Shocking moment massive sandstone cliff collapses at Bronte Beach in Sydney's east
By ZAK WHEELER
A young surfer has narrowly avoided being crushed after a large part of a cliff suddenly collapsed at an iconic beach in Sydney's east.
A piece of sandstone about 20metres long and six metres wide gave way at 11am on Friday and landed on a stormwater drain at Bronte Beach.
Heavy rain in the area is likely to blame for the collapse.
The stairs leading down to the northern end of the beach have been completely destroyed and the beach has since been cordoned off.
Anyone in the area has been urged to be careful while workers continue to remove the debris.
Bronte Beach club said the 'large land slip' would be cleared up soon.
'Council are on the job but please stay well away,' it warned.
A young surfer who was in the area at the time barely avoided a devastating fate when the rocks first fell.
Part of the cliff face above an iconic beach in Sydney's east has collapsed (pictured)
A large chunk of sandstone fell off the cliff at Bronte Beach at 11am on Friday
Christian Gouverneur, 21, had just gotten off the now-destroyed steps when he heard 'the biggest noise' erupt behind him.
'My feet had just touched the water and I thought Sydney had been bombed,' he told the Daily Telegraph.
'The hand railing was still shaking.'
Gouverneur said he got the day off work so had decided to surf but after the landslide he left to get a lottery ticket instead.
Waverley Council said several other people similarly avoided being crushed.
'There were a couple of young grommets who were running towards the stairs and were just about to go up them and there was a lifeguard at the top of the stairs about to walk down,' a spokesperson told the publication.
Council's initial assessments have backed up the theory that recent rainfall is to blame for the sudden collapse.
A stormwater drain, also known as a culvert, had run below the area of the incident, the spokesman added.
Waverley Council has urged locals to stay away from the area for the time being
Stairs leading from the road to the sand have been completely destroyed in the landslide
Further tests will be conducted in the area in order to determine all contributing factors which led to the slide.
'The culvert and a safety rail were badly damaged during the slip,' council said in a statement.
'A geotechnical assessment will be conducted to ensure the stability of the cliff area and to determine whether the exclusion zone needs to be extended.'
Lifeguard Ben Quigley said the incident could have been a tragedy had it been a busier day.
'[On a] busy day, people would be sunbaking, hanging out underneath the cliff,' Mr Quigley said.
'We're fortunate it was rainy. No one around.'
Council staff and lifeguards remain at the scene. The beach was closed due to dangerous surf conditions.
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