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SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities are continuing to search for a woman missing after she was buried in sand when a cliffside collapsed at Fort Funston Friday. But as of late-afternoon Saturday, the victim still had not been found.
She and another woman, both in their mid-20s, were walking a dog about halfway up the cliff about 2:30 p.m. when the slide occurred, according to Lt. Jonathan Baxter of the San Francisco Fire Department. One woman was extricated from the massive pile of dirt and sand and is recovering from injuries that are not life-threatening, Baxter said, but the other victim is still missing.
About 60 firefighters, along with specially-trained dogs, scoured the sand with hand tools for the other victim through Friday evening but suspended the rescue operation late Friday, after finding no sign of the victim, according to a press release from the National Park Service’s Golden Gate division.
Both the San Francisco Fire Department and National Park Service worked on the rescue effort.
Based on witness reports, authorities determined the woman was “likely buried under tons of soft, heavy sand, and was presumed deceased,” according to the press release.
“It’s not in our DNA to give up,” Baxter said Friday evening. “I don’t believe we’ve given up. I believe we’ve looked at what we have in front of us, and based on the facts that we have, the hazards that we have, we’ve had to (change) this from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
But a high tide that swept the beach early Saturday morning washed away much of the bluff, changing the area where the woman was last seen. Authorities believe the woman could still be buried in the sand or was carried out to sea by the tide.
The recovery operations were temporarily suspended Saturday afternoon during high tide, and will resume on the beach during low tide periods. Both a boat crew with the San Francisco Fire Department and a US Coast Guard rescue helicopter searched the water for signs of the woman’s body Saturday afternoon.
According to the National Park Service, the landslide appears to be an “isolated natural incident” caused by soft sand and erosion from recent storms.
Fort Funston’s main parking lot was reopened at noon, and aside from the beach and search areas, the area remains open to the public, according to the press release.
The names of the two women are not being released to respect the privacy of the victim’s family, according to the release.
And #022319CR1 UPDATE WE HAVE ONE VICTIM TRAPPED UNDER THIS SLIDE, Search K9 Teams from @SFFDPio @SSFFire pic.twitter.com/ZmP4LJA4xF
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 23, 2019
The women’s dog is being cared for by San Francisco Animal Control.
Baxter said the dog would be turned over to family members.
“This is a very sad event,” Baxter said.
Check back for updates.
