the sirens, but nothing prepared us or our children playing in the street or on their bikes for the sudden redirection of traffic.
Who pays for the City’s dereliction of duty? HOMEOWNERS & TAXPAYERS!
I was dumb enough to jump from the cliffs one time, way back in high school. I never saw anyone get hurt, but I still look back on that and wonder what I was thinking.
Life Guards are not law enforcement, they are life-savers. We are so lucky to have them.