Landslide Kills Woman as She Watches Husband Surf

ENCINITAS — A woman sitting on the beach was killed Saturday when part of a bluff suddenly collapsed and sent tons of dirt and rocks tumbling down on her, officials said.

Horrified sunbathers tried desperately to dig through the moist red dirt that covered the woman while she was watching her husband surf near picturesque Moonlight Beach.

The victim was identified by the San Diego County medical examiner as Rebecca Kowalski, 30, of Encinitas.

Her body, buried beneath 3 feet of dirt, was recovered by a dozen lifeguards and firefighters using heavy equipment.

“It happened so suddenly, nobody knew what was happening,” said Encinitas firefighter Steve Walsh. “The woman never knew what happened.”

Kowalski was apparently sitting alone when an 80-foot stretch of bluff crumbled down.

Although such accidents are rare, much of the coastal bluff in this stretch of northern San Diego County is considered unstable and prone to slides. Numerous signs are posted at beaches warning people not to sit beneath the cliffs.

“This is just what everybody worries about,” said neighbor James Lee. “The bluffs are things of nature; nobody can be sure when they’ll collapse.”

Homeowners in the Leucadia section of Encinitas just north of Moonlight Beach have been attempting to shore up their homes to keep them from sliding down the bluff.

The accident occurred about 1:45 p.m. as a small crowd enjoyed the beach on a warm, dry day. A dozen surfers were riding the waves, families were having picnics, and youthful skateboarders were doing maneuvers.

Moonlight Beach, just a block from Pacific Coast Highway, is considered one of the better surf breaks in a county known for good surfing spots.

After the accident, city officials declared the area off-limits to beach-goers, for fear that other slides could be in the offing, particularly as the area braced for rain.