This is the heart-stopping moment thousands of tons of rocks crashed down onto a popular beach in Devon, narrowly avoiding holidaymakers.
The dramatic cliff fall threw up a billowing cloud of dust, forcing terrified beachgoers to run into the sea to escape the landslip.
Families with young children had been sunbathing on the shoreline close by when the cliff collapsed, but thankfully no-one was injured by the fall.
Warning signs had already been put up at Jacob’s Ladder beach, in Sidmouth, prior to the terrifying incident which took place on Saturday.
It comes after an almost identical landslip happened at the same beach in October last year.
This was the terrifying moment thousands of tons of rock crashed down onto a popular beach while holidaymakers were sunbathing nearby
Two people can be seen running into the sea after finding themselves extremely close to the billowing cloud of dust and rubble
Onlookers were shocked to see a billowing cloud of dust fill up the sky as those close to the impact point ran into the sea to escape
The cliffs around the Sidmouth area have been warned as posing a ‘very real danger’ due to their crumbling nature.
Nearby in Seatown, Dorset, a similar incident occurred in July when hundreds of tons of rock and soil slipped from a 200ft cliff.
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Terrifying moment hundreds of tons of rock falls from 200ft Dorset cliff near popular beach
The cliff at Jacob’s Ladder collapsed at around 4.25pm on August 24, at the beginning of the bank holiday weekend.
Images of the collapse show the moment people close to the impact were forced to scramble in a bid to get to safety. Two people were seen running into the sea to avoid the catastrophe.
Eyewitness Hans-Petter Bjørnestad who was visiting from Copenhagen, Denmark said it made a noise like thunder.
‘I heard two loud booms immediately after each other, ‘ he told NeedToKnow.
‘It sounded like thunder or booming thuds.
‘I was 200m to 300m or so away at Connaught Gardens.
‘I visit there quite often as my wife is from Sidmouth.
Footage of the scene showed the aftermath after thousands of tons of rocks plunged onto the beach
A view from a distance, where the massive cloud of dust can be seen from afar
‘Cliff falls happen quite frequently – another small one occurred on Sunday.
‘There were people beyond the warning signs on the beach on Saturday.
‘Generally I think locals take the danger and the warnings quite seriously.
‘But there are a lot of tourists around.
‘This weekend it was the regatta so it was pretty crowded.’
The Sidmouth Lifeboat was launched following the collapse to conduct a shoreline search near Salcombe Mouth in case anyone had been caught up into the incident and swept into the sea.
A spokesperson for East Devon District Council – the authority that covers Sidmouth – had previously warned that the cliffs ‘pose a very real danger’ and urged visitors to exercise caution.
They said: ‘Saturday’s cliff falls in the Sidmouth area serves as a serious reminder of getting too close to our cliffs.
‘Whilst we all love the beauty of nature, cliffs are unpredictable and accidents can happen in an instance.
No-one was injured in the cliff collapse, with those close to the site narrowly avoiding being hit by just yards
East Devon District Council said the landslip served as a reminder not to get too close to the cliffs which pose a ‘very real danger’
The cliffs in Sidmouth are known to be unstable due to their crumbly nature
Clouds of dust could be seen rising as high as the cliff height itself, as the rocks crashed onto the sand below
Tourists have continued to visit the area in recent months despite warnings from the council to exercise caution and remain at a distance from the cliffs
‘Please for your safety maintain a safe distance from cliffs along our shorelines. ‘Let’s enjoy our beautiful beaches but stay safe this bank holiday weekend.’
The cliffs at Sidmouth are known for their instability.
Advise from the Coastguard urges people to stay at least the height of the cliff away from it.
In March, coastal scientist Vicky Walkley issued advice after seeing another cliff fall.
She said climate change including rising sea levels and wetter winters were likely to accelerate the rates of cliff erosion and it was important that everyone was aware of the risks when visiting the coast.
