Richest California suburb’s deadly secret: How a scenic cliff with breathtaking views of Pacific has become a death trap where three have died since August
It’s California’s richest suburb boasting an average income of more than $367,000, spectacular Pacific views, and multi-million-dollar homes.
But the coastal city of Palos Verdes Estates in LA county, has a dark secret: a deadly clifftop trail that has claimed the lives of three people since August alone.
Seen in exclusive Daily Mail photos, at first glance the cliffs appear innocuous: lush and green and backdropped by swanky homes.
But look more closely and the 300ft sheer drop to the beach below becomes clear, along with crumbling bluffs and steep trails that switchback down the cliffside.
‘We usually avoid that path – there’s another one that we take that’s further away,’ Palos Verdes resident Sheryl Diamond, who was out for a stroll with her friend Paula Daniels, told the Daily Mail.
‘It’s much safer. Really wide and safe.’
Like many locals, Sheryl is all too aware of the perils the clifftop path that sits in the heart of Palos Verdes Estates poses.
But, she says, visitors often don’t realize how dangerous it can be and says there needs to be better signage in order to prevent further deaths.
At first glance, the clifftop path at Palos Verdes Estates looks serene, boasting beautiful views, and surrounded by multimillion-dollar homes
But a closer – and rather dangerous – look reveals the cliff plunges 300 feet to the rocks below – and has become the site of a growing number of fatal accidents, the Daily Mail can reveal
A general view of a multi-million-dollar luxury beach house overlooking the coast in Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County
‘It would be good to have a sign there that said danger or something. Because otherwise, people just don’t realize.’
Since August, three bodies have been discovered lying on the pebbly beach that runs along the bottom of the cliffs surrounding Bluff Cove.
All three prompted near identical callouts to the LA Fire Department – with firefighters asked each time to come to the 1400 block of Paseo del Mar.
Known for being ‘one of the most prestigious streets in the Palos Verdes Estates’ according to local realtors, the stunning strip of modern mansions sits directly across the road from the cliff path and boasts spectacular views over the Pacific Ocean.
Homes on the stretch go for millions of dollars with current listings including a $9.4 million Cape Cod style six-bedroom mansion and a smaller $7.5 million Spanish style ranch home that sits directly on the clifftop.
But the area has also become the site of regular calls to the LAFD due to the frequency of horror finds on the beach below – the most recent of which came on November 18.
On that occasion, a man’s body was discovered with a forensic tent seen set up on the clifftop in photos taken at the time.
When the Daily Mail visited, the remains of a floral tribute could still be seen marking the spot, along with a small crucifix and an unopened notecard.
Daily Mail photos taken from the top of the cliff show the pebbled beach far below, where three bodies have been found since August
The most recent deadly incident took place on November 18,when a man’s body was discovered on the beach
On August 30, police discovered the body of a man lying on the shoreline. Though he was not identified, the LA County medical examiner recorded a fatality at a cliff on the same day for a Donald Walker. In 2022, 25-year-old Jerardo Huitzil was killed after he and three friends fell from the cliff during an early morning hike
The body of a second man was discovered in the same spot on October 30 while the remains of a third man was recovered on August 30.
Neither were immediately identified, though the LA Times reported that the LA County medical examiner has a record of a death at a cliff on August 30 for a 47-year-old Donald Walker, 47.
According to the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, none of the deaths are thought to be suspicious and the area is a noted suicide spot.
In June, three more bodies were found on the same stretch of shore, including the remains of a boater lost at sea, a homeless person and a fisherman caught in a storm.
Paula told the Daily Mail: ‘I know someone from years ago whose son committed suicide.
‘You get people jumping pretty often and there’s been some who have driven their cars off the cliffs recently.’
Another notorious 2022 tragedy that saw four friends fall from the same cliff while out on an early morning hike.
Although three survived the 4.25am plunge, Jerardo Huitzil, 25, was killed.
That incident led to a warning from the LAFD who dubbed the spot ‘extremely dangerous’.
Locals say there aren’t enough visible warning signs alerting visitors to the danger. Pictured above is one sign warning of an ‘unstable cliff’ behind a small chain fence
A small floral tribute along with a crucifix and notecard was seen marking the spot where someone died
‘It’s extremely dangerous; there’s no fencing in the area,’ LA County Fire Captain Wade Kelsey said after Huitzil’s death.
‘There’s sloping to where it just goes off to a sheer cliff, and the majority of the area here is very unstable, very dangerous if you get close to the edge of this cliff without any sort of protection.’
Locals say more needs to be done to get the message through – particularly for first time visitors and novice hikers.
‘This is one of the most dangerous trails there is,’ a local surfer told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s doable but you have to know where to put your feet.’
Another walker, who gave his name as Henry, added: ‘I don’t think a lot of people know how dangerous the cliffs are, especially if this is their first time.’
Asked if better signs are required, he added: ‘It might be nice to do something about that, let people know how it can be.’
